Tips For Americans Driving In The UK - Road Signs, Markings And Other Differences

Hints and tips for USA visitors driving in the UK for the first time. This time we look at UK Road Signs, Road Markings and other road differences between America and UK Roads.
These tips may be useful for not only American tourists but for visitors around the rest of the world who aren’t used to driving on the left.
If you want to know more about driving in the UK why not take a look at our previous two driving tip videos.
Driving in the UK Tips Part 1 - • “How Fast?’ Top Tips F...
Driving in the UK Tips Part 2 - • "How Narrow?" - More T...
Ih this video we look at some of the more common UK road signs and road markings. We also look at street parking, unlike street parking in America you can park facing either direction, with or against the flow of traffic.
We also show UK traffic lights and how they change from red to green via amber or flashing amber in the case of pedestrian crossings.
As, we are in Wales in the west of the UK we also throw in a few Welsh road signs which are bilingual.
‘Tips For Americans Driving In The UK - Road Signs, Markings And Other Differences’ - Filmed October 2019
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[@MrThingummy]

Zebra crossings are not conditional. You must stop the pedestrian has absolute right of way.There is no legal defence for driving on a zebra whilst a pedestrian is on the crossing intending to move towards you. If it's wet and you can't stop you are driving without due care as well.

[@JV-dr1ti]

They make so much sense. The USA has similar guidelines but it’s not clearly communicated nor do we have the visual lines to indicate this.

[@keith6400]

I suggest a full stop after the word stop otherwise you will introduce an ambiguity of drivers needing to stop pedestrians.

[@annahosey984]

I've just moved to the U.K. from Chicago and have been driving for 11 years in country and city. I'm an experienced driver, but was feeling quite nervous about getting behind the wheel. Your videos are unbelievably helpful and well done, it's eased my nerves immensely. Thank you so much!

[@flydriveexplore]

Thanks for the comments, glad they were useful to you. We were in Chicago last summer for a few days before we set out on our Route 66 road trip. Would like to go back and explore the city in more detail.

[@DRIVEFROMHOME4K]

come to London :)))))

[@goBEBA]

This is so informative. Thank you!

[@MerveAyar]

Thanks for this helpful video!

[@EVGuiller]

Super helpful, thank you

[@heatherbenjamin4401]

Thank you for these videos!! I love driving on the UK side of the road….but it has been 19 years since my last trip…thank you for the refresher!!

[@lukekelly9616]

In US, you cannot turn on red if the sign before the lights and one on a gantry ahead says No Turn On Red.

[@annaharrington3869]

Wonderful video! Very informative. Thank you!

[@flydriveexplore]

Thanks

[@DailyMyChildhood]

This is a really useful video.Thanks for Sharing👍

[@flydriveexplore]

Glad you found it useful.

[@ch34pskate16]

Thanks for the great video and explanation!!

[@flydriveexplore]

Thanks 👍

[@InterestingTed]

Well done and very helpful. Thank you!!

[@flydriveexplore]

You're very welcome!

[@tripsBR]

Excellent explanation

[@mikezerker6925]

Thank you so much for this series! My family is traveling to Ireland next month and we will be driving through the countryside and this has been very helpful!

[@flydriveexplore]

Glad you enjoyed and have a great time

[@timmotz2827]

Thank you! Very useful and practical advice.

[@flydriveexplore]

Thanks, glad you found it useful.

[@timmotz2827]

We found your channel when we were planning a trip to the U.K. for this spring and looking for advice on driving in Britain. We’ve been enjoying your other videos as well, especially the Route 66 series. We had to cut short our trip in the spring and never did rent a car, so we’re now preparing for the next trip.

[@flydriveexplore]

@@timmotz2827 We really loved our Route 66 trip and just wished we had longer. We hope to go back to the US sometime next year for another road trip although we are looking at the Canadian Rockies as well.

[@timmotz2827]

I believe Canadian rail has a cross-country sleeper train that takes you from Toronto all the way across the country and into the Canadian Rockies. You could time it to arrive in Calgary for the Calgary Stampede. There is also an Amtrack train that runs from Chicago to San Francisco.

[@iallso1]

I'm originally from the UK now in New Zealand. I was unaware of the ruling preventing parking facing against the flow after dark. However, I'm a parking officer and issue plenty of notices to vehicles that park facing the wrong way in Christchurch. The Clearway and No Stopping signage is also not understood (or wilfully ignored) by some here, but it all helps pass the time.

[@melanated2305]

I’m American and this video is so helpful!! Thank you so much for the information and tips driving and walking in UK!

[@flydriveexplore]

Glad it was helpful!

[@alakhniranjan1799]

Excellent video!

[@flydriveexplore]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@filup7419]

In the US, the yellow lines mean the road goes both ways (one lane in one direction and the other lane goes the opposite direction separated by the yellow line). White lines means it’s a one-way road and all lanes on that road go the same direction (our interstate highways).

[@welshpete12]

Very well done . One point he didn't mention if you are at a road junction and there are two or more lanes on your side of the road. If a car is in the outside lane and is signalling to turn right . You may underpass , that is pass on the left of him . But normally you must not pass on the left only on the right. A very good little booklet to get if you are coming over here on vacation and you are going to drive . Is called, The High Way Code . It's only about 4 or 5 dollars . It is printed by the Government , and is full of information . Most cars over here are manual shift , not automatic like the USA . So if you want one that is with a automatic gearbox . Book ahead , before you come over .

[@andrewmierkalns031]

Thanks from Canada! Very interesting to see the differences... I was thrown off a bit by the imperial measurements on the road. I really like your light system maybe we can copy it some day?

[@flydriveexplore]

Thanks, glad you found it interesting. It's odd how we use the metric system for everything else but speeds and distances are still in miles and petrol is sold in litres!

[@lam3616]

Thank you! Watching your videos was a Huge help to me before driving in the UK for the 1st time!!! Definitely made me more confident- and knowledgeable of the general rules. ( The British drivers are quite good and polite too- barely any horn tooting! )

[@flydriveexplore]

Glad it was helpful. Although we do have our share of rude and bad drivers, in general it's OK. Yes, definitely much less horn use.

[@weejackrussell]

These are good videos. I live in the UK but can see how useful they are for those coming from other places.

[@flydriveexplore]

Great to hear!

[@hollwoods]

thank you for your videos. Mom and I are going to the UK in a few months, and although I'm excited, I'm also nervous about driving.

[@flydriveexplore]

Hope the video was helpful. Have a great trip.

[@peteranserin3708]

I learned a lot today.

[@badabing8884]

Was watching videos of how to drive in Florida 5 years ago, so this is great to see the reverse.

[@misschieflolz1301]

holy crap I thought that bridge looked familiar. It took me ages to realise this is literally just down the road from me (hence all the duck signs)

[@PCDelorian]

Relating to parking on the off side (against the flow of traffic) at night, there was someone who was prosecuted for it on a poorly lit A-road in Scotland. It exists to help drivers see where the road narrows due to the parked cars with the red and white reflectors. It doesn't really need to be used anymore with better streetlighting but it still exists as if they fail or the road is poorly lit, but its rarely in the public interest to deal with it, and I believe its one of the few parking restrictions which instead of being dealt with by the local council's civil parking enforcement, it is dealt with by the police and they have better things to do most of the time. I'm not 100% sure of the police bit so don't hold me to that though.

[@carborundumprintmaking]

Thank you so much! Just returned from vacation in UK. Drove around The Cotswolds for a few days, couldn't have done it crash-free without some of your videos. We watched before leaving the US, reviewed before driving. Thanks to your information we knew what the signs meant and what to expect with narrow country roads. Highly recommend these videos.

[@flydriveexplore]

Thanks - Glad it helped! Hope you had a good time.

[@markwhite308]

Helped even me learn a few things there, cheers mate (I'm British btw)

[@flydriveexplore]

I didn't know the exact rules about a few things either until I checked up on them beforehand.

[@shooglechic]

9:22 I FELT THAT. My husband does the same thing to me.

[@IsaiahHope]

This video was helpful

[@flydriveexplore]

Glad it was helpful

[@kalina9198]

I’m hoping to visit the uk in august or so and want to rent a car so these tips are very helpful!

[@wildcat8599]

Same here them Uber fees add up 😂

[@weejackrussell]

I think if you intend to drive here in the UK it might be a good idea not to hire the car on your first day but to wait until you are used to traffic coming from the other direction and the signs, perhaps travel around on foot and by bus rather than train to get used to the roads. It might be a good idea to pick up a hire car from a place away from the centre of London or other major cities or airports.

[@wildcat8599]

@@weejackrussell I definitely feel you.. get accustomed

[@JoshuaNorton-of4yz]

Good info thank you! Fog lines in the US are predominantly white by the way, just the center lines are generally yellow.

[@flydriveexplore]

Thanks for the info!

[@Jin-Ro]

I knew about 248, it's so people can see your reflectors on the rear. But yeah, never heard of a single prosecution

[@Haileykaykitty]

Thank you so much. I'm going to be visiting my significant other in the UK next month and will be renting a car and driving abroad for the first time. I have no idea what to expect, but this video helped relieve my anxiety ridden mind lol. It looks like its not too bad compared to driving in the US. Just a tad different. Thanks for the video!

[@flydriveexplore]

You'll get used to it quite quickly. If you are not used to manual gears, make sure you ask for an automatic as many cars are manual.

[@sirderam1]

Even if you are used to manual gears, get a car with automatic transmission.

[@joejonas3684]

We have white lines in the US too for lane markers. Yellow lines here mean the border between each side of the road

[@KTHR56]

Very much appreciate this! I've been to England a few times, but we are going next year and have decided to rent a car for the first couple days. I've driven in Taiwan, but they drive on the right as we do in America, so it'll take some getting used to. Just need to get the road signs down and what the 'natural' speedlimit is

[@flydriveexplore]

Have a good time when you visit. You'll soon get used to driving on the other side. There are more and more speed cameras appearing every year, average speed checks are increasingly popular too.

[@Otacatapetl]

The actual meaning of the national-speed-limit-applies sign is "end of speed limit"; we didn't always have blanket speed limits. When they were imposed, we didn't bother changing all the signs, as it would've cost a fortune. So we just kept them in place.

[@kpopfan674]

So the meaning changed and therefore you are incorrect

[@keith6400]

5:30 parking facing the oncoming traffic at night is concerned with people doing this with their lights on. All white lights you see as you drive along you aim to pass to their left, so a car parked facing you on the left with its lights on just round a bend in the dark could encourage you to mount the pavement or go into a ditch unless you realise the situation in time.

[@dukenukem5768]

No, it is logical even when the parked car's lights are off. This is because of its reflectors - red at the rear, and its front headlights reflect your white headlights back because of the optics. In principle it's just like the fixed post reflectors seen on bends on country roads and cat's eyes in the centre or road edge - red to your left and white to your right.

[@gggggggg3542]

Well, just found this (I'm Scottish) and always interested in driving overseas (Egypt is interesting, India is chaotic, Australia - - - well, that's a zero tolerance view on traffic laws)......... During this you stated about parking either way on a street (except at night), the reason you are not allowed is simple, all vehicles MUST by law have red reflectors at their rear, so if your vehicle gets smashed into overnight and it's facing the wrong way, it's your fault........ you may be liable for damage to other vehicle, and your insurance will not pay for damage done to your vehicle. Best bit of advice I'll give anyone trying to drive here, nip into a petrol (gas) station, get a set of P plates, these signify a new or novice driver - - - - it'll benefit you, I guarantee it, everyone will understand if you suddenly brake, swerve or stall your car

[@robbhays8077]

In the US we have "No Thru Traffic" signs that accomplish the same thing as the car and motorcycle round sign.

[@robbhays8077]

Or sometimes they'll say "local traffic only."

[@nigelwest3430]

In the UK we would spell Through correctly :-)

[@shooglechic]

At around 4:29, I think that is the same as our "no thru traffic" where there's no traffic to be had unless you live there and are parking or visiting a home there and parking--it is not an access street that allows you to go to another road or highway, not a place for U-turns or 3 point turns. Is that the correct meaning behind the UK/Welsh signage?

[@annaw3932]

Thanks for the great videos! Since dashed white lines can separate lanes either going in the same direction or in opposite directions in the UK, any tips on figuring out whether you're on a one-way or two-way road? Do you just have to rely on road signs if there are no other cars making it obvious?

[@flydriveexplore]

Hi, there should be signs. If you are driving you should keep left, so even if it's a road two lanes wide you should be in the left lane unless you need to overtake a slower vehicle, when you pass on the right and pull back in.

[@misschieflolz1301]

holy crap I thought that bridge looked familiar. It took me ages to realise this is literally just down the road from me (hence all the duck signs). Waiting for the lights at that cross? Yup, they take a literal age. Some are worse than others but those seem to let a lot of traffic through in single directions

[@bertshutler5973]

the centre line in the US on road without a center verge may be yellow, but on multilane highways with a dividing verge, the lines between lanes are white not yellow, the same as the UK

[@555pghbob]

05:05. I would like to add a tiny correction to your posting. In the US, parking rules usually are governed by the municipality and they often do not allow people to park against traffic.

[@austingee238]

Im from a small town in Missouri that straight up doesn’t care which direction you face to park. I was in for a surprise when I got a fat ass ticket in Texas because I was facing the wrong way. This ought to be standardized across the country…

[@heatherallynn2286]

Hello. Thank you for the detailed videos. I would love to see a video on driving on narrow roads similar to the road at 5:34 in this video. Often roads are two-way traffic with enough space for--if you are lucky--one auto. Who has the right of way? How do you decide how to proceed? TIA

[@flydriveexplore]

The road at 5:34 is a residential road (Over 100 years old) so didn't really have cars in mind when it was built. When there are cars parked on your side, you give way but when there are cars parked on both sides, you basically use courtesy, whoever is driving up the road first gets the right of way. On country lanes, there are often passing places or entrances to fields etc. So whoever is nearest to one of these places, pulls over and lets the oncoming car pass. There's not really any rules on this but it seems to just work.

[@B.C36]

The national speed limit sign means 40mph for vans

[@NadoriKaija]

thank you for this!! My hubby is from the UK (we are in the USA currently) and we are planning to move over there. I have my DL here in the US for so long, I'm just used to driving. He's used to walking and taking public transport, but I got him used to driving here too (he drives a semi truck now, aka Lorry). So I'm feeling hesitant about getting my DL for in the UK. Honestly I would be perfectly happy walking or taking public transport lol. I tried an example of that one hazard perception test and had no clue when they wanted me to indicate on a hazard.....failed it miserably. I was flagging things I saw as a hazard that they didn't, and apparently didn't indicate the hazards late enough for their liking....when I was taught to find them as early as possible to monitor and react as needed lol. I'm too safe for their tests to pass!! Yeah I'll leave the driving up to you UK nationals!!

[@sirderam1]

You can drive on your US licence for 1 year in the UK, but after that you need to have a UK licence. If you expect to be in the UK for more than a year, I suggest you allow at least six months to take lessons and pass the UK tests.

[@NadoriKaija]

@@sirderam1 I know that but I don't trust my ability to safely drive the UK roads, so I'm opting to NOT drive. My husband is over there driving on his US license now, working on getting his UK license for his job.

[@0utcastAussie]

The hazard zig zags at Zebra crossings don't just mean "no parking". They signify your stopping distance at 30mph should a pedestrian step onto the crossing. The white broken lines at intersections on the floor mean you have no priority on the road you are about to join. The left lane markings at that intersection are double broken lines which means "Give Way" to both the LEFT side of the road and the right side". (It's not YOUR side of anything until it's clear for you to join) If you are driving along and want to take the next turning left then a single white line on the road you are about to join means you have no right of way until it is clear for you to join. That means if a pedestrian is walking across when you arrive you MUST give way to them. It also applies if a vehicle on that road you are joining has to venture onto the other side to pass an obstruction before you have joined. You can't just join a side road and expect vehicles already on it to magic themselves out of the way ! STOP signs are they ONLY Hexagonal signs we use here to signify STOP ! They are hexagonal because if they get covered in snow / crap you still know they mean STOP !

[@rickconstant6106]

The zig-zag lines also mean you are not allowed to overtake the leading vehicle on the approach to a crossing within those markings.

[@CaseyJonesNumber1]

STOP signs are octagonal, not hexagonal.

[@travelduderino]

The national speed limit sign to me looked like a do not enter, wrong way, type of sign.

[@MummaBear]

We have a gazillion more signs. When I was a kid you drove carefully because you never knew what was around the corner... People no longer drive to reflect the road but to adhere to the road Signs😢

[@user-to6jg3ts9f]

On the motorway in America, the lane lines are always white. Yellow paint is only used between traffic moving in opposite directions.

[@bermudagirl50]

I always assumed keeping the speed limits and distances in miles was because it would cost too much to change the signs...

[@redf7209]

A bit incorrect on street parking. HC Rule 239 says "do not park facing against the traffic flow" you are also not supposed to park where you would cause an obstruction. This has been interpreted to mean that if you park opposite another car parked on the roadside you are reducing the road width to possibly less than a single lane and causing an obstruction. You cannot park on the pavement in london and elsewhere someone would have to prove you drove on the pavement. People have been prosecuted where they have been obstructing street work and where the parking of a car or a skip has caused an accident at night.

[@Christian-ru6op]

Gonna be driving for the first time when I go to the U.K. after this covid mess. A bit nervous. Also dunno how to drive manual

[@flydriveexplore]

Driving manual and on the other side of the road may be a bit much for a first timer. You can rent automatics but they are not that common.

[@Christian-ru6op]

Fly Drive Explore you’re right. I think for the safety of the british public and myself I’m going to pass on driving. The reason I was going to in the first place was because my friend has a car he’s letting me borrow as long as I insured it. Unfortunately it’s manual but I guess safety is more important.

[@ollylewin]

@@Christian-ru6op Rent an auto. We do have them. Just advise the rental company in advance. Driving here isn't much different to the US. I've done both.

[@jamesreynolds2867]

My advise is don't drive in the UK, if you cannot handle a manual gearbox, you are not really a competent driver.

[@AllieThePrettyGator]

4:24 we do but mostly for buses

[@davidlawrence9091]

Well you forgot to mention, when traffic light change from green to Amber, slow down and prepare to stop as it turns to Red. But you have to stop on Red.

[@flydriveexplore]

Yes, you are quite correct although I was trying to identifying the differences between the UK and the US, The US does have the same sequence when it comes to stopping, green to amber to red

[@nevillemason6791]

@@flydriveexplore The standard now adopted by many when traffic lights change from green to amber is to put their foot down and race through before the light's red or when it is on red. Not enough cameras to catch these reckless drivers.

[@aichujohnson8444]

I've also seen yards being used instead of feet on the roadways where there is a merger expected. Is that common?

[@flydriveexplore]

Yes, on the roads, distances are in miles and as you say mergers and junctions are counted down in yards. It is confusing as we are metric for nearly everything else (but still use pints in pubs).

[@howardchambers9679]

I got a ticket for parking the wrong way round outside my house. Tbf, the copper that ticketed me lived around the corner from me and was pissed off because I'd parked over his driveway the day before.

[@fossy4321]

The national speed limit is 60 MPH on regular two way roads and 70 MPH on duel carriageways and motorways for cars unless the overhead signs say otherwise. Also if you park against the flow of traffic at night and someone hits you your insurance is invalid.

[@flydriveexplore]

Yes, although if you do 70 on a dual carriageway make sure it is a dual carriageway. From the highway code, "A dual carriageway is a road which has a central reservation to separate the carriageways "

[@fossy4321]

@@flydriveexplore So I'm sorry but what is your point? If it's a dual carriageway the national speed limit is 70 MPH. QED

[@flydriveexplore]

@@fossy4321 My comment was about dual carriageways, some people think it's just two lanes etc. but I was simply pointing out that a dual carriageway has to have some kind of physical divider or barrier down the middle.

[@fossy4321]

@@flydriveexplore No worries I was not trying to be awkward or nasty in any way. Sometimes with texts it can seem that way as they are easily misinterpreted. I enjoyed the video. Sorry if I came over as aggressive or nasty. Its one of the problems with texting. Best regards Fossy

[@flydriveexplore]

@@fossy4321 No offence taken, it's good to have a discussion and it did help clarify the rules for those who may be unfamiliar with driving in the UK.

[@stevekenilworth]

parking wrong direction at night , a lot to do with car reflectors, rear lights and back car have them sometimes both in lights and on bumper. if you hit at night you may get part blame on insurance claim and maybe telling off by police. i have set red reflectors stick on to two stands and easy sit on top dash in each corner just like how they are on rear of car. basically road with no street lights or road what lights get turn off but having red reflectors in the front im sure that is all what needed, ones i got they reflect more than my rear lights on cctv ir night vision, and if cop was funny im sure you got good chance to fight it and win, you got reflectors and even your driving test you park facing traffic

[@Kingsuper12]

Hi sir. There’s a National speed sign on a road but some drivers only go 30mph and very annoying. Can I over take them? Is it permitted? It’s a single carriage way. Near London UK. I know you can overtake maintenance vehicle if he’s doing 10mph or less. Please elaborate.

[@CaseyJonesNumber1]

Obviously you can overtake, provided that there is no solid white line, or no sign prohibiting overtaking, that it is also safe to do so AND that you don't exceed the speed limit! Remember, the speed limit is just that, a limit. It is not a target speed. We don't necessarily know the reason why someone is driving way below the speed limit - it can be very frustrating, but sometimes it may be seen as a blessing in disguise that the 'slow driver' is not driving any faster!

[@thewomble1509]

the main reason street parking at night has become a free for all is because it's not policed. The correct way is to park rear end facing oncoming traffic on either side of the road as rear number plates reflect light , thus helping you see a parked vehicle.

[@rickconstant6106]

It's not because of the number plate, both plates are reflective. It's because you have red reflectors on the back.

[@grizzlygamer8891]

A man in North Lincolnshire got prosecuted for parking his Land Rover Defender on the wrong side of the road at night, in the pitch black outside is house. It got hit by a bus and he was deemed liable because he was parked on the right after dusk.

[@davidjohnwardrobe5927]

I love your accent.

[@flydriveexplore]

Just a little bit of South Wales.

[@MellissaWilliamsjewellerylover]

He's a boyo as we say in Wales ;)

[@flydriveexplore]

@@MellissaWilliamsjewellerylover Alright butt, how's your family keeping?

[@MellissaWilliamsjewellerylover]

@@flydriveexplore I have a well dodgy husband boyo

[@organizedchaos1925]

So it sounds like the sign with the motorcycle flying over the car is essentially the same as our "not a through road" in the US, right? The only difference is that our sign isn't exactly prohibiting you from driving down it, it's just letting you know it won't take you anywhere, unless you live there.

[@flydriveexplore]

Yes, it is similar but the road often does go somewhere. I used to live in a street with this access, it was very narrow with houses. The sign was used to stop traffic cutting down the road to avoid going around the whole block.

[@eileenwatt8283]

I wish there is simulation game on an that we can practice on

[@andrewmierkalns031]

New GTA 5 update!

[@johnmichaelcule8423]

Did you mean to omit the Green Amber Red change in the traffic lights and the rules about what to do when you see an amber alone?

[@flydriveexplore]

I was pointing out some of the main differences between the UK and US. In the US and the UK, the green, amber to red is same.

[@Kingsuper12]

In London every council put signs up with “no access” with cameras for fine. I swear literally everywhere. Especially in Hackney. What’s going on.

[@deanburrell8889]

They just want money out of drivers. They keep adding to collect more cash for their new homes and cars and for their own pockets

[@totallypixelated]

@@deanburrell8889 Yeah because the fines go directly to the councillors to buy new cars, eh? Hackney used to have huge problems with narrow residential streets being used as "rat runs" to avoid congested main roads. Restricting access and implementing traffic calming measures means that quiet residential streets are safer for everyone.

[@almostanengineer]

Did anybody else notice the unintended US link at 1:05?

[@brianholding4357]

Showing a white light too the nearside is/was illegal, and enforced in the 1970's after dark, and parking lights must be on , on roads above 30mph, after dark. But these are not much enforced now.

[@dukenukem5768]

A pity the speed limit sign @2:14 is on a square plate (not uncommon). Against eg a sunset in sillouette you can first mistake it for an information sign and take no more notice. No comment on the Give Way sign @4:40 being an inverted triangle? - more like a warning than an order. In fact it has history - they used to be a combined circle (for the command) and inverted triangle (for the warning), with words "Major Road Ahead".

[@keith6400]

The 40 mph speed limit sign has a high visibility yellow background and should be easier to see which is presumably why they chose that. The other side has square back ground for National Speed limit to match the shape, if you fail to spot that you might continue at up to 40 mph and not accelerate to 60 mph.

[@dukenukem5768]

@@keith6400 I understand the logic for having a high visibility yellow background to the 40mph sign which is presumably on the other side of 2:14, but they could have made that a round yellow background rather than a square one in keeping with its compulsory nature.

[@keith6400]

@@dukenukem5768 Some councils have fallen into the round yellow background for speed signs trap. A 40 mph speed sign with a yellow circular background is not enforceable because it does not comply with the regulations. Anyone taken to court for speeding up to 60 mph can argue this point and be aquitted.

[@philipareed]

That rule 248 is mandatory, which means that if you park facing the wrong way at night you are not insured. In addition, if someone collides with your vehicle, you will have to pay the bill and since you are not insured they will have to pay for repairs to their vehicle which in turn means they can take you to court for the bill. Also, your insurer will take a very dim view and we all know what that means. It's why they invented reflectors!

[@andrewmierkalns031]

I'm surprised more people don't take advantage of this to get a new car...

[@nigelwest3430]

National speed limit = 60 on a single carriageway and 70 on duel and above

[@johnnybeer3770]

Years ago I went to the cinema , when I came out I had a ticket for facing the wrong way .

[@flydriveexplore]

Bad luck, how long ago was this?

[@edombre4637]

I lived in the uk for 6 months, and something to be careful of is so many drivers tailgate you, and many aggressive drivers on the road.

[@johnmoore2342]

Most people call the zebra crossing lights "belisha beacons", named after the politician who helped introduce them. Surprised to discover that someone doesn't know/doesn't use the term.

[@flydriveexplore]

I don't really think it's 'most people' anymore. Considering the name dates from the 1930s it's not that surprising that the term is no longer is common use.

[@tobeytransport2802]

On a rural clearway (like the one you showed) you can stop and park in lay-bys unless signs state otherwise (like the bloke in the background) whereas urban and red Route clear ways are no stopping at any time not even in lay-by type ares unless signs say you can park (opposite of a rural clearway) I just thought I’d get the thought out my head

[@allthingsgumball]

why did the Siamese twins move to England? the other one wanted to drive

[@driesanalog4187]

1:49 who can read that while driving ??? 🤣

[@lovejetfuel4071]

0:40 Port talbot?

[@flydriveexplore]

yes

[@mikehunter2844]

Not many UK Drivers know that you can be doing the speed limit and pass a slower moving that's to your right on any road that has two lanes or more lanes in your direction. That includes single carriageways !

[@tomchitling]

That's not totally true. The highway code states "Do not overtake on the left or move to a lane on your left to overtake." although there is no law, it will be considered careless driving, except 1. in slow queueing traffic, or where variable speed limits are in opperation, where the outer lane queue is moving slower, 2. where a signs, or arrows on the carriageway mark lane direction . 3. thickest dotted line between carriageways indicates lanes going in different directions eg before and after continuous flow intersections, 4. Bus Lanes etc or 5. passing very slow traffic turning right. I guess motorbikes think all traffic is slow queuing traffic.

[@mikehunter2844]

@@tomchitling Undertaking is classed as careless driving if it is carried out carelessly. The same also applies to overtaking. Rules 268 and 163 do not use the words Must or Must Not, neither are they backed up bl legislation. Those rules are a guidance and NOT law.

[@Leitros-kj4qb]

​@mikehunter2844 Undertaking was the one thing which I found scary in the US and Canada.

[@JohnFarrell-bc8gt]

@@Leitros-kj4qb I used to think that also when I first drove in US. I've heard the same from others.

[@chrisst8922]

If you're from America then maybe you hadn't realised that here in the UK most of us have chauffeurs so when you arrive they'll probably be someone to drive the hire car for you.

[@TC-qd1zw]

No traffic light means GO. Green means you may proceed ONLY if it is safe to do so.

[@flydriveexplore]

That's the answer on your driving test,

[@ranjit3o]

at 2:03 you said 30 miles per hr, UK use Miles?

[@flydriveexplore]

That's correct. Despite being on the metric system for most things, road speed signs and distances are still measured in miles and mph.

[@adelaluz]

I cannot imagine a world like going. across the mirror. I wonder if the cars. pedals are inverted. too

[@flydriveexplore]

The pedals are the same, clutch, brake, accelerator.

[@Loki1815]

You forgot the Give Way Lines _ _ _ _ _ _ And Stop Lines ___________

[@Ellecram]

In the US we have the amber light between red and green but it is only amber. There is no red and amber together sequence. I have never seen a light go from red to green.

[@flydriveexplore]

Is it different in certain states, during our recent drive from Chicago to LA all the lights we encountered changed from red straight to green. As can be seen here in this clip from LA kzbin.info/www/bejne/ooXZip17h7t0pLs

[@catherinerobilliard7662]

In the UK we have manual cars with 3 pedals and a gear stick, so a red-amber sign tells us to get ready for the off

[@flydriveexplore]

@@catherinerobilliard7662 That makes sense, although having just come back from driving in Spain, they do not have the red amber combination although like most of Europe, mainly drive manual cars. Is Red - Amber just a British thing?

[@grizzlygamer8891]

I think one reason we have red&amber to green and then just amber to red is so that on approach it's easier to tell if the light is changing to stop or go.

[@dukenukem5768]

@@catherinerobilliard7662 That is the idea, but in practice many drivers are already in gear with their foot on the clutch waiting for the dragster start on red-amber. That's why I don't like crossing the road at traffic lights (even with a pedestian button) when on foot.

[@jaredphilippi3865]

Are all these signs and rules throughout the entire UK? I’ll be driving in England….

[@flydriveexplore]

Yes, these are national signs and rules throughout the UK. The only difference in Wales is anything with words, is written in Welsh as well as English.

[@3of11]

parallel parking against the flow of traffic is not legal in most of the usa. I got a ticket for it in florida

[@fashionhistorymuseum]

In Canada, you can be fined for parking the wrong direction on a street - trust me, I know!

[@Lunama602]

I am American and the thing that confuses me the most when I was watching this video is there are no mountains in the background it’s just flat

[@flydriveexplore]

I live by the coast which is relatively flat

[@MistressQueenBee]

I better rethink my driving skills set and just hire a driver for my extended stay..... I thought the sign for a speed increase on the road was a DO NOT ENTER ROADWAY SIGN!

[@flydriveexplore]

That sign does occur quite a lot if you have never seen it before it could be confusing.

[@ollylewin]

It's my favourite sign. It's boot down time haha. What may suprise Americans is how tight the roads can be for a 60mph road. We don't muck about either. We can go 60 and we damn well will no matter how tight lol.

[@willfoster578]

Now just don’t be an American spies wife who thinks she can drive.

[@Christian-ru6op]

Spy? Wasn’t a spy. Just an idiot and an even more idiot president who doesn’t care about justice.

[@hobmoor2042]

In the UK, I've been fined for parking at night in a 40mph zone - because you're supposed to leave your parking lights switched on at night and I didn't.

[@flydriveexplore]

Bad luck, were you there for long and was it an area where people usually parked?

[@BP-kx2ig]

You are joking

[@XeRo333]

and here I thought the UK used km/h not mph...interesting

[@flydriveexplore]

Yep miles on the road but we buy fuel in litres (a bit confusing).

[@XeRo333]

@@flydriveexplore "a bit confusing" you can say that again lol

[@ollylewin]

Lol. Video designed for US citezens driving in the UK... all the comments are UK residents 😂

[@janefromcanada6943]

Thank you! Very helpful :)

[@flydriveexplore]

Cheers👍