Retesting isn’t going to stop people from driving the way they do.
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It’s actually more than just retesting in Australia’s case very often foreign drivers will fail the test quite frequently. Taiwanese drivers in particular will not yield at pedestrian crossings or stop at stop signs. Both things for example are instant fails.
If they don’t learn after a few failed tests, they will learn on their provisional license when they lose all of their demerit points on one offense.
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But angry Australian drivers and assertive pedestrians will stop them driving that way.
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My son was lucky. He moved to Australian in 2011 at 19. As he was registered at my sisters ACT address and he had a full license in Taiwan he was given a full unrestricted license in the ACT. So when he studied at NSW he kept his ACT license. One time at a police road side checked they asked him why he didn’t change to a NSW license he replied he was only a student at NSW but lived in the ACT. So 19 years old no P plate conditions lol
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You are not being realistic. Of course everyone knows how to pass the test. It doesn’t mean they will do this in real life. In Italy it’s the same case but try walking in Rome thinking drivers will yield.
All they did is make it difficult for their citizens abroad to just exchange their DL.
As you mentioned, if they break the rules they will get points. Why add the complications for everyone including Australians in other countries like Korea or Taiwan because you think making people do tests to yield to pedestrians will actually make people do that in real life if they don’t do that.
My mum failed 3 times and she didn’t even try the first time until she was in her mid-late thirties.
Australia polices traffic offences very heavily in all the states. If they passed the test and didn’t improve their driving they wouldn’t keep their licence for very long. And they’d be broke cos traffic infringements are expensiiiive
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That’s my point. Why make everyone including your own citizens retest if this is the best deterrent of people not driving with the Australian rules and culture.
Do you guys drive the way your driving test required? Meaning 10-2 and keeping both hands on the wheel as much as possible. I don’t 
I driven in so many countries and my aim it to adapt to the local driving culture. When in Rome, I drive like a Roman.
Yes but provisional license holders get only 4 demerit points.
Pretty much if you fail to give way twice… that’s three points. Once you have 4 you lose your license for 3 months… which in Australia can be a financial death sentence. So better be careful after that first traffic ticket as a provisional holder…
- exceeding speed limit by 40 km/h or more—eight points
- exceeding speed limit by 30 km/h but less than 40 km/h—six points
- failing to give way—three points
- disobeying traffic signs, lights or police directions—three points
- careless driving—three points
- failing to signal intention—three points
- failing to keep left—two or three points
- following too closely—one point.
When I visit my son on major holidays when demerit points are doubled he will ask me to to drive on my IDP. If I get busted two things, there is no address on an IDP and secondly demerit points are useless as well.
Here is the Wikipedia page on Australian Drivers Licences :
Minimum Ages are
Victoria = 18
Northern Territory = 16 years 6 months
The Rest = 17
Various ages for holding a Learners Permit and Unrestricted
Just renewed mine. QLD only does 5 year licences. (But the fee is less than half what many states who do 10 year licences are… So you pay less anyway.)
I am glad I didn’t need to renounce my licence to get my Taiwan one.
@yingaussie Those ages aren’t for full licences
For example you said NT 16.5 years…
Reality is:
Learners 16yo hold for at least 6 months
Pass driving test then:
Provisional licence period
The period of your provisional licence depends on your age:
- if you’re under 25 - you will receive a two-year provisional licence
- if you’re 25 and over - you will receive a one-year provisional licence.
So minimum in NT is 18.5 yrs for full licence
But NT is an outlier with a very small population.
NSW (and most other states) is:
16yo learners for at least 1 year if under 25
17yo Provisional 1 for at least 1 year
18yo Provisional 2 for at least 2 years
20yo Full Licence
Victoria
16yo learner
18yo Provisional 1 for at least 1 year
19yo provisional 2 for at least 3 years if under 21
22y.o full licence.
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As I said in the last line of my post “Various ages for holding a learners Permit and Unrestricted” - I should have clarified Unrestricted meant Full Licence”