Americans are Bad Drivers? UK vs USA Driving Experiences! // American Expat in the UK

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Hi! I’m Kalyn, an American expat in the UK, and I’m super glad you’re here (yes, I’ve lived in the UK for almost 10 years and the word “super” is still very much part of my vocabulary!) Whether you’re thinking about moving to the UK or just visiting, I have plenty of information and other resources for you below, so make sure to find your section and let me help you make the most of your trip or your move to the always-sunny, beautiful, and historic UK (okay, two of those things are true, but if you squint really hard at the lights when the London Underground is coming into station, you can kind of pretend it’s the sun?)

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[Jon]

It is a fair assumption that if you find yourself driving on a straight, single carriageway road in the UK, it is probably a Roman road. There are lots of them throughout the country. Some even have the original names, Fosse Way, Watling Street, Ermine Street, etc. (I have since learned that the names were given by Saxons and Vikings. For example, Waclinga Stræte (Watling Street) is the road (‘Stræte’) to Waclinga’s land.)

[petejones]

in the UK if you pass your driving test in a automatic, you can not drive a manual without passing the test again for stick shift (as you call them )

[mandolinic]

Many many many years ago I worked for the British Department of Transport, and picked up a lot of interesting knowledge. One interesting factoid I was told is that British motorways are deliberately bendy so that drivers remain engaged with the process and don't get lulled into doziness.

[rogerwitte]

The curves are also a good deterrent to falling asleep at the wheel.

[peckelhaze]

The UK uses headlights to say thanks, from the front. Lorries will say thanks by hazards or rear lights, from the rear. A wave is very common from cars, front and back. I have driven automatic and manual, I prefer manual and that is what my car is. French don't say thanks, they just beep at you. They also drive at the speed of light. Same with Germany but without the beep. Does America use "L" plates (Learner) and "P" plates (Passed)? I thank this country for very rare "STOP" signs, they are mostly "GIVE WAY".

[geoffclarke]

My Dad drove a hire car in Florida and was shocked about how straight the roads are compared to the typically winding and narrower UK roads. I can see the appeal of automatics if you drive everyday in cities with a lot of stop start driving, heavy traffic etc but as a car enthusiast you can't beat a manual sports car for a spirited weekend drive or when doing a track day.

[simonbisset]

In the UK hazard lights are officially only used when you have broken down in a dangerous position. However, over time they have become a "get out of jail free" card for anyone that wants to park badly or do some unorthodox manoeuvre. They are also useful when you want to say thanks to the person behind. Technically illegal, but everyone does it.

[john_smith]

Interesting, but I noticed @2:20 your passenger/husband from England still had to instruct an American driver in America how to deal with a solitary oncoming car.

[allenwilliams]

If we come across a road as straight and wide as that one, we will perceive it as very safe, so drive at approximately 90mph. Nobody in the UK would have pulled in to let someone pass like you did. There was plenty of room. Most would not even have slowed down. As long as there is a 6" gap between you, that's fine. Door mirrors are a hostage to fortune.

[thefiestaguy]

2:32 as a UK Driver i'd probably have slown down a bit and just continued, knowing i'd get through the gap. Roads in the UK are rarely that much wider than the one at this point. Some are two way with big lorries coming at you and are that wide or narrower, AND are fast roads with a 60mph speed limit AND are twisty roads often with hedges and trees sticking out and obstructing your view.

[lvckUK]

Being from the UK I'm a manual driver through and through.
My experience of automatic hire cars aboard has varied based on terrain. In The Netherlands and Texas, where it's flat, automatics were fine. In Canada (the Rockies) they were a nightmare. They could never decide what gear they wanted to be in. Constantly changing.

I've also got to say when driving a manual, it feels better when it's right hand drive. At least for right handed people. It feels much more natural to have your dominant hand on the steering wheel and other hand on the gear stick, than it does the other way round.

[AMK]

Be cool to hear more from your husband about his experiences in America, even from behind the camera if he doesn't want to be on it.

[catherinewilkins]

You are aware that at our traffic lights there are sensors under the tarmac that picks up the presence of a vehicle, so no vehicle the lights change quicker. They can be programmed for buses, so they will get preferential passage.

[gwilymmorgan]

British roads do have chevrons at tight bends, pointing the driver in the right direction, but I've only very occasionally seen flashing warning lights at such bends. Another difference between the US and UK roads involves sensors at traffic lights. UK lights are much more likely to be triggered by approaching traffic, so that the light stays green, if there is no waiting traffic from another direction. They don't always work and I think they are affected by freezing weather, at which point they default to a basic, timed sequence.

[fasteddie]

In UK if a slow vehicle lets you overtake, by pulling over or indicating in to show clear once you have overtaken it is common to use hazard lights to say thank you.

[livestocknetwork]

Yes. Sorry it wasn't wide enough for you. A lot of the English cars tend to have steering wheels.
(Fawlty Towers)...

[danielcampbell]

In the UK if you pass your driving on Stick shift your license covers both manual and automatic cars, if on the other hand you only pass on an automatic you can ONLY drive an automatic

[gingernutpreacher]

Parking spaces are two small for for UK cars spaces are still being marked up for the original mini which was a response to the German micro cars so it does need to change

[robert]

Straight roads look boring. Is there a danger of falling asleep?