I've just moved to the U.K. from Chicago and have been driving for 11 years in country and city. I'm an experienced driver, but was feeling quite nervous about getting behind the wheel. Your videos are unbelievably helpful and well done, it's eased my nerves immensely. Thank you so much!
Thanks for the comments, glad they were useful to you. We were in Chicago last summer for a few days before we set out on our Route 66 road trip. Would like to go back and explore the city in more detail.
What did you do for insurance? I have been driving in Canada for 15 years, many of which was professional as a bus operator. The only place that seems to recognize driver history abroad is Marshmallow. I only just noticed that comment is 4 years old, but perhaps someone else may be able to answer. Cheers.
Zebra crossings are not conditional. You must stop the pedestrian has absolute right of way.There is no legal defence for driving on a zebra whilst a pedestrian is on the crossing intending to move towards you. If it's wet and you can't stop you are driving without due care as well.
This is not actually correct. The highway code says a driver "should" stop when someone is waiting to cross, meaning there is no legal requirement to do so. You only "must" stop when a pedestrian is *on* the crossing. The highway code for pedestrians instructs that they should wait until the road is clear before they enter the crossing.
In the US, the yellow lines mean the road goes both ways (one lane in one direction and the other lane goes the opposite direction separated by the yellow line). White lines means it’s a one-way road and all lanes on that road go the same direction (our interstate highways).
05:05. I would like to add a tiny correction to your posting. In the US, parking rules usually are governed by the municipality and they often do not allow people to park against traffic.
Im from a small town in Missouri that straight up doesn’t care which direction you face to park. I was in for a surprise when I got a fat ass ticket in Texas because I was facing the wrong way. This ought to be standardized across the country…
I'm originally from the UK now in New Zealand. I was unaware of the ruling preventing parking facing against the flow after dark. However, I'm a parking officer and issue plenty of notices to vehicles that park facing the wrong way in Christchurch. The Clearway and No Stopping signage is also not understood (or wilfully ignored) by some here, but it all helps pass the time.
Thank you so much! Just returned from vacation in UK. Drove around The Cotswolds for a few days, couldn't have done it crash-free without some of your videos. We watched before leaving the US, reviewed before driving. Thanks to your information we knew what the signs meant and what to expect with narrow country roads. Highly recommend these videos.
Thank you so much for this series! My family is traveling to Ireland next month and we will be driving through the countryside and this has been very helpful!
Thank you! Watching your videos was a Huge help to me before driving in the UK for the 1st time!!! Definitely made me more confident- and knowledgeable of the general rules. ( The British drivers are quite good and polite too- barely any horn tooting! )
At around 4:29, I think that is the same as our "no thru traffic" where there's no traffic to be had unless you live there and are parking or visiting a home there and parking--it is not an access street that allows you to go to another road or highway, not a place for U-turns or 3 point turns. Is that the correct meaning behind the UK/Welsh signage?
I think if you intend to drive here in the UK it might be a good idea not to hire the car on your first day but to wait until you are used to traffic coming from the other direction and the signs, perhaps travel around on foot and by bus rather than train to get used to the roads. It might be a good idea to pick up a hire car from a place away from the centre of London or other major cities or airports.
Thanks from Canada! Very interesting to see the differences... I was thrown off a bit by the imperial measurements on the road. I really like your light system maybe we can copy it some day?
Thanks, glad you found it interesting. It's odd how we use the metric system for everything else but speeds and distances are still in miles and petrol is sold in litres!
5:30 parking facing the oncoming traffic at night is concerned with people doing this with their lights on. All white lights you see as you drive along you aim to pass to their left, so a car parked facing you on the left with its lights on just round a bend in the dark could encourage you to mount the pavement or go into a ditch unless you realise the situation in time.
No, it is logical even when the parked car's lights are off. This is because of its reflectors - red at the rear, and its front headlights reflect your white headlights back because of the optics. In principle it's just like the fixed post reflectors seen on bends on country roads and cat's eyes in the centre or road edge - red to your left and white to your right.
Thanks you so much for this series. It helped me so much during my stay in your lovely country. Can I suggest you maybe do an updated video to this series. Newer technologies in cars there day such as Apple Car play, android auto, lane assist, 360 parking cameras... also help tremendously. Again, Thank you so much.
I just wanted to THANK YOU for the UK driving videos! They have helped tremendously. In fact, we (my son and I) are still here, in Liverpool for the moment, and our visit is only half way over. One thing I have definitely noticed, is that "red-amber" means "punch it" LOL
Glad it was useful and we hope you're having a good time. Yes, you're quite right about red-amber but I couldn't really say ' treat it as starting an F1 race' that in the video 🤣
Very well done . One point he didn't mention if you are at a road junction and there are two or more lanes on your side of the road. If a car is in the outside lane and is signalling to turn right . You may underpass , that is pass on the left of him . But normally you must not pass on the left only on the right. A very good little booklet to get if you are coming over here on vacation and you are going to drive . Is called, The High Way Code . It's only about 4 or 5 dollars . It is printed by the Government , and is full of information . Most cars over here are manual shift , not automatic like the USA . So if you want one that is with a automatic gearbox . Book ahead , before you come over .
The actual meaning of the national-speed-limit-applies sign is "end of speed limit"; we didn't always have blanket speed limits. When they were imposed, we didn't bother changing all the signs, as it would've cost a fortune. So we just kept them in place.
Relating to parking on the off side (against the flow of traffic) at night, there was someone who was prosecuted for it on a poorly lit A-road in Scotland. It exists to help drivers see where the road narrows due to the parked cars with the red and white reflectors. It doesn't really need to be used anymore with better streetlighting but it still exists as if they fail or the road is poorly lit, but its rarely in the public interest to deal with it, and I believe its one of the few parking restrictions which instead of being dealt with by the local council's civil parking enforcement, it is dealt with by the police and they have better things to do most of the time. I'm not 100% sure of the police bit so don't hold me to that though.
Thanks for the great videos! Since dashed white lines can separate lanes either going in the same direction or in opposite directions in the UK, any tips on figuring out whether you're on a one-way or two-way road? Do you just have to rely on road signs if there are no other cars making it obvious?
Hi, there should be signs. If you are driving you should keep left, so even if it's a road two lanes wide you should be in the left lane unless you need to overtake a slower vehicle, when you pass on the right and pull back in.
Thank you so much. I'm going to be visiting my significant other in the UK next month and will be renting a car and driving abroad for the first time. I have no idea what to expect, but this video helped relieve my anxiety ridden mind lol. It looks like its not too bad compared to driving in the US. Just a tad different. Thanks for the video!
Strictly, yellow lines are: single dotted - no parking at specified times; single solid - no parking on normal working days; double - no parking on normal working days and at additional times. The extra times to be read from signs on posts along the way. But in practice, I've never seen a double where the signs don't say "at any time", so it's best to assume double means that. The cross-kerb (no loading/unloading) markings are one, two, or three sets of stripes corresponding to the dotted, single, or double lines respectively.
the centre line in the US on road without a center verge may be yellow, but on multilane highways with a dividing verge, the lines between lanes are white not yellow, the same as the UK
The hazard zig zags at Zebra crossings don't just mean "no parking". They signify your stopping distance at 30mph should a pedestrian step onto the crossing. The white broken lines at intersections on the floor mean you have no priority on the road you are about to join. The left lane markings at that intersection are double broken lines which means "Give Way" to both the LEFT side of the road and the right side". (It's not YOUR side of anything until it's clear for you to join) If you are driving along and want to take the next turning left then a single white line on the road you are about to join means you have no right of way until it is clear for you to join. That means if a pedestrian is walking across when you arrive you MUST give way to them. It also applies if a vehicle on that road you are joining has to venture onto the other side to pass an obstruction before you have joined. You can't just join a side road and expect vehicles already on it to magic themselves out of the way ! STOP signs are they ONLY Hexagonal signs we use here to signify STOP ! They are hexagonal because if they get covered in snow / crap you still know they mean STOP !
A bit incorrect on street parking. HC Rule 239 says "do not park facing against the traffic flow" you are also not supposed to park where you would cause an obstruction. This has been interpreted to mean that if you park opposite another car parked on the roadside you are reducing the road width to possibly less than a single lane and causing an obstruction. You cannot park on the pavement in london and elsewhere someone would have to prove you drove on the pavement. People have been prosecuted where they have been obstructing street work and where the parking of a car or a skip has caused an accident at night.
I have my driving license for decades, and drove in many dozen countries (always on the right side). Within the first 20 minutes of driving in Ireland, I shaved of my left side mirror. Some advice from my side, especially when you rent a car: 1. The difficulty does not lie in sticking to the left side of the road. The biggest challenge is to judge your space to the left. I felt like a total driving beginner again, making sure I don´t leave the road markings on the left. 2. Try to rent a car that´s smaller/ more narrow than your current car, it will make judging the distances easier. 3. And last not least, do get this extra insurance! It will do a lot to ease your mind in this new experience.
Very much appreciate this! I've been to England a few times, but we are going next year and have decided to rent a car for the first couple days. I've driven in Taiwan, but they drive on the right as we do in America, so it'll take some getting used to. Just need to get the road signs down and what the 'natural' speedlimit is
Have a good time when you visit. You'll soon get used to driving on the other side. There are more and more speed cameras appearing every year, average speed checks are increasingly popular too.
We found your channel when we were planning a trip to the U.K. for this spring and looking for advice on driving in Britain. We’ve been enjoying your other videos as well, especially the Route 66 series. We had to cut short our trip in the spring and never did rent a car, so we’re now preparing for the next trip.
@@timmotz2827 We really loved our Route 66 trip and just wished we had longer. We hope to go back to the US sometime next year for another road trip although we are looking at the Canadian Rockies as well.
I believe Canadian rail has a cross-country sleeper train that takes you from Toronto all the way across the country and into the Canadian Rockies. You could time it to arrive in Calgary for the Calgary Stampede. There is also an Amtrack train that runs from Chicago to San Francisco.
A pity the speed limit sign @2:14 is on a square plate (not uncommon). Against eg a sunset in sillouette you can first mistake it for an information sign and take no more notice. No comment on the Give Way sign @4:40 being an inverted triangle? - more like a warning than an order. In fact it has history - they used to be a combined circle (for the command) and inverted triangle (for the warning), with words "Major Road Ahead".
The 40 mph speed limit sign has a high visibility yellow background and should be easier to see which is presumably why they chose that. The other side has square back ground for National Speed limit to match the shape, if you fail to spot that you might continue at up to 40 mph and not accelerate to 60 mph.
@@keith6400 I understand the logic for having a high visibility yellow background to the 40mph sign which is presumably on the other side of 2:14, but they could have made that a round yellow background rather than a square one in keeping with its compulsory nature.
@@dukenukem5768 Some councils have fallen into the round yellow background for speed signs trap. A 40 mph speed sign with a yellow circular background is not enforceable because it does not comply with the regulations. Anyone taken to court for speeding up to 60 mph can argue this point and be aquitted.
Yes, on the roads, distances are in miles and as you say mergers and junctions are counted down in yards. It is confusing as we are metric for nearly everything else (but still use pints in pubs).
Well, just found this (I'm Scottish) and always interested in driving overseas (Egypt is interesting, India is chaotic, Australia - - - well, that's a zero tolerance view on traffic laws)......... During this you stated about parking either way on a street (except at night), the reason you are not allowed is simple, all vehicles MUST by law have red reflectors at their rear, so if your vehicle gets smashed into overnight and it's facing the wrong way, it's your fault........ you may be liable for damage to other vehicle, and your insurance will not pay for damage done to your vehicle. Best bit of advice I'll give anyone trying to drive here, nip into a petrol (gas) station, get a set of P plates, these signify a new or novice driver - - - - it'll benefit you, I guarantee it, everyone will understand if you suddenly brake, swerve or stall your car
thank you for this!! My hubby is from the UK (we are in the USA currently) and we are planning to move over there. I have my DL here in the US for so long, I'm just used to driving. He's used to walking and taking public transport, but I got him used to driving here too (he drives a semi truck now, aka Lorry). So I'm feeling hesitant about getting my DL for in the UK. Honestly I would be perfectly happy walking or taking public transport lol. I tried an example of that one hazard perception test and had no clue when they wanted me to indicate on a hazard.....failed it miserably. I was flagging things I saw as a hazard that they didn't, and apparently didn't indicate the hazards late enough for their liking....when I was taught to find them as early as possible to monitor and react as needed lol. I'm too safe for their tests to pass!! Yeah I'll leave the driving up to you UK nationals!!
You can drive on your US licence for 1 year in the UK, but after that you need to have a UK licence. If you expect to be in the UK for more than a year, I suggest you allow at least six months to take lessons and pass the UK tests.
@@sirderam1 I know that but I don't trust my ability to safely drive the UK roads, so I'm opting to NOT drive. My husband is over there driving on his US license now, working on getting his UK license for his job.
Fly Drive Explore you’re right. I think for the safety of the british public and myself I’m going to pass on driving. The reason I was going to in the first place was because my friend has a car he’s letting me borrow as long as I insured it. Unfortunately it’s manual but I guess safety is more important.
@@Christian-ru6op Rent an auto. We do have them. Just advise the rental company in advance. Driving here isn't much different to the US. I've done both.
The national speed limit is 60 MPH on regular two way roads and 70 MPH on duel carriageways and motorways for cars unless the overhead signs say otherwise. Also if you park against the flow of traffic at night and someone hits you your insurance is invalid.
Yes, although if you do 70 on a dual carriageway make sure it is a dual carriageway. From the highway code, "A dual carriageway is a road which has a central reservation to separate the carriageways "
@@fossy4321 My comment was about dual carriageways, some people think it's just two lanes etc. but I was simply pointing out that a dual carriageway has to have some kind of physical divider or barrier down the middle.
@@flydriveexplore No worries I was not trying to be awkward or nasty in any way. Sometimes with texts it can seem that way as they are easily misinterpreted. I enjoyed the video. Sorry if I came over as aggressive or nasty. Its one of the problems with texting. Best regards Fossy
Hello. Thank you for the detailed videos. I would love to see a video on driving on narrow roads similar to the road at 5:34 in this video. Often roads are two-way traffic with enough space for--if you are lucky--one auto. Who has the right of way? How do you decide how to proceed? TIA
The road at 5:34 is a residential road (Over 100 years old) so didn't really have cars in mind when it was built. When there are cars parked on your side, you give way but when there are cars parked on both sides, you basically use courtesy, whoever is driving up the road first gets the right of way. On country lanes, there are often passing places or entrances to fields etc. So whoever is nearest to one of these places, pulls over and lets the oncoming car pass. There's not really any rules on this but it seems to just work.
So it sounds like the sign with the motorcycle flying over the car is essentially the same as our "not a through road" in the US, right? The only difference is that our sign isn't exactly prohibiting you from driving down it, it's just letting you know it won't take you anywhere, unless you live there.
Yes, it is similar but the road often does go somewhere. I used to live in a street with this access, it was very narrow with houses. The sign was used to stop traffic cutting down the road to avoid going around the whole block.
Well you forgot to mention, when traffic light change from green to Amber, slow down and prepare to stop as it turns to Red. But you have to stop on Red.
Yes, you are quite correct although I was trying to identifying the differences between the UK and the US, The US does have the same sequence when it comes to stopping, green to amber to red
@@flydriveexplore The standard now adopted by many when traffic lights change from green to amber is to put their foot down and race through before the light's red or when it is on red. Not enough cameras to catch these reckless drivers.
Mate Id like to first let you know there is a few things you missed you perhaps be able to talk about in a new video: 1) The give way sign in a T cross. This should be an stop sign instead! Anyway it would be good to know, I just learnt the hard way when visiting the highlands. 😂 2) google maps got me into a road that feeds a roundabout. This road has a physical filter for big cars/trucks. Unbelievable and unexpected! Its like two tall concrete bars on each side of the lane to avoid big cars and trucks to enter said roundabout. I had a Peugot 3008 and had a hard time to pass really slow and causing traffic delay just to be careful not to scratch the the wheels.
Stop signs are not very common, most junctions have triangular giveway signs. What you describe at the roundabout with concrete bars, again these are rare and if there's a physical barrier it's probably a deterrent for larger vehicles especially if the road ahead is not suitable or wide enough for them.
Hi sir. There’s a National speed sign on a road but some drivers only go 30mph and very annoying. Can I over take them? Is it permitted? It’s a single carriage way. Near London UK. I know you can overtake maintenance vehicle if he’s doing 10mph or less. Please elaborate.
Obviously you can overtake, provided that there is no solid white line, or no sign prohibiting overtaking, that it is also safe to do so AND that you don't exceed the speed limit! Remember, the speed limit is just that, a limit. It is not a target speed. We don't necessarily know the reason why someone is driving way below the speed limit - it can be very frustrating, but sometimes it may be seen as a blessing in disguise that the 'slow driver' is not driving any faster!
holy crap I thought that bridge looked familiar. It took me ages to realise this is literally just down the road from me (hence all the duck signs). Waiting for the lights at that cross? Yup, they take a literal age. Some are worse than others but those seem to let a lot of traffic through in single directions
Yes, these are national signs and rules throughout the UK. The only difference in Wales is anything with words, is written in Welsh as well as English.
@@deanburrell8889 Yeah because the fines go directly to the councillors to buy new cars, eh? Hackney used to have huge problems with narrow residential streets being used as "rat runs" to avoid congested main roads. Restricting access and implementing traffic calming measures means that quiet residential streets are safer for everyone.
parking wrong direction at night , a lot to do with car reflectors, rear lights and back car have them sometimes both in lights and on bumper. if you hit at night you may get part blame on insurance claim and maybe telling off by police. i have set red reflectors stick on to two stands and easy sit on top dash in each corner just like how they are on rear of car. basically road with no street lights or road what lights get turn off but having red reflectors in the front im sure that is all what needed, ones i got they reflect more than my rear lights on cctv ir night vision, and if cop was funny im sure you got good chance to fight it and win, you got reflectors and even your driving test you park facing traffic
In the US we have the amber light between red and green but it is only amber. There is no red and amber together sequence. I have never seen a light go from red to green.
Is it different in certain states, during our recent drive from Chicago to LA all the lights we encountered changed from red straight to green. As can be seen here in this clip from LA ua-cam.com/video/lTvYjERVAnY/v-deo.html
@@catherinerobilliard7662 That makes sense, although having just come back from driving in Spain, they do not have the red amber combination although like most of Europe, mainly drive manual cars. Is Red - Amber just a British thing?
I think one reason we have red&amber to green and then just amber to red is so that on approach it's easier to tell if the light is changing to stop or go.
@@catherinerobilliard7662 That is the idea, but in practice many drivers are already in gear with their foot on the clutch waiting for the dragster start on red-amber. That's why I don't like crossing the road at traffic lights (even with a pedestian button) when on foot.
5:10 thats not true, you're not supposed to park against the flow of traffic in the US. State and local laws may very on this but it's generally not allowed. That being said, its not really enforced, especially on residential roads.
I got a ticket for parking the wrong way round outside my house. Tbf, the copper that ticketed me lived around the corner from me and was pissed off because I'd parked over his driveway the day before.
A man in North Lincolnshire got prosecuted for parking his Land Rover Defender on the wrong side of the road at night, in the pitch black outside is house. It got hit by a bus and he was deemed liable because he was parked on the right after dusk.
We have a gazillion more signs. When I was a kid you drove carefully because you never knew what was around the corner... People no longer drive to reflect the road but to adhere to the road Signs😢
Most people call the zebra crossing lights "belisha beacons", named after the politician who helped introduce them. Surprised to discover that someone doesn't know/doesn't use the term.
I don't really think it's 'most people' anymore. Considering the name dates from the 1930s it's not that surprising that the term is no longer is common use.
Not many UK Drivers know that you can be doing the speed limit and pass a slower moving that's to your right on any road that has two lanes or more lanes in your direction. That includes single carriageways !
That's not totally true. The highway code states "Do not overtake on the left or move to a lane on your left to overtake." although there is no law, it will be considered careless driving, except 1. in slow queueing traffic, or where variable speed limits are in opperation, where the outer lane queue is moving slower, 2. where a signs, or arrows on the carriageway mark lane direction . 3. thickest dotted line between carriageways indicates lanes going in different directions eg before and after continuous flow intersections, 4. Bus Lanes etc or 5. passing very slow traffic turning right. I guess motorbikes think all traffic is slow queuing traffic.
@@tomchitling Undertaking is classed as careless driving if it is carried out carelessly. The same also applies to overtaking. Rules 268 and 163 do not use the words Must or Must Not, neither are they backed up bl legislation. Those rules are a guidance and NOT law.
the main reason street parking at night has become a free for all is because it's not policed. The correct way is to park rear end facing oncoming traffic on either side of the road as rear number plates reflect light , thus helping you see a parked vehicle.
Showing a white light too the nearside is/was illegal, and enforced in the 1970's after dark, and parking lights must be on , on roads above 30mph, after dark. But these are not much enforced now.
On a rural clearway (like the one you showed) you can stop and park in lay-bys unless signs state otherwise (like the bloke in the background) whereas urban and red Route clear ways are no stopping at any time not even in lay-by type ares unless signs say you can park (opposite of a rural clearway) I just thought I’d get the thought out my head
I've just moved to the U.K. from Chicago and have been driving for 11 years in country and city. I'm an experienced driver, but was feeling quite nervous about getting behind the wheel. Your videos are unbelievably helpful and well done, it's eased my nerves immensely. Thank you so much!
Thanks for the comments, glad they were useful to you. We were in Chicago last summer for a few days before we set out on our Route 66 road trip. Would like to go back and explore the city in more detail.
come to London :)))))
What did you do for insurance? I have been driving in Canada for 15 years, many of which was professional as a bus operator. The only place that seems to recognize driver history abroad is Marshmallow.
I only just noticed that comment is 4 years old, but perhaps someone else may be able to answer. Cheers.
Zebra crossings are not conditional. You must stop the pedestrian has absolute right of way.There is no legal defence for driving on a zebra whilst a pedestrian is on the crossing intending to move towards you. If it's wet and you can't stop you are driving without due care as well.
I suggest a full stop after the word stop otherwise you will introduce an ambiguity of drivers needing to stop pedestrians.
Haven’t listened all the way through but why are they called 🦓 zed-zee bra crossings?
This is not actually correct. The highway code says a driver "should" stop when someone is waiting to cross, meaning there is no legal requirement to do so. You only "must" stop when a pedestrian is *on* the crossing. The highway code for pedestrians instructs that they should wait until the road is clear before they enter the crossing.
In the US, the yellow lines mean the road goes both ways (one lane in one direction and the other lane goes the opposite direction separated by the yellow line). White lines means it’s a one-way road and all lanes on that road go the same direction (our interstate highways).
I’m American and this video is so helpful!! Thank you so much for the information and tips driving and walking in UK!
Glad it was helpful!
05:05. I would like to add a tiny correction to your posting. In the US, parking rules usually are governed by the municipality and they often do not allow people to park against traffic.
Im from a small town in Missouri that straight up doesn’t care which direction you face to park. I was in for a surprise when I got a fat ass ticket in Texas because I was facing the wrong way. This ought to be standardized across the country…
In US, you cannot turn on red if the sign before the lights and one on a gantry ahead says No Turn On Red.
I'm originally from the UK now in New Zealand. I was unaware of the ruling preventing parking facing against the flow after dark. However, I'm a parking officer and issue plenty of notices to vehicles that park facing the wrong way in Christchurch. The Clearway and No Stopping signage is also not understood (or wilfully ignored) by some here, but it all helps pass the time.
Thank you so much! Just returned from vacation in UK. Drove around The Cotswolds for a few days, couldn't have done it crash-free without some of your videos. We watched before leaving the US, reviewed before driving. Thanks to your information we knew what the signs meant and what to expect with narrow country roads. Highly recommend these videos.
Thanks - Glad it helped! Hope you had a good time.
Thank you so much for this series! My family is traveling to Ireland next month and we will be driving through the countryside and this has been very helpful!
Glad you enjoyed and have a great time
Thank you!
Watching your videos was a Huge help to me before driving in the UK for the 1st time!!! Definitely made me more confident- and knowledgeable of the general rules.
( The British drivers are quite good and polite too- barely any horn tooting! )
Glad it was helpful. Although we do have our share of rude and bad drivers, in general it's OK. Yes, definitely much less horn use.
At around 4:29, I think that is the same as our "no thru traffic" where there's no traffic to be had unless you live there and are parking or visiting a home there and parking--it is not an access street that allows you to go to another road or highway, not a place for U-turns or 3 point turns.
Is that the correct meaning behind the UK/Welsh signage?
Thank you for these videos!! I love driving on the UK side of the road….but it has been 19 years since my last trip…thank you for the refresher!!
I’m hoping to visit the uk in august or so and want to rent a car so these tips are very helpful!
Same here them Uber fees add up 😂
I think if you intend to drive here in the UK it might be a good idea not to hire the car on your first day but to wait until you are used to traffic coming from the other direction and the signs, perhaps travel around on foot and by bus rather than train to get used to the roads. It might be a good idea to pick up a hire car from a place away from the centre of London or other major cities or airports.
@@weejackrussell I definitely feel you.. get accustomed
Thanks from Canada! Very interesting to see the differences... I was thrown off a bit by the imperial measurements on the road. I really like your light system maybe we can copy it some day?
Thanks, glad you found it interesting. It's odd how we use the metric system for everything else but speeds and distances are still in miles and petrol is sold in litres!
5:30 parking facing the oncoming traffic at night is concerned with people doing this with their lights on. All white lights you see as you drive along you aim to pass to their left, so a car parked facing you on the left with its lights on just round a bend in the dark could encourage you to mount the pavement or go into a ditch unless you realise the situation in time.
No, it is logical even when the parked car's lights are off. This is because of its reflectors - red at the rear, and its front headlights reflect your white headlights back because of the optics. In principle it's just like the fixed post reflectors seen on bends on country roads and cat's eyes in the centre or road edge - red to your left and white to your right.
9:22 I FELT THAT. My husband does the same thing to me.
Thanks you so much for this series. It helped me so much during my stay in your lovely country. Can I suggest you maybe do an updated video to this series. Newer technologies in cars there day such as Apple Car play, android auto, lane assist, 360 parking cameras... also help tremendously. Again, Thank you so much.
Thanks for watching and glad it was helpful. We did a short update a few months ago but agree, we could do more about the tech.
I just wanted to THANK YOU for the UK driving videos! They have helped tremendously. In fact, we (my son and I) are still here, in Liverpool for the moment, and our visit is only half way over. One thing I have definitely noticed, is that "red-amber" means "punch it" LOL
Glad it was useful and we hope you're having a good time. Yes, you're quite right about red-amber but I couldn't really say ' treat it as starting an F1 race' that in the video 🤣
Very well done . One point he didn't mention if you are at a road junction and there are two or more lanes on your side of the road. If a car is in the outside lane and is signalling to turn right . You may underpass , that is pass on the left of him . But normally you must not pass on the left only on the right. A very good little booklet to get if you are coming over here on vacation and you are going to drive . Is called, The High Way Code . It's only about 4 or 5 dollars . It is printed by the Government , and is full of information . Most cars over here are manual shift , not automatic like the USA . So if you want one that is with a automatic gearbox . Book ahead , before you come over .
Also, you can download it for free.
Good info thank you! Fog lines in the US are predominantly white by the way, just the center lines are generally yellow.
Thanks for the info!
thank you for your videos. Mom and I are going to the UK in a few months, and although I'm excited, I'm also nervous about driving.
Hope the video was helpful. Have a great trip.
The actual meaning of the national-speed-limit-applies sign is "end of speed limit"; we didn't always have blanket speed limits. When they were imposed, we didn't bother changing all the signs, as it would've cost a fortune. So we just kept them in place.
So the meaning changed and therefore you are incorrect
@@kpopfan674 He should have said the "original" meaning meant no speed limit. This has changed but the sign hasn't.
These are good videos. I live in the UK but can see how useful they are for those coming from other places.
Great to hear!
Belisha is the name of the Minister of Transport who introduced the lights 1934
holy crap I thought that bridge looked familiar.
It took me ages to realise this is literally just down the road from me (hence all the duck signs)
Relating to parking on the off side (against the flow of traffic) at night, there was someone who was prosecuted for it on a poorly lit A-road in Scotland. It exists to help drivers see where the road narrows due to the parked cars with the red and white reflectors. It doesn't really need to be used anymore with better streetlighting but it still exists as if they fail or the road is poorly lit, but its rarely in the public interest to deal with it, and I believe its one of the few parking restrictions which instead of being dealt with by the local council's civil parking enforcement, it is dealt with by the police and they have better things to do most of the time. I'm not 100% sure of the police bit so don't hold me to that though.
Thanks for the great videos! Since dashed white lines can separate lanes either going in the same direction or in opposite directions in the UK, any tips on figuring out whether you're on a one-way or two-way road? Do you just have to rely on road signs if there are no other cars making it obvious?
Hi, there should be signs.
If you are driving you should keep left, so even if it's a road two lanes wide you should be in the left lane unless you need to overtake a slower vehicle, when you pass on the right and pull back in.
I knew about 248, it's so people can see your reflectors on the rear. But yeah, never heard of a single prosecution
This is so informative. Thank you!
Helped even me learn a few things there, cheers mate (I'm British btw)
I didn't know the exact rules about a few things either until I checked up on them beforehand.
We have white lines in the US too for lane markers. Yellow lines here mean the border between each side of the road
Wonderful video! Very informative. Thank you!
Thanks
In the US we have "No Thru Traffic" signs that accomplish the same thing as the car and motorcycle round sign.
Or sometimes they'll say "local traffic only."
In the UK we would spell Through correctly :-)
@@nigelwest3430 why do you need a "g" and an "h" in that word? Emotional support letters?
@@kozodoev You forgot the "o" and WTF are "emotional support letters"
Thank you so much. I'm going to be visiting my significant other in the UK next month and will be renting a car and driving abroad for the first time. I have no idea what to expect, but this video helped relieve my anxiety ridden mind lol. It looks like its not too bad compared to driving in the US. Just a tad different. Thanks for the video!
You'll get used to it quite quickly. If you are not used to manual gears, make sure you ask for an automatic as many cars are manual.
Even if you are used to manual gears, get a car with automatic transmission.
Was watching videos of how to drive in Florida 5 years ago, so this is great to see the reverse.
Strictly, yellow lines are: single dotted - no parking at specified times; single solid - no parking on normal working days; double - no parking on normal working days and at additional times. The extra times to be read from signs on posts along the way. But in practice, I've never seen a double where the signs don't say "at any time", so it's best to assume double means that. The cross-kerb (no loading/unloading) markings are one, two, or three sets of stripes corresponding to the dotted, single, or double lines respectively.
the centre line in the US on road without a center verge may be yellow, but on multilane highways with a dividing verge, the lines between lanes are white not yellow, the same as the UK
Thanks for the great video and explanation!!
Thanks 👍
4:24 we do but mostly for buses
The hazard zig zags at Zebra crossings don't just mean "no parking". They signify your stopping distance at 30mph should a pedestrian step onto the crossing.
The white broken lines at intersections on the floor mean you have no priority on the road you are about to join. The left lane markings at that intersection are double broken lines which means "Give Way" to both the LEFT side of the road and the right side". (It's not YOUR side of anything until it's clear for you to join)
If you are driving along and want to take the next turning left then a single white line on the road you are about to join means you have no right of way until it is clear for you to join.
That means if a pedestrian is walking across when you arrive you MUST give way to them.
It also applies if a vehicle on that road you are joining has to venture onto the other side to pass an obstruction before you have joined. You can't just join a side road and expect vehicles already on it to magic themselves out of the way !
STOP signs are they ONLY Hexagonal signs we use here to signify STOP !
They are hexagonal because if they get covered in snow / crap you still know they mean STOP !
The zig-zag lines also mean you are not allowed to overtake the leading vehicle on the approach to a crossing within those markings.
STOP signs are octagonal, not hexagonal.
A bit incorrect on street parking. HC Rule 239 says "do not park facing against the traffic flow" you are also not supposed to park where you would cause an obstruction. This has been interpreted to mean that if you park opposite another car parked on the roadside you are reducing the road width to possibly less than a single lane and causing an obstruction. You cannot park on the pavement in london and elsewhere someone would have to prove you drove on the pavement. People have been prosecuted where they have been obstructing street work and where the parking of a car or a skip has caused an accident at night.
This is a really useful video.Thanks for Sharing👍
Glad you found it useful.
I have my driving license for decades, and drove in many dozen countries (always on the right side). Within the first 20 minutes of driving in Ireland, I shaved of my left side mirror. Some advice from my side, especially when you rent a car:
1. The difficulty does not lie in sticking to the left side of the road. The biggest challenge is to judge your space to the left. I felt like a total driving beginner again, making sure I don´t leave the road markings on the left.
2. Try to rent a car that´s smaller/ more narrow than your current car, it will make judging the distances easier.
3. And last not least, do get this extra insurance! It will do a lot to ease your mind in this new experience.
Thanks, some helpful hints - judging distance can be an issue.
Very much appreciate this! I've been to England a few times, but we are going next year and have decided to rent a car for the first couple days. I've driven in Taiwan, but they drive on the right as we do in America, so it'll take some getting used to. Just need to get the road signs down and what the 'natural' speedlimit is
Have a good time when you visit. You'll soon get used to driving on the other side. There are more and more speed cameras appearing every year, average speed checks are increasingly popular too.
Thank you! Very useful and practical advice.
Thanks, glad you found it useful.
We found your channel when we were planning a trip to the U.K. for this spring and looking for advice on driving in Britain. We’ve been enjoying your other videos as well, especially the Route 66 series. We had to cut short our trip in the spring and never did rent a car, so we’re now preparing for the next trip.
@@timmotz2827 We really loved our Route 66 trip and just wished we had longer. We hope to go back to the US sometime next year for another road trip although we are looking at the Canadian Rockies as well.
I believe Canadian rail has a cross-country sleeper train that takes you from Toronto all the way across the country and into the Canadian Rockies. You could time it to arrive in Calgary for the Calgary Stampede. There is also an Amtrack train that runs from Chicago to San Francisco.
Did anybody else notice the unintended US link at 1:05?
Does the Green go to Amber before Red which is how it is done in Canada?
Yes, from green it goes to amber then red. The other way from red, it goes red, red and amber together and then green.
A pity the speed limit sign @2:14 is on a square plate (not uncommon). Against eg a sunset in sillouette you can first mistake it for an information sign and take no more notice. No comment on the Give Way sign @4:40 being an inverted triangle? - more like a warning than an order. In fact it has history - they used to be a combined circle (for the command) and inverted triangle (for the warning), with words "Major Road Ahead".
The 40 mph speed limit sign has a high visibility yellow background and should be easier to see which is presumably why they chose that. The other side has square back ground for National Speed limit to match the shape, if you fail to spot that you might continue at up to 40 mph and not accelerate to 60 mph.
@@keith6400 I understand the logic for having a high visibility yellow background to the 40mph sign which is presumably on the other side of 2:14, but they could have made that a round yellow background rather than a square one in keeping with its compulsory nature.
@@dukenukem5768 Some councils have fallen into the round yellow background for speed signs trap. A 40 mph speed sign with a yellow circular background is not enforceable because it does not comply with the regulations. Anyone taken to court for speeding up to 60 mph can argue this point and be aquitted.
Very helpful. Thank you!
Glad it was helpful!
I've also seen yards being used instead of feet on the roadways where there is a merger expected. Is that common?
Yes, on the roads, distances are in miles and as you say mergers and junctions are counted down in yards. It is confusing as we are metric for nearly everything else (but still use pints in pubs).
Thanks for this helpful video!
at 2:03 you said 30 miles per hr, UK use Miles?
That's correct. Despite being on the metric system for most things, road speed signs and distances are still measured in miles and mph.
0:40 Port talbot?
yes
I’m color-blind but have memorized the location of red/green lights-will this be an additional challenge in driving in Irl/UK
No, red is top, green is bottom
Well, just found this (I'm Scottish) and always interested in driving overseas (Egypt is interesting, India is chaotic, Australia - - - well, that's a zero tolerance view on traffic laws)......... During this you stated about parking either way on a street (except at night), the reason you are not allowed is simple, all vehicles MUST by law have red reflectors at their rear, so if your vehicle gets smashed into overnight and it's facing the wrong way, it's your fault........ you may be liable for damage to other vehicle, and your insurance will not pay for damage done to your vehicle.
Best bit of advice I'll give anyone trying to drive here, nip into a petrol (gas) station, get a set of P plates, these signify a new or novice driver - - - - it'll benefit you, I guarantee it, everyone will understand if you suddenly brake, swerve or stall your car
Did you mean to omit the Green Amber Red change in the traffic lights and the rules about what to do when you see an amber alone?
I was pointing out some of the main differences between the UK and US.
In the US and the UK, the green, amber to red is same.
Excellent explanation
Super helpful, thank you
Excellent video!
Thank you! Cheers!
Thank you for this video
👍
I always assumed keeping the speed limits and distances in miles was because it would cost too much to change the signs...
thank you for this!! My hubby is from the UK (we are in the USA currently) and we are planning to move over there. I have my DL here in the US for so long, I'm just used to driving. He's used to walking and taking public transport, but I got him used to driving here too (he drives a semi truck now, aka Lorry). So I'm feeling hesitant about getting my DL for in the UK. Honestly I would be perfectly happy walking or taking public transport lol. I tried an example of that one hazard perception test and had no clue when they wanted me to indicate on a hazard.....failed it miserably. I was flagging things I saw as a hazard that they didn't, and apparently didn't indicate the hazards late enough for their liking....when I was taught to find them as early as possible to monitor and react as needed lol. I'm too safe for their tests to pass!! Yeah I'll leave the driving up to you UK nationals!!
You can drive on your US licence for 1 year in the UK, but after that you need to have a UK licence. If you expect to be in the UK for more than a year, I suggest you allow at least six months to take lessons and pass the UK tests.
@@sirderam1 I know that but I don't trust my ability to safely drive the UK roads, so I'm opting to NOT drive. My husband is over there driving on his US license now, working on getting his UK license for his job.
Gonna be driving for the first time when I go to the U.K. after this covid mess. A bit nervous. Also dunno how to drive manual
Driving manual and on the other side of the road may be a bit much for a first timer. You can rent automatics but they are not that common.
Fly Drive Explore you’re right. I think for the safety of the british public and myself I’m going to pass on driving. The reason I was going to in the first place was because my friend has a car he’s letting me borrow as long as I insured it. Unfortunately it’s manual but I guess safety is more important.
@@Christian-ru6op Rent an auto. We do have them. Just advise the rental company in advance. Driving here isn't much different to the US. I've done both.
My advise is don't drive in the UK, if you cannot handle a manual gearbox, you are not really a competent driver.
The national speed limit is 60 MPH on regular two way roads and 70 MPH on duel carriageways and motorways for cars unless the overhead signs say otherwise. Also if you park against the flow of traffic at night and someone hits you your insurance is invalid.
Yes, although if you do 70 on a dual carriageway make sure it is a dual carriageway. From the highway code, "A dual carriageway is a road which has a central reservation to separate the carriageways "
@@flydriveexplore So I'm sorry but what is your point? If it's a dual carriageway the national speed limit is 70 MPH. QED
@@fossy4321 My comment was about dual carriageways, some people think it's just two lanes etc. but I was simply pointing out that a dual carriageway has to have some kind of physical divider or barrier down the middle.
@@flydriveexplore No worries I was not trying to be awkward or nasty in any way. Sometimes with texts it can seem that way as they are easily misinterpreted. I enjoyed the video. Sorry if I came over as aggressive or nasty. Its one of the problems with texting. Best regards Fossy
@@fossy4321 No offence taken, it's good to have a discussion and it did help clarify the rules for those who may be unfamiliar with driving in the UK.
Thank you! Very helpful :)
Cheers👍
Hello. Thank you for the detailed videos. I would love to see a video on driving on narrow roads similar to the road at 5:34 in this video. Often roads are two-way traffic with enough space for--if you are lucky--one auto. Who has the right of way? How do you decide how to proceed? TIA
The road at 5:34 is a residential road (Over 100 years old) so didn't really have cars in mind when it was built.
When there are cars parked on your side, you give way but when there are cars parked on both sides, you basically use courtesy, whoever is driving up the road first gets the right of way.
On country lanes, there are often passing places or entrances to fields etc. So whoever is nearest to one of these places, pulls over and lets the oncoming car pass. There's not really any rules on this but it seems to just work.
The national speed limit sign to me looked like a do not enter, wrong way, type of sign.
So it sounds like the sign with the motorcycle flying over the car is essentially the same as our "not a through road" in the US, right? The only difference is that our sign isn't exactly prohibiting you from driving down it, it's just letting you know it won't take you anywhere, unless you live there.
Yes, it is similar but the road often does go somewhere. I used to live in a street with this access, it was very narrow with houses. The sign was used to stop traffic cutting down the road to avoid going around the whole block.
Well you forgot to mention, when traffic light change from green to Amber, slow down and prepare to stop as it turns to Red. But you have to stop on Red.
Yes, you are quite correct although I was trying to identifying the differences between the UK and the US, The US does have the same sequence when it comes to stopping, green to amber to red
@@flydriveexplore The standard now adopted by many when traffic lights change from green to amber is to put their foot down and race through before the light's red or when it is on red. Not enough cameras to catch these reckless drivers.
why did the Siamese twins move to England? the other one wanted to drive
Mate Id like to first let you know there is a few things you missed you perhaps be able to talk about in a new video:
1) The give way sign in a T cross. This should be an stop sign instead! Anyway it would be good to know, I just learnt the hard way when visiting the highlands. 😂
2) google maps got me into a road that feeds a roundabout. This road has a physical filter for big cars/trucks. Unbelievable and unexpected! Its like two tall concrete bars on each side of the lane to avoid big cars and trucks to enter said roundabout. I had a Peugot 3008 and had a hard time to pass really slow and causing traffic delay just to be careful not to scratch the the wheels.
Stop signs are not very common, most junctions have triangular giveway signs.
What you describe at the roundabout with concrete bars, again these are rare and if there's a physical barrier it's probably a deterrent for larger vehicles especially if the road ahead is not suitable or wide enough for them.
I laughed so hard. Thanks for a great video.
👍
I wish there is simulation game on an that we can practice on
New GTA 5 update!
Hi sir. There’s a National speed sign on a road but some drivers only go 30mph and very annoying. Can I over take them? Is it permitted? It’s a single carriage way. Near London UK. I know you can overtake maintenance vehicle if he’s doing 10mph or less. Please elaborate.
Obviously you can overtake, provided that there is no solid white line, or no sign prohibiting overtaking, that it is also safe to do so AND that you don't exceed the speed limit! Remember, the speed limit is just that, a limit. It is not a target speed. We don't necessarily know the reason why someone is driving way below the speed limit - it can be very frustrating, but sometimes it may be seen as a blessing in disguise that the 'slow driver' is not driving any faster!
holy crap I thought that bridge looked familiar.
It took me ages to realise this is literally just down the road from me (hence all the duck signs).
Waiting for the lights at that cross? Yup, they take a literal age. Some are worse than others but those seem to let a lot of traffic through in single directions
What is a double red line?
You get these in London on busy routes - no stopping at all - all day every day. These are usually strictly enforced too.
I learned a lot today.
Are all these signs and rules throughout the entire UK? I’ll be driving in England….
Yes, these are national signs and rules throughout the UK. The only difference in Wales is anything with words, is written in Welsh as well as English.
In London every council put signs up with “no access” with cameras for fine. I swear literally everywhere. Especially in Hackney. What’s going on.
They just want money out of drivers. They keep adding to collect more cash for their new homes and cars and for their own pockets
@@deanburrell8889 Yeah because the fines go directly to the councillors to buy new cars, eh? Hackney used to have huge problems with narrow residential streets being used as "rat runs" to avoid congested main roads. Restricting access and implementing traffic calming measures means that quiet residential streets are safer for everyone.
On the motorway in America, the lane lines are always white.
Yellow paint is only used between traffic moving in opposite directions.
Thanks.
You're welcome
parking wrong direction at night , a lot to do with car reflectors, rear lights and back car have them sometimes both in lights and on bumper. if you hit at night you may get part blame on insurance claim and maybe telling off by police. i have set red reflectors stick on to two stands and easy sit on top dash in each corner just like how they are on rear of car. basically road with no street lights or road what lights get turn off but having red reflectors in the front im sure that is all what needed, ones i got they reflect more than my rear lights on cctv ir night vision, and if cop was funny im sure you got good chance to fight it and win, you got reflectors and even your driving test you park facing traffic
This video was helpful
Glad it was helpful
In the US we have the amber light between red and green but it is only amber. There is no red and amber together sequence. I have never seen a light go from red to green.
Is it different in certain states, during our recent drive from Chicago to LA all the lights we encountered changed from red straight to green. As can be seen here in this clip from LA ua-cam.com/video/lTvYjERVAnY/v-deo.html
In the UK we have manual cars with 3 pedals and a gear stick, so a red-amber sign tells us to get ready for the off
@@catherinerobilliard7662 That makes sense, although having just come back from driving in Spain, they do not have the red amber combination although like most of Europe, mainly drive manual cars. Is Red - Amber just a British thing?
I think one reason we have red&amber to green and then just amber to red is so that on approach it's easier to tell if the light is changing to stop or go.
@@catherinerobilliard7662 That is the idea, but in practice many drivers are already in gear with their foot on the clutch waiting for the dragster start on red-amber. That's why I don't like crossing the road at traffic lights (even with a pedestian button) when on foot.
We don't have a bike jumping over a car, just signs that say " No Thru Street" or "Private Drive"
1:49 who can read that while driving ??? 🤣
5:10 thats not true, you're not supposed to park against the flow of traffic in the US. State and local laws may very on this but it's generally not allowed. That being said, its not really enforced, especially on residential roads.
I did say "unlike" in the US. In the UK you can park either side.
@@flydriveexplore ahh, I heard "and like" not "unlike" different accents lol 😅
@@NikkyElso 👍
I got a ticket for parking the wrong way round outside my house. Tbf, the copper that ticketed me lived around the corner from me and was pissed off because I'd parked over his driveway the day before.
How am I just learning that the lights in the UK are racing lights I love it😂
I cannot imagine a world like going. across the mirror. I wonder if the cars. pedals are inverted. too
The pedals are the same, clutch, brake, accelerator.
A man in North Lincolnshire got prosecuted for parking his Land Rover Defender on the wrong side of the road at night, in the pitch black outside is house. It got hit by a bus and he was deemed liable because he was parked on the right after dusk.
We have a gazillion more signs. When I was a kid you drove carefully because you never knew what was around the corner... People no longer drive to reflect the road but to adhere to the road
Signs😢
Most people call the zebra crossing lights "belisha beacons", named after the politician who helped introduce them. Surprised to discover that someone doesn't know/doesn't use the term.
I don't really think it's 'most people' anymore. Considering the name dates from the 1930s it's not that surprising that the term is no longer is common use.
Not many UK Drivers know that you can be doing the speed limit and pass a slower moving that's to your right on any road that has two lanes or more lanes in your direction. That includes single carriageways !
That's not totally true. The highway code states "Do not overtake on the left or move to a lane on your left to overtake." although there is no law, it will be considered careless driving, except 1. in slow queueing traffic, or where variable speed limits are in opperation, where the outer lane queue is moving slower, 2. where a signs, or arrows on the carriageway mark lane direction . 3. thickest dotted line between carriageways indicates lanes going in different directions eg before and after continuous flow intersections, 4. Bus Lanes etc or 5. passing very slow traffic turning right. I guess motorbikes think all traffic is slow queuing traffic.
@@tomchitling Undertaking is classed as careless driving if it is carried out carelessly. The same also applies to overtaking. Rules 268 and 163 do not use the words Must or Must Not, neither are they backed up bl legislation. Those rules are a guidance and NOT law.
@mikehunter2844 Undertaking was the one thing which I found scary in the US and Canada.
@@Leitros-kj4qb I used to think that also when I first drove in US. I've heard the same from others.
the main reason street parking at night has become a free for all is because it's not policed. The correct way is to park rear end facing oncoming traffic on either side of the road as rear number plates reflect light , thus helping you see a parked vehicle.
It's not because of the number plate, both plates are reflective. It's because you have red reflectors on the back.
Showing a white light too the nearside is/was illegal, and enforced in the 1970's after dark, and parking lights must be on , on roads above 30mph, after dark. But these are not much enforced now.
No traffic light means GO. Green means you may proceed ONLY if it is safe to do so.
That's the answer on your driving test,
On a rural clearway (like the one you showed) you can stop and park in lay-bys unless signs state otherwise (like the bloke in the background) whereas urban and red Route clear ways are no stopping at any time not even in lay-by type ares unless signs say you can park (opposite of a rural clearway) I just thought I’d get the thought out my head
Do u mean kilometers per hour?
Not in the UK - we still use mph for roads.
National speed limit = 60 on a single carriageway and 70 on duel and above