How to Drive in England.

Driving in England can be one of the most rewarding experiences in your life. However it can also be one of the more frustrating and difficult experiences as well. Here are a few things you can do to make driving on the "wrong" side of the road a little less painful.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• A Car
• A Driver's License
• International Driving Permit
• Patience
• Insurance
• Map of the U.K. (optional but helpful)

1. If you are coming from a country outside of the European Union, you should get an International Driving Permit (IDP). This is essentially a translated version of the driver's license you already own. It is not a license by itself; you must have a valid driver's license from your country to get an IDP. (See the AAA link for more details.)
2. GET THE RIGHT KIND OF CAR. (If you can and are willing to drive a manual transmission, skip to Step 2.) This may seem like a simple matter, but if you are renting a car, make sure you know how to drive it. In England it is not uncommon to have a Manual transmission in a rental car. If you cannot drive stick, make sure that the rental company specifies automatic transmission on the car you rent.
3. Symbols & Console FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF WITH THE CAR. The driver's seat is on the right side of the car. The gear shift is now on your left. This means that if you have a manual, you will be shifting with your left hand. The shifting patterns and pedal placement are the same as on a left-hand-drive vehicle. Find the light switches especially for the headlights and fog lights. These will be useful in typical English weather. (Note: The fog light is not a headlight, it is a tail light that is required to be in use during foggy conditions.)
4. Darker Strip of Road DRIVE ON THE LEFT. This is harder than it sounds. Because most people are used to driving on the right-hand side of the road, driving on the left can be very disorienting. Try to hug the center line and align your left knee with the darker strip of road in the center of your lane (see picture). Just remember to stay on the left.
5. Signs w/Descriptions KNOW THE RULES. Speed limits in the U.K. are marked in Miles per Hour. The speed limit signs are white with a red border and the speed limit written in black within the circle. However there are also nationally recognized speed limit signs, which are white with a black line running diagonally through the center. The nationally recognized speed limits for cars without trailers are 70 MPH on Motorways and Dual Carriageways, 60 MPH on Single Carriageways, and 30 MPH where there are street lights and houses (unless otherwise posted).
6. DRIVE SAFELY. It is against the law in England to drive without wearing a seatbelt. It is against the law to drive while talking on a cell phone. Children under the age of 14 and the height of 4'11" must use a booster seat. (Some rental car companies will provide the booster seat for you for an extra fee, if you do not have one.)

Tips & Warnings

• Drive on the left.
• Yield to the right at roundabouts.
• Yield to anyone already in a roundabout.
• Yield to cars with green flashing lights as these are doctors making house calls.
• You must pay a congestion fee when driving in certain parts of London. Pay online (website below).
• Beware of buses for they will not beware of you.
• Do not hit a horse. They are VERY expensive.
• Most parking is not free. Make sure to pay at the meters as the fine is very steep.
• Warning: Roads are very narrow and some of these narrow roads have a speed limit of 60 MPH. Just because you can go 60 MPH does not mean you should.