Tongue in cheek comment - but may I just remind you that here in the UK we drive on the correct side of the road 🙂 England was the first nation to pass an official rule, way back in 1773, which made driving on the left the law. Why other countries then proceeded to drive on the right is beyond me!!
If you think about the actual thinking the old films about knights an jousting etc they joust with one another on the right and most used swords on the righthand and that is where you manoeuvred the horse to be right side to right side so that’s where it all stemmed from. There’s usually an answer in history somewhere!
The Romans drove on the left. Something to do with whips (!). When the legions finally quit Britain in 410AD, I think we just couldn't be bothered mess around with it. It made sense, so why would we? The right hand driving thing is all Napoleon's fault anyway.
Roundabouts save hundreds of lives a year in the UK. In the US, with its multi-lane crossroads, over half the accidents are caused by vehicles turning left and being hit by oncoming traffic.
@@trailblazinpeppers We've got a few of them here in the Austin area and people are gradually getting used to them. They're so much better than 4 way stops for keeping traffic flowing smoothly and safely.
Pretty sure that I encountered a few in NJ 25 years ago when I occasionally went over to the US for work, although my memory is a bit hazy, but I seem to recall roundabouts the 'wrong' way round (they go anti clockwise of course) were something of a brain melt at first. Only time I had an issue really was when I was fresh off the plane on my first time, jetlagged, and not knowing where on earth I was going (I hadn't even booked a hotel and had to lie on the visa waiver form, because in my job - working on weather stations on roads and runways - we never knew where we were going to be, so the habit was to find B&Bs or pubs wherever we ended up and then stay there, back when small independent B&Bs could still be had for 20 quid or sometimes even less per night), at a crossroads I turned onto the wrong side in my crappy rental Mercury and was nearly flattened by an F350. Luckily the guy must have recognised me as a visitor in a rental and laughed it off. I eventually found a hotel where I was able to get a room and effect a change of undercrackers.
I am British, but I lived in California for 14 years. For a time, I travelled every month back to the UK in my job. I found absolutely no problem switching between driving on the left and right. Because the steering wheel switched sides too, it felt very natural and easy.
Similar to you, only I am from the U.S. and have lived in the U.K. 16 years. The only time I have to really think about what side of the road I need to be on is when I'm backing out of a drive.
I'm glad you remembered to drive on the correct side of the road. Some Americans don't think, kill young people with their criminal driving and then claim Diplomatic Immunity and run away to avoid justice.
Yeah, what ever happened with this ? It’s funny how our Colonial Cousins can demand instant retribution where as us Brits have to fight tooth and nail for anything..
@@pashvonderc381 Nothing. The US did what it does best.. "bully boy" attitude of "We do what we want, be quiet". They flew the Dunn family out to the USA, to meet Trump. Anne Sacoolas was in the next room and the idea was they would "hug and make up" and Trump would have his assistant write out a large cheque to the Dunn family. Now there's an American answer to any problem isn't it? Money! We killed your son?! Ahhh well.. nevermind, have some money! I'm sure that will replace him right? Meanwhile some years prior the USA DEMANDED that the UK extradite Julian Assange to the USA to face trial for his apparent "WikiLeaks" crimes. Legally the british authorities could NOT extradite him at the time as he was seeking refuge and claiming asylum in the Ecuadorian embassy - meaning he could not be taken from there by force since it's technically Ecuadorian laws and land in a foreign country. Nevertheless, the USA still put pressure on the UK to extradite him. Eventually he began to fall out with the officials and he was stripped of his citizenship and kicked out of the embassy - when this happened the UK had officers waiting and the moment he left the embassy he was arrested. As I understand he is currently in a prison somewhere in London whilst the extradition proceedings are taking place - sometimes these can take years.
On a crowded island with narrow roads you proceed everywhere with care & patience at a speed you are comfortable with. The speed limit signs are maximums not targets
I laughed at this too. I live in the Lake District. We call those back roads, main roads. When I was driving a van I judged the roads by how much paint the have. Real back roads have no lines but sometimes do have grass. When I saw some paint on the road I could start to relax.
@@martinalloway6980 Do you mean grass between the two lines that the wheels follow, that never gets driven on so can grow to about six inches? There's a bit of Pilgrims' Way in Surrey like that. But luckily it isn't a major through route, so you rarely meet anything going the other way. In fact, you have to go a bit out of your way to go down it.
Should come visit my village. Those roads were very wide and straight in comparison. Try winding lanes in which you can touch the hedges on both sides of the lane at the same time.
Agree - these are standard lanes! I've driven my BMW saloon car through lanes which are far narrower and you literally have hedges on either side of you, no more than a few inches from your car either side. Americans would crap themselves.
The song and dance you Americans make about driving on the left hand side of the road is unbelievable - thousands of British and Irish people holiday on the continent every year without screaming their heads off. lol
I won't drive in Europe but happy to drive in America . I think if you drive an automatic it does take a lot of the stress out of driving in a different country.
I’m from the UK and quite used to driving on the right abroad, I feel like after a few times your brain realises you’re in a different country and adjusts automatically. Craziest trip I had though was to Malta where they drive on the left, but because my brain knew I was abroad it had already automatically flipped to want to drive on the right! I had to spend the whole week concentrating on driving on the side of the road I always do! 😂
I'm a Brit too. My first experience of driving on the "wrong" side was on Gran Canaria of all places! I found it surprisingly easy to adapt, but I think having the steering wheel on the left meant it all felt logical. I think driving a British car on the continent would be a lot more challenging.
I frequently drive my British campervan in Europe, and it's easy peasy. For a start, there's no banging your right hand against the door searching bor the gearstick ("shift" if you are a Merkin) in a hire car.
@@EASYTIGER10 I'm quite the opposite. I learned driving in Sweden (right side of the road, which is the right side, because it's in the name). When driving in the UK with a left-hand-drive car, I find it quite natural (like driving in the left lane on a motorway in continental Europe). When I have to drive a right-hand-drive car in the UK, I always get it wrong. My mind is used to keeping a short distance to the left and a large distance to the right, and if I relax a bit in the UK, you can imagine what happens - I get far, far too close to whatever there is (usually parked cars) on the left side of the vehicle.
Just a side note. It’s illegal to have anything mounted in the center of the windscreen (windshield) in the UK. The main 3 quarters of the screen must be kept clear of any visual obstruction. Mount the satnav/phone to the right side of the dash. It’s easier to operate there anyway. Great vid. Enjoyed it
The difference is not the side of the road you drive on, it's the fact that you actually get taught to drive safely. The test is not easy, and many people fail it the first time. Your baby is beautiful ❤
@@JohnPilling25Four for me too, in the same era - thought it was just me who needed that many goes. Admittedly I was generally hopeless back then - now I'm a hopelessist in recovery.
They dont need them but just some improvements here and there. We once took the train London - Newcastle and fast both ways. I was was fast. We rented a big car some 10 days local drive. Most likely brits build what they need too. I dont know Hawai but britts has a lot of old infrastructure, by that they spread traffic out. In the urban areas the has a lot of local trains and busses as well. have a nice day
They're making a bit of a meal of this. Driving on the other side is not difficult, or scary, particularly if you have a rental so the wheel is on the correct side for the road environment (the one thing that can be tricky is tollbooths and very acute-angled junctions when the wheel is on the wrong side). It is quite weird the first time, and you do have to remember which country you are in when setting off on a country lane (very few clues like signs, road markings or other vehicles, so it's easy to set off on the wrong side).
05:12 - yeah, that's not the back roads. That's the main road, that's the highway. That's the main trunk route from central Scotland up to the north-west. That's it right there, where all the traffic is.
@@trailblazinpeppers Yeah, I grew up on Skye and recognised a lot of the bits of road. Now consider that those single-track roads with passing places are *technically* "National Speed Limit" roads, so 60mph...
@@erroneousboshI live on Skye and was at nearly 60 on a straight bit of single track road today. You could see a mile ahead that nothing was coming so why not? People not used to them can be a pest. Locals adjust speeds so that they pass each other still moving. Some tourists come to a stop just before the passing place and wait till you've come to stop before they move again. Others pull into the passing place even if it's on the right for them - a passing place is just a very short bit of wider road, keep to the left.
Brit here, commenting from France, driving back from Italy in a campervan. We have driven in every country in Europe, on the wrong side of the road ...it is absolutely a doodle! And quite why Americans are so terrified of roundabouts, I have no idea! They are so easy and efficient! At least Americans speak a similar language to the UK. Cyrillic signs in Bulgaria are "interesting"!
@@stevo728822 Well in 30 years driving in Europe, only Turkey has had different rules (seemingly, but that might just be Turkish drivers). If the rules are different they have made no material difference at all. (but I haven't driven in Iceland or the Faroes)
Interesting. As in 'swept' you mean the area covered by the wipers. That's where the sucker for my phone holder has been for over ten years. So my phone is just above the dashboard. Although I did notice that for my last MOT in April they took the holder off the windscreen.
You were fortunate to have chosen to visit Scotland rather than England because the roads in general are much less busy. Having your steering wheel on the right makes negotiating roundabouts and junctions so much easier. I remember when I used to visit the Highlands once a week in my lorry doing deliveries, on the same roundabout near Dingwall, two weeks in a row I met a hired car coming around the roundabout the wrong way and it wasn't even a large busy one which can be challenging for many drivers. Glad to hear you enjoyed Scotland, it really is beautiful. 👍👍
Or going the wrong way round the one way system by the railway station in Dingwall (Station Road has 2 lanes, both going clockwise, and continues from High Street which is also one way).
Many Scottish country roads have arrows painted on them and signs reminding drivers to drive on the left. Foreign drivers forgetting which side to drive on is a common problem in the Highlands because they don't encounter enough traffic to remind them, just enough to collide head on with.
a we found a paper arrow on the dash to be a good reminder on driving in a country which drives on the opposite side and its mainly in the morning when we would forget when driving off
You just need to give yourself 30 minutes to programme your mind. We Brits regularly travel to Europe where we have to drive on your side of the road. It's daunting for the first few minutes, but once you pick up your confidence it gets easier. Just tell yourself you're going to do this, and be determined to conquer any fears. Then you find your fears are unnecessary. Don't do what I've done - gain confidence and then find myself on the wrong side. Go to bed at night, shut your eyes and imagine yourself doing it. Remove the barriers.
@@trailblazinpeppers As I regularly shuffle between left and right side, both of the road and the car, I try to visualise a piece of road that I know really well in that country and see myself on the side I need to be on. The biggest danger comes when you've been doing it for a week and forget to pay attention. Next thing you know you're heading straight for an oncoming vehicle and wondering why they are on the wrong side when it's actually you.
@@fizzyridertooHa ha. This happened to me. Fortunately it was a long straight road so we both had time to slow down and approach each other bumper to bumper. We were both gesticulating to the other idiot. Then I said oh god it’s me!
I hope cars didn’t “pile up” behind you. Here a pile up is a multi car accident - literally piled up! Your stately progress might have caused them to back up behind you😊
I am English but have driven in many other European countries and also in the USA (Boston and around Massachusetts). In fact, I've just returned from two weeks driving around Slovenia and Austria. It is surprising how quickly you adjust to driving on the other side of the road. After a couple of hours you get into it and after a day or two it feels natural. I don't like changing from second gear into third with my right hand though. It feels like an uncomfortable movement. I DO remember the first time I drove abroad on the right I was always driving too close to the edge of the road and my tyre definitely left the road a couple of times. It must be a common problem when people switch sides. I got used to it though. I found driving in the USA interesting. Most of Europe has pretty much the same road signs and rules but not in America. A lot of the signs used words rather than pictures and symbols and some of the words I didn't understand as the vocabulary was different to the UK. Also I think I was as terrified of your enormous multi-lane crossroads and traffic lights as you were of our roundabouts. I loved it anyway.
Wow! Yeah our rods in US are huge. Thanks for watching and commenting. It helps with promoting our video. Please don’t forget to subscribe. -Lucas and Maria
Best advice I can give any visiting Americans is to drive just to the left of the centre line on single lane roads. That way you'll avoid dropping the left wheel off the road or hitting the kerb. At roundabouts give way to vehicles from the right, if theres nothing there just carry on onto the roundabout. Left lane for turning left, right lane for turning right and either for straight ahead. And you can't avoid roundabouts, they are absolutely everywhere so embrace them and you'll soon find them easy to negotiate.
@andrewlaw > Best advice I can give any visiting Americans is to drive just to the left of the centre line on single lane roads. > That way you'll avoid dropping the left wheel off the road or hitting the kerb. At roundabouts give way to vehicles > from the right, if theres nothing there just carry on onto the roundabout. Left lane for turning left, right lane for > turning right and either for straight ahead. And you can't avoid roundabouts, they are absolutely everywhere so > embrace them and you'll soon find them easy to negotiate. And soon after, you'll start thinking "these are brilliant, why don't we have them back home?" But fingers crossed you don't encounter any mini-roundabouts with the 3-player game of chicken before you've had more general practice.
Born and raised in the UK and I live in Canada, I have no problem driving on either side, in fact I have a Japanese JDM import car from japan in Canada so I drive on the right with the steering on the right side.
What is wrong with Americans? This business about "the wrong side of the road". Plenty of people who normally drive on the left take about 5 minutes to adjust to driving on the right as well as kilometres instead of miles and a host of other regulations. I don't see catalogues of "first time on the right" videos.
Some are not as fast as him. Im sure is as a well prepered reading about it. Many could learn from Baden Powel in London. His motto is/was BE PREPARED. At for many things and or only cars.
When I lived in Germany I had no problems adjusting, but I knew other Brits who really struggled with driving on the right, even after being there for months. Everyone is different!
The dangerous moment is after a pit stop, when the Brits start driving again they can easily enter the wrong side, this is how most accidents with left-side drivers occur.
Living on the South Coast, we were always nipping across to France. First 5 minutes on the other side of the road you got used to it. I personally preferred it with loads of French cars, then it's just a game of tag, follow the car in front. Only thing that slightly complicates it. Driving a right hand drive car on the right hand side of the road.
Speak for yourself,my friend. I am 69 years old in London and, successfully, drove for 43 years, mostly in and around the capital but I never fancied driving on the right-hand side. One thing I have noticed in my life is that when someone is proficient at something they assume everyone else can do that same thing but that isn't the case. You could show me something practical 10 times and when you're gone,I still would not work it out. I got )% at both Woodwork and Technical Drawing at Grammar School. lol
Have you had positional awareness problems in America? I drove on the continent and in the UK on a regular basis and didnt actually have any of these problems it was more after a period where I got comfortable again at which ever it was (right or left) I might turn onto the wrong side of the road, but even that was only a couple of times in 6 years. I drove in the States once too for a week or so, the main problem there was remembering to look up for traffic lights. find a car park (preferably empty) and practice a bit, it will at least help with your expected nervousness after your little off road trip, and help you get used to the car/van without having to worry about everything else at the same time. if you are still in Scotland (doubt it just noticed how long ago this was posted) have a great time smashing place I lived there for 6 years in the 80's.
In the Shetlands and some other areas of rural Scotland, many roads are only one lane wide. A number of years ago, I drove through Mortimer in the UK. It looked like the road was 1.5 lanes wide with rock walls on both sides.
So glad that you enjoyed your trip to our beautiful Scotland. I don't think you mentioned if you had to tackle single-track roads with passing places at any time? Now, that WOULD have been an interesting experience! I have a lot of sympathy with your nervousness about driving on the 'wrong' side of the road. As a Brit married to a continental, I confess that I pass the steering wheel to my husband when we cross the channel. Wimpish, but it keeps us safe! And as for the narrowness of British roads, I remember weaving through the heavily-parked streets of an Edinburgh suburb with visiting American friends in the passenger seats, and seeing their knuckles go white! (We got to our destination safely).
Recalling our trip to Scotland 27 years ago. Our rental was a manual, and it took about a day to get used to it all; even shifting became second nature. Remembering which side of the road to be on when turning right was a challenge, but the single-track roads in the more remote areas were really daunting…having to reverse uphill to give way to the oncoming vehicle! You’re right about this: Scotland is lovely and worth seeing by car.
You should only reverse uphill if the other vehicle is something large and difficult to maneuver. A forestry truck or somebody towing a caravan. Usually the downhill driver would reverse.
@@RonTodd-gb1eo I was always taught to give way to the car climbing the hill. "Give way to vehicles coming uphill whenever you can. If necessary, reverse until you reach a passing place to let the other vehicle pass" From the Highway Code.
I have driven for many years in different countries and never found the left/right switch the slightest problem. What is tricky is that driving in Europe the standard lane width is 3m as opposed to 11 feet in UK and US. 3 M is ever so slightly narrower but it is very noticeable straight away.
I've driven in the UK, Europe and the USA, both of the right and left side of the road. It's the lane position which is difficult to get used to. Driving in USA is so much easier for an European as the roads are so wide and straight.
The roads are narrow in the countryside, so that they blend as best as possible into their natural surroundings and the beautiful countryside is not scarred by huge, unnecessarily wide strips of concrete everywhere, like in the USA.
That's not the reason at all, most time it's not possible for wider roads, which is why you get extremely narrow roads. A lot of the land is privately owned also
Nope. Most country roads used to be cart tracks, they were there hundreds of years before the invention of the car. England is an old country and most towns, like my own have been around since the Middle Ages.
In Britain and Ireland you'll be driving on the left-hand side of the road. Why that side? Originally, it was in order for you to drive defensively…with your "sword hand" on the inside to protect you against unknown oncoming horsemen.
Glad you enjoyed the experience. I taught my wife to drive in the North of Scotland in 1979. She did not like those loose gravel single track roads, as she could not judge the passing places with lack of experience. In those days there were Ferries over the Lochs and rivers, usually with a welcoming man playing a Bagpipe to keep the tourists happy.
Im half American half British, and when I came back to the UK, those backroads seemed tiny after being in the states, but after being back in the UK for the last 20 years now, trust me, those backroads now seem wide...trust me, they get smaller then that
Driving on the other side of the road is no problem mostly. The only time I’ve had a problem is when I was tired and forgot. I’ve done this while travelling and when coming back after a trip.
My first time driving outside the UK was in Lanzarote (Spain). Took about an hour to get used to the road layout and all controls being on the wrong side of car and that was it! Up into the mountains and valleys, driving over a volcano and all kinds of stuff like that, no problem! ...and no easy AUTOMATIC option either!! Ha ha!
Yeah that sounds really hard and scary! Thanks for watching and commenting. It helps with promoting our video. Please don’t forget to subscribe. -Lucas and Maria
Yeah that sounds really hard and scary! Thanks for watching and commenting. It helps with promoting our video. Please don’t forget to subscribe. -Lucas and Maria
Where I live in Southern England I can start a journey driving on the left, catch a fast ferry to France and be driving on the 'wrong' side of the road 2 hours later, then catch a ferry back home in time for supper. A simple tip . the white lines in the centre of UK roads all have meanings, including showing the width of the available cariageway. Look it up in the Highway Code, available online and in print. What is the fear of roundabouts, so much safer than the dangerous four way stop , or even traffic lights.
One very good idea from the USA which should IMHO be copied elsewhere is the distinction between white and yellow lane markings. A yellow line separates you from traffic moving in the opposite direction, i.e. towards you! Solid, broken or double white lines are also effective but the contrasting colour adds a layer of safety.
@@CoastHobbit9340 Yellow already has other meanings in the UK . The materials used for road markings are under continuous developement for effectiveness. In my driving life they have changed from simple white paint, to a hot mix application which includes retro reflective materials and more recently a textured finish that makes a noise when you drive on the line.
We had no problem driving in England for four weeks except for the narrow country roads with one lane but are two way. Thankfully there are tiny pullouts every once in a while for drivers to pull over and let oncoming traffic pass.
Hi Maria, Lucas, Griffin, and Truett! Glad you enjoyed your trip to Scotland, our for ever home. We have been here 10 years, I was in the military for 32 years, my wife of 48 years is Lorna she was a Nursing Sister. served mainly in the UK but did get a trip to Berlin plus 2 years in the Libyan desert at RAF El Adem 32 miles south of Tobruk in their Desert Rescue Team
You did a great job with it, just remember the more times you do something the easier it gets. I spent 2 years in Gibraltar driving on the right and every time I came home which was 2-3 times a year I would have relapses where I would go into auto mode and drive on the wrong side but not for long as something always made me think. Apart from that what did you think of the UK?
As a Brit, the first time I drove in Germany the hire company wanted to "upgrade" me to an automatic. I insisted on a manual (stick shift) as I had never driven an automatic and had enough to deal with driving on the right! Changing gear with the right hand took no time to get used to. I find having a local car helpful to remind me which side of the road to drive on but have got very used to driving in Europe in my UK spec car over the years. I would love to visit and drive in the US.
I have driven in the UK several times but only with a left steering car. The stick shift on the "wrong" side is what frightens me most if I need to rent a car.
When I was forced to learn an automatic I adapted faster than I thought. Even though I change gears without consciously thinking I realised in the end that I did feel better in an automatic - there's some sort of mental effort going on with a manual even if it's not an obvious one. On motorcycles this is much more obvious - automatic scooters are more relaxing to ride than bikes with gears and clutches.
I drove in the states (I'm from the UK) and I didn't find it difficult. I did have an automatic though which I think probably helped even though I usually drive a manual.
OK Thank you for replying , but never having heard the phrase semi-truck I am curious to know what a semi-truck is. Possibly we in the UK have a different name for the same type of vehicle . Thank you , I'd really like to know .
Americans [and Canadians]. pronounce semi [we say semee] as sem-eye. Like antee [UK] and ant-eye [US/CAN]. They also say EYE-ran and EYE-raq, and Moss-COW - plus others........
I recognised the road at a couple of points in the video as being the A82, which is quite a testing, narrow and twisty road once you get into the rural areas. At times I was quite nervous driving that route a couple of months ago in a car I have had for 14 years and having passed my driving test in Edinburgh in 1973. So I take my hat off to you! A lot of people from the central belt of Scotland, let alone from further afield, have difficulty working out what to do on the single-track roads with signed passing places but you just have to accept that you need to go quite slowly and maybe only go up to 3rd or 4th gear (in a car with 6 gears). Consequently a 20-mile (32 km) journey might take an hour or more.
Loved every second of your video. From Australia (where we also drive on the correct - left - side of the road) we did find some of the Scottish roads were a bit "tight" when we were there in 2019. Your story has got me inspired to edit our trip - you have some great clips there. Very heartwarming to see such a nice family enjoying your adventure together.
It's the first few seconds that have the greatest impact on you. The feeling that you're going to run headlong into oncoming traffic is palpable. Fortunately, this feeling does not last long, and you soon get used to it. The steering wheel being on the other side of the car is a a constant reminder. Accidentally walking up to the wrong side of the car to get in, well, that's another matter. I was still doing it for weeks.
Well done guys. You did great, and I hope you enjoyed your tour of Scotland and didn't get eaten alive by the midges. We have to go through exactly the same period of adjustment when we visit family in San Francisco from the UK, but I admit our roads are narrower, and especially if you're driving a camper van.
As you are driving a right hand drive van it is much easier than driving on the opposite side of the road in your own car. When you do that it is much harder to see and judge where you are in the road. Also the roads you described as narrow are two way. You should try driving down some of the narrow roads in Devon which are single track with passing places. I hope you enjoy your trip wherever you decide to go.
@@stephenwest9757 I grew up in a farming area in mid Devon. The roads were only just big enough for a lorry or bus to go through. The hedges were 5 foot high. The road even had grass growing in the middle of it. It was 3 miles front the nearest village and 10 miles from the nearest supermarket. Best wishes
@pjcat3522 > Many roads in the UK have potholes. So you are not alone with that experience. > I live in the UK and potholes have given me a flat tyre too. And very appositely for this video, a joke I heard fairly recently: "In the UK we used to drive on the left. Now we drive on what's left."
As a UK citizen driving on the right is alien to me but the first time I drove on the “wrong” side of the road in France it just meant concentrating a little more and it wasn’t a problem after a couple of miles.
I have made a like experience. I am from Germany. I drove for about a week in the UK many years ago. The things I found strange: 1. to move the stick (not automatic) with the left. That made me feel like a beginner again; 2. to change my pattern of wide (to the right) and narrow (to the left) curves; 3. to get on the left lane when entering from an "unmarked" road. I had very few to no problems when I was in denser traffic which constantly reminded me of the right (left) side to drive on. And no problems with roundabouts. That was because In Germany we didn't have too many at the time. They have become very frequent over the last decade. In the end it was more difficult to re-learn existing routines than to pick up new ones like doing roundabouts.
Being from the UK, I am used to driving on the left and the driver being on the right. I have driven in France, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands and Luxembourg and found no problem at all with driving on the other side of the road (both in left and right-hand drive vehicles). I agree totally with feeling like a beginner again the first time I drove a left-hand drive manual car.
The trick to driving on the opposite side of the road than you are used to is to have the side mirrors turned slightly down a little to start with. Then if you are not sure of your position in a lane you can look in the mirror and see the gap between your vehicle and the edge of the road and adjust your position if you need to.
I can sympathise. When I've driven in France and Spain is not too bad on 'normal' roads, but once I was in a town with traffic everywhere it was a nightmare!
Driving on the 'wrong side' of the road can be nerve wracking when you first try it, but it soon becomes second nature. What I found hard, with a manual, was that I kept hitting my hand on the door as I was used to the gear stick being on the left. More importantly, my instinct when a collision is likely is to pull left ... that tends to take you into real trouble. The really hard bit, though, is reading road signs in languages where even the letters are difficult to read. It's very easy to get lost when even the names of the towns are written in ways that don't make any sense to someone who doesn't speak the language.
Coming from NZ and switching to Europe, Middle East, USA and back again the biggest issue is when 1st turning into a road without any traffic and remembering what side you should be on. The steering wheel should be next to the centerline and you need the passenger side mirror set so you can see the kerb or lane markers.
76 countries All in all, 163 countries and territories have right-hand drive traffic while vehicles use the left-side in 76 countries. The bulk of countries that drive on the left are former British colonies including South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.7 Sept 2020
For me as a Brit driving in, say, France, the danger starts just after you feel that you've got comfortable driving on the other side of the road. That's when you'll make a mistake or two when coming out of a car park or going through some odd road setup. I've also done the opposite when returning to the UK, under unusual circumstances I found myself at a crossroads but with my car on the right.
There's even a danger on one way systems. Pull over politely to let the youths on motorcycles past you, and, because you didn't in fact pull over, you pulled out, die of embarrassment because they think you have just deliberately been a complete asshole. I was lucky not to have caused an accident that would have been completely my fault.
Felt for you guys watching this. I had reverse experience in Canada many yrs ago. Left parking lot and right onto 'wrong' side of road. Lucky no traffic but friend near had heart attack.😂 You dont like roundabouts? I reckon they're safer than those 4 way stops. Hope y'all had a great trip?!
You chose a good place to learn to drive on the OTHER (not "wrong") side of the road. Britain is beautiful and Scotland is an absolute jewel of incredible landscapes. [6:14] I love the look of fear on Lucas's face when he announces turning over control to Maria. Some history to add to some of the comments I've seen about the "right" and "wrong" side of the road. Don't worry it's a very abridged version. The reason that I read many years ago for why we drive on the left in the UK is because back when everyone rode horses and carried a sword it was assumed (correctly) that most people used a sword with their right hand. So if you ride on the left and someone coming in the opposite direction tries to attack you from their horse you will have your sword hand facing their sword hand. In other countries they decided that you should ride on the right in order to make it harder to attack with your right hand. So in short, we ride (drive) on the left for offensive purposes and others ride (drive) on the right for defensive purposes. Note that whether you are a left-hand drive country or right-hand drive country the driver's side will always be in the middle of the road. Drivers going in opposite directions will always face each other as they pass.
Driven a lot throughout Europe and never have a problem with driving on the right. It's when I get home to the UK that I have to keep reminding myself that I have to drive on the left if I want to maintain my car's paintwork.
I've been in the UK for a number of years and I still have to concentrate on driving on the left. The most precious thing is your family, take it slow and steady. I will say that drivers in the UK are pretty forgiving and are helpful to new or nervous drivers. The best bit of advice I was given for main roads is to always remember that the driver sits in the middle of the road (along the white line) For narrow (small) roads, put a band or similar around your left wrist and remember that's against the curb / verge. Finally, drivers in the UK are much better than drivers at home and in spite of what you may have heard, very friendly.
Just to add , the roads in Scotland especially in the Highlands and Islands are superb compared to those in the rest of the UK , where they are appalling . Any harsh words spoken after the tyre incident ? Beautiful baby. Glad you enjoyed our country .
great to see you embracing the UK driving. As a Brit I do find it strange how you guys freak out but thats because us Brits when travelling Europe always have to drive on the otherside and eventually its no big deal but I get it 🤣
1st time i drove on the right i was worried i'd mess up but it wasn't that bad. i think what helped was that sitting on the other side of the car was a constant reminder to my muscle memory that this was a different environment so keep concentrating. i wonder if it's worse if i drove my own right hand drive car in europe.
9:39-10:01 Your baby is sooooo cute. While I was watching him, I couldn't concentrate on anything else! Great use of a drone. Really shows the scenery.
I live in Scotland and in the countryside so i drive the narrow single lane roads and i have never gotten used to it, its still terrifying. I love Germany, its my favourite place to visit. I hope you enjoyed your holiday (Vacation 🤣) 🏴
@@trailblazinpeppers Good video. Didn't want you falling foul of the law. I understand that in the USA you would put the phone on the left where it wouldn't obstruct your view.
Glad you get it! It was definitely a crazy task for us. Thanks for watching and commenting. It helps with promoting our video. Please don’t forget to subscribe. -Lucas and Maria
When driving you're always going to have a hand on the steering wheel, (or at least SHOULD have), and the gear stick won't be used so much. So it makes sense for your strongest hand to be on the steering wheel and your weakest hand on the gearstick. The vast majority of people are right handed, so if their right hand is on the wheel, then the gearstick would need to be on the left, for their weaker hand. So that puts the steering wheel on the right of the vehicle. To put the driver in the position with best visibility they need to be nearer the centre line, not the kerb. So, to have the wheel on the right, gearstick on the left and the driver nearer the centre line than the kerb then sensibly the driver needs to drive on the left.
You get used to it. I lived in France for a decade, drove to the UK often. I had a mantra - 'drive in the Chris ' when the switch was needed. So the time in CA was no real stress. You did fine.
Oh and don't worry about getting a flat because you messed up, I'm English 73 and been driving since I was 17, I cannot recall just how many flats or accidents I've had because I made an error. at least 6 or 7. So try it again and enjoy your holiday.
Definitely do lol. There's 2 million legally owned guns in the UK. And as a serving police officer I have stopped several people that hold firearms licenses! It's not common but it's definitely the case. There is a shop around the corner from my house that sells live ammunition and real guns. They do clay pigeon shooting every Sunday morning as well. I don't live in the "countryside" in the middle of "nowhere" either - I live on the outskirts of London.
Of course we drive on the left in the U.K. with the wheel on the right…..I mean how else are you gonna swing your sword at your enemy when he’s barrelling towards you? Use your left hand? That would be sinister!! 😂 🗡️
I’m always stunned that we allow people, who’ve never driven on - what is to them - the opposite side of the road, to just get on with driving without at least an hours road driving orientation.
For anyone else who wants to come to Scotland. You cannot enjoy the scenery if you drive. Check out the coach holidays and trips where an experienced driver takes you around in a vehicle that let's you look over the hedges at the beauty of Scotland
You use your mirrors to check your position on the road. That will give you a reference point to the white line. On country roads use your mirrors agai. to judge where you are on the road. When passino oncomingvehicles, look at the gap not the car,.lorry, tractor or whatever. One of the jobs I had in the French Alps included orientting people to drive on the right and on snow. My constant refrain was "Check your mirrors, move to the left a little" as I watched them trying to take the paint off parked car.
Yes but I also think our roads are very different here to what they are used to. Who are you to say someone anxiety is drama? If they find it difficult them they find it difficult
It was just so unusual than what we’re used to. We definitely saw some beautiful scenery once we got out of the city and felt more comfortable driving. Love the UK.
@@trailblazinpeppers I’m Scottish and live close to where you were driving.. it’s a beautiful journey. Also to be fair.. our driving tests are a lot more difficult and strict than America, you should look it up 😁
Driving on the other side of the road is a brain/memory changer! I felt the same when in Orlando for a fortnight and being able to turn right at a junction while the lights were still red and as long as there are no on coming traffic!
When you get home, go to Carmel Indiana. The road system is virtually devoid of traffic lights and are replaced with multiple roundabouts! Apparently there is no road congestion now and they have saved thousands of $ on repair and replacement of lights, cut down fuel emissions and businesses have improved! Actually the Mayor studied at Cambridge University!
I think you handled it quite well-in re to the roundabouts, most people who live in the U.K. seem to struggle with them 😂 The only danger I would be concerned about is the phone smack bang in the middle of the windscreen! Surely that’s impeding your visibility & if you’re nervous and unsure already, I’d think it best not to have it there! Anyway, hope you’re having safe travels :)
Providing you are driving a vehicle from that country (i.e. righthand side of the car where they drive on the left, Lefthand side of the car where they drive on the right), the easy way to reassure yourself is that the drivers seat should be closest to the central line. This is particularly useful when turning at a multiple lane junction or with a roundabout where the drivers seat is closest to the middle of the roundabout! There are exceptions to this the Hatton Cross roundabout near Heathrow, 1 large roundabout surrounded by 5 smaller ones with traffic going in both directions, here as a tourist prayer is probably the best answer :)
Dutch man here. Rented a car in Ireland a few years ago and had trouble not hitting de curbs on the left side. This year who took our own European left handed car two weeks through southern England and found it much easier to do. It’s just what you are used to do I think.
It doesn't take long to get used to driving on the other side of the road. I've driven abroad on the right with a British car that has the steering wheel on the right, which is much harder.
@trailblazinpeppers with a right hand drive car driving on the right, you are next to the kerb, so overtaking is difficult as you can't see past the car in front very well.
Here's a tip I was given by my driving instructor a long time ago. When you are driving you can see in your lane almost a middle section where the tarmac looks different to the outer part where the tyres change the look of the surface. When you are driving make sure you are positioned looking down the middle section. That way you position yourself properly for driving
Tongue in cheek comment - but may I just remind you that here in the UK we drive on the correct side of the road 🙂 England was the first nation to pass an official rule, way back in 1773, which made driving on the left the law. Why other countries then proceeded to drive on the right is beyond me!!
Woah. I didn't know that. Thanks for the insight!
If you think about the actual thinking the old films about knights an jousting etc they joust with one another on the right and most used swords on the righthand and that is where you manoeuvred the horse to be right side to right side so that’s where it all stemmed from. There’s usually an answer in history somewhere!
The Romans drove on the left. Something to do with whips (!).
When the legions finally quit Britain in 410AD, I think we just couldn't be bothered mess around with it. It made sense, so why would we?
The right hand driving thing is all Napoleon's fault anyway.
@@Ingens_Scherz 🤔anyway you look at it it was to make it easier to exhibit road rage better🤭😂🖖
That's because we knew most Brits are dyslexic and will pick the wrong side of the road to drive on - we just corrected your mistake! LOL
Roundabouts save hundreds of lives a year in the UK. In the US, with its multi-lane crossroads, over half the accidents are caused by vehicles turning left and being hit by oncoming traffic.
That is true. If only the US would adopt more round abouts. Thanks for watching!
@@trailblazinpeppers We've got a few of them here in the Austin area and people are gradually getting used to them. They're so much better than 4 way stops for keeping traffic flowing smoothly and safely.
@@trailblazinpepperswhy do people turn right at a red light in the usa? That's what I encountered in vegas
@@jarent2652 Why not? You're not crossing a lane, so if you can look left & see there's nobody coming, why not go?
Pretty sure that I encountered a few in NJ 25 years ago when I occasionally went over to the US for work, although my memory is a bit hazy, but I seem to recall roundabouts the 'wrong' way round (they go anti clockwise of course) were something of a brain melt at first. Only time I had an issue really was when I was fresh off the plane on my first time, jetlagged, and not knowing where on earth I was going (I hadn't even booked a hotel and had to lie on the visa waiver form, because in my job - working on weather stations on roads and runways - we never knew where we were going to be, so the habit was to find B&Bs or pubs wherever we ended up and then stay there, back when small independent B&Bs could still be had for 20 quid or sometimes even less per night), at a crossroads I turned onto the wrong side in my crappy rental Mercury and was nearly flattened by an F350. Luckily the guy must have recognised me as a visitor in a rental and laughed it off. I eventually found a hotel where I was able to get a room and effect a change of undercrackers.
I am British, but I lived in California for 14 years.
For a time, I travelled every month back to the UK in my job.
I found absolutely no problem switching between driving on the left and right.
Because the steering wheel switched sides too, it felt very natural and easy.
Steering wheel switches sides? 😂😂. That’s a horse and cart mate, doesn’t count, or a motorbike. 😂😂😁😁
No problems for me either.
I also switch from manual to automatic gearbox v.v. each half year.
Thanks for watching and commenting. It really helps with promoting our video. Please make sure to subscribe for future videos. -Lucas and Maria
It's only a problem if you want it to be.
Similar to you, only I am from the U.S. and have lived in the U.K. 16 years. The only time I have to really think about what side of the road I need to be on is when I'm backing out of a drive.
I'm glad you remembered to drive on the correct side of the road. Some Americans don't think, kill young people with their criminal driving and then claim Diplomatic Immunity and run away to avoid justice.
Yeah, what ever happened with this ? It’s funny how our Colonial Cousins can demand instant retribution where as us Brits have to fight tooth and nail for anything..
Anne sacoolas ?
@@nateblance2936 exactly
Harry Dunn should be remembered too as he was the victim
@@pashvonderc381 Nothing.
The US did what it does best.. "bully boy" attitude of "We do what we want, be quiet".
They flew the Dunn family out to the USA, to meet Trump. Anne Sacoolas was in the next room and the idea was they would "hug and make up" and Trump would have his assistant write out a large cheque to the Dunn family. Now there's an American answer to any problem isn't it? Money!
We killed your son?! Ahhh well.. nevermind, have some money! I'm sure that will replace him right?
Meanwhile some years prior the USA DEMANDED that the UK extradite Julian Assange to the USA to face trial for his apparent "WikiLeaks" crimes. Legally the british authorities could NOT extradite him at the time as he was seeking refuge and claiming asylum in the Ecuadorian embassy - meaning he could not be taken from there by force since it's technically Ecuadorian laws and land in a foreign country.
Nevertheless, the USA still put pressure on the UK to extradite him.
Eventually he began to fall out with the officials and he was stripped of his citizenship and kicked out of the embassy - when this happened the UK had officers waiting and the moment he left the embassy he was arrested. As I understand he is currently in a prison somewhere in London whilst the extradition proceedings are taking place - sometimes these can take years.
On a crowded island with narrow roads you proceed everywhere with care & patience at a speed you are comfortable with. The speed limit signs are maximums not targets
Makes me chuckle when you say "the back roads are a little narrow"...these are actually quite wide for a single lane.
Well we definitely drove on some small roads when we were in the isle of skye and Glen Etive. Thanks for watching!
I laughed at this too. I live in the Lake District. We call those back roads, main roads. When I was driving a van I judged the roads by how much paint the have. Real back roads have no lines but sometimes do have grass. When I saw some paint on the road I could start to relax.
@@martinalloway6980 Do you mean grass between the two lines that the wheels follow, that never gets driven on so can grow to about six inches? There's a bit of Pilgrims' Way in Surrey like that. But luckily it isn't a major through route, so you rarely meet anything going the other way. In fact, you have to go a bit out of your way to go down it.
Should come visit my village. Those roads were very wide and straight in comparison. Try winding lanes in which you can touch the hedges on both sides of the lane at the same time.
Agree - these are standard lanes! I've driven my BMW saloon car through lanes which are far narrower and you literally have hedges on either side of you, no more than a few inches from your car either side. Americans would crap themselves.
The song and dance you Americans make about driving on the left hand side of the road is unbelievable - thousands of British and Irish people holiday on the continent every year without screaming their heads off. lol
Thanks for watching!
@@trailblazinpeppers
You left the parking lot via the right-hand lane - tut tut.
@@gordonsmith8899Fair point, however, ‘parking lot’, I presume you meant ‘car park’.
I won't drive in Europe but happy to drive in America . I think if you drive an automatic it does take a lot of the stress out of driving in a different country.
@Charity853 why will you not drive in Europe??????
We don’t have interstates because we don’t have states!
Correct! Thanks for watching!
Our roads are just 'In a state'
Pothole central.@@jonathanmorgan1882
We don't have parking lots in Scotland either, nor do we have "semis" on our roads.......
Although we do have semis beside the road, streets and streets of them!
I’m from the UK and quite used to driving on the right abroad, I feel like after a few times your brain realises you’re in a different country and adjusts automatically. Craziest trip I had though was to Malta where they drive on the left, but because my brain knew I was abroad it had already automatically flipped to want to drive on the right! I had to spend the whole week concentrating on driving on the side of the road I always do! 😂
I'm a Brit too. My first experience of driving on the "wrong" side was on Gran Canaria of all places! I found it surprisingly easy to adapt, but I think having the steering wheel on the left meant it all felt logical. I think driving a British car on the continent would be a lot more challenging.
I frequently drive my British campervan in Europe, and it's easy peasy. For a start, there's no banging your right hand against the door searching bor the gearstick ("shift" if you are a Merkin) in a hire car.
In Malta the locals drive in the shade
Same here, years ago I was dri ing in France and I sort of told my brain and I'd say the same, it just flipped.
@@EASYTIGER10 I'm quite the opposite. I learned driving in Sweden (right side of the road, which is the right side, because it's in the name). When driving in the UK with a left-hand-drive car, I find it quite natural (like driving in the left lane on a motorway in continental Europe). When I have to drive a right-hand-drive car in the UK, I always get it wrong. My mind is used to keeping a short distance to the left and a large distance to the right, and if I relax a bit in the UK, you can imagine what happens - I get far, far too close to whatever there is (usually parked cars) on the left side of the vehicle.
Just a side note. It’s illegal to have anything mounted in the center of the windscreen (windshield) in the UK. The main 3 quarters of the screen must be kept clear of any visual obstruction. Mount the satnav/phone to the right side of the dash. It’s easier to operate there anyway. Great vid. Enjoyed it
Well said, I saw a car the other day with a mini tablet in the middle of the windscreen, definitely blocking the view ahead.
Curious why they just didn't use the VW satnav
The difference is not the side of the road you drive on, it's the fact that you actually get taught to drive safely. The test is not easy, and many people fail it the first time. Your baby is beautiful ❤
Perfect little chap :)
I bet he can drive too!
No driving for little man. But one day he will be during us around.
Yes a driving class before hand would of been nice. Thanks.
Took me 4 goes to pass the UK test back in the early 80's, by comparison the US test was a joke.
@@JohnPilling25Four for me too, in the same era - thought it was just me who needed that many goes. Admittedly I was generally hopeless back then - now I'm a hopelessist in recovery.
Be glad it's not Australia, it would be upside down! 😉😂
Haha nice one!
Not only upside down but also on the Left.
Hahaha!
Top Gear UK vs. Austrslia best episode ever
Most countries near Australia are all right-hand drives.
Round about are found in many parts of the world 🌎 and even some states of the U.S.
I love the bit "Getting on the interstate" We don't have any States. 😂😂😁😁👍👍✔✔
Yea I realized the error when I was editing the video. Well thanks for watching!
If Hawaii can have interstates, why can't Britain?
They dont need them but just some improvements here and there.
We once took the train London - Newcastle and fast both ways. I was was fast. We rented a big car some 10 days local drive.
Most likely brits build what they need too. I dont know Hawai but britts has a lot of old infrastructure, by that they spread traffic out. In the urban areas the has a lot of local trains and busses as well.
have a nice day
@@kgbgb3663inter County is more like it..
Because they aren't called "interstates" they're called "dual carriageways" and "motorways". @@kgbgb3663
They're making a bit of a meal of this. Driving on the other side is not difficult, or scary, particularly if you have a rental so the wheel is on the correct side for the road environment (the one thing that can be tricky is tollbooths and very acute-angled junctions when the wheel is on the wrong side). It is quite weird the first time, and you do have to remember which country you are in when setting off on a country lane (very few clues like signs, road markings or other vehicles, so it's easy to set off on the wrong side).
05:12 - yeah, that's not the back roads. That's the main road, that's the highway. That's the main trunk route from central Scotland up to the north-west.
That's it right there, where all the traffic is.
We definitely saw the real back roads while in the isle of Skye!
@@trailblazinpeppers Yeah, I grew up on Skye and recognised a lot of the bits of road.
Now consider that those single-track roads with passing places are *technically* "National Speed Limit" roads, so 60mph...
@@erroneousboshI live on Skye and was at nearly 60 on a straight bit of single track road today. You could see a mile ahead that nothing was coming so why not? People not used to them can be a pest. Locals adjust speeds so that they pass each other still moving. Some tourists come to a stop just before the passing place and wait till you've come to stop before they move again. Others pull into the passing place even if it's on the right for them - a passing place is just a very short bit of wider road, keep to the left.
@@carelgoodheir692Yes, I know :-) We're locals, we drive like locals.
Roundabouts are the greatest investion.
They are more efficient. Thanks for watching!
invention*
Brit here, commenting from France, driving back from Italy in a campervan. We have driven in every country in Europe, on the wrong side of the road ...it is absolutely a doodle! And quite why Americans are so terrified of roundabouts, I have no idea! They are so easy and efficient! At least Americans speak a similar language to the UK. Cyrillic signs in Bulgaria are "interesting"!
Stupidity?
The rules of roundabouts aren't the same in every country in Europe. For example, Portugal is different to Spain, which is different to France.
What an awful video, two Americans who should be nowhere near a car, please stay away from the SE.
@@stevo728822 Well in 30 years driving in Europe, only Turkey has had different rules (seemingly, but that might just be Turkish drivers). If the rules are different they have made no material difference at all. (but I haven't driven in Iceland or the Faroes)
They are American!
FYI, it’s illegal to have anything in the swept area of the windscreen. If the police spot your phone on the windshield it’s a £100 fine.
I noticed that too.
Interesting. As in 'swept' you mean the area covered by the wipers. That's where the sucker for my phone holder has been for over ten years. So my phone is just above the dashboard.
Although I did notice that for my last MOT in April they took the holder off the windscreen.
lol, I always have my phone there, nobody is ever pulling you over for that. Chill out.
You were fortunate to have chosen to visit Scotland rather than England because the roads in general are much less busy. Having your steering wheel on the right makes negotiating roundabouts and junctions so much easier.
I remember when I used to visit the Highlands once a week in my lorry doing deliveries, on the same roundabout near Dingwall, two weeks in a row I met a hired car coming around the roundabout the wrong way and it wasn't even a large busy one which can be challenging for many drivers.
Glad to hear you enjoyed Scotland, it really is beautiful. 👍👍
Happened to me on the roundabout coming into Inverness.
Woops! Where are coming from mate!!!???
And they were in an automatic - even easier!
Or going the wrong way round the one way system by the railway station in Dingwall (Station Road has 2 lanes, both going clockwise, and continues from High Street which is also one way).
Many Scottish country roads have arrows painted on them and signs reminding drivers to drive on the left. Foreign drivers forgetting which side to drive on is a common problem in the Highlands because they don't encounter enough traffic to remind them, just enough to collide head on with.
a
we found a paper arrow on the dash to be a good reminder on driving in a country which drives on the opposite side and its mainly in the morning when we would forget when driving off
You just need to give yourself 30 minutes to programme your mind. We Brits regularly travel to Europe where we have to drive on your side of the road. It's daunting for the first few minutes, but once you pick up your confidence it gets easier. Just tell yourself you're going to do this, and be determined to conquer any fears. Then you find your fears are unnecessary. Don't do what I've done - gain confidence and then find myself on the wrong side. Go to bed at night, shut your eyes and imagine yourself doing it. Remove the barriers.
That is good advice! Thanks for watching!
@@trailblazinpeppers As I regularly shuffle between left and right side, both of the road and the car, I try to visualise a piece of road that I know really well in that country and see myself on the side I need to be on. The biggest danger comes when you've been doing it for a week and forget to pay attention. Next thing you know you're heading straight for an oncoming vehicle and wondering why they are on the wrong side when it's actually you.
@@fizzyridertooHa ha. This happened to me. Fortunately it was a long straight road so we both had time to slow down and approach each other bumper to bumper. We were both gesticulating to the other idiot. Then I said oh god it’s me!
I hope cars didn’t “pile up” behind you. Here a pile up is a multi car accident - literally piled up! Your stately progress might have caused them to back up behind you😊
I am English but have driven in many other European countries and also in the USA (Boston and around Massachusetts). In fact, I've just returned from two weeks driving around Slovenia and Austria. It is surprising how quickly you adjust to driving on the other side of the road. After a couple of hours you get into it and after a day or two it feels natural. I don't like changing from second gear into third with my right hand though. It feels like an uncomfortable movement. I DO remember the first time I drove abroad on the right I was always driving too close to the edge of the road and my tyre definitely left the road a couple of times. It must be a common problem when people switch sides. I got used to it though.
I found driving in the USA interesting. Most of Europe has pretty much the same road signs and rules but not in America. A lot of the signs used words rather than pictures and symbols and some of the words I didn't understand as the vocabulary was different to the UK. Also I think I was as terrified of your enormous multi-lane crossroads and traffic lights as you were of our roundabouts. I loved it anyway.
Wow! Yeah our rods in US are huge. Thanks for watching and commenting. It helps with promoting our video. Please don’t forget to subscribe. -Lucas and Maria
more like 5 mins ie couple of junctions and thats it .
Best advice I can give any visiting Americans is to drive just to the left of the centre line on single lane roads. That way you'll avoid dropping the left wheel off the road or hitting the kerb. At roundabouts give way to vehicles from the right, if theres nothing there just carry on onto the roundabout. Left lane for turning left, right lane for turning right and either for straight ahead. And you can't avoid roundabouts, they are absolutely everywhere so embrace them and you'll soon find them easy to negotiate.
Good advice. Just follow the car in front is what I did.
Does no one think of using their wing mirrors?
Nice advice! Thanks for watching and commenting. It helps with promoting our video. Please don’t forget to subscribe. -Lucas and Maria
@andrewlaw
> Best advice I can give any visiting Americans is to drive just to the left of the centre line on single lane roads.
> That way you'll avoid dropping the left wheel off the road or hitting the kerb. At roundabouts give way to vehicles
> from the right, if theres nothing there just carry on onto the roundabout. Left lane for turning left, right lane for
> turning right and either for straight ahead. And you can't avoid roundabouts, they are absolutely everywhere so
> embrace them and you'll soon find them easy to negotiate.
And soon after, you'll start thinking "these are brilliant, why don't we have them back home?"
But fingers crossed you don't encounter any mini-roundabouts with the 3-player game of chicken before you've had more general practice.
@@raindancer6111 most vehicles dont have them so no
Born and raised in the UK and I live in Canada, I have no problem driving on either side, in fact I have a Japanese JDM import car from japan in Canada so I drive on the right with the steering on the right side.
Thanks for you positive overall experience visiting our beautiful country.
What is wrong with Americans? This business about "the wrong side of the road". Plenty of people who normally drive on the left take about 5 minutes to adjust to driving on the right as well as kilometres instead of miles and a host of other regulations. I don't see catalogues of "first time on the right" videos.
We’re just crazy I guess. 😂
Some are not as fast as him. Im sure is as a well prepered reading about it.
Many could learn from Baden Powel in London. His motto is/was BE PREPARED. At for many things and or only cars.
When I lived in Germany I had no problems adjusting, but I knew other Brits who really struggled with driving on the right, even after being there for months. Everyone is different!
The dangerous moment is after a pit stop, when the Brits start driving again they can easily enter the wrong side, this is how most accidents with left-side drivers occur.
Living on the South Coast, we were always nipping across to France. First 5 minutes on the other side of the road you got used to it. I personally preferred it with loads of French cars, then it's just a game of tag, follow the car in front. Only thing that slightly complicates it. Driving a right hand drive car on the right hand side of the road.
I have driven in multiple countries, both left and rights. It’s easy….. no reason to be scared.
Not as hard as some people make it out to be. Thanks for watching!
Speak for yourself,my friend.
I am 69 years old in London and, successfully, drove for 43 years, mostly in and around the capital but I never fancied driving on the right-hand side.
One thing I have noticed in my life is that when someone is proficient at something they assume everyone else can do that same thing but that isn't the case. You could show me something practical 10 times and when you're gone,I still would not work it out. I got )% at both Woodwork and Technical Drawing at Grammar School. lol
What’s easy for one person isn’t for another. I’m sure there are plenty of things I find easy that you’d struggle with.
If you really want to see narrow roads then go to Beautiful Cornwall.
We will add it to our list! Thanks for watching.
New clutch, gearbox and wing mirrors required 😂
Or come to parts of Yorkshire and the lake District!
When I was little we went to Cornwall and the roads were tiny. Clearly nothing’s changed.
Yep some of our lanes in Cornwall are only wide enough for one car...reversing skills come in handy 😊
Have you had positional awareness problems in America? I drove on the continent and in the UK on a regular basis and didnt actually have any of these problems it was more after a period where I got comfortable again at which ever it was (right or left) I might turn onto the wrong side of the road, but even that was only a couple of times in 6 years. I drove in the States once too for a week or so, the main problem there was remembering to look up for traffic lights. find a car park (preferably empty) and practice a bit, it will at least help with your expected nervousness after your little off road trip, and help you get used to the car/van without having to worry about everything else at the same time. if you are still in Scotland (doubt it just noticed how long ago this was posted) have a great time smashing place I lived there for 6 years in the 80's.
Thanks for watching.
In the Shetlands and some other areas of rural Scotland, many roads are only one lane wide. A number of years ago, I drove through Mortimer in the UK. It looked like the road was 1.5 lanes wide with rock walls on both sides.
Wow that would be intimidating meeting another car on those roads. Thanks for watching!
So glad that you enjoyed your trip to our beautiful Scotland. I don't think you mentioned if you had to tackle single-track roads with passing places at any time? Now, that WOULD have been an interesting experience!
I have a lot of sympathy with your nervousness about driving on the 'wrong' side of the road. As a Brit married to a continental, I confess that I pass the steering wheel to my husband when we cross the channel. Wimpish, but it keeps us safe!
And as for the narrowness of British roads, I remember weaving through the heavily-parked streets of an Edinburgh suburb with visiting American friends in the passenger seats, and seeing their knuckles go white! (We got to our destination safely).
We just posted our Isle of Skye video! Those were some tight roads. Go check it out.
Recalling our trip to Scotland 27 years ago. Our rental was a manual, and it took about a day to get used to it all; even shifting became second nature. Remembering which side of the road to be on when turning right was a challenge, but the single-track roads in the more remote areas were really daunting…having to reverse uphill to give way to the oncoming vehicle! You’re right about this: Scotland is lovely and worth seeing by car.
You should only reverse uphill if the other vehicle is something large and difficult to maneuver. A forestry truck or somebody towing a caravan. Usually the downhill driver would reverse.
Thanks for watching and commenting. It helps with promoting our video. Please don’t forget to subscribe. -Lucas and Maria
@@RonTodd-gb1eo I was always taught to give way to the car climbing the hill. "Give way to vehicles coming uphill whenever you can. If necessary, reverse until you reach a passing place to let the other vehicle pass" From the Highway Code.
Thank you I stand corrected.@@Lily-Bravo
@@RonTodd-gb1eo That's OK. Where I live we have to put this into practice every day, hence my twitchiness!
Just found this - it's superbly enjoyable - thank you. I hope you have a lovelt time.
I have driven for many years in different countries and never found the left/right switch the slightest problem. What is tricky is that driving in Europe the standard lane width is 3m as opposed to 11 feet in UK and US. 3 M is ever so slightly narrower but it is very noticeable straight away.
I've driven in the UK, Europe and the USA, both of the right and left side of the road. It's the lane position which is difficult to get used to.
Driving in USA is so much easier for an European as the roads are so wide and straight.
Agreed.
Bro nailed that roundabout and the little smile at 3:10 means he knows it!
Haha. Thanks for watching!
The roads are narrow in the countryside, so that they blend as best as possible into their natural surroundings and the beautiful countryside is not scarred by huge, unnecessarily wide strips of concrete everywhere, like in the USA.
That's not the reason at all, most time it's not possible for wider roads, which is why you get extremely narrow roads. A lot of the land is privately owned also
@@AlainnCorcaigh Yep!
It really isn't. You know nothing
Nope. Most country roads used to be cart tracks, they were there hundreds of years before the invention of the car. England is an old country and most towns, like my own have been around since the Middle Ages.
Plus its cheaper. Why build an expensive road when your old narrow track keeps up with the need?
In Britain and Ireland you'll be driving on the left-hand side of the road. Why that side? Originally, it was in order for you to drive defensively…with your "sword hand" on the inside to protect you against unknown oncoming horsemen.
Glad you enjoyed the experience. I taught my wife to drive in the North of Scotland in 1979. She did not like those loose gravel single track roads, as she could not judge the passing places with lack of experience. In those days there were Ferries over the Lochs and rivers, usually with a welcoming man playing a Bagpipe to keep the tourists happy.
think your wife would find it hard if she drove in the Aussie out back so many dirt roads.
Im half American half British, and when I came back to the UK, those backroads seemed tiny after being in the states, but after being back in the UK for the last 20 years now, trust me, those backroads now seem wide...trust me, they get smaller then that
The roads aren’t tight, you just think they are.
Thanks for watching!
I guess American roads are wider due to wider vehicles.
Driving on the other side of the road is no problem mostly. The only time I’ve had a problem is when I was tired and forgot. I’ve done this while travelling and when coming back after a trip.
My first time driving outside the UK was in Lanzarote (Spain). Took about an hour to get used to the road layout and all controls being on the wrong side of car and that was it! Up into the mountains and valleys, driving over a volcano and all kinds of stuff like that, no problem! ...and no easy AUTOMATIC option either!! Ha ha!
Yeah that sounds really hard and scary!
Thanks for watching and commenting. It helps with promoting our video. Please don’t forget to subscribe. -Lucas and Maria
Yeah that sounds really hard and scary!
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you shoul dhave familiarised yourself with the controls BEFORE driving off in the first place. Whilst driving is not the time to do it.
@@mariahoulihan9483 Yaaaaawn!
Where I live in Southern England I can start a journey driving on the left, catch a fast ferry to France and be driving on the 'wrong' side of the road 2 hours later, then catch a ferry back home in time for supper.
A simple tip . the white lines in the centre of UK roads all have meanings, including showing the width of the available cariageway. Look it up in the Highway Code, available online and in print.
What is the fear of roundabouts, so much safer than the dangerous four way stop , or even traffic lights.
One very good idea from the USA which should IMHO be copied elsewhere is the distinction between white and yellow lane markings. A yellow line separates you from traffic moving in the opposite direction, i.e. towards you! Solid, broken or double white lines are also effective but the contrasting colour adds a layer of safety.
@@CoastHobbit9340 Yellow already has other meanings in the UK . The materials used for road markings are under continuous developement for effectiveness. In my driving life they have changed from simple white paint, to a hot mix application which includes retro reflective materials and more recently a textured finish that makes a noise when you drive on the line.
We had no problem driving in England for four weeks except for the narrow country roads with one lane but are two way. Thankfully there are tiny pullouts every once in a while for drivers to pull over and let oncoming traffic pass.
Yes we used those pullouts a lot while in Skye and Glencoe. They were very helpful.
Hi Maria, Lucas, Griffin, and Truett! Glad you enjoyed your trip to Scotland, our for ever home. We have been here 10 years, I was in the military for 32 years, my wife of 48 years is Lorna she was a Nursing Sister. served mainly in the UK but did get a trip to Berlin plus 2 years in the Libyan desert at RAF El Adem 32 miles south of Tobruk in their Desert Rescue Team
Wow thank you for your service!
You did a great job with it, just remember the more times you do something the easier it gets. I spent 2 years in Gibraltar driving on the right and every time I came home which was 2-3 times a year I would have relapses where I would go into auto mode and drive on the wrong side but not for long as something always made me think. Apart from that what did you think of the UK?
We loved it! Definitely planning another trip this summer.
As a Brit, the first time I drove in Germany the hire company wanted to "upgrade" me to an automatic. I insisted on a manual (stick shift) as I had never driven an automatic and had enough to deal with driving on the right! Changing gear with the right hand took no time to get used to. I find having a local car helpful to remind me which side of the road to drive on but have got very used to driving in Europe in my UK spec car over the years. I would love to visit and drive in the US.
I have driven in the UK several times but only with a left steering car. The stick shift on the "wrong" side is what frightens me most if I need to rent a car.
Hertz gave me a discount once because they only had a stick shift 👍
@@IPADGETT I rented transporters several times. Once they only had an automatic and they asked if I could drive with it and if I would accept that 🙂.
Thanks for sharing and watching!
When I was forced to learn an automatic I adapted faster than I thought. Even though I change gears without consciously thinking I realised in the end that I did feel better in an automatic - there's some sort of mental effort going on with a manual even if it's not an obvious one. On motorcycles this is much more obvious - automatic scooters are more relaxing to ride than bikes with gears and clutches.
I drove in the states (I'm from the UK) and I didn't find it difficult. I did have an automatic though which I think probably helped even though I usually drive a manual.
Interesting video and well done . Just two questions.......What is scary about roundabouts and what the he'll is a Semeye Truck ?
We were anxious about going through a round about right on the left side of the road. Not the round about itself. We call them semi trucks.
OK Thank you for replying , but never having heard the phrase semi-truck I am curious to know what a semi-truck is. Possibly we in the UK have a different name for the same type of vehicle . Thank you , I'd really like to know .
In the US the large shipping trucks can be called an 18 wheeler, tractor trailer, or most commonly a semi which is short for a semi trailer truck.
Americans [and Canadians]. pronounce semi [we say semee] as sem-eye. Like antee [UK] and ant-eye [US/CAN]. They also say EYE-ran and EYE-raq, and Moss-COW - plus others........
I recognised the road at a couple of points in the video as being the A82, which is quite a testing, narrow and twisty road once you get into the rural areas. At times I was quite nervous driving that route a couple of months ago in a car I have had for 14 years and having passed my driving test in Edinburgh in 1973. So I take my hat off to you! A lot of people from the central belt of Scotland, let alone from further afield, have difficulty working out what to do on the single-track roads with signed passing places but you just have to accept that you need to go quite slowly and maybe only go up to 3rd or 4th gear (in a car with 6 gears). Consequently a 20-mile (32 km) journey might take an hour or more.
3:09 You're leaving your signals a bit late. Aim for 5 clicks before the action and 5 during. With mirrors.
🫡
I once sat in the passenger seat of a taxi abroad. Seats, wheel and traffic all mirrored. I didn't feel tripped out. I adjusted immediately.
Everyone is different. Thanks for watching!
Loved every second of your video.
From Australia (where we also drive on the correct - left - side of the road) we did find some of the Scottish roads were a bit "tight" when we were there in 2019.
Your story has got me inspired to edit our trip - you have some great clips there.
Very heartwarming to see such a nice family enjoying your adventure together.
Thank you for the kind words. We love being able to look back at our travel videos and relive our trips! Thanks for watching.
It's the first few seconds that have the greatest impact on you. The feeling that you're going to run headlong into oncoming traffic is palpable. Fortunately, this feeling does not last long, and you soon get used to it. The steering wheel being on the other side of the car is a a constant reminder. Accidentally walking up to the wrong side of the car to get in, well, that's another matter. I was still doing it for weeks.
Well done guys. You did great, and I hope you enjoyed your tour of Scotland and didn't get eaten alive by the midges. We have to go through exactly the same period of adjustment when we visit family in San Francisco from the UK, but I admit our roads are narrower, and especially if you're driving a camper van.
We absolutely loved our time in Scotland. Definitely was sad to leave. The midges were still out. But we made the best of it. Thanks for watching.
As you are driving a right hand drive van it is much easier than driving on the opposite side of the road in your own car. When you do that it is much harder to see and judge where you are in the road. Also the roads you described as narrow are two way. You should try driving down some of the narrow roads in Devon which are single track with passing places. I hope you enjoy your trip wherever you decide to go.
@@stephenwest9757 Yep. Roads in South Devon are something else, aren't they! You can always tell who the visitors are.
@@stephenwest9757 I grew up in a farming area in mid Devon. The roads were only just big enough for a lorry or bus to go through. The hedges were 5 foot high. The road even had grass growing in the middle of it. It was 3 miles front the nearest village and 10 miles from the nearest supermarket.
Best wishes
Many roads in the UK have potholes. So you are not alone with that experience. I live in the UK and potholes have given me a flat tyre too.
I was very discouraged when I got the flat tire. I decided the deicing wasn’t for me. I’m too anxious of a person.
yes and 2 new front shocks 2 bottom links 2 springs 2 track control arms
@pjcat3522
> Many roads in the UK have potholes. So you are not alone with that experience.
> I live in the UK and potholes have given me a flat tyre too.
And very appositely for this video, a joke I heard fairly recently:
"In the UK we used to drive on the left. Now we drive on what's left."
As a UK citizen driving on the right is alien to me but the first time I drove on the “wrong” side of the road in France it just meant concentrating a little more and it wasn’t a problem after a couple of miles.
I have made a like experience. I am from Germany. I drove for about a week in the UK many years ago. The things I found strange:
1. to move the stick (not automatic) with the left. That made me feel like a beginner again;
2. to change my pattern of wide (to the right) and narrow (to the left) curves;
3. to get on the left lane when entering from an "unmarked" road.
I had very few to no problems when I was in denser traffic which constantly reminded me of the right (left) side to drive on. And no problems with roundabouts. That was because In Germany we didn't have too many at the time. They have become very frequent over the last decade.
In the end it was more difficult to re-learn existing routines than to pick up new ones like doing roundabouts.
Thanks for sharing your experience. I can relate to what you said. Thanks for watching!
Being from the UK, I am used to driving on the left and the driver being on the right. I have driven in France, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands and Luxembourg and found no problem at all with driving on the other side of the road (both in left and right-hand drive vehicles). I agree totally with feeling like a beginner again the first time I drove a left-hand drive manual car.
The trick to driving on the opposite side of the road than you are used to is to have the side mirrors turned slightly down a little to start with. Then if you are not sure of your position in a lane you can look in the mirror and see the gap between your vehicle and the edge of the road and adjust your position if you need to.
I can sympathise. When I've driven in France and Spain is not too bad on 'normal' roads, but once I was in a town with traffic everywhere it was a nightmare!
The "Place De L'etoile (Arc de Triumph) and the Champs Elyse can be interesting.
Driving on the 'wrong side' of the road can be nerve wracking when you first try it, but it soon becomes second nature. What I found hard, with a manual, was that I kept hitting my hand on the door as I was used to the gear stick being on the left. More importantly, my instinct when a collision is likely is to pull left ... that tends to take you into real trouble.
The really hard bit, though, is reading road signs in languages where even the letters are difficult to read. It's very easy to get lost when even the names of the towns are written in ways that don't make any sense to someone who doesn't speak the language.
Americans make such a drama over things. It is the correct side for us. Originality not a thing.
It was just so unusual for us. Thankfully I got the hang of it after a day or 2.
The drama comes from our culture - unfortunately.
Coming from NZ and switching to Europe, Middle East, USA and back again the biggest issue is when 1st turning into a road without any traffic and remembering what side you should be on. The steering wheel should be next to the centerline and you need the passenger side mirror set so you can see the kerb or lane markers.
76 countries
All in all, 163 countries and territories have right-hand drive traffic while vehicles use the left-side in 76 countries. The bulk of countries that drive on the left are former British colonies including South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.7 Sept 2020
also japan and india
For me as a Brit driving in, say, France, the danger starts just after you feel that you've got comfortable driving on the other side of the road. That's when you'll make a mistake or two when coming out of a car park or going through some odd road setup. I've also done the opposite when returning to the UK, under unusual circumstances I found myself at a crossroads but with my car on the right.
There's even a danger on one way systems. Pull over politely to let the youths on motorcycles past you, and, because you didn't in fact pull over, you pulled out, die of embarrassment because they think you have just deliberately been a complete asshole. I was lucky not to have caused an accident that would have been completely my fault.
You're absolutely right.
It's when you relax and think "I've got this", that is when you turn into a quiet side road and drive on the wrong side.
Felt for you guys watching this. I had reverse experience in Canada many yrs ago. Left parking lot and right onto 'wrong' side of road. Lucky no traffic but friend near had heart attack.😂
You dont like roundabouts? I reckon they're safer than those 4 way stops. Hope y'all had a great trip?!
Roundabouts are just not as common where we’re from on the US. But we have come to like them since living in Germany. Thanks for watching!
You chose a good place to learn to drive on the OTHER (not "wrong") side of the road. Britain is beautiful and Scotland is an absolute jewel of incredible landscapes. [6:14] I love the look of fear on Lucas's face when he announces turning over control to Maria.
Some history to add to some of the comments I've seen about the "right" and "wrong" side of the road. Don't worry it's a very abridged version. The reason that I read many years ago for why we drive on the left in the UK is because back when everyone rode horses and carried a sword it was assumed (correctly) that most people used a sword with their right hand. So if you ride on the left and someone coming in the opposite direction tries to attack you from their horse you will have your sword hand facing their sword hand. In other countries they decided that you should ride on the right in order to make it harder to attack with your right hand. So in short, we ride (drive) on the left for offensive purposes and others ride (drive) on the right for defensive purposes. Note that whether you are a left-hand drive country or right-hand drive country the driver's side will always be in the middle of the road. Drivers going in opposite directions will always face each other as they pass.
Ok, so for back roads, check out the 'Applecross pass'
Driven a lot throughout Europe and never have a problem with driving on the right. It's when I get home to the UK that I have to keep reminding myself that I have to drive on the left if I want to maintain my car's paintwork.
I've been in the UK for a number of years and I still have to concentrate on driving on the left.
The most precious thing is your family, take it slow and steady.
I will say that drivers in the UK are pretty forgiving and are helpful to new or nervous drivers.
The best bit of advice I was given for main roads is to always remember that the driver sits in the middle of the road (along the white line)
For narrow (small) roads, put a band or similar around your left wrist and remember that's against the curb / verge.
Finally, drivers in the UK are much better than drivers at home and in spite of what you may have heard, very friendly.
Just to add , the roads in Scotland especially in the Highlands and Islands are superb compared to those in the rest of the UK , where they are appalling . Any harsh words spoken after the tyre incident ? Beautiful baby.
Glad you enjoyed our country .
No harsh words from our rental company. Thanks for comment.
What you call back roads we call main roads.
Haha. Well we definitely drove on some real back roads when we drove in the isle of skye. Thanks for watching!
great to see you embracing the UK driving. As a Brit I do find it strange how you guys freak out but thats because us Brits when travelling Europe always have to drive on the otherside and eventually its no big deal but I get it 🤣
1st time i drove on the right i was worried i'd mess up but it wasn't that bad. i think what helped was that sitting on the other side of the car was a constant reminder to my muscle memory that this was a different environment so keep concentrating. i wonder if it's worse if i drove my own right hand drive car in europe.
9:39-10:01
Your baby is sooooo cute. While I was watching him, I couldn't concentrate on anything else!
Great use of a drone. Really shows the scenery.
Glad you enjoyed it!
2:38 DO NOT gasp, squeal, or yell out, when a driver is trying to concentrate.
🫣
I live in Scotland and in the countryside so i drive the narrow single lane roads and i have never gotten used to it, its still terrifying. I love Germany, its my favourite place to visit. I hope you enjoyed your holiday (Vacation 🤣) 🏴
I recently did a road trip around the highlands, I found the roads better than England where I'm from... I've yet to do the west coast though...
Of course everyone knows America is the centre of the universe 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
I don’t know about that. 😂 Thanks for watching and commenting. It helps with promoting our video. Please don’t forget to subscribe. -Lucas and Maria
Just look at where they put the navigation phone obstructing the drivers view. As for the size of the roads, we're a small island.
Thanks for watching. Don't worry we don't put the phone there anymore. We loved Scotland it was so beautiful!
@@trailblazinpeppers Good video. Didn't want you falling foul of the law. I understand that in the USA you would put the phone on the left where it wouldn't obstruct your view.
Do you guys not use your wing mirrors to check your road position? It helps whichever side of the road you're used to.
We do.
hahahha I totally get what you are experiencing. I've been driving in UK for about 5 months now and it's still scary and weird !!
Glad you get it! It was definitely a crazy task for us. Thanks for watching and commenting. It helps with promoting our video. Please don’t forget to subscribe. -Lucas and Maria
In that case, perhaps you might think about NOT driving at all. It takes most furriners I know about ten minutes to get used to it.
At least you are used to European road signs having lived in Germany.
Yes that definitely helps. Thanks for watching!
When driving you're always going to have a hand on the steering wheel, (or at least SHOULD have), and the gear stick won't be used so much.
So it makes sense for your strongest hand to be on the steering wheel and your weakest hand on the gearstick.
The vast majority of people are right handed, so if their right hand is on the wheel, then the gearstick would need to be on the left, for their weaker hand.
So that puts the steering wheel on the right of the vehicle.
To put the driver in the position with best visibility they need to be nearer the centre line, not the kerb.
So, to have the wheel on the right, gearstick on the left and the driver nearer the centre line than the kerb then sensibly the driver needs to drive on the left.
Thanks for the info!
You get used to it. I lived in France for a decade, drove to the UK often. I had a mantra - 'drive in the Chris ' when the switch was needed. So the time in CA was no real stress.
You did fine.
Thanks for watching and commenting. It helps with promoting our video. Don’t forget to subscribe. -Lucas and Maria
Oh and don't worry about getting a flat because you messed up, I'm English 73 and been driving since I was 17, I cannot recall just how many flats or accidents I've had because I made an error. at least 6 or 7. So try it again and enjoy your holiday.
Thanks. I was so upset with myself. But we had a great trip.
Well that's good. Next time drive to Cornwall the backroads are very narrow wth high hedges. great fun.@@trailblazinpeppers
Don't be scared we don't have guns here 😂😂
Nice! Thanks for watching!
Definitely do lol. There's 2 million legally owned guns in the UK. And as a serving police officer I have stopped several people that hold firearms licenses!
It's not common but it's definitely the case. There is a shop around the corner from my house that sells live ammunition and real guns. They do clay pigeon shooting every Sunday morning as well. I don't live in the "countryside" in the middle of "nowhere" either - I live on the outskirts of London.
Of course we drive on the left in the U.K. with the wheel on the right…..I mean how else are you gonna swing your sword at your enemy when he’s barrelling towards you? Use your left hand? That would be sinister!! 😂 🗡️
True. 😂
I saw what you did there.......
I’m always stunned that we allow people, who’ve never driven on - what is to them - the opposite side of the road, to just get on with driving without at least an hours road driving orientation.
Thanks for watching.
For anyone else who wants to come to Scotland. You cannot enjoy the scenery if you drive. Check out the coach holidays and trips where an experienced driver takes you around in a vehicle that let's you look over the hedges at the beauty of Scotland
Thanks for the advice! That is good for people who aren't comfortable driving in the UK.
You use your mirrors to check your position on the road. That will give you a reference point to the white line. On country roads use your mirrors agai. to judge where you are on the road. When passino oncomingvehicles, look at the gap not the car,.lorry, tractor or whatever. One of the jobs I had in the French Alps included orientting people to drive on the right and on snow. My constant refrain was "Check your mirrors, move to the left a little" as I watched them trying to take the paint off parked car.
Such a drama! Thousnds of us Brits cross the channel and drive on the right all the time - no problem.
Yes, and often in our right-hand drive cars too!
Yes but I also think our roads are very different here to what they are used to. Who are you to say someone anxiety is drama? If they find it difficult them they find it difficult
It was just so unusual than what we’re used to. We definitely saw some beautiful scenery once we got out of the city and felt more comfortable driving. Love the UK.
@@trailblazinpeppers I’m Scottish and live close to where you were driving.. it’s a beautiful journey. Also to be fair.. our driving tests are a lot more difficult and strict than America, you should look it up 😁
Driving on the other side of the road is a brain/memory changer! I felt the same when in Orlando for a fortnight and being able to turn right at a junction while the lights were still red and as long as there are no on coming traffic!
When you get home, go to Carmel Indiana. The road system is virtually devoid of traffic lights and are replaced with multiple roundabouts! Apparently there is no road congestion now and they have saved thousands of $ on repair and replacement of lights, cut down fuel emissions and businesses have improved! Actually the Mayor studied at Cambridge University!
I think you handled it quite well-in re to the roundabouts, most people who live in the U.K. seem to struggle with them 😂
The only danger I would be concerned about is the phone smack bang in the middle of the windscreen! Surely that’s impeding your visibility & if you’re nervous and unsure already, I’d think it best not to have it there!
Anyway, hope you’re having safe travels :)
Yes we now realize that is not where it should be. It’s so funny because that’s where people put them in America.
Yup, and in America 10,000 people die every year using their watching their phones and not the road.
Providing you are driving a vehicle from that country (i.e. righthand side of the car where they drive on the left, Lefthand side of the car where they drive on the right), the easy way to reassure yourself is that the drivers seat should be closest to the central line. This is particularly useful when turning at a multiple lane junction or with a roundabout where the drivers seat is closest to the middle of the roundabout! There are exceptions to this the Hatton Cross roundabout near Heathrow, 1 large roundabout surrounded by 5 smaller ones with traffic going in both directions, here as a tourist prayer is probably the best answer :)
Thanks for watching and commenting. It really helps with promoting our video. Please make sure to subscribe for future videos. -Lucas and Maria
Dutch man here. Rented a car in Ireland a few years ago and had trouble not hitting de curbs on the left side. This year who took our own European left handed car two weeks through southern England and found it much easier to do. It’s just what you are used to do I think.
Yes! How fun you got to take your own car.
It doesn't take long to get used to driving on the other side of the road.
I've driven abroad on the right with a British car that has the steering wheel on the right, which is much harder.
I was wondering if that would be harder. Why do you think so? Thanks for watching.
@trailblazinpeppers with a right hand drive car driving on the right, you are next to the kerb, so overtaking is difficult as you can't see past the car in front very well.
Here's a tip I was given by my driving instructor a long time ago. When you are driving you can see in your lane almost a middle section where the tarmac looks different to the outer part where the tyres change the look of the surface. When you are driving make sure you are positioned looking down the middle section. That way you position yourself properly for driving
We done the same thing in the states landed in Sandford and drove to clearwater in a massive storm
Wow that sounds really scary.
The little guy's face @9:49 just brightened up my day ☺