_Orpheus_

Hi Guys,

Firstly let me just say thank you to everyone for their advice on my previous thread, there was some valuable information in there and I have now made some choices on insurance and banks.

Anyway, my next question is regarding driving. This is one of the things I am really nervous about. I have been driving in the UK since I was 17 (I am currently 23) and so have plenty of experience, but I am struggling to find any good websites with information on American roads, such as their layouts and how to deal with crossings and such. I have found a few information sites and played a few "games" but didnt know what everyone else would advise. How did you find it adjusting to the US roads? And how was it going from a manual to auto box (I know that sounds a little daft but its another of the things on my worry list)?

My friend is coming to meet me at the airport before I rent my car and has offered for me to take a couple laps of the car park in her vehicle to try and adjust.

Anyway, any help or advice you guys and gals can offer would, as usual, be greatly appreciated.

Cheers
Orpheus

Mummy in the foothills

Driving here I found to be super easy, the roads are wider and I can see the signs better (bigger maybe) manual to auto was a bit funny, I kept putting my hand down to change gears, but soon got over it, and concentrated on eating my burger with the gear changing hand.
Rules can vary state to state, so going to the website of the DMV of the state you'll be in will be better for looking up how to's of driving.

Michelmas

You're moving to Michigan, so things should be pretty straight forward. Freeway speeds are 70 (this differs by state). Road signs are much like they are in the UK. Stop sign is octaganol instead of round. They have yield instead of give way and you can turn right on a RED traffic light as long as A) you don't impede traffic and there are no signs saying you can't.

Get used to what they call a Michigan left. At a stop sign / traffic light, you have to turn right and immediately get in the left lane to do a u-turn thru' the median to go in the direction you would have done if you had just gone left at the light in the first place, but you can't as a lot of these roads are no left turn.

No one indicates in Michigan, and if they do, don't believe them, as it's likely there indicator got knocked on while they were talking on there cell phone.

Talking of which, talking on the cell phone while driving is legit, texting while driving has just become illegal.

Michigan law states "stay right, pass left. It's the law" No one follows this "law"

If you see a cop or other emergency vehicle (tow trucks don't count) on the side of the road (hard shoulder) you have to move over to the next available lane (if it is safe to do so). Stops them getting hit by passing cars.

most everything else is obvious or the same as the UK. On the East side of the state where you'll be, you'll encounter a few roundabouts. Americans have no idea how to handle these, so expect trouble.

S Folinsky

Hm:

Never heard of the "Michigan Right." The classic state difference [beloved of Woody Allen] was that California was one of the first states that allowed making a right turn against a red light after coming to a full stop. However, these differences are not all that common.

I will pass on the following based upon my experience of renting cars in the UK -- many of your reactions will be wrong -- so make you sure you THINK about each and every action -- including the ones that are almost automatic by now such as checking your mirrors. I recommend strongly that you NOT use the radio/music player -- you have to pay attention.

On driving "automatic" transmission -- that will be self-curing inasmuch as it hurts to jam your left hand into the door! Unlike checking your mirrors, doing a phantom gear shift is harmless [I still do them on occasion and I last owned a stick in 1998!].

On changing sides of the car, also note that backing up will be a real pain in the ass -- avoid parallel parking if you can.

Weeze

No need to worry, honestly. I was not a confident driver at all in the UK. Here, it just doesn't seem so bad. I had not driven an automatic for 14 years and it is easy to get used to. As someone else said, the roads are wider, car parking spaces are bigger and at an angle to make it easier to get out of. Car parks for shops are generally huge so you have plenty of choices of spaces. You can get a copy of the highway code from the local drivers licence offices.

As Michelmas said, you can turn right on a red (as long as it doesn't say not to). If you see an emergency vehicle behind you, you have to pull into the right hand lanes so they can get past (freaked me out as I was in the far left of a 5 lane road about to turn left and one appeared behind me on my first trip out!). I'm not that used to freeways yet so have to check for my exit before I set out as in Houston you don't always seem to get much warning for your exit.

Kaffy Mintcake

True - BUT you need to come to a complete stop before doing so - just like you would at a stop sign.

jackattack

I've never personally seen this but I've never been to Michigan so I guess it's not a surprise. It does sound just like the "Melbourne Hook" turn which lets you turn right from the left most lane in the center of Melbourne, Australia. Confused the hell out of me when driving there and apparently also confuses the hell out of Australians who are from other parts of the country. It doesn't help that there are tram and tram lines there too. I'm sure Michigan is way easier than that!

drop step

The driving test to get your license here takes about 2 minutes and I think a monkey could pass the multiple choice written test. So don't go enroll in an expensive driving school or anything.

Meryl

I agree- it took me 8 attempts to pass my test in the UK and only ten minutes to do it here!

NatashaB

Michelmas is pretty spot on with his analysis of Michigan driving Especially that ridiculous dive across 4 lanes to get to the intersection and do a U turn. I am not the most confident of drivers but had no problems here. I haven't taken my test yet but my husband did his and passed. It was about 45 mins long and they did point out a couple of issues with his driving (distance between car in front). They also made him do some parking manouvres in a parking lot between cones. Fee for the written test is $25, the driving test itself is contracted out to private companies (they give you a list when you take your written test) but the fee is usually around $45 to $50. The only thing I find tough is figuring out the speed limit as there aren't always signs immediately visible when you pull onto a road - but my satnav tells me the limit and my husband tells me the examiner had no issue with him having the satnav on during his test!

Neko128

This is actually infrequently present across the entire country; I've seen them in Illinois, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas, and California. It was an effort to avoid having left-turn lanes that back up onto the travel lanes on busy highways. I personally don't think they're effective in this form; the turn lanes (looping off to the right instead) still sometimes back up on to the highway, and now you have the additional complication of periodically stopping the entire highway to allow people to drive across.

A very odd hybrid between an expressway and a normal road with intersections.

S Folinsky

Hi:

I was curious about the "Michgan Left." So I looked it up and sure enough, there is a Wikipedia article on it!

I've never seen one here in California -- but they don't look all that hard. In fact, it strikes me as easier than the UK round-about. However, they seem to be well signed. [BTW, the quality of the signage can vary widely within the United States -- L.A. has worked very hard to be very well signed which trips to New Jersey have made me appreciate].

On speed limits -- unless one is a "lead foot," I have found that the "basic speed law" will serve one fine. [The only exception I have found is driving a BMW on the Interstate -- a Series 5 is so bloody smooth and quiet and 95 mph seems like 75 in anything else. I programmed the cruise control to give a warning at 82 mph].

On the driving test -- I often wonder if there is often a comparison of "apples and oranges" going on. The first driving test is always the hardest. The US expats I know in the UK have told me that, although the UK test was more thorough, they passed with no problem. I know that my two daughters [now 30 and 27] failed their initial California tests at age 17 -- I retraced the tests afterwards and I saw the problem -- they were set up to see if they committed a moving violation from inattention.

As I previously noted, the BIG difference will be from driving on the right hand side of the road and re-programming your automatic actions and reactions -- e.g. flicking your eyes to the right to check your rear-view mirror.

On cell phone use -- it is illegal in most states while driving. Curiously, many states have not caught up to texting! But don't use it while driving.

Final note because it bears repeating -- forget the car has a sound system! They can be more distracting than you might think!

Bob

Get the biggest pick up truck you can, then it doesn't matter what the rules of the road are, you win by default.

Test is easy, but do the simple things, don't speed, do stop at stop signs and if they're anything like where I'm at and they aren't aligned with the stop line on the road, creep over to that and stop again, and creep over and stop at the road junction if again they don't line up.

Rete

Your vehicle doesn't have to have an automatic transmission. You rent and/or purchase a manual. My husband has only driven manual transmissions here in the US for the last 12 years and my daughter's Toyota which is about 11 years old is a manual as well.

Rete

Believe he is talking about jug handles. Quite prevelant in NJ and a royal PITA.