Driving on the wrong side of the road - abroad

FreddieFrugal

I don't suppose anyone knows of anywhere where you could practice driving on opposite side of road BEFORE you're forced out into traffic in a foreign country having never done it previously.

Short of driving the wrong way down an A road in the middle of the night.

Rain_Shadow

Don't worry about it.

If you are doing it in most of Europe or the USA/Canada then it takes all of a few minutes to get used to it.

Just take things easy to start with.

The first roundabout can be a bit disconcerting but, again, take your time.

Strider590

Really simple, don't worry about it. Just concentrate on the road, you'll have one or two moments where you try for the wrong side, but when other traffic is around you'll realise pretty quickly.

At junctions remember to ALWAYS look both ways, you should anyway, but in the UK drivers are getting lazy (which is another way that bikers are being killed).

Iceweasel

IanRi wrote: »

I don't suppose anyone knows of anywhere where you could practice driving on opposite side of road BEFORE you're forced out into traffic in a foreign country having never done it previously.

Short of driving the wrong way down an A road in the middle of the night.

Hi,

I didn't like your thread title - nobody drives on the wrong side of the road - that is an attitude that won't help you at all.

But I see you have gone some way to correct that in the body of your post - I prefer to think of it as the other side of the road - the right side - we drive on the wrong side if you like - the left. (joke) And no-one will be 'forcing' you to do anything.

The locals should see your British plates and be aware that you may not behave the way they do.

That is a problem if you fly somewhere and hire a car - they then assume you are a local.

As Rain Shadow says - you will get into the swing of things in only a few miles (or kilometres)

Most accidents happen within a few miles of arriving - and frequently at roundabouts - so take great care to think about which lane you need to be in.

Are you taking the ferry or the tunnel to France? beware the French behaviour to roundabouts - they are only getting familiar with them now as they didn't have that many up till a few years ago.
They tend to drive straight into them, rather than give way to someone already on the roundabout, as they still have the old 'priority a droite' idea in their heads.

Give clear signals in good time and you'll be OK.

Be aware that overtaking can be a bit more difficult as you will be driving along near to the edge of the road and won't be able to see past busses and trucks easily. Don't rely on the passenger making your decisions for you - if you cant see - hang back.

The time to watch is if you set off into an empty street or road - for example coming out of a filling station into a traffic free street - you may well set off on the left!

Some folks go so far as have a label stuck to the centre of the wheel or dash with an arrow pointing right.

Driving on the right will very quickly seem natural - which it is - remember that more countries drive on the right than the way we do here. (Hence my comment about 'wrong side')

You may become so used to it that you make mistakes for the first day or so when you return to the UK.

Don't worry too much - enjoy your trip.

scotsbob

I spend 3 months each year abroad driving on the right,I find it easy to adjust.
Bear in mind that many roads are one way, motorways, dual carriageways, one way systems in cities.

The only times I make the odd mistake are when pulling out of a car park, you can lose concentration.

jaydeeuk1

IMO, driving on the right hand side is the easy bit (as above, you get used to it in a couple of miles), its the traffic signals and road signs that will cause most confusion. Coming off the Ferry in France, they do give lots of warnings about driving on the right, plus you're following hundreds of other vehicles which makes adjustment easier.

When I was in Italy, I was first car in the line at traffic lights. Was on red, then started flashing amber. Stayed there for a couple of seconds until Mario started beeping behind, so I took that as a cue that the Italian version of green is amber. In hindsight I probably should have read up on French and Italian driving laws, but whats the fun in that?

The only other thing was getting used to KM/H. I kept finding myself blasting past cars and setting a couple of speed cameras off if my mind went in to 'automatic' mode.

Yolina

Iceweasel wrote: »

beware the French behaviour to roundabouts - they are only getting familiar with them now as they didn't have that many up till a few years ago.
They tend to drive straight into them, rather than give way to someone already on the roundabout, as they still have the old 'priority a droite' idea in their heads.

Being French I'd like to just slightly expand on that... We've had roundabouts for yonks (plenty of them in my home town!)however, right of way was indeed to people entering the roundabout - this was changed quite a few years back (maybe 15 years ago IIRC, possibly more) to right of way to people already on the roundabout - so you still have the majority of drivers who learnt "the other way". It was absolute mayhem when it was first changed, but it's now been long enough that most people have adjusted and I don't think it's that much of a problem anymore.

Edit: worth bearing in mind that roundabouts will have a "give way" sign on approach - if they don't, then it means that traffic entering the roundabout has right of way (though I doubt that there are many "old type" ones left)

Iceweasel

Yolina wrote: »

Being French I'd like to just slightly expand on that... We've had roundabouts for yonks (plenty of them in my home town!)however, right of way was indeed to people entering the roundabout - this was changed quite a few years back to right of way to people already on the roundabout - so you still have the majority of drivers who learnt "the other way". It was absolute mayhem when it was first changed, but it's now been long enough that most people have adjusted and I don't think it's that much of a problem anymore.

Thanks for that clarification Yolina - I hope you didn't think of my post as a criticism of your country. far from it - I am a committed 'Francophile' LOL.

Yes, there have been roundabouts for yonks - in some areas and big cities - but I was thinking more about regions like Nord Pas de Calais which is where most Brits will experience their first taste of French traffic.

Travelling on the old RN42 for example from Calais to Lille via St Omer, Hazebrouk etc - you find lots of 'new' roundabouts at town by-passes etc. where it's obvious that the local approach is totally different from the UK attitude.

I've been running that route for over 40 years and have seen all the changes as they take place and almost all are for the better.

My advice was aimed at the OP for a first visit, and it would only need one old-style French driver to enter a roundabout without slowing down, to give an inexperienced Brit one hell of a surprise.

Vive la difference!

Dunroamin

If you're nervous, there are plenty of decent back roads, where you can drive for hours without seeing more than a couple of cars, while you build up your confidence.

lizziebabe

It isn't too difficult, but hard to practice unless your car is a left hand drive. I wouldn't worry too much, I don't like it but have driven in Fuerteventura and Crete. It's always the other drivers you need to worry about, stick to the speed limit and ask if you are not sure about signs.
For a while I only chose to go on holiday to places that drove on the same side as us or not drive at all. Now I have done it a few times I have more confidence.
I would prefer to take my own car, as it is automatic, but not possible to the places I have visited.

Dunroamin

You might some of the information on here worth looking at before you go.

http://wikitravel.org/en/Driving_in_France