Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC)
Your BAC must be zero. This means your (BAC) cannot have any alcohol in your system when you drive a vehicle. Demerit points
Your licence will be suspended if you incur four or more demerit points. Display of L signs
L signs must be clearly displayed on the front and back of the exterior of the vehicle. Seatbelts
You must ensure all occupants are properly restrained by seatbelts or approved restraints. Speed limit
You must not drive faster than 90 km/h and must observe the speed limit where it is
below 90 km/h. Supervision A person who has an appropriate Australian full licence (not a learner or provisional licence or an overseas licence) must sit next to you. Towing
You must not tow a trailer or any other vehicle. Location restrictions
You must not drive in Parramatta Park,
Centennial Park or Moore Park when in Sydney. Mobile phone
You must not use any function of a mobile phone, including hands free or loudspeaker
devices when driving. Licence class
You cannot learn to drive for a higher licence class.
SUSPENSION OR CANCELLATION OF LEARNER LICENCE
A learner who commits driving offences may have their licence
cancelled by a court or suspended or cancelled by Roads & Maritime.
A learner licence can be suspended by Roads & Maritime for offences
such as:
• The learner drives without a supervising driver.
• The learner or passengers are not restrained by seatbelts or child
restraints, as appropriate.
• The learner drives with a passenger(s) in the boot or on the vehicle.
Driver fatigue accounts for about 20% of road deaths in NSW. Fatigue is particularly dangerous because it affects everyone, no matter how experienced a driver you are.
What is driver fatigue? Fatigue is a term used to describe the feeling of being ‘sleepy’, ‘tired’ or ‘exhausted’. This is your body’s way of telling you that you need to stop and rest or sleep. The best way to avoid driver fatigue is to make sure you have plenty of sleep before you set off. The only way to treat fatigue once you have already started driving is to stop and rest until you are refreshed.
Facts about driver fatigue
Fatigue fact 1 Fatigue is associated with the hours when you would normally be asleep. The risk of having a fatal fatigue crash is four times greater between the hours of 10pm and 6am because this is when your body is programmed to sleep. Your temperature falls and your blood pressure drops so that at night and to some extent during the afternoon, your ability to perform tasks can be severely impaired. This includes your ability to drive. Your circadian rhythms (natural sleep pattern) cause this type of fatigue and there is nothing you can do to stop it. So if you drive at night or early in the morning your risk of driver fatigue is increased.
Fatigue fact 2 The average person needs about eight hours of sleep each night to function normally, teenagers need even more. When you reduce the number of hours you sleep at night you start to accumulate what is called a ‘sleep debt’. The only way to treat your sleep debt is by sleeping.
Fatigue fact 3 Fatigue is caused by how long you have been awake. After being awake for 17 hours the risk of driver fatigue is greatly increased.
Fatigue fact 4 You have a high risk of suffering from fatigue immediately after you wake up, when you still feel groggy. This is called ‘sleep inertia’ and generally lasts between 15 to 30 minutes. Wait until you have overcome sleep inertia before you drive. All these factors will increase your fatigue.
Fatigue fact 5 The risk of fatigue increases with the amount of time you have spent driving. To reduce fatigue you should aim to stop for 15 minutes every two hours. But remember, the only cure for fatigue is a good night’s sleep.
Signs of fatigue
Driver fatigue severely impairs your concentration and judgement; it slows your reaction time. In fact, some of the effects of fatigue are as dangerous as the effects of alcohol on your driving. As you drive, watch for early warning signs of fatigue:
The officers agree that the big NSW Driving Test Common Mistakes are the small but important things like signalling – either forgetting to indicate or not doing it for long enough and observation – failing to check your mirrors or blind spots. Stop signs can also be troublesome, particularly when it comes to stopping before the line.
Signalling
Don’t just flick your indicator and drive off, you must signal for at a least 5 seconds before leaving a parking space or moving from a kerb. It is also important to signal at the right time because signalling too early, too late or leaving your indicator on can confuse other road users.
Blind spots
Not checking blind spots is another common error. You need to check your blind spots and mirrors when merging, changing lanes and during your manoeuvres. Drivers often forget to check their left hand side blind spot when turning left off wide roads. Think of it this way, if you could fit a car between the kerb and your car, a head check in your blind spot is required before turning left. You never know when something will be travelling up that part of the road. And don’t forget that an observation check is also required to confirm that it is safe to continue before moving off after being stopped at traffic lights.
Stop signs
A common mistake is not stopping at stop signs and just slowly rolling through. You have to stop 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 have to stay behind the line. You can move forward at stop signs when the view may be obscured, but only after you’ve come to a complete stop.
Judgement
Another problem is not selecting safe gaps in traffic. It’s 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.
Right turns
Be decisive, learners trying to turn right at lights can take too long to turn – there may be plenty of room but if you hesitate you can get into trouble.
After not being passing my test for 5 times and attending couple of different driving schools, I finally had my driving lesson with Cameron at Camber Driving School today. It was a 2 hour lesson, I was quite nervous but Cameron was very encouraging and calm we went through practising turns and crossing at junctions, parkings. After two hrs we went to rta and then finally i PASSED!!!!
Yayyy I would never have been able to do it without Cameron amazing guidance, he was always calm when I was panicking and gave me confidence in my own judgments.
Thank you so much Cameron.
Cheers
Anum Hammad
Campbell passed his P test today with flying colours. He had Brian as his examiner, a very competent gentleman. Thanks you and best regards for all of the work you have done for both ours kids, cheers Alister.
I just wanted to thank you for being a great instructor and helping me get my licence back. Being a person with above knee amputation no one wanted to give me lessons, you took a chance on me.
The key to good driving technique is smoothness, and the secret to smoothness is good preparation.
DRIVING POSTURE
When you first get a car take the time to adjust the seat and controls to suit your
height and build. Correct driving posture reduces fatigue, improves your control
and allows the safety features of the vehicle to operate effectively.
SEATBELTS
For seatbelts to work effectively they should be adjusted ‘low, flat and firm’.
• Low – placed below your hips to fully secure your body weight.
• Flat – no twists, turns or folds.
• Firm – about every 15 minutes when you drive pull the belt firm to remove any
slack.
AIRBAGS
Airbags are a supplementary restraining system (SRS) designed to be used in
conjunction with seatbelts. To get the most benefit from the driver’s airbag the
steering wheel should be adjusted low, facing the driver’s chest rather than the face.
BRAKING TECHNIQUE
Correct braking is done in two stages, first put light pressure on the brake pedal
and pause (set up the brakes), then progressively apply the necessary braking
pressure (squeeze).
Two-stage braking (set up and squeeze) improves braking effectiveness, reduces
the likelihood of skidding and provides better control.
Harsh or excessive braking pressure may cause skidding and a loss of control,
particularly on wet or gravel roads.
STEERING TECHNIQUE
There are two main steering techniques, ‘push/pull’ and ‘hand over hand’.
Regardless of which method is used some general rules apply:
• Steering must be smooth and progressive.
• Reduce speed before steering and wait until the vehicle begins
to straighten before accelerating.
• When steering keep both hands on the outside of the steering wheel and
thumbs along the rim.
Your ability to control the vehicle is assessed by the way you handle the tasks involved.
OPERATING THE CONTROLS
Some of the driving tasks that the testing officer will observe and record are
listed here:
Adjust driver’s seat posture and steering column (if adjustable) to ensure you have good control of the vehicle.
Operate accelerator smoothly when accelerating and decelerating.
Operate brakes smoothly and effectively.
Coordinate clutch and gear lever to make smooth gear changes.
Select appropriate gear for the situation including when coming to a stop and parking the car.
Avoid over-revving on take off and gear changes.
Driver’s seat belt is correctly fastened, fitted and adjusted (low, flat and firm).
Apply a brake when starting the vehicle.
Prevent rolling back when starting on hills.
Use park brake correctly when preparing to secure the vehicle and ensure it is fully released when driving.
Steer with both hands on the steering wheel (except when using another control), using either ‘hand-over-hand’ or ‘pull-push’ method with hands on the outside of the steering wheel.
Use other controls such as indicators, windscreen wipers and demisters.
You must be confident in your use of all controls and be able to operate them without being distracted.
You must be aged 17 years or over to get a NSW driver licence.
If you hold an overseas licence to drive or ride (including a learner licence) and want to get a NSW licence, you must go to a registry or service centre and:
• If your licence is in English, present your overseas licence.
• If your overseas licence is not written in English, provide:
– Your overseas licence and an official translation from the NSW Community
Relations Commission or the Commonwealth Department of Immigration
and Citizenship (DIAC).
– Where extra licence information is required (for example, about the first issue
date or the validity period of the licence or where the type of vehicle authorised
to be driven or ridden is not shown) a letter from a relevant consulate or diplomatic office.
• If you cannot produce your overseas licence, provide:
– A letter from the overseas licence issuing authority confirming your licence
details and status, or,
– A letter from a relevant consulate or diplomatic office, based on information
received from the overseas licence issuing authority, confirming your licence
details and status.
Any letter provided to confirm licence details or status should be in English or
have an official English translation as described above.
Before you first attend the registry or service centre, you may wish to obtain a
letter from the driver licence issuing authority (on its letterhead), or from your
relevant consulate or diplomatic office, confirming your licence details, including
the first issue date.
You must also:
• Prove your NSW address.
• Prove your identity.
• Pass an eyesight test.
• Pass a knowledge test for each class of licence required.
• Pass a driving test for each class of licence required.
• Provide documents proving the first issue date of your licence, if it is not displayed on the licence. If you fail the driving test, your visiting driver privileges will be withdrawn.
To continue driving in NSW you must then get a learner licence that will allow you to
drive (while supervised by a person who has an Australian full licence) and then go
for another driving test.
RECORDING OVERSEAS LICENCES
Under Australian licensing laws only one licence can be used for driving in
Australia. Before a NSW licence will be issued, you must present your overseas
licence so that the details can be verified and recorded. Your overseas licence will
be returned to you unmarked.
EXEMPTIONS FROM TESTS
You may be exempt from some tests if:
• You have, within the last five years, held an Australian driver licence which can
be verified by the issuing authority, or,
• You hold a current New Zealand driver licence, or,
• You are applying for a Class C (car), or,
• Class R (rider) licence and you hold a current overseas rider licence, or one that
expired within the past five years, from a country recognised as having comparable
licensing standards to Australia.
Note: Roads & Maritime reserves the right to require a driving or riding test. A licence may not be issued unless Roads & Maritime is satisfied that the overseas licence is valid.
WHAT NSW LICENCE YOU ARE ELIGIBLE FOR
The length of time you have held an overseas car or rider licence will determine
the type of licence that you are eligible to hold.
• If you have held your overseas car or rider licence for less than
one year, you will only be eligible for a P1 licence.
• If you have held a car or rider licence for more than one year but less than
three years, you will only be eligible for a P2 licence.
• If you have held a driver or rider licence for more than three years,
you will be eligible for a full licence.
To apply for a class of licence other than one you already hold, you must pass the
appropriate knowledge test and driving test (taken in a vehicle of that class).
TEMPORARY OVERSEAS VISITING DRIVERS
From 18 April 2008, new licensing rules apply to visiting drivers who want to obtain a NSW licence for the first time.
Information for visiting drivers can be found on our website or in the brochure
Guide for international drivers.
DISABLED DRIVERS
When you apply for a licence, you must state whether your disability could affect
your driving. Roads & Maritime will assess your disability as having either a minor
or serious effect on your driving ability. If a disability is considered serious, a
disability driving test has to be taken. Conditions can be placed on your licence, for
example ‘may only drive vehicle with automatic transmission’.
DRIVERS WITH MEDICAL CONDITIONS
You must advise Roads & Maritime if you have a medical condition that could
affect your driving, such as epilepsy.
You are required to give details when you complete an application form, or contact Roads & Maritime should you develop a condition while already holding a licence.
For some medical conditions you will need regular medical examinations to make
sure you are fit to drive. Your doctor should have received a copy of the national
medical guidelines for assessing fitness to drive a motor vehicle. Roads & Maritime
will send a medical report form to be completed by a doctor whenever you are due
for an examination. The completed report must be returned to Roads & Maritime.
Roads & Maritime may suspend or cancel your licence if information is available that proves you should not be driving. For example, a doctor may report that a patient does not meet the medical standards and is no longer fit to drive.
