The moment that you pass your driving test, the urge to hit the open road can be immense. But there are still plenty of things you likely don’t know about road etiquette, parking technology and other aspects of driving life that do not feature in the Practical Driving Assessment.
Changing Signs and Priorities
The first point of risk comes from driving on new roads that you didn’t learn on or have no experience of. Different types of signage, colours and priorities for merging traffic, safety zones and other messages can vary by region.
These are easy to miss, especially for drivers who are overly focused on their in-car navigation system or GPS app. This tends to happen in new locales and towns, and can be exacerbated by scenarios like ongoing road works, time-sapping diversions that send drivers down unusual roads, and other distractions.
Changing Road and Parking Technology
Another aspect of roads that continues to change is road-sign technology. Smart freeway technology can give indicated speed guides that most experienced drivers will ignore, except for those in zones with speed cameras.
New drivers can feel uncomfortable in such situations and need to adapt to the flow around them, even as the technology provides new speeds dynamically. Finding the lane that closest matches the indicated speed is the primary way to stay safe and obey the rules.
Another fast-changing part of road furniture is the rise of automatic number plate recognition (ANPR cameras) and License Plate Recognition (LPR) technology. These are used on toll roads to automate payment and track bill dodgers. They can also appear in shopping centre car parks, business premises and other locations to speed up access and payment.
If you’ve never come across them, and the signage isn’t clear, these can be tricky for new drivers to understand. On the road, they capture you as they drive by, but in a car park, you may need to stop in a specific place for the licence plate to be read and identified.
Weather, Urban and Other Hazards
No driver can be prepared for some of the rarer events that Aussie roads throw at road users. Increasingly unpredictable weather means floods, fire, and deformed road surfaces can strike at any time. Paying attention to forecasts and looking further up the road while driving is the best we can do to prepare for random events.
In cities, cyclists, poor drivers, trams and jaywalking pedestrians all add to the new driver’s workload. They might have steered clear when you were in a driving instructor’s vehicle or had Learner or Provisional plates plastered across the car.
But as part of general traffic, they might show you less consideration, requiring careful navigation and hazard processing on your part. That’s especially true when you see an erratic or possibly drunk driver and need to safely avoid any potential situation.
Good Drivers Always Learn
The learning never stops with good drivers, so newly graduated road users should strongly accept the advice that they still have plenty to learn. That goes far beyond the steering wheel. One example is the UK, where resuscitation questions are being added to their theory test.
Another example is the rise in automated driver aids and self-driving cars, still illegal in Australia where a legal driver has to remain fully in control. However, changing laws, including the upcoming Automated Vehicle Safety Law (AVSL), could see future drivers remain responsible for their car while it drives itself.
Drivers will have to maintain awareness in case the car makes a poor decision, notably during bad weather like heavy spray, fog and early or late low sunlight confusing the sensors, and be ready to take control. Similarly, if the vehicle’s systems disengage or fail, the driver could have only a second to respond in heavy traffic or approaching a junction.
Whatever the challenges on the road, newly qualified drivers need to learn about the roads and systems that support modern navigation, and understand they remain responsible for their vehicle, no matter what the technology around them is doing.
