22 April 2016 · Motoring Tips & Advice
Top 5 Tips for getting your licence | Phil Gilbert Hyundai
If you’ve been practising for your upcoming drivers licence test you may want to take a look through our top tips for getting your licence so you can be ready to pass with flying colours on test day! Here’s some important components of driving that your assessor will be sure to pay attention to:
1. Stop Signs Mean Stop – Not Just Slow Down
A common mistake is not stopping at stop signs and just slowly rolling through. Remember, you must bring your car to a complete stop, with the whole car behind the line at a stop sign and traffic lights.
Stopping behind the line at traffic lights and then creeping forward does not count – you must stay behind the line.
2. Indicating – Signal Your Moves
Indicating is just simple common courtesy. Did you know you must indicate for at least 5 seconds before leaving a parking space or moving from a kerb? Don’t just flick your indicator quickly on and off before driving off!
It’s also important to signal at the right time because signalling too early, too late or leaving your indicator on can confuse other road users.
3. Always Check Your Blind Spots
When driving, make sure you always check your blind spots and mirrors when merging, changing lanes and during your manoeuvres. The left-hand side blind spot when turning left can be commonly overlooked.
4. Nailing the Reverse Parallel Park
The reverse parallel park is one of the manoeuvres you’re expected to do when you go for your licence test – and one that people tend to find the trickiest.
When about to perform this park, slow down, indicate left, check your left blind spot and pull up alongside the car you are parking behind (you can keep your indicator on throughout the manoeuvre). Make sure there is about one metre between your car and the car next to you.
Position the car so your car's left passenger side mirror is in line with the driver side mirror of the car next to you, and put your car into reverse gear. Turn the steering wheel anti-clockwise, and slowly begin to reverse your car.
Continue reversing at an angle. As you finish reversing in, turn your steering wheel clockwise to straighten your front wheels. Finally, inch forward (making sure your front wheels are straight) to complete the parallel park.
5. Trust Your Judgement
Another common challenge for new drivers is not selecting safe gaps in traffic – a matter of judgement and experience.
Sometimes learners will pull out and misjudge the speed of the car coming towards them or, if it's a truck, you need to take into account that the truck takes longer to stop than a car.
Are you preparing to spend some time in Australia as an overseas visitor? You may be wondering if it’s legal for you to drive here while you’re on your holiday. As an international visitor, you are able to drive in Australia with your foreign licence for three months, as long as that licence is in English.
Generally, the biggest difference for many international visitors in Australia is driving on the left side of the road, as opposed to the right. In Australia, the steering wheel is on the right hand side of the car, so the gearstick and other instruments will feel reversed if you come from a country where the steering wheel is on the left hand side!
We hope this article has been useful for those of you about to go for your driving test, or preparing to drive in Australia for the first time.
If you’re looking for a great first car for Australian roads, contact Sydney’s Hyundai dealer Phil Gilbert Hyundai. Whether you’re looking for a new or used vehicle, a service or parts, the team at Phil Gilbert Hyundai have all your motoring needs covered.
Good luck, and safe driving!
