Driving Around The UK
If you are a visitor or have moved recently, and not familiar with driving in the UK then you need follow the guidelines mentioned below to make sure you drive safely.
1. UK has left-hand drive: The most important thing to know about the UK is that the traffic drives on the left-hand. This is a remnant of when horse carriages used to be the main mode of transport, and the whips the drivers used would strike pedestrians accidentally, thus resulting in a law that all traffic must be driven on the left side, and all drivers must be seated on the right-hand so they would not hit pedestrians accidentally.
2. Get an automatic: Since most UK drivers are familiar with manual driving, rental cars are generally manual transmissions as well. In case you are used to driving an automatic vehicle, you will have to denote when renting the car that you want an automatic one so you do not have to learn driving for a single trip.
3. U-turns: U-turns and three-point turns are allowed in the UK traffic system, as long as the driver is confident that he can do so without causing threat to anyone. Do look out for this, as it is very common to see drivers making u-turns in the middle of the motorway or highway and disturbing the traffic.
4. Parking: In the UK, you can park your vehicle at any place. This particularly applies to the roadsides, and it does not necessary imply parking facing away from oncoming traffic. You might see cars parked opposite oncoming traffic, and you should be ready to have a car jump across the lane to seize a place open on your side. Nonetheless, you should not follow this example because you will not be used to it and might end up in an accident. Park your vehicle just as you do at home in a comfortable manner.
5. Have patient: If you get to drive across the country, you may be stuck behind trucks and tractors since they are driving at an extremely slow pace. Although it may seem torturous, honking persistently will not do any good. For this reason, have patience and wait until you can go past them comfortably without putting anyone in danger.
6. Lay-bys: Most country roads are very narrow, allowing only one car to pass at a time. For this reason, you should be ready to have to drive onto, or even reverse your car towards the closest, a lay-by that is, a paved area close to the road. You need to do this in order to allow people to pass by you. The one who is closer to a lay-by will be the one having to pull over, which may call for you to reverse to it, and someone has to get at a side to allow you to pass. It is nice to acknowledge this courtesy with a smile.
7. Hedgerows: Hedgerows are all over the English countryside, and are used instead of fences.
8. Speed: On the motorway the speed limit is 70mph, but it is 40mph on country roads and even lower in villages. You can get caught by a speed camera even in small villages, so be wary of the speed limits. - 2368
1. UK has left-hand drive: The most important thing to know about the UK is that the traffic drives on the left-hand. This is a remnant of when horse carriages used to be the main mode of transport, and the whips the drivers used would strike pedestrians accidentally, thus resulting in a law that all traffic must be driven on the left side, and all drivers must be seated on the right-hand so they would not hit pedestrians accidentally.
2. Get an automatic: Since most UK drivers are familiar with manual driving, rental cars are generally manual transmissions as well. In case you are used to driving an automatic vehicle, you will have to denote when renting the car that you want an automatic one so you do not have to learn driving for a single trip.
3. U-turns: U-turns and three-point turns are allowed in the UK traffic system, as long as the driver is confident that he can do so without causing threat to anyone. Do look out for this, as it is very common to see drivers making u-turns in the middle of the motorway or highway and disturbing the traffic.
4. Parking: In the UK, you can park your vehicle at any place. This particularly applies to the roadsides, and it does not necessary imply parking facing away from oncoming traffic. You might see cars parked opposite oncoming traffic, and you should be ready to have a car jump across the lane to seize a place open on your side. Nonetheless, you should not follow this example because you will not be used to it and might end up in an accident. Park your vehicle just as you do at home in a comfortable manner.
5. Have patient: If you get to drive across the country, you may be stuck behind trucks and tractors since they are driving at an extremely slow pace. Although it may seem torturous, honking persistently will not do any good. For this reason, have patience and wait until you can go past them comfortably without putting anyone in danger.
6. Lay-bys: Most country roads are very narrow, allowing only one car to pass at a time. For this reason, you should be ready to have to drive onto, or even reverse your car towards the closest, a lay-by that is, a paved area close to the road. You need to do this in order to allow people to pass by you. The one who is closer to a lay-by will be the one having to pull over, which may call for you to reverse to it, and someone has to get at a side to allow you to pass. It is nice to acknowledge this courtesy with a smile.
7. Hedgerows: Hedgerows are all over the English countryside, and are used instead of fences.
8. Speed: On the motorway the speed limit is 70mph, but it is 40mph on country roads and even lower in villages. You can get caught by a speed camera even in small villages, so be wary of the speed limits. - 2368
posted by Frank Potter at 12:57 AM
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