by Real Traveler Ric5
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Car Hire

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Ric5 has visited no places in Brisbane

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Many Americans hire a car. In Brisbane you can easily get about on bus service to just about anywhere in the city and its suburbs. However, if you do decide to hire a car, driving on the left side of the road and learning about Australia's rules of the road can be challenging. In my visits to Australia over the years, I have read numerous times where Americans have hired a car only to be invovled in a dreadful wreck and some have been killed. It takes a period of adjustment to get use to being on the other side of the road.
First, I would suggest that you must get use to everything being opposite of what you are use to inside the car. The rear view mirror is now up and to the left. It will take you a while to find it while you are learning to drive. Your scan process while driving will have to change. Second, once you hire a car, I would recommend that you drive around a local neighborhood where the streets are not so busy. This will allow you time to adjust to the new locations of controls within the car. The steering wheel is now on the right side of the car. The passenger gets in on the left front side of the car. The location of the controls are now opposite of an American car. Making left hand turns at intersections will require you to concentrate and think before you enter the intersection. Even crossing a street when walking requires an adjustment: you need to look to your right before crossing, not your left.

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