driving a car on the "other side" of the road
 

Okay - so how difficutl is it to get use to driving on the other side of the car and the other side of the road? DH will be playing a lot of golf and I will be on my own in the Lake District. I'm a little worried about the driving. And is everything a stick shift or do they offer automatic.

Advice appreciated.

~K

Make sure that you (the drive) are always on the inside of the road, not the shoulder. This tip helped me make difficult turns and navigate circles in the UK and South Africa.

They have automatic cars.

I was in the Lake District (Lake Windermere) last week for business, and its a really beautiful part of the country.

IMO, not difficult - you'll quickly get used to it. Most, if not all, of the cars are manual. Don't worry.

I just did it for the first time last month (and planning on doing it again in September) and I'll repeat what I said to Guy18 when the driving question was raised a few days ago.

I ordinarily drive a manual but decided I could afford an automatic and it was worth it for me. I had no desire to "learn" how to shjift with my left hand.

If you remember to make "tight left" and "wide right" turns it will help.

You need to make an effort to know where your left front bumber is located, especially on those roads, should ypou encounter any, which have curbstones and no shoulders. Use of the side mirrors is helpful.

Get a good map..one that shows detail if possible.

Be aware of what is required in roundabouts; it can be a bit unnerving wondering if that car rapidly approaching from the left is going to give way or not. Remember, if you are In one you have the right of way and can keep circling and circling....

City/town streets: sometimes there isn't a lot of room for parking so people park half way on the sidewalk and half way into your travel lane; try not to clip off anyone's side mirrors!

I felt much more comfortable after having driven a couple of days. The "problem" at first was the usual cues are coming from different directions.

Sorry for the typos:

that should have been left front BUMPER.

I rented a car in Australia back in 1992 and found myself getting in the car and putting on my seat-belt three different times, and then realizing the steering wheel was on the other side. There have been some really bad accidents due to people not used to driving on the other side. Don't drive when you are tired.

In Australia, the drinking level was .05, so don't use mouthwash before driving.

I heard Sweden switch overnight from driving on the left to the right. I guess you really can't just faze it in.

"The other side of the road and the other side of the car" are really ONE adjustment. Driving on the left is a mirror image of driving on the right. IMHO that makes it easier.

But shifting with the left hand can be an issue, which is why I've stuck to renting automatics in the UK. They are readily available at larger rental locations from Hertz, through AutoEurope, etc. as long as you reserve in advance.

Driving in the Lake District, as in many places in the UK, you'll encounter amazingly narrow tertiary roads (they're too small to call them "secondary" roads). If you are driving a single track (lane) road, you'll find pull-over spots that allow opposing traffic to pass by. Normally, pull over only when these are on your left, don't pull off to the right. You can see many of the sights in the Lake District without using single lane roads...but, hey, it's an adventure.

Roundabouts (traffic circles) take a little getting used to, but they make eminent sense--rather than over-filling the landscape with traffic signals or 4-way stops. Yield to traffic in the circle; use your turn signal to indicate that you are exiting the circle. And, yes, go around in a clockwise direction and don't forget the mantra: "keep left, Keep Left, KEEP LEFT" ;-)

And hope that everyone else in the roundabout also uses THEIR signals...you'll understand when you get to your first one and why, <b>sometimes</b>, traffic signals, might actually be a better idea.

We 'mostly' drive manual over here, but you can certainly hire an automatic (for a premium). It's actually quite easy to adjust to being on the other side of the road (from my experience of having to drive on the right when I visit the continent). All the pedals are in the same order! Even changing gear with a different hand is remarkably easy. The hardest thing is keeping the right position of the car on the road - you might find yourself drifiting over into the verge as you naturally want to be sitting on the left. Just make sure you hug the centre line.

People on this site often comment on difficulties at roundabouts - just remember to always turn left and give way to traffic coming from your right.

You must always stop at a zebra crossing if someone wants to cross - pedestrians have right of way. Do you have these? The black and white banded crossing painted on the road that doesn't have traffic lights.

Familiarise yourself with speed limits, as we now have many speed cameras and fines are hefty. 30mpi in built up areas, generally 40mpi on single lane country roads, 70mpi on dual carriageways and triple lane motorways. A white circular sign with a black diagonal strip means 'national speed limits apply' - this is 60mpi on single lane roads and 70 on dual carriageways.

We used to be able to park cars with 2 wheels on the pavement (sidewalk) - no more.

Parking wardens are everywhere and vicious, so make sure you park legally. Double yellow lines mean no parking ever, single yellow lines means no parking except in off-peak (like Sundays). No lines at the side of the road and you're free to park.

But don't stress, iy's really not that hard!

Kate
London

Kate, I swear those parking wardens were on extended coffee/tea breaks when I was driving on some of the side streets of Norwich last month. Cars routinely parked on sidewalks but your information is good to know.

The roads in the lake district are barley wide enough for one car,Look for a layby if you encounter oncoming traffic. The Passenger gets to enjoy the view of the hedgerow and stone walls that the rear view mirror will be rubbing against,that is if it is still attached to the car. Enjoy.

I'd go for the automatic if you can get it. Not sure I could pull off the shifting left handed. Also, the signal &amp; windshield wipers are opposite. It took me nearly a week to learn to signal &amp; not turn on the wipers.

It's not as hard as you might thik. I might be a better driver on the left side as I &quot;think&quot; all the time.
The most important road marking would be the dashed line at an intersection- it means STOP!!!!!!!! Don't look for our red stop sign!!

A dashed line? Is this common? No stop signs? Please elaborate, as I am driving in the UK for my first time very soon. Thanks.

Read the Highway Code. www.highwaycode.gov.uk

In particular, familiarise yourself with the signs (www.highwaycode.gov.uk/signs_index.htm)

Guy18 should particularly be aware of road markings (www.highwaycode.gov.uk/signs09.htm)

PS:

A dashed line does not mean &quot;stop&quot;. It means &quot;give way&quot;. You don't need to stop, but MUST wait for any traffic on the other road to clear before you proceed. Depending on your judgement, this might mean stop, slow down or just carry on as before.

If you enjoy driving and are a confident driver here, you will have no problem. People drive quickly, but are considerate and polite (in my experience). I LOVE driving in the UK. We have always rented an automatic just to take the shifting out of the equation. It's more expensive, but I think it's worth it!

Alison

Thanks, C.S. I will be returning to your links and studying the highway code before leaving.

I had no trouble adapting HOWEVER it is important to remember that you cannot just pull off the road. The ditches are at a 90 degree angle to the road--not parallel. If you pull off your wheels will fall into the ditch.

I think your biggest issue in the Lake District might be the width of some of the roads. My husband, though confident with his position in the car and staying to the left following our drive up from Oxford, was very uneasy on some of our Lake District drives as the roads there, though stunningly beautiful scenery, could be incredibly narrow. My left arm became sore from pressing against my passenger door, trying to will the car further to the center of the road, feeling we were about to sideswipe one of the stone walls, while he swore his right wheel was all but on the center line.