Some basics:
- Britons drive on the left-hand side of the road, except on one-way streets. You overtake on the right and on roundabouts the traffic circulates clockwise. In view of this nearly all vehicles on UK roads are right-hand drive - the driver sits on the right-hand side of the vehicle. Also many UK vehicles are still manual transmission (stick shifts). Overseas drivers used to driving on the right in left-hand-drive vehicles should consider renting or purchasing an automatic for an easier transition.
- Driving laws are largely the same across the country. The regions with devolved governments do have some power to adopt different laws. For instance, Scotland has a stricter alcohol limit.
- Imperial measurements still predominate. Distances are given in miles or yards, and speeds are posted in miles per hour. However, weight limits are given in metric tonnes. Height and width limits are always given in imperial units, and sometimes in metres as well.
- The UK does not have jaywalking laws except on motorways (equivalent of freeways). Pedestrians can and do cross anywhere practical, so bear in mind you may have to slow or stop if a pedestrian misjudges if they can cross safely in front of you.
- On multi-lane roads, unless you are overtaking slower moving traffic or you explicitly need to be in a specific lane to reach your destination, you should return to the leftmost lane when possible. There is no such thing as a "fast lane", only lanes for overtaking slower traffic. Don't be the person who drives in the middle of a near empty motorway forcing other drivers to either undertake or make multiple lane changes to overtake you. Technically you could be prosecuted for "lane hogging" under careless driving laws, but regrettably this is not often enforced. You will annoy people and possibly lead to other road users having to take greater risks though, so don't do this.
- Undertaking on motorways and dual carriageways, unless in slow moving traffic, is not illegal by itself, but can constitute the offence of "careless driving" and result in prosecution. Though much more common than it used to be, it is still strongly discouraged even if no laws are broken. If you are going to do this, be extremely cautious as other drivers will not be expecting this and may not (and probably will not) check properly note . The laws of physics do not care whose fault it is.
- Pedestrians have priority when crossing side roads in urban areas so be aware you may have to slow or stop when turning into side roads from main roads in urban areas.
- UK motor insurance requires full third party coverage as a minimum. There are no insurance limits for third parties under UK insurance; they are always fully covered.
- Note that you do not have to carry your licence on you when driving, however if stopped by the police you may have to produce a valid licence at a police station within seven days. All vehicles driven on public roads must be taxed (unless exempt), insured to at least the legal minimum third party cover, be covered by a valid MOT test certificate if required (generally all cars over three years old require one annually) and be driven by a driver with a current full valid driving licence for the vehicle class or by a provisional licence holder, again valid for the vehicle class, under appropriate supervision.
- UK drink driving laws are strict - the blood alcohol limit is 80 mg per 100 ml, except in Scotland where it is 50 mg per 100 ml. Even if you are under the limit, you may still be charged if in the police officer(s)' opinion you are sufficiently impaired enough by alcohol that it's unsafe for you to be driving. Note that refusing a breathalyser test or to give a blood sample carries the same penalties as exceeding the limit so there is no advantage to doing so. Note that the UK police do not conduct field sobriety tests - if they suspect you've been drinking they will breathalyse you. Penalties for drink driving include big fines, potential imprisonment and loss of your licence for at least a year. It's safest to not drink at all if driving. Note that if you drink heavily the night before you may still be over the limit in the morning. There are similar penalties for driving under the influence of drugs - either illegal, over the counter or prescription - do not drive if taking illegal drugs and read the leaflets when taking medicines - either do not drive at all or only drive if you are not impaired depending on the exact drug.
The standard traffic light sequence is:
- Red: Stop. It should be noted that there is no 'left on red' rule, which would be the equivalent of the 'right on red' rule found in countries that drive on the right note
- Red and amber: Stop, but prepare to go. Shown for about two seconds between a red and green light, in order to give drivers time to release the handbrake.
- Green: Go, technically proceed with caution. It should be noted that this does not guarantee that your path is completely clear, particularly if you're turning right note . Or if a pedestrian is running across the road. It is the responsibility of the driver to ensure it is safe to carry on.
- Amber: Prepare to stop. In other words, stop unless it is not safe to do so. Shown for about three seconds between a green and red light.
- Occasionally these extra phases are seen:
- Flashing amber: At a pedestrian crossing, this means traffic can go, but only if the crossing is completely clear of pedestrians. Crossings with these type of signals are being phased out however for safety reasons and being replaced with standard sequence lights as above.
- Green arrow: A green 'filter arrow' may be lit up alongside a red light. This means that traffic turning in the direction of the arrow can go, while other traffic has to stop, for instance to allow vehicles to turn left while traffic straight on is halted (turning on a red light must be explicitly allowed in this way to be legal, unlike some countries). Note that some lights may show a sequence of green arrows as various lanes and directions are permitted to go in sequence or together - e.g. the first light may show a green ahead arrow, then a green right arrow may illuminate alongside when right turns are permitted. You may only proceed in directions with green arrows if only arrows are showing. Green arrows may also illuminate alongside main green lights when turns and directions are explicitly permitted. e.g. on a two lane junction, one lane straight on and one lane right turn, a green light will illuminate permitting both lanes to proceed if clear, then a green right arrow will show some time later after traffic on the opposite carriageway has a been shown a red to allow right turning vehicles a clear time frame to make their maneuver. Green arrows might also be shown on lights even when not strictly necessary in order to make the situation less confusing for drivers, for instance a left arrow if the road immediately bends to the left even though you are technically going straight ahead.
- Flashing red lights: Stop, at a level crossing. Also occasionally used for fire station and ambulance station exits to allow emergency vehicles priority exit. You must obey these signals.
If a set of traffic lights is not working, you must treat it as a give way and yield to any oncoming traffic. In the event of a malfunction of temporary lights like those seen at roadworks, you may proceed with extreme caution.
Speed limits are always multiples of 10 - speedometers aren't accurate enough to distinguish 5 mph increments, and if you see a 5 mph limit it's usually on private land and not technically enforceable. The speed limit is advertised as being the maximum permitted speed, even though drivers often treat it as a "recommended" speed. Thus if a road has a speed limit of 50 mph, that's making the assumption that you would go slower than that if it's wet, or if there's a sharp bend along the way. If no speed limit sign is posted, the road defaults to the 'National Speed Limit', which is:
- 70 mph (113 km/h) on motorways and dual carriageways (divided highways)
- 60 mph (97 km/h) on single carriageways
- 30 mph (48 km/h) on urban streets of any type ("urban" meaning "has street lights")
It is very rare for a police car to follow a speeding driver and order them to pull them over. The main method of enforcing speed limits is speed cameras, such as the famed 'Gatso' model. Most commonly, speed cameras make sure traffic isn't going over the speed limit at a specific location. A more recent development is the 'Average Speed Camera', which does Exactly What It Says on the Tin over a distance of a few miles of major road.
You might also see advisory speed limits, for instance an amber speed limit on a motorway (not to be confused with the digital signage on a smart motorway where the displayed speed limit is mandatory), or a bend might advise of a maximum recommended speed. It's not illegal to ignore an advisory limit, but in the event of an accident ignoring it might be used as evidence of criminally bad driving standards. If it's not in a white circle with a red border, or a national speed limit, it's advisory. note
Road signs follow the Vienna Convention and are similar to those found in countries on the European continent. They often use diagrams where possible instead of text. The basic shape of the sign indicates what its purpose is:
- White circles with red borders prohibit something - regardless of whether or not there is a line through it. Thus a sign like this with a picture of a bicycle in it means "no cycling". If they display a number, that's the maximum speed limit.
- Blue circles with white borders give an instruction. If they display a number, that's the minimum speed limit (not often seen).
- Triangles (pointing up) give a warning.
- A point down triangle is a give way (i.e. yield) sign or a warning of an upcoming one.
- Rectangles and arrow-shaped signs provide directions and miscellaneous information.
- Stop signs are the only octagons used. They are fairly rare. In some cases, a junction may have a 'Give Way' sign even if the view is so limited that stopping might actually be advisable. Four-way stop signs do not exist; a stop sign means that another road has priority.
Most of the diagram signs are fairly intuitive. Here are a few that are not:
- A white circle with a diagonal black line through it: The speed limit is reverting to the national speed limit (i.e. 70 mph or, 60 mph, depending on the type of road).
- A blue circle with a red border and two diagonal red lines crossing through it: 'Clearway'. In other words, no stopping, except in lay-bys. If it had only one diagonal line, that's no parking.
- Yellow arrow signs with shape symbols signpost a designated diversion route.
- Black and white chevron signs indicate a sharp turn or bend in the direction of the chevrons, slow down and be prepared to maneuver accordingly.
As for road markings:
- The normal marker dividing a two lane road is a series of short dashes. Longer dashes indicate that there is a hazard nearby and you should be cautious in overtaking or turning across the opposite lane here.
- Two continuous white lines along the middle of the road means no overtaking (on both sides of the road). You are permitted to overtake stationary and slow moving vehicles however.
- A continuous white line with a dashed line alongside it means that cars driving on the side with the continuous line are not allowed to overtake (with the same exceptions as above), but those on the side of the dashed line can. It is very common on a bendy road for the dashed line and solid line to alternate sides depending on which side has the better view of the road ahead, or for road sections to go back to two continuous white lines and these can change rapidly over short distances. With many roads like this, overtaking is probably not worth the risk even when you are allowed.
- A single solid white line indicates you are not allowed to cross into that lane, unless explicitly permitted by another instruction. These are most commonly seen on motorway hard shoulders and bus lanes. With the hard shoulder, unless it is part time all-lane running on a smart motorway and opened for traffic (gantry signs will indicate this), you should only cross this in an emergency. Bus lanes may operate part time, and you should not enter them while they are operating, unless instructed (for example, certain vehicles may also be allowed to use a bus lane). The other place you are likely to see these are where motorways split off to join another motorway, where they direct traffic to remain in their current lane until it is safe to permit lane changes again.
- Double yellow lines mean no parking. You are allowed to briefly stop to load/unload unless signs indicate otherwise and are not causing an obstruction. Disabled drivers are allowed to park on double yellow lines with a valid permit for a limited time as long as they don't cause an obstruction either or unless signs indicate otherwise.
- A single yellow line means no parking at certain times, given on a nearby sign. Again loading and disabled parking is permitted as above.
- Red lines along the edge of the road mean no stopping, waiting or loading - either at any time for double red lines or when signed for single red lines. Common in London, rare elsewhere
- Painted triangles on the road tell cars to give way.
- Vehicles should always stop for pedestrians who are preparing to cross at a zebra crossing. Technically the pedestrian should have one foot on the crossing to signal to traffic they wish to cross but in practice this does not occur.
- Yellow grid markings are "box junctions" you should not enter unless your exit is clear. However you are permitted to enter them if you are turning right while you wait for a gap in traffic to exit.
- Areas of the road covered with repeating diagonal lines should only be entered if safe (for areas with dashed edge markings) or in an emergency (for areas with solid edge markings).
- Arrows on the road indicate which way you should proceed when in that lane. They can be unidirectional (ahead only, turn left only) or multidirectional (ahead or turn right).
- Many urban roads and some rural roads completely lack central lane markings. You should always keep left when no other instructions or markings exist.
- In urban areas red lanes are typically bus lanes (plus possibly taxis, bicycles and motorbikes) and green ones are bicycle lanes. Bus lanes are either 24 hours or time dependent - check the signs before using one and note that they are often enforced by automatic cameras. Bicycle lanes are for bicycles only under most circumstances.
UK emergency vehicles use blue flashing lights and sirens when on emergency calls. While not legally required, if safe to do so you should give way to them at all times when they are using lights, or lights and sirens, except for on solid white lines (see above) where emergency vehicles have no special exemptions. Note that UK fire hydrants are underground with access via manholes in pavements so it's not possible to block them like US hydrants unless you illegally park on the pavement.
Police officers, DVSA officers, and traffic officers have the power by law to direct traffic, and you must comply with any directions they give. While traffic officers must be in uniform (and if in a vehicle it must be a marked car) on an 'A' road or motorway to direct traffic, police in uniform can direct traffic on any road, and many police vehicles are unmarked. If you are ordered to pull over or given an instruction, you must comply as soon as it is safe to do so. DVSA officers may also stop a vehicle on any road, and similar to traffic officers they must be in uniform in a marked car. However, if you were requested to stop on a dark minor road, you would be within your rights to drive to a safer well lit area, such as a service station, before stopping. In most cases, the officer would request you follow their vehicle to a safe area before stopping you.
In rural areas, you may occasionally come across horse riders or horse drawn vehicles. Slow down, keep your engine revs low, pass them at a safe distance and never use your horn - spooking a horse can lead to catastrophic consequences for the horse, rider or yourself.
When encountering cyclists remember they have as much right to use the road as vehicle drivers - give them plenty of room and pass them only when safe to do so. The UK police take a very dim view of drivers who drive aggressively around cyclists due to some false sense of entitlement.
Like other Old World countries, towns and cities in the UK grew in an unplanned and piecemeal manner. Only Glasgow and Milton Keynes have grid layouts. Many urban neighbourhoods have the same layout they had in the 19th century. In the 1960s, planners had grandiose plans to carve urban motorways through the big cities. These were halted by local opposition and the 1973 oil crisis. Roadbuilding was further slowed in the 1990s due to the road protest movement and a government study that suggested that building roads only generated more traffic.
The lack of space and funding for roads resulted in many experiments to find economical ways to keep the traffic moving. It thus gave birth to Britain's greatest traffic engineering invention: the roundabout.
Roundabouts are widespread in the UK. Actually, France has the most of any country, and they're common in most other countries on the Continent. They do exist in the US, but they're still fairly rare and completely absent from many cities. National Lampoon's European Vacation and The Simpsons ("The Regina Monologues") feature comedy scenes in which American tourists are unable to use a roundabout properly.
Though often intimidating to the uninitiated, roundabouts are quite safe. They can be navigated by one simple rule: give way to traffic that is already on the roundabout. Unless the roundabout has traffic lights, that is. If the roundabout has two lanes and no markings to tell you which lane to use, it is best to use the outer lane to turn left or go straight ahead, and the inner lane to go right or U-turn (meaning you have to cross over the outer lane to exit). Signal left as you prepare to exit, so that a car waiting to come onto the roundabout knows they don't have to give way to you.
In some cases, the roundabout might just be a painted circle on the ground, known as a mini-roundabout. The rule about giving priority to traffic on the roundabout still applies here, even if the rule about not driving over the roundabout is not always respected. The town of Swindon has a famous junction known as the 'Magic Roundabout', a circle of linked mini-roundabouts.
For European visitors, their driving licences will be accepted in the UK. Other visitors will find themselves eligible to drive for up to a year in the country and then they will need to get their UK licence. The driving test consists of two stages. The Theory test in turn has two sections: a quiz and a hazard perception stage. The quiz covers a variety of topics about traffic rules and advice for safe driving and car maintenance. The hazard perception test features several videos of scenes from a driver's perspective, in which a hazard appears. A person must click (and not too zealously) when they see the hazard approaching. The Practical test is a 40-45 minute long drive. The goal is to avoid making more than fifteen minor errors while not making any serious errors.
When using a SatNav, the most common way to find a destination is to enter the 'postcode'. These codes were originally designated to help the Royal Mail sort letters, but they're also used for navigation too. The postcode will take you to the right street, or the right section of a very large street. In some cases though, a rural postcode can cover places that are miles apart. So if you're heading to somewhere isolated, it is worth checking that the postcode will lead you to the right spot. You may wish to use the alternative option of What3Words
in rural areas as that will take you to an exact ten foot square location.
