Which side of road in Australia?

Australians drive on the left side of the road, the same convention used in the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, India, Japan, South Africa, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and most former British colonies. The convention dates to Australia's earliest colonial roads and was formalised through the various Road Traffic Acts adopted by the colonies and then the states.

Driving on the left has practical implications for vehicles, infrastructure, and habits. Vehicles in Australia are right-hand drive: the steering wheel is on the right side of the car, and the driver sits closest to the centre of the road. Manual gear shifters are operated with the left hand. Roundabouts are entered with traffic flowing clockwise (looking from above), and drivers give way to vehicles already in the roundabout, approaching from their right. At intersections, drivers turn left across short paths and right across long paths through oncoming traffic.

Pedestrians should look right first, then left, then right again before crossing roads in Australia, since the nearest oncoming traffic comes from the right. Painted pedestrian crossings, traffic light intersections, school crossings (where supervisors with handheld stop signs hold vehicles), and overpasses are the standard ways to cross roads safely. Australia has had a strong pedestrian safety culture since the 1970s, with primary schools running compulsory road safety lessons through programmes like the Streets Ahead programme in NSW.

Visitors and new arrivals from countries that drive on the right (most of continental Europe, the United States, China, much of South America) need to adjust their reflexes. Common sources of error include accidentally turning into the wrong lane after a long stretch of empty road, looking the wrong way before stepping off the kerb, and using windscreen wipers when reaching for the indicator (which is on the right of the steering column in most Australian cars, opposite to most European cars). Many car rental companies offer a brief familiarisation session for visiting drivers, and signs around tourist destinations remind pedestrians to look right.