Queensland State Traffic Support Branch Superintendent Col Campbell said out of 52,128 random breath tests, 225 people were caught drink-driving in the first 48 hours of the Easter break.
Permanent Resident
A Permanent Resident is normally allowed to drive for 3 months before needing an Australian Licence, after that period they would be classed as driving without a valid licence.
Visitors
A person on a Temporary or Visitors Visa is allowed to drive a private vehicle on a valid CURRENT driving licence from their own country, for as long as they have a valid visitors visa.
These visiting motorists are required to carry their licence (and English translation if applicable) at all times while driving and produce it to Police on request.
Production of their temporary visas may also be required as evidence of their temporary residential status.
New arrivals from the UK, and other selected countries
No Theory Test, or Practical Test, is now required for UK Car or Motorcycle Drivers.
As from March 2006, the requirement for UK Licence holders to take the Queensland written theory test has been removed.
A fully licensed, newly arrived migrant, can now visit the local Queensland Motor Registry Office and obtain an equivalent Queensland Drivers licence on production of their UK licence together with the relevant forms and payment, without taking any tests, other than an eyesight test.
This MUST be done within THREE MONTHS of arrival, otherwise you would be classed as "Driving without a valid licence" and subject to Police Prosecution if caught.
A Private Car Licence, in Queensland, allows you to drive:
a moped
a motor vehicle weighing 4.5 tonnes (t) GVM or less, built or fitted to carry a maximum of 12 passengers including the driver, with or without a trailer weighing 9 t GVM or less
a specially constructed vehicle weighing 4.5 t GVM or less, with or without a trailer
Your authority to drive in Queensland on your foreign driver licence will be withdrawn if you:
are an Australian citizen and you have been residing in Queensland for three months
you have been resident in Queensland for three months since being given a resident visa
A resident visa means a permanent visa or a special category visa under the Migration Act 1958 (Commonwealth).
These visas allow a person to stay indefinitely in Australia.
Other visas, for example a temporary, business or guardian visa, that allows a person to stay in Australia for a limited time, or until a certain event happens or while they have a special status, is not a resident visa.
Testing requirements still apply for overseas licence holders when applying for a heavy vehicle licence.
If you are under 25 years old, and do not have a Learner Licence, you will have to complete 100 hours of recorded logbook driving with Qualified Instructors or with friends or family.
However, a one hour lesson with an accredited driver trainer will count towards three hours in your learner logbook, up to a maximum of 10 x one hour sessions.
Therefore; if you do 10 hours with a Driving instructor and 70 with Family, you get the full 100 hour credit.
Driving experience recorded in an approved logbook from a prescribed country (including the UK) to a maximum of 50 hours can count towards your 100 hours driving experience.
If your UK learner licence was issued before 1 July 2007
You will swap your current Learner licence for a QLD learner licence, and the length of time you have held your overseas learner licence, within the last two years, will count towards the period that you need to hold a learner licence before applying for a QLD Provisional licence.
If your UK learner licence was issued after 1 July 2007
You will be required to meet all other requirements to gain your licence (including 100 hours of on-road driving experience recorded in your logbook and hold your learner licence for a mandatory period of 12 months
A two stage provisional licence P1 and P2 has been introduced in Queensland as part of its new licensing system from July 2007.
After you have held your learner licence for at least one year, you may go for your Q-SAFE practical driving test.
Depending on how old you are when you pass your test, you will receive either a P1 or a P2 provisional licence, which you must hold for a minimum period before you can progress to the next stage.
For learner drivers aged 23 and under, there are six steps you will need to go through to get your open licence:
Written road rules test
Learner licence
Q-SAFE practical driving test
P1 provisional licence
Hazard perception test
P2 provisional licence
Open licence
Motorbike Licence
To get a motorbike learner licence, you will first need to hold a provisional licence for a car for at least one year.
Getting an Australian Drivers Licence
Note: A driving licence for an automatic car limits you to driving that type of vehicle, to then drive a manual car you would need to take another test in a manual car.
After having held the Learner licence for at least one year, and have completed 100 hours (or equivalent) of supervised on-road driving experience, you can pay the practical driving test fee and book that test.
If under 25, you must apply for a P1 provisional licence and after passing the test will display red P plates on your vehicle.
If over 25, you will apply for a P2 provisional licence and after passing the test will display green P plates.
How long do you have to hold a Queensland provisional licence before applying for a Full Open Licence ?
If you are under 23 when you get your P1 licence you must hold the P1 for 12 months before going to P2. Then, if you are under 25 when you get the P2, you must hold that for 24 months before going to a full licence. Otherwise, if you are over 25, you only need to hold the P2 for 12 months.
If you are 23 when you get the P1, which you must hold for 12 months, you will then be eligible to only need to hold the P2 for 12 months, before going for a Full Licence.
If you are 24 when you get the P1, which you must hold for 12 months, you will then be eligible to go for a full licence after those 12 months. (bypassing the P2 licence)
If you are over 25 years, you will commence at the P2 stage and must display green P-plates.
You are not required to complete a logbook or 100 hours of supervised on-road driving if any of the following apply to you:
Your learner licence was issued prior to 1 July 2007 and not renewed after 1 July 2007.
You have an approved exemption form.
You are 25 years of age or older.
You are under 25 years of age, hold a foreign provisional or open licence and need a Queensland learner licence before taking a practical driving test.
One year P1 provisional, P2 provisional or open licence: A$27.65
Two year P1 provisional, P2 provisional or open licence: A$38.50
Three year P1 provisional, P2 provisional or open licence: A$49.35
Four year P1 provisional, P2 provisional or open licence: A$60.20
Five year P1 provisional, P2 provisional or open licence: A$71.05
Replacement learner logbook A$15.70
Minimum Driving Age & Learner Drivers
To apply for a Queensland learner licence you must be at least 16 years of age.
Before you are eligible to take a practical driving test you must have held your learner licence for at least one year and have completed and recorded 100 hours of supervised on-road driving experience (for drivers under 25) in your learner logbook.
You may drive in either lane of a multi lane road if the speed limit is 80km/h or below and there are no "Keep Left Unless Overtaking" signs.
A STOP sign means that all wheels of your vehicle must come to a complete halt.
You cannot make a U-turn at a set of traffic lights, unless a sign states you can
International Driving Permits
British Licence holders can ignore any references to "International Driving Permits (IDP)", as these are not required for driving licences in the English language.
They are required when your normal licence is in a different language, and must accompany your VALID National licence. An IDP is NOT a licence in itself, but effectively just a Translation of your licence.
