Driving in the UK | UK Driving Tips (September 2009)

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CarHire4Less is all you need when you are driving in the UK.  We offer cheap car hire in association with Hertz, Budget, Alamo and Europcar throughout the United Kingdom.  However, while we take the worry out of finding an affordable rental car, there are many things that you should keep in mind if you are a foreign visitor driving in the UK.

The most important thing to remember is that drivers in the UK, like those in Australasia, South Africa and Japan, drive on the left-hand side of the road, and the steering wheel is on the right-hand side.  Although this may sound strange to visitors from most other countries, there is sound logic behind it.  This arrangement allows right-handed people (who are in the vast majority) to keep their dominant right hand on the steering wheel at all times.  The right hand is always on the steering wheel, whether changing the gears in manual cars, or looking over your shoulder when reversing. 

There are a lot of manual shift (“standard” or “stick shift” in American) cars in the UK, so if you want to rent a car, make sure that you specify an automatic model if that is what you feel comfortable with.  The UK is a country of car enthusiasts who like to change gears themselves, so if you cannot operate a manual car or a clutch pedal, explicitly ask for an automatic rental car.

You can drive in the UK on an International Driving Permit for a year, after which you would have to get a local driving licence, including the road test.  Familiarise yourself with local traffic rules and try to avoid motorways and busy cities while you are still adjusting.  In the UK, it is legal to perform a U-turn almost anywhere if it is safe to do so and if it is not explicitly forbidden by a road sign.  UK drivers are also allowed to park on the wrong side of the road, facing oncoming traffic.  Do not be tempted to copy them, because you might forget about it later on and pull out of your parking spot into oncoming traffic if you are used to driving on the right!

Some of Britain’s country, or “B” roads, are very narrow, with nary a shoulder.  These may be a little harrowing for the uninitiated.  They also tend to run through the most beautiful leafy countryside areas, so you will be tempted to sightsee; just be careful of oncoming traffic and do not cut corners.  There are even smaller country roads with only one lane and designated, paved “lay bys” where you or oncoming traffic can pull off the road to let the other pass; the person who can most conveniently use the lay by does so, and the gesture is acknowledged by a wave of thanks by the other driver.

These country roads also tend to be lined with hedgerows that can be very dense and may cut off your view from what is around the next corner.  Take these blind corners with caution and sound your horn once during the daytime; at night, flash your main beams before rounding the corner, so that oncoming traffic may be aware of your presence.

Heed speed limits, because there are many speed cameras in the UK.  Speed limits on motorways are usually 70mph (112km/h) but it may be as low as 30mph (48km/h) in towns.  Parking is a problem in many of the old towns.  To alleviate congestions, you may often be able to buy a Pay and Display parking ticket that you place on your dashboard and that allows you to park on certain streets with single yellow lines at certain hours, like after 18h00.  Never park on double yellow lines.

Contact CarHire4Less if you are driving in the UK, so that we can assist you with cheap car hire.