A Visitors Guide to Driving in Britain

It’s not as difficult as you might think but there are some major differences & that’s what this article is about. To start with we’ll look at the basic legal requirements for driving such as age limits, speed restrictions etc. For details of road types and US English/British english terms see my article "British Roads - Don't be Driven Insane"

BASICS
The emergency services (police, fire, ambulance, coastal rescue) number is 999.

Buy a good map, one that has examples of road signs and detailed maps of town centres, don’t rely on the sheet that the hire companies handout. It is possible to hire portable Satellite Navigation systems but it’s still a good idea to have a map as back-up.

Fuel for your car in the UK is called either petrol (gasoline) or diesel. Don’t confuse the two. The pumps are always clearly marked. Pumps dispensing petrol normally have a green hose and those dispensing diesel a black hose.
Petrol comes in two variations regular 95 octane and Super 98 octane, most hire cars which use petrol take regular 95 octane. Your car will usually have a sticker in the fuel filler flap which tells you which fuel to use.

Self-service is usual and the pumps are fairly straightforward to operate. Simply place the nozzle in the opening and squeeze the trigger. Petrol is highly taxed in the UK. Currently (2006) unleaded petrol is approximately £0.95 per litre [4.55 Litres=1 Imperial gallon & 3.79 Litre=1 US gallon].
If you are intending to drive a significant distance, then it may be cheaper to hire a vehicle with a diesel engine. Diesel fuel is marginally more expensive but you will get more miles per gallon. Visa and MasterCard can be used to pay for fuel at virtually every filling station in the UK.

Most quality car hire companies include membership of a national car breakdown company, e.g. Automobile Association [AA] or National Breakdown, these are very helpful if you do suffer a breakdown or accident. They aim to attend within an hour and quicker if you are a lone woman. Make sure you get details when you hire the car, including the phone number to summon assistance. If you phone the AA / RAC etc up direct have the same information ready. If you are a woman travelling on your own let the organisation know, especially at night.

THE CAR
In Britain we drive on the LEFT. Cars available for hire in the UK are right-hand drive models (i.e. the driver sits on the right-hand side of the car). It is very easy, especially in the first few days to forget and revert back to driving on the right. Critical times are when turning right (across the flow of traffic), when first starting to drive in the morning, after a break, or late at night. Just remember that the driver is always in the centre of the road and the passenger against the pavement (sidewalk). Cars have amber indicator lights, red brake lights, red rear fog lamps and white reversing lights. The speedometer will be calibrated in miles per hour (mph) and kilometres per hour (kph), mph being the larger and more obvious of the two sets of markings.

SPEED LIMITS FOR CARS & MOTORCYCLES
Built up area (towns, cities) – 30 mph, often 20 mph near schools and on small residential roads
Single carriageways – 60 mph
Dual carriageways – 70 mph
Motorways - 70 mph

TRAFFIC SIGNALS
Traffic lights are not suspended over the junctions but are on posts on the junction.
Red = stop
Red and Amber together = get ready, but don't go anywhere
Green = go if the way is clear
Amber = stop unless you have crossed the line or it would be dangerous to stop
A Green Arrow = you may proceed in that direction regardless of other lights
You are not allowed to turn on a red light as in the US and many other countries.
Flashing red/amber lights (e.g. railway crossings, fire stations) = You must stop
You must also stop if signalled to by a Police Officer or Traffic Warden
Most pedestrian crossings are controlled by traffic lights - You must stop when the red light shows, if it is not controlled by lights, pedestrians have the right of way

LEGAL BASICS
Minimum Driving Age
Car drivers must be 17 (even if you legally hold a license at a younger age in your country it is still illegal to drive in the UK if not 17)

Seat Belts
All drivers and passengers MUST wear seat belts. The driver must ensure that all children under 14 years of age wear seat belts or sit in an approved child restraint. This should be a baby seat, child seat, booster seat or booster cushion appropriate to the child's weight and size, fitted to the manufacturer's instructions.

Crash Helmets
All riders and their passengers MUST wear crash helmets

Mobile Phones
It is illegal for anyone to handle a mobile phone whilst driving, the only way to use a phone and drive is to use a hands free kit. Even if you pull over to talk and have the engine still running you can be fined.

Drinking and Driving
The penalties are severe. It is illegal to drive or to be in control of a vehicle (this includes sitting in the driving seat at the side of the road with the engine switched off) if the level of alcohol in your blood exceeds 80 milligrammes per 100 ml of blood. British police use breathalysers to check how much alcohol is in your system, these require you to blow into a small pipe. If you are breathalysed by the police and found to have more than 35 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 ml of breath you will be arrested. If the police stop you and ask for a breath sample you have to give one. The penalty for non-compliance is the same as for drinking and driving.

Parking
On-street parking is usually restricted within towns and cities. Parking is forbidden where there are double yellow lines at the edge of the road. Where there is either a single yellow line or a dotted one there will be signs nearby (often on lampposts) which detail the restrictions. Some roads will have parking meters but more common is pay & display where you pay for a ticket at a machine located nearby. Check the instructions carefully as charges and methods of use vary from place to place even within the same town. The ticket will have the date, the time you purchased the ticket, and the time it expires, all noted on the ticket itself. The ticket will have a sticker on the back or sides. Peel the sticker and place it on the inside of the windscreen or driver's window so the times and date are visible to the outside of the car.
Beware of parking on open land in towns and cities many of these areas are patrolled by "clampers" who will immobilise your car and charge a hefty fee to release you. Any area subject to clamping must be identified but the more shark-like operators will make their signs as difficult to spot as possible.

Insurance
Insurance for third party liability (i.e. damage you cause to other people and/or their property) is mandatory in the UK. All hire car companies will offer appropriate types of insurance to suit your needs.

Congestion Charging
In London, there is a congestion charge in force in the city centre between 07:00 and 18:30 on weekdays. As soon as you enter the zone, your number plate will be photographed and you have until 22:00 on the day to pay the £5 charge at garages and kiosks. You can pay up to 90 days in advance at www.cclondon.com.