That is the problem faced by many refugees and it's something that Strategic Community Assistance to Refugee Families (SCARF) is addressing with its L2P driving mentor program.

Ted Booth, one of the co-ordinators, said trying to read road signs could be hard but not having the experience of being in a car could be more difficult for refugee learner drivers.

"A lot of them haven't come from a driving culture," Mr Booth said.

"These people have spent 10 or 15 years in a refugee camp and even the idea of driving, which is normal to us, is new to them.

"I take my grandkids in the car and they're having that experience all the time - they know where they're sitting, they know where the car is on the road, they know to look out around them.

"All those intuitive things we take for granted in our culture aren't necessarily there."

The L2P program started six years ago when refugees said they wanted to learn to drive but didn't have family or friends with a full licence who could teach them.

Since then the program has helped 65 refugee learners get their red P-plates.

Among the most recent graduates are Nademah Aldhedan from Iraq and Catherine Makouta from Togo in West Africa.

Ms Aldhedan said coping with traffic lights and roundabouts were some of the tricky things she had to learn.

She said now she had her licence she would be able to drive her children to school.

It was a similar story for Ms Makouta. "I have to learn so I can take my children to school, especially when it's raining, and to go shopping and to go to church sometimes as well," she said. Learning to reverse park was difficult for her.

SCARF is always looking for more driving mentors to help out. For more information contact SCARF on 4227 1600.