How to drive in the USA - A tourist's guide

A handy guide for tourists and visitors who are planning to drive in the United States!

This video covers everything from what car to hire, the gas station and speed limits to road signs, being stopped by the police and six lane highways!

Also useful:

Have a safe trip!

[carolineburgess]

You can turn right on a red light but not if there is a sign that says you can’t! Double check, don’t assume you can turn every time 👌🏻

[operator]

Just so you know, the diesel fuel pump nozzle will not fit inside the gas filler of a gasoline car. It's too big to fit. If you rent a diesel, then you have to worry, but it's almost impossible to rent a diesel car at a rental agency.

[snooker]

Thank you for posting this. I have been exceptionally anxious about going to America on a road trip. You have reassured me.

[ryanwells]

I live in the USA, and I just gotta say that you are correct on pretty much everything

[palmsofdestin]

It's always a good idea to bring warm blankets when you're visiting death valley in the summer.

[TheMVCoho]

The vast majority of cars and trucks are gasoline engines, not diesel. And the diesel nozzles at the pump are a wider diameter so they will not fit into a gasoline car. However naturally if would be possible to mistakenly put gasoline into a diesel.

Good tip about placing your hand up on the steering wheel if you get pulled over and of course stay in the car unless the officer tells you to get out.

[Jefff]

I'm an American and I was stationed in the UK back in the 90s. It messed me up driving on the right again when I came home. I was driving slowly in front of a shopping mall when my friend said, you're on the wrong side. It didn't help that I was driving a LHD car in the UK. The Air Force shipped it over and back for free.

[nerysghemor]

I never realized our speed signs could be tough to spot. I am using two monitors, had the video on the right monitor (i.e. the side where I would expect to see a speed limit), and literally saw it out the corner of my eye. Just shows how people get trained into their habits!

[nerysghemor]

You were very polite in not mentioning the other reason why you're strongly advised to rent a car if coming to the US...except for a few cities, our mass transit is shit. XD

[Dodge]

Diesel cars are almost unknown in the US today. There were more in the 80s and 90s. Diesel is for large pickup trucks, delivery vans, and big 18 wheel trucks.

[sumo]

Thank you. One of the best videos…..planning on driving in Florida in February 2025!!

[mrunknown]

A few years ago I went to the UK and rented a car there and found the transition to driving on the left quit easy. The rental agency looked at my US driver's license and immediately said they were out of automatics. I told them that I was among the 18% of Americans that knows how to drive a car with a manual shift. When I rented it I surprised myself by having no problem working the shift with my left hand.

[cadifan]

You'd be very unlikely to hire a diesel car in the US, or anywhere outside of Europe. Diesel cars are not common outside of Europe.
Here in New Zealand you also wait in your car if you're pulled over by the police. If you try to get out they'll yell at you to "STAY IN YOUR CAR!" because it's the safest place for you.
It's common to pass on either side on multi lane roads here too or pass someone on their left if they're waiting to turn right.

[Roque-Cachamuiña-gswd]

I have an anecdote that I never thought could happen to me in a developed country. While driving from Austin to Dallas, my tire blew out in an area that was full of pieces of tires. Later, they told me that it was because of the heat of the asphalt. When I was changing the tire, a police car approached and, seeing that we were tourists, he kindly offered to help us and told us that if we wanted to, we could give him a tip when we finished, but it was not obligatory. When we finished, we gave him 20 dollars and he took it and thanked us. He also told us that if we wanted, he would accompany us to a garage where if he accompanied us, they would give us a special price!

[manojshetty]

Very very very helpful. Thanks a lot. Left hand drive still worries me 😔

[WhatDayIsItTrumpDay]

I keep hearing Brits and Aussies talking about Hiring a car. To us Americans that sounds more like hiring an Uber or Taxi, because you are hiring, albeit temporarily, a person to drive you somewhere in their car. But apparently hiring a car to you all means Renting to us. Because you are temporarily borrowing a car from a rental car service or dealer (if your personal vehicle is in the shop). The word hiring denotes soliciting the work of another human being.

[tz]

I am going to clear a few things up: right turn on red after full stop is legal in most places, unless signed otherwise... A left turn on red is also legal in a specific circumstance, where two one way streets meet (where the left turn would not cross any extra lanes) if not prohibited by signage... A diesel pump handle won't fit into a modern petrol powerd vehicle due to design... Most ICE vehicles are petrol powered... In the USA, petrol is known as unleaded or unleaded gasoline at the pumps... E85 is up to 85% ethanol, which is not compatible will all petrol powered vehicles... Generally, if the fuel cap is black, it's petrol powered... Yellow caps tend to indicate flex fuel, which includes unleaded and E-85, but not dirsel... The law requires slower vehicles to keep to the right when not passing, exiting left, etc... (Occasionally, signage can be found requiring large trucks to use the left lane for various reasons) This is why undertaking signage does not exist... in urban multiplane settings, one of the middle lanes is fine to travel in


Whith the speed limits, usually, but not always, 5 over will be ignored... "Five over, you are fine, but nine and your mine" says the speed cop... I hope this helps...

[riddell]

Diesel and gasoline(petrol) nozzels in the US are different diameters to keep people from mixing it up.

[julianhaywood]

Great vid! Halfway through a US road trip (Seattle to Vegas) and only just learnt about the "4-way box". Crazy that the car arriving first has priority! 🤷🏻‍♂️

[rebeccagleed]

Great advice, cant wait to drive in the USA for the first time soon .