How automatic is it?
 

As some of you may know I am headed home for a visit in Oct. When we are over there we are renting a car, my US hubby does not want to drive so I will be the only one driving. I did not drive a lot when I lived in the UK, never really needed too, but have to drive just about everywhere here and have had a US license for almost 5 years.

So to cut to the chase, how automatic is it to drive on the other side of the road? has anyone had any problems driving over there after driving in the US?

Ash

Re: How automatic is it?
 

Remember ...husband to the kerb ...

Re: How automatic is it?
 

Yes I am so ashamed to say :o
It's easy when there are other cars on the road it helps but when chatting to my mum she said in a very calm voice (I thought) "could you drive on the left side of the road please"

In car parks its hard but I will drive on the left in car parks here as well.

Re: How automatic is it?
 

Can't speak for anyone else, but I jumped right back into the habit. It seems to be pretty much automatic. It took me a couple of days to get comfortable with roundabouts though, although there are times over here when i'd happily take them over the free-for-all that is the 4 way stop.

Re: How automatic is it?
 

I heard a cop car siren the other day and pulled over to the left instinctively. The road was clear but the bullhorn went "Move to the RIGHT side of the road...move to the RIGHT side of the road" and I had to do this before they went past.

It amused the American kids in the car :o

OP it will be things like junctions or roundabouts that could catch you out but it shouldn't be too hard in a rh drive car.

Re: How automatic is it?
 

As an American I find that after a while everything neatly reverses itself in your head. Until then, the one part I found hardest was making left turns. We so instinctively look to the left first when making all turns here.... look RIGHT first. Always look right first.... you need it on roundabouts and at junctions.

Learning to judge distance to your left is also hard and may result in losing left wing mirrors if not careful. :p

Re: How automatic is it?
 

I never really had a problem - other vehicles on the road serve as a point of reference and reminder of where you should be.

Now, in the US there were a couple of occasions I absent-mindedly pulled out of a long rural driveway onto an empty rural road and found myself on the left sie of the road - guess it was that "point of reference" thing. The first time the light bulb went off when an ambulance turned onto the road and was barreling towads me on "my" side of the road. Doh!

Re: How automatic is it?
 

I had a gap of 7 1/2 years without driving in the UK. When I did it was second nature...just like I'd never been away.

Re: How automatic is it?
 

It scares me to death now to even see someone drive in the UK on TV...I keep thinking they are going to hit someone coming the other way....I think my English driving days are over....:eek:

Re: How automatic is it?
 

Ditto. Driving on the other side is really quite easy. It's just when you stop and have to make a turn you are instinctively looking the wrong way for oncoming traffic and pedestrians.

It can be dangerous when you get into a 'double stop' type turn--where you have to go into the traffic and then pause before going the next bit (like a turn where you go across a dividied road and into some turn lane or something complicated). You are trying not to get hit by one side so you are ready to jump out to the other but you look the wrong way and yikes. Yields can also be a bit confusing if you are trying to maintain speed.

But overall you won't even notice it after awhile.

p.s. are you renting an automatic transmission or a manual? Might make a difference if you or your hubby are used to American automatics and suddenly you have to deal with a clutch pedal

Re: How automatic is it?
 

it's no probs, i go back every few weeks and get my uk car out the garage and away we go, just remember keep to the left of the centre white line;)

Re: How automatic is it?
 

The only time I have to think twice is at traffic lights when I am turning right. I am looking for the sign that tells me I can turn right on red. So tempting when the road is clear.

Other than that it is automatic for me too.

Re: How automatic is it?
 

driving is easy, just remember look both ways...might get in the car on the wrong side now and again, but once in the drivers seat, any old munter can drive on the other side.

Re: How automatic is it?
 

:D

Well in my defence as I seem to be the only one with problems here, I have now been driving longer in the States than in the UK so maybe if you had been driving for many years in the UK its easier.
My sense of co-ordination is bad as well. :o

Roundabouts are OK as there aren't many here to get used to going round it the wrong way, so am OK with those.

I used to have no problem with manual driving in the UK but found when I went back I stall all the time and don't change my gears smoothly etc.
I do find intersections etc hard have to really concentrate on where I'm going.

Re: How automatic is it?
 

The only problem I have is that my parents live in a very rural area in North Wales, so the road outside their house doesn't have any marked lines, and is fairly narrow for a two lane road. Typically I reverse out of their drive, and get to the bottom where the junction is marked before twigging I was on the wrong side!

once I'm going though, no problem. Switching to manual isn't hard either - certainly no harder than getting in any new car.