|
Driving in The United Kingdom
Drive on the LEFT HAND SIDE! The minimum driving age in the UK is 17.
Road Conditions
The roads are usually in good condition in the UK, but be aware of non-main roads. There is some very small single lane but two way roads in the English countryside which are not pleasant to drive on without experience.
Speed limits
Speed limits in the United Kingdom are measured in MPH (Miles per Hour).
| Area |
Limit |
| Motorways |
70 MPH |
| Urban stretches |
60 MPH |
| Dual carriageways |
70 MPH |
| Outside built-up areas |
60 MPH |
| Built-up areas |
30-40 MPH |
In Britain there are a vast amount of Speed cameras, particularly near London. Beware of roads such as the A12 London area, where the speed limit varies between 30 and 40 mph and there are cameras every 2 miles or so down the road in both directions. The national speed limit (speed limit on major roads) is 60mph, the national speed limit sign is shown as a round white sign with a black diagonal cross through it.
Road Signs
The British are VERY fond of road signs. Every junction (intersection) is marked no matter what the road. There are large signs on the major roads and small signs on the minor ones. They are organized by color. Motorways have large BLUE signs with white lettering. A and most B roads (the next major roads ) have Green signs with white lettering. Each road junction will have a warning sign and where each road goes. On minor roads there will be a finger post sign at the side of the road in each direction telling you what is in each direction and how far it is. Signs giving orders are mostly circular. Those with blue circles usually tell you what you must do. Signs with red circles usually tell you not to do something. Warning signs are usually triangular. Information signs are usually rectangular.
Useful terms when driving in the UK
- Petrol = Gasoline
- Petrol station = Gas station or garage (for buying fuel)
- Number plate = License plate
- Gallon = About 1.2 US gallons
- Fuel consumption = Gas mileage
- Lorry = Truck
- Saloon = Sedan
- Car park = Parking lot or garage (for parking)
- Bonnet = Hood
- Manual gearbox = Stick shift
- Handbrake = Parking brake
- Boot = Trunk
- Windscreen = Windshield
- Tyre = Tire
- Kerb = Curb
- People-carrier or Van(6-9 passengers)
- Pavement = Sidewalk
- Dual carriageway = Divided highway
- Motorway = Freeway
- Car hire = Car rental
Parking
Yellow lines indicate parking restrictions. There will be a sign which details the exact parking restrictions, but typically a double yellow line means no parking at any time, a single yellow line means no parking from 8am to 6 30pm Monday to Saturday, and a broken yellow line means that there are few restrictions. Pay-and-display machines are common throughout major towns and cities. In pay and display machines you need to put in the money for the required amount of time, collect a small ticket and display it CLEARLY on your dashboard.
Helpful Telephone Numbers in the UK
Here are some telephone numbers you may find useful during your stay in the UK.
Essentials:
Police- 999
Fire- 999
Ambulance- * 999
*The European standard emergency number is 112. This will put you through to more local emergency services.
| 
