THE ULTIMATE DRIVING GUIDE For Driving in the United Kingdom
The Black Mountain Pass
My Experience Based Guide, Secret Tips, and The Key Rules to Remember
· The UK uses the metric system, yet the cars and speed limits are still in miles per hour (mph).
· In the USA, we call them freeways. In the UK, they’re referred to as motorways.
· Your rental car company will autopay any tickets you receive and tack on a nice admin fee. This fee will be higher than the ticket cost itself, usually. So avoid tickets with this guide.
· I drove 1600 miles around the UK this past trip (2022). Prior to this, I drove about 1000 miles (2019). I’ve basically made circles around the UK and covered nearly every terrain from the resorts of Cornwall to the Highlands of Scotland.
· The speed limits for road types (national speed limit): On multi-lane motorways (70mph), on single carriageways (single lane) (60mph), on dual carriageways (2 lane each way) (70mph), on restricted roads (30mph), and on regular streets with stop lights (30mph unless posted otherwise). You’ll commonly see the white sign with a red circle that has “40” which means 40mph and this is what you’ll default to between motorways, typically.
· Your rental car will likely provide the speed limits on the gauge cluster, and it is amazing!
· Triangle shaped signs are warnings, rectangle shaped signs inform you, and circular shaped signs give you orders.
· Red circular signs tell you what you can’t do (such as 40 circled in red means you cannot go over 40)
· Blue circular signs tell you mandatory instructions (such as turn right here)
· “Give Way” sign is the same as yield and also a red triangle
· The circle with the black diagonal stripe is the National Speed Limit for that road type (it will display on road sides or the gauge of your car quite often) and this will refer to the limits above
· The curved arrow on single carriageways is to warn people that are overtaking (passing) that they must return to their lane due to upcoming changes
· There are dozens and dozens of signs, more than you can possibly remember for one trip. Focus on the main points of the overall sign designs and remember only the basic ones.
If you’re driving long distances, get an automatic. I love manual, but you’ll regret it after a while. I almost didn’t take the automatic, but after 1600 miles, I’m so glad I did. I was more thankful it was automatic when I was driving long days and my feet were tired from walking/hiking all day, or the previous day. If you don’t plan on hopping place to place or walking much, then go for a manual. If you’re doing long distance driving and a lot of walking, most certainly get the automatic, you will not regret not having a clutch. Also, you can’t really race or have fun in the limited selection of peanut cars that you’ll be driving over there 😁. Yep, “peanut car” is a licensed trademark of Colton James since 2009, ask anyone 🤣. Don’t get me wrong, you’ll appreciate the tiny sized cars when maneuvering the roads (or things that are supposed to be roads) in many areas, but you will not feel cool doing it 😎.
Speed cameras are all over. They typically warn you with signs before you see the cameras. The signs look reminiscent of Instagram icons. They seem to average your pace over several of them. So, if you’re speeding past the first one, don’t panic, but slow down! Make sure you’re going at or under speed limit by the next ones. They are quite close together. They’re sort of in bundles.
The cameras will probably scare you, at least at first 🙃. However, on the motorways, many cars exceed the 70mph by a lot. Despite driving in the middle lane (of 3), if you’re going exactly speed limit, or 2-3mph over, you’ll still get people honking and driving by you with distain. This is the worst part about the UK system. From what I’ve gathered, they don’t honk unless they’re really upset. They aren’t as lenient with horns as the USA. Also, they will do this maneuver where they start behind you, go the right, and then make a circle around you crossing all the way to the left lane. This must be the normal way they express annoyance for “slow” drivers.
Don’t get me wrong, in the USA, I drive heavy footed, I speed, I loathe slow drivers in the fast lane, but I have no problem with slow drivers in the slow lanes. I also do not mind people doing the exact speed limit in the 3rd lane (next to the fast lane) as long as you can pass them in the fast lane. I’m just a fan of logic. I’m also very aware and respectful of other drivers which is highly unusual in California. I tend to let people in when I can, move over for insane speeders (100+mph), or give plenty of space. However, in the UK, with all the cameras and police around, you just feel as if you’re watched 24/7. You don’t dare pull USA driving, and you certainly follow the speed limit.
Gwynedd, Wales
Me and my peanut car (2022)
Here's the paradox. In the UK, there are usually 3 lanes on the motorways (as seen in the video clip below). Driving in the middle is considered the cruising lane where nearly all average drivers would be. Any car can pass you on the right which is considered the passing lane. They just all assume the middle lane will be speeding excessively. It’s basically a battle between making the speeders (who take the middle lane) constantly change to the right lane (the passing/fast lane) to go around the average speed drivers, OR having the average speed drivers go in the slow lane (the left lane) and have to constantly pass the giant trucks and cars doing 10-20mph under speed limit by changing to the middle lane temporarily.
Yes, in reality, the middle lane should be for the exact speed limit drivers, especially in a place that watches all your moves. Those who want to speed beyond fast, get angry, and don’t care about tickets should have to suffer swapping lanes back and forth, over and over, to pass you. Yet… that isn’t the “norm” in the UK 🙃. Therefore, unless you plan to speed heavily, always stay in the left lane, and then pass when necessary, using the middle lane.
To recap, you must constantly stay in the slowest lane to appease the drivers in most urban areas. With the large vehicles going slower than 70mph in the slow lane (left), you’ll be constantly going between the far left and middle lane, and I mean constantly. You will only use the far-right lane (fast/passing) if you’re caught between several larger slower vehicles all passing each other with the middle lane. I touch on how I got around this later.
Remember, unlike the USA, the UK right lane (fast lane) is used strictly for passing. You will almost always see it empty. Do not cruise in this lane, even if you’re going 100mph. It’s just not proper etiquette over there. Use it, and move back over.
One thing you’ll notice is that there are far more signs, and they fly by so quickly that they’re hard to process, especially roundabouts. They’ll also have really long and unique names, so they’ll be hard to process in the blink of an eye. Also note, brown signs point out really amazing points of interest (such as castles). Luckily, we have Google maps in our day in age. Before digital tech, I bet people went in circles for quite a while trying to get their turn.
Roundabouts have several lanes. Try to count the number of exits possible before getting near the round loop. GPS sometimes lags, so it’s best to know, or assume which. Several times I got caught with lag and exited the wrong lane which was extremely close to my correct one. Some roundabouts have more than 4 exits. Some lead into a second roundabout, and some lead to a third, or make figure 8’s (near Moxy Hotel in Edinburgh). You’ll see some of this, and it’s really interesting
Basically, choose an angle that’s north on your roundabout image (on Google Maps). Then try to visualize where the turn is on that circle. Also, count the number of turnoffs. Make sure you physically pass these before you turn off. Some are very, very close to one another and the GPS often lags just enough to make you miss it.
The names on the GPS nearly never matched the names on the signs. Therefore, don’t hold your breath looking for that exact name from Google Maps. Your best bet, if you’re to follow text/signs rather than try and track your line on the map itself, is to remember the motorways you’ll be on. Then, you can look at the ground text printed before the roundabouts. They usually say the motorway connections and then you can follow that lane. They’re easier to read on the fly than the signs all over the sides and middle.
Sometimes you’ll have lots of space and time to figure out your turn and just relax. Other times, you’ll be in a sea of cars, and you must maneuver with precision. This is when it’s best to be in the correct lane before you come to the stop.
There is a stop before every roundabout. Especially at the multi laned roundabouts, you’ll need to be cautious. The single lane ones are tiny and usually in the middle of tiny towns with no one around. These, you can pull a “California rolling stop” at times, as long as you can see in the distance from the other entrances. I don’t recommend doing that until you get comfortable in the UK though.
Within the roundabout lanes, typically, you’d stay on the left if you’re turning on the first exit, second lane to left, if second exit, third lane from left if third or more exit, etc. Some only have one lane, many have two lanes, and some have several more lanes. In the case of two lanes before a roundabout, you’d stay in the right lane if going to any exit but the first. You signal RIGHT if you’re going to keep going around the roundabout (despite actually turning left eventually). It’s not instinctive, I know, but it’s correct. You then signal left when you’re about to exit your lane on the roundabout. It’s easier than it sounds. Although some are massive, confusing, and hit you fast, it’s pretty easy to get used to it. Therefore, just do your best.
Drivers (other than on the motorways) are much better than the USA. They give you space, they move over to let you in, they allow space to let you in, and they’re far more forgiving. They rarely honk unless really annoyed or really trying to warn you of something. They will flash their lights at you if there’s an issue, instead of honking. They will also flash lights to let you know you can get in the lane in front of them (they’re letting you in). They will put on hazards very quickly to say thanks for letting them in.
Alternatively, in the US, we typically wave to say thanks. We honk too much, but it is warranted most of the time, and we typically put on hazards after smoking that piece of crap Honda Civic with the fart cannon strapped to the back of it that was driving worse than the car looked 😈. What a change of pace it is to drive in the UK. Truly enjoy the relaxed pace, and much happier vibe. You’ll miss it when you return to the USA, especially if you’re in California, like me 🙃.
What I eventually learned is that there is an unsaid rule of thumb about speed. After about 1000 miles of driving with cruise control at exactly 70mph, or the limit, I was seriously tired of getting passed by nearly everyone. Finally, I found out the details to go faster yet avoid speeding detection. You take the speed limit and add 10% to it. Then you can work within (plus or minus) +- 2mph. Therefore, if it’s 70mph, you can do 77mph (+-2mph), so 79mph max, and not get ticketed. Keep in mind, not all cars are perfect at rating speed. Different cars may vary 5mph or so (at least in the USA there are buffers for traffic tickets). So, I’d recommend keeping it at 10% and not adding the extra 2mph just to be safe. Also, if you’re caught speeding very excessively, it turns from a ticket to a court appearance request. Take it easy, don’t race anyone.
You’ll also slow for thing like “works” which is construction.
Construction comes up a lot, sometimes right after a bend on a motorway. Keep your eyes open. They have remote controlled lights to tell one side to go and the other to stop. You may stop on Red, and go on Green. I ran into all forms of construction all over the place.
UK traffic stop lights are different. They have two yellows (one between red, one between green), unlike the US which only has a yellow to slow before stopping (red). They have a red (when you’re stopped) which turns yellow then green (to go). People all take off on yellow, so be prepared …you know, when in Rome.
Most new rental cars will have advanced cruise control, even the cheapies. Use it! You can set it for 70mph (or 77 😁), and it will automatically slow you down when it detects cars in front of you. It will automatically speed you up when it’s clear. It will also detect passing, or passers, and react accordingly. This may be common for folks in the USA, but I have never used my cruise control in the USA, ever. I do drive with much more dynamics and control in the USA though. I cruise and relax in the UK. This feature really helps over in the UK, especially on a road trip.
Always signal so the lane departure feature doesn’t try and jolt your steering back to the lane when you constantly swap lanes… or turn the feature off. Also, signal when around other cars, always…so you aren’t THAT guy. In the USA, I will fully halt to let in someone if they’re signaling. On the contrary, I will use all my horsepower to block the person that refuses to signal. Courtesy can go a long way, no matter the country. Respect others, and they’ll respect you equally.
Avoid tickets by following navigation in cities as best you can. Some streets are “bus streets” only. I found this out the hard way by extremely poor hotel directions. They directed me to their hidden car park which was down a bus street. They said, after I got the traffic ticket, that they had a piece of paper somewhere that warned about this. Anyhow, again, so many signs… try to lookout for bus streets or fully follow navigation, even if it seems longer than it needs to be.
Single laned “two-way” roads… the joy. You heard about them, you know they exist, you’re still not going to be ready for your first one. You will be fearful at first, or maybe always. You hope no cars come down these, especially the ones that are absolutely tiny and barely fit your car. I had roads where the trees and bushes hugged the car. I thought to myself “oh great, Hertz will charge me for a paint job too.” Luckily, the paint sustained. 🙂 However, fear not. There are tiny turn off points every so often. You’ll aim for these if oncoming traffic appears. The drivers on these roads are few and far between. You’ll also notice that they’re very good at seeing you before you even see them. They’re forgiving, and helpful, and usually flash you to go ahead first. You’ll be ok. Worst case, you will have to reverse, but just take your sweet time so you’re comfortable. After driving quite often in the UK, I will say I’ve only had to reverse once… and it wasn’t bad.
Many city streets are one way. The arrows (triangles on the roads) aren’t intuitive, so try and really pay attention before you turn certain ways. Not all of them are marked either. You will be on a two-way, two lane, turn to another two way, two lane, then suddenly turn to a one way, two lane and not even know, 🤣. Go slow and take your time, and follow the navigation. Worst case, use the advice below.
The absolute best advice I can give is to follow the car in front of you. If your GPS messes up (or loses signal, as it does) and you don’t know where to go. Do not worry about making your turn, don’t panic, and don’t try anything crazy. Again, the best option is to follow the car in front of you until you’re clear of other cars and obstacles, and you can find a clearly marked place to stop and sort out your issue. Then you can determine your path to correct. This works very well. Much of the time, especially urban areas, you’ll have issues. Follow cars and take your time, stay calm, figure out the gameplan after you’ve reached a safe point. If there is no car near you, you’re probably safe to go very slowly, or pull over, until you can determine the path.
Glancing at directions before the moment they complete is smart, but still can be hard when you’re trying to pay close attention to the road. On Google Maps, swipe the top green street box to the left to see the turn after the next turn. This helps a lot to determine which lane you should be in for the upcoming second turn, etc. I just recently found out this was an option. It’s quite useful.
Driving on the opposite side. Intuitively, it’s difficult to get used to swapping sides of the car and having that natural muscle memory to stay in the lane. It’s because you’re used to doing it on opposite sides. I did get used to it rather quickly this time. I don’t know if the car I previously got was out of alignment (could’ve been, as it was clearly hit before), or if I just had gotten more used to it. The hoods of the cars here seem taller in comparison to the windshield, and they block more of the road as well. It reminded me of a Mustang with a supercharger and hood scoop. Granted, I had a crossover SUV sort of thing, so maybe it’s just that. My head was hitting the roof, but I still couldn’t see downward as far as my cars at home. It’s possible they make them taller to condense the parts into a smaller width to keep the overall footprint of the car smaller.
Anyhow, to be safe, on rentals, just overturn on turns if you can’t see. This is to prevent curbing your wheels. My first rental blamed me for touching the tire to the curb, yes the tire (not the rim). They made me replace the tire for the invisible scratch on it. I didn’t do this, but they, apparently, somehow tracked that from onboard data. It was actually the previous user who swiped the whole car (which they had documented, etc.) but still…not good. Save fees where you can. By the way, that whole AVIS Rental Europe scam/scandal thing people talk about, yep, it’s very real… ask me how I know 🤣. Hertz is a safe bet, if you’re wondering.
Some car parks, entrances, turns, etc. have very small entryways. These will look as if your car will not fit. Stick your head out of the window (if need be) and just get the side you can see as close to your side of the curb as possible. You’ll make it through without issue this way, and you’ll be sure of yourself.
People, people, people… they walk everywhere! In cities, this is another complication when trying to find your way. You have to watch for them like it’s your job. In the USA, people seem to not trust cars as much and usually stray from walking in front of them. In the UK, they trust drivers more. They will walk all over the streets, especially if traffic is slower. They will dart out in front of you sometimes. Just keep checking left and right before you take off, and especially before you turn. You don’t want to run over someone and ruin your trip or worse, even if they’re in the wrong. I can’t count how many times someone bolted out in the street then ran back when they noticed their walking light wasn’t green. Luckily, I watched these people like a hawk and was well spaced. Sometimes I stopped and waved people through, as I wasn’t in a rush.
Also, they have walkways that are labeled like crosswalks with crossed lines that aren’t at stop lights or signs, and walkers have the right of way. Most have lights or poles that light up, but some do not. Sometimes people will walk across in the dark without even looking up. You will have to really watch yourself in cites at night. Lastly, some small towns are dead center in single carriage motorways with a speed limit of 60mph. You’ll be trying to keep to speed limit to appease folks behind you but also run in to constant turns that have homes right around the bend. It’s a bit crazy that front yards could have people standing in them right in front of (a few feet from) motorways. That was a tough one when going through rural places, but the lack of congestion allowed me to take more time and go a bit slower.
You will encounter many streets, especially in cities, where the most of your side of the street is covered by parked cars. You will react the same way as you do on single lane, two-way roads. You’ll look across to make sure no one is coming, then you’ll cross into the wrong lane and make your way around the parked cars. Typically, the oncoming cars will take turns waiting at the ends of the rows of parked cars. They will flash you to go first. You then go, or you can wait and flash them to go. This is very common that you’ll cross into the wrong lane to bypass rows of parked cars on streets. Just keep that in mind.
Move over when people want to go faster. Many roads will have speed limits, but you won’t always go that fast. In the Scottish Highlands, I nearly went half the speed limit most of the time, and so did others. I wanted to see things I was passing, but also wanted to be safe in the conditions.
If a car comes up fast behind you, just keep calm, keep pace, don’t try and drive outside of your own comfort. Simply turn off at the next open turn out spot. There are many pull off spots for this, usually every other mile. Granted cars seemed to drive much better in Scotland than they did in parts of England and Wales. I’m assuming because the roads aren’t structured in a way where you can even speed that fast. If you add in weather, then you really cut down on the average speed limit.
Rain happens on and off a lot here. It is not half as dangerous to drive in the rain here as in parts of the USA. I don’t know if the roads are built differently, they seem to be much better, or if the tires on all the cars are better (they could be), but driving in the rain here at the same speed limits was nearly never an issue. The rain is also lighter most of the time. California has heavy downpour or nothing. I rarely, if ever, ran into flooding. In April and May, weather wasn’t a huge issue for driving. Another fun fact during May, it stays light outside until 10pm or more. This is much safer for driving and having longer days. You can traverse so much, even if you stay up late and get later starts.
I hope this helps you on your upcoming adventure. I can elaborate on anything if you’d like to leave a comment. I’m happy to help. I skimmed articles back in my first days of UK driving. I mostly came across rules that reminded me of a written driver’s test. They didn’t help me at all as very little was applicable in real life. I believe you can take your available driving knowledge and develop it with the learning curve of a new country. These tips here are pertinent and less generalized. They should greatly assist first time drivers in the UK, especially if you’re from the USA. These are the things that you need to know about. It may seem daunting, but you will adapt quickly. You will become relaxed, and you’ll enjoy the ride. Good luck to you all, safe travels, and create happiness! 😉
