Photo: Calistemon, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Country driving in WA means long distances between towns, gravel edges, floodways, wildlife and stock, farm machinery, and road trains and oversize loads. The Drive Safe handbook gives specific advice for each, from walking a floodway before you cross it to staying 8 metres from a fallen powerline. This guide collects the WA-specific country driving rules and advice for learners and new P platers heading out of Perth. General outback skills are covered in our national outback and remote driving guide.
Key facts
- Default speed limit outside built-up areas: 110 km/h. Learners: 100 km/h maximum.
- Floodways: if the water is flowing and deeper than the bottom of your car’s chassis, don’t cross.
- Breakdown triangle: up to 200 metres back outside built-up areas or on high-speed roads.
- Oversize loads: pilot vehicle drivers are authorised traffic wardens, so you must obey their directions. Use UHF channel 40 to talk to them.
- Fallen powerline: stay in the car and call 000 and Western Power on 13 13 51.
Before you leave
- Plan your trip so you have enough fuel and water to reach the next town.
- Get plenty of sleep before a long drive, and plan a break at least every 2 hours.
- Check your tyres (at least 1.5 mm of tread, pressures set when cold), lights, wipers and brakes.
- Make sure any load is secure.
Drive Safe warns that you are at your worst between midnight and 6am, when your body clock turns your alertness down. Red P drivers can’t drive from midnight to 5am anyway, apart from the work and school exemptions.
Country road habits from Drive Safe
- Be patient and considerate with other road users.
- Watch for wildlife and livestock, especially around sunrise and after sunset.
- Watch for tractors towing farm machinery, especially at seeding and harvest time.
- Don’t stop on or near bridges, floodways or narrow sections of road.
- Park at the front end of roadside parking bays so others can get in and out.
- Don’t pull out when a vehicle is approaching. Wait until it has passed.
- Expect trains at country railway crossings at any time. They don’t always run to set schedules.
If you see livestock on the road, slow down and be ready to stop. Don’t sound your horn or accelerate near horses. More on animals is in kangaroos and wildlife on Australian roads.
Crossing water on WA roads
Drive Safe says inexperienced drivers should use another route if there is one. If there isn’t:
- Stop before the water.
- If it is safe, get out and walk the crossing to check the depth.
- Still water: it should come no higher than the bottom of the car in a conventional 2WD, or the knee of an average standing adult in a higher 4WD.
- Flowing water deeper than the bottom of the chassis: don’t cross.
- Too deep or fast flowing: don’t cross at all.
Rain, fog and smoke are covered in driving in rain, fog, smoke and floods.
Road trains, trucks and oversize loads
Sharing the road with long vehicles
- Vehicles 7.5 metres or longer make wide turns and may cut corners. Don’t overtake once the driver has signalled a turn.
- They need more room to stop, so don’t overtake and then cut in front.
- They accelerate slowly. Be patient.
- If you can’t see the driver’s side mirrors, the driver can’t see you.
Overtaking a truck or road train
- Stay back several car lengths without crossing the centre of the road.
- When it is safe and legal, indicate, move out and overtake quickly and positively, within the speed limit.
- Expect wind buffeting as you pass.
- Indicate left before returning to your side, and keep your speed up afterwards. Don’t cut in and slow down.
- Never overtake on a curve or hill where you can’t see, even if the truck is slow. Use overtaking lanes where they exist.
Drive Safe gives no fixed distance for overtaking a road train. Allow far more room than for a car, take extra care after dark, and use overtaking lanes. See sharing the road with trucks, buses and road trains.
Oversize loads and pilot vehicles
- Pilot vehicles have two rotating yellow lights and roof signs. They usually travel ahead of the load.
- Coming the other way: slow down and stay slow until the load passes. Stop if the pilot driver tells you to, and move over when signalled. The load may need the centre of the road. If you leave the bitumen, slow down and watch for guide posts marking deep culverts.
- From behind: the load’s driver may not see you. Wait for a safe chance. Oversize vehicles usually pull over now and then to let traffic pass. Follow directions from any rear escort.
- Pilot drivers are authorised traffic wardens, and you must obey their lawful directions. A CB radio on UHF channel 40 lets you ask whether it is safe to pass.
Gravel edges and loose surfaces
If you are forced onto the gravel edge:
- Keep a firm grip and drive in a straight line.
- Don’t rush back onto the road.
- Slow down, check traffic, then rejoin.
Avoid skids with the ABC rule: accelerate gently, brake gently, corner gently.
Breaking down in the country
- Move as far left as you can and turn on your hazard lights.
- Get passengers out when it is safe and keep them away from traffic.
- Place a warning triangle up to 200 metres back on high-speed roads or outside built-up areas (up to 50 metres in a built-up area). Hold it in front of you as you walk out.
- Wear a reflective vest if you have one.
- A CB radio road channel can warn approaching trucks. Emergency help may be reached on CB Channel 9 (HF) or Channel 5 (UHF). Try both simplex and duplex.
Crashes involving power poles or powerlines
- Assume the line is live.
- Stay in the car unless you have no choice, such as a fire.
- Call 000 and Western Power on 13 13 51.
- Tell everyone else to stay at least 8 metres from the car and the infrastructure.
- If you must get out, jump clear with your feet together so you never touch the car and the ground at the same time. Then jump or shuffle at least 8 metres away.
Common questions
What is the speed limit on WA country roads?
110 km/h outside built-up areas where no sign shows a lower limit. Learners and vehicles towing caravans or trailers are capped at 100 km/h.
Can learners drive on country highways in WA?
Yes, with a supervisor and at no more than 100 km/h. Drive Safe recommends practice at 80 to 100 km/h on permitted roads.
How far back should I put my warning triangle on a highway?
Up to 200 metres outside built-up areas or on high-speed roads.
What UHF channel do pilot vehicles use in WA?
Drive Safe says to use UHF channel 40.
Should I drive through a flooded floodway if other cars are?
Not without checking it yourself. Use another route if there is one. If the water is flowing and deeper than the bottom of your chassis, don’t cross.
More WA guides: Drive Safe handbook study guide and learning to drive in Western Australia.
Sources
- Department of Transport and Major Infrastructure WA, “Drive Safe: A handbook for Western Australian road users”, revised 5 August 2026, Parts 1, 3, 4 and 5 (transport.wa.gov.au)
- Department of Transport and Major Infrastructure WA, “Learn to drive and log your hours” (transport.wa.gov.au)
- Department of Transport and Major Infrastructure WA, “Driving on your P plates” (transport.wa.gov.au)