An American’s Guide to Driving in the UK
Like most Americans, I’ve been driving since I was 16. I’m comfortable with it and it’s a part of my day to day life. So, when moving to the UK, I didn’t think it was going to be too different. Sure, I know they drive on the other side of the road, but how different could driving be.
A lot. It’s a lot different.
So here are recommendations for Americans who are going to the UK for holiday (or for something more permanent) to make your lives a bit easier than mine was when I was learning to drive in the UK.
Can you drive in the UK with your current license?
The UK allows you to drive on a valid American driving license for 12 months. You don’t need an international driving permit. Actually, most countries don’t require this! All you’ll need is your passport and valid driving license. You may not drive on a learner’s permit.
Can you rent a car?
Yes!!! It’s a very similar process to renting cars in America. You can even rent from some international companies with names that you’ll recognise (like Enterprise). You will need to show your passport and driving license when renting a car. You’ll find car rentals at airports and in cities.
Helpful hint: You should consider a smaller car than what you would normally drive in America. The lanes and parking bays are more narrow than what you’re used to!
Keep in mind that manual transmissions are the default offering in the UK. So, if you want an automatic, you will need to ask specifically for that!
Learn the signs
You can download UK driving apps from US Apple or Google app stores that will help you quickly learn the road signs before your visit. This is something a lot of people skip. Sure, a stop sign is a stop sign everywhere, but that’s not the case for most signs in the UK. Remember: you’re expected to know this information when you drive in the UK. You can still be ticketed and fined as a foreigner!
Take time to practice
The best advice that I ever got about driving in the UK came from my old boss who moved to the UK for just a year. He rented a car for a year and had to quickly learn to drive it. So, he had the car delivered to him and then drove it around and around the block where he lived for about half an hour. Then, he turned around and drove the other way around the block. That way, he was really used to making left and right turns and that gets your brain locked into driving on the other side of the road!
Positional awareness
This was the hardest part for me. The lanes are so narrow in central London or in older towns. I’ve never encountered anything like it in America. At first, go slower than you normally would to get used to this. Check your wing mirror (that’s side mirror in American English) frequently to check your positioning in the lane.
Parking
Much like the lanes being more narrow, parking bays are more narrow than they are in the US. Also, more people park facing out rather than in. Because of these things, you should go very slowly when parking or getting out of a parking space in the US. Unless you consider yourself to be an expert parker, you should consider parking away from other cars at first. You can also go to a grocery store parking lot early in the morning before it’s busy to practice parking.
One thing that throws people off is that the Brits will park on either side of a two lane road. This is because parking spaces are few and hard to come by in many places so you take what you can get. Parallel parking is not a dying art in the UK! You’ll find that, especially in London, many parking spots are for parallel parking.
Petrol
Petrol (that’s gas in American English) is WAY more expensive than it is in America. There’s also a bunch more diesel vehicles on the road so take care to make sure you’re putting the right kind of petrol / diesel in the car!
Navigating a roundabout
Many Americans haven’t encountered what we call traffic circles in US English. Even in places like Washington state where there are many traffic circles, most people have never actually learned how to properly go through them. I rarely see Americans signal coming out of a traffic circle.
Roundabouts are very common in the UK and there are rules that you should know:
Slow down as you approach the roundabout.
Position your vehicle according to the lane you will need. Generally, you will find this signed or marked on the street. If not, then position your car to the furtherest left position for the first exit, the left or centre lane (or right for two lane roads) for going straight through or right lane for turning right on a roundabout or for going all the way around a roundabout.
Look left and yield to traffic already in the roundabout.
Exits can be named in two ways: either numerically or by the time on a clock. When a satnav tells you to take the first exit, it means the first exit that you see. Keep in mind that exits can have two way traffic! You may also hear roundabout exits called out by the hour on a clock (like 11 o’clock would be nearly straight through the roundabout).
Signal after you have past the last exit that you do not take. For example, if you are taking the third exit, turn on your turn signal after you have passed the second exit. If you are using the first exit, you can turn on your turn signal as you enter the roundabout.
Single lane roads
The UK has its fair share of single lane roads. Most are one way only but some, in less populated areas, are single lane and can be controlled by a traffic light that only allows one direction of traffic at a time.
Speed cameras
You will rarely see police when driving in the UK, but this doesn’t mean that you can drive as fast as you want! There are speed cameras that are placed around the roads that capture your speed and you are ticked by post. If you have a rental car, your rental company will share your ticket with you.
Speed cameras must be signed so you will always see a sign for a speed camera before you see the actual camera. If you use Google Maps, it will indicate where there are speed cameras to give you additional warning.
Speed limits
Most of the time, you will see a posted sign advising you of the speed limit in your area. If you use a service like Google Maps, it will also provide the speed limit (but I have not always found this to be correct).
If you find yourself driving for a while and you haven’t seen a speed limit sign in a while, you might get a bit nervous about your speed. Here are a few quick guidelines about the typical speed limits in the UK:
If you see houses and streetlights, the speed limit is usually 30 mph
If you’re driving on a single carriageway (yes, that sounds old-timey, but it means a two lane road), the speed limit is usually 60 mph but can be less if you see shops or houses
Motorways and four lane roads are usually 70 mph.
Road types
There are a few different road types that you may encounter in the UK. You can recognise these different types by the letter in the road name. For example, the A45 is an A road. The M6 is an M road.
M roads: M in this case stands for motorway which is like an American highway or interstate. They have rest stops, higher speeds and no roundabouts. Generally, these roads are easy to drive on for Americans.
A roads: A roads are major roads that go through towns. They have lower speed than M roads, some roundabouts (often large ones) and traffic lights.
B, C and D roads: These are smaller roads that go through less populated areas and often have lower speed limits until you hit the country roads which often have higher speed limits. Watch out for potholes on these roads!
Should you drive in the UK?
Driving isn’t necessary for a holiday in London. Honestly, London driving can be quite difficult and frustrating to tourists. In London, public transport is easy to navigate and most visitors find they don’t require a car. However, if you’re staying for long enough to see a few sights, it could be worth it. Here’s a few sites that a car would be handy to see:
Stonehenge
Stratford-upon-Avon
The Cotswolds
The Lake District
The countryside of Wales
