Advice on Driving on the "WRONG" side of the Road in the UK & Ireland 

Yeah, it's been said below but just to reiterate, if any emergency vehicle has their blue lights activated you MUST pull over, regardless of whether their sirens are on or not. Most only activate their sirens if you're failing to move over for their lights. No lights = no emergency so no driver action required. Lights = emergency, legal requirement to move over. Lights and sirens = No difference from just lights. Hope that helps 👍

Great video, but if you ever get flustered, never be afraid to find somewhere safe to pull over and take a few moments to calm down and recompose yourself.

A point not mentioned is that on motorways you should keep left unless overtaking. Don't go cruising down the middle lane because overtaking on the left is not permitted, unlike the US where passing both sides is common.

As an American living in Ireland for 17 years, I would say be careful at the round a bouts! Always go clockwise and always yield to the car on the right.

Turning on red is not permitted in the UK. As a Brit this has caught me out when driving in the US as I would sit at red lights when I could turn! However sometimes then is a green filter light pointing in the direction of travel, which when lit, replaces the main red light allowing you to turn in that direction. I believe the same applies in Ireland.

Also: Learn all the cars buttons/blinkers/wipers on the rental parking lot when you pick up the car. Better to know before rather than looking weird when your wipers turn on when you want to turn ;)

As a Swede who have been to Great Britain over 20 times and Ireland three times (6-7 of them while driving there), I would never get to see all those beautiful places outside the big cities if I hadn't been driving there. Yes, the first time, it's terrifying for the first few hours (I remember stalling at one of the roundabouts at Gatwick airport) but you will get used to it quite soon. But, the roads are still quite narrow in many places (even for Nordic standards), especially in the countryside and small towns.

Emergency vehicles only have their lights on if they’re going to a call; they won’t be driving around casually with the blues on Apart from that, great video!

Also a reminder...you can NOT go through any red light at all. Ever. Unlike when we were in Florida and you could turn on a red.

Back in the day my buddies and I went to Ireland. Finding an automatic was tough but we found one. We also lost our left side side mirror to a stone wall. The roads are often super narrow. But it wasn't as scary as driving in Paris.

I would add, to not necessarily hire the car at the airport depending on where you're going especially if you're nervous and want to do some rural driving til you get used to it. If you want to do South Wales and the Cotswolds you can get trains in good time to Bristol/Bath area and hire there. Same with if you want to go to Scotland. Trains to Scotland are beautiful historic routes and you can get to Edinburgh in 4 hours from London on the train have a couple of days in city and then hire there too.

I can't tell if you're outrageously dedicated or just crazy standing out in the rain to make this video. Great to see Jocelyn helping you out with a few explanation moments. As always, your info is spot on!

Great video, great tips, as always. Thanks for sharing!

Another word of advice about finding reverse gear: my little VW Polo requires you to push down on the gear knob to put the car into reverse - a variation on pulling up the plunger as you mentioned. Thanks for the great video!

Just got back from the UK yesterday. Went from York, through Northumberland, to the Lake District, and Yorkshire Dales. Driving was not bad on the left, and I could handle the roundabouts like a pro after watching a couple of hours of videos on how to drive the roundabouts. The biggest problem I had was the size of the road. Often there is two-way traffic on roads that are just wide enough for one. The Brits know how to stop, squeeze close to the edge, and pass, but it was a terror for me. Still, we saw a lot of Britain that we otherwise could not have because we drove. Worth it!

Love your videos but have to correct you on 1 point. It is not the norm that the emergency services have there blue lights on, only when they are responding to an emergency. On roundabouts always give priority to the vehicles coming from your right.

I always have thought the US car rental companies should offer closed course driving lessons to folks traveling to the UK, on a course with roundabouts and UK road signage, using cars typically of the UK rental market. Would give drivers some confidence, lock them into using the rental company and possibly reduce accidents when in the UK.

Love all the informational travel videos!

As soon as i looked at the background of where you filmed this, I immediately recognized where you were at. In the background is my go to cafe, Regency Cafe, for a full English breakfast at least once every time I'm in London. You won't find many tourists and the line can be long.

We went to the States in November. Drove on the Right after a 30 hour trip from Australia. Not ideal conditions, dark, car fogging up, getting lost. We decided the next day that my wife was a better driver and I was a better navigator. No problems after that except for the 4-way stop signs...and turn right on red. Can only do equivalent of that at home if there's a sign saying left on red permitted after stopping. Fortunately, we found American drivers to be fairly forgiving and no one honked us in our confused state.

love your videos!!! Thanks Wolter for all your content

Hi Mark. One thing to note on speed limits on the (island of) Ireland. In the (Republic of) Ireland the distances/speed limits on road signs an are in kilometres/kilometres per hour. In Northern Ireland (as in the rest of the UK) they're in miles/miles per hour. Ditto for the readings on a car's speedometer. So if you pick up a car in Belfast it will show speeds in mph to match the road signs; BUT when you then (seamlessly) cross the boarder to the south, the 120 motorway speed limit is is kph (not mph!)

When my mom was young, she spent half a year in Australia. Driving went flawless - as you said, it you're used to it pretty quickly. But the reverse is also something to watch out for. Back home, the first roundabout she faced, she kinda blacked out because she completely didn't know what to do.

Very good straightforward video. Thanks for the advice.

In essence, bring buddies that love driving. That way we can all take turns and view this beautiful country. Great advice

When you rent a car, ask the rental people how to put the car into reverse.

Note about Republic of Ireland (RoI). RoI runs on kilometres, not miles. UK/Northern Ireland runs on miles. Have to keep an eye on this especially if driving say Dublin to Belfast. RoI lights do not have that red-Red/amber-green. That's a UK thing

Good stuff! Thanks for the information.

If only Anne Sacoolas has seen this

Omg. We have sidewalks in the states that are wider than roads in Ireland. .

Top 3 really tough cities to drive a stick shift: 1. La Paz, Bolivia 2. San Francisco, CA 3. Lisbon, Portugal

Whenever we drive through England with our continental-european car, the right seat becomes the "seat of terror"! Massive fun for everyone who's not in it!

I live in the UK, this stuff is all accurate, if a bit depressing, with our expensive petrol and small cars. The only thing is most with Car Park Ticket Machines you just put money in and you don't have to remember numberplates

Careful you don't knock over any cyclists, you get diplomatic immunity 😕

I love this video! I had seen it before, but it hits different now that we are actually planning a trip to Ireland. I have to say the thing that intimates me the most is the videos I see of area like Dingle, where there are winding one lane roads with traffic going both ways. I look at those and go "you've got to be KIDDING ME"

2:30 Disengaging the reverse lockout differs from car to car. Yes, the Ford you rented has a reverse lockout that is disengaged by pulling up on the collar on the lever, but quick on-the-spot research may be needed for other cars that use a different type of reverse lockout, such as...... 1. Push down on shift lever, and while held down, move to reverse. Most commonly used on Volkswagen/Audi Group vehicles. 2. Push lever towards reverse, then push harder to overcome resistance. Examples being most BMWs, and the 2013-2016 Hyundai Genesis Coupe.

That plunger to go into reverse isn't in every car.

A few things I learned on trips to New Zealand. My mantras: "easy left, hard right" "right foot over the (center) line" "look both ways" when a pedestrian crossing a street. Believe it or not, after a week or two of driving on the left you may find it confusing when you return home! U-turns got me on the wrong side of the road more than once - think about it when you turn around. New Zealand is really friendly to those unfamiliar to driving on the left - lots of road markings reminding you to keep left and arrows painted on the road.

Getting tour car into reverse varies with each car. Manual is the only way to drive.

Driving is so much easier for us Brits visiting the US than the other way round, I bet the manual cars, tiny roads and roundabouts are a nightmare. When I come back after a US road trip I stall from the airport every time forgetting it's no longer an automatic 🙂

First View from Nepal!! Good Luck and stay safe!!

Great advice , I will remember this when We travel to Ireland in the future. :)

I traveled to Scotland in 2007. Rented a car in the city of Edinburgh. I was nervous about driving on the left side of the road but once I got behind the wheel and followed the car in front of me I was fine. For me the country roads are the most challenging. They are narrow and the speed limits are quite high compared to the United States for such a narrow width. Plus very curvey. I did reserve an automatic transmission though, made it easier. Didn't want to have to shift with my left hand and deal with the sudden change of driving on the opposite side of the road too. Thanks

The Regency Cafe in Westminster! My favourite place to get a traditional Full English Breakfast. Caught this in the first 5 mins of your talk Professor Wolter 👍

This video is really helpful thank you, I am a little less nervous about driving during my vacation lol

I like the Layer Cake nod by filming near to the Regency Cafe 👍 I walk past that spot all the time.

Cool video! I think it’s neat that the red and yellow come on before the green. Those traffic cameras sound annoying!

2:20 The plunger sometimes works upwards, sometimes downwards. The upwards ones sometimes have a collar that you lift. Sometimes reverse has no plunger at all. Be aware of that if it is selected top left, as you can accidentally engage it when trying to select first gear.

Regecny Cafe! You picked a great location for the vid.

The best tip I’ve had is keep the center stripe to your right shoulder. The other is, left turns are easy right turns cross lanes. Younger people adapt quicker.

The first time I drove on the left I asked the car rental guy at Gatwick if he had any words of advice and he said not really, just be careful. I always have to think carefully about what lane to turn in to at intersections. This is more of an issue in Australia and New Zealand with lots of wide streets.

In Malta, we also drive on the left side of the road. You get use to it and follow signs.

They do NOT have the lights on all the time, they are called emergency lights for a reason.

One thing to really watch out for while (or whilst) driving in the UK is when pulling out into traffic from car parks. That's where I get confused. I say to myself "car park -left lane" whilst in the UK and then "parking lots - right lane" when I get back home.

You went to Arundel! I live five minutes away from there! It's very beautiful, hope you enjoyed it 😊

As an Australian who has driven manual cars in Europe and in Brazil I can say that there are of course the same issues. The changing of the gears presents no problems, thank the motoring god that the pedals are in the same position. What did and does cause me trouble from time to time is roundabouts. You gotta concentrate more than at home for sure. And the ‘slow’ lane here is the passing or fast lane in Europe and vice-versa, that often caught me out

Putting a left-pointing arrow taped to the bottom of the windscreen can be a useful reminder in confusing situations. Stopping at the opposite side of the road ie in a layby can be potentially dangerous as instinctively you may want to drive off on the wrong side.

In Singapore just like downtown London there's a system called Electronic Road Pricing when you drive through the Central Business District where you pay more like a Congestion Charge to encourage more people to use public transport like buses and trains rather than driving and jostling for parking space.

The Regency cafe behind you is one of the best traditional cafes in ldn. I hope you went in

By far, the most informative video on tips for driving. I remembered every one and everyone cam true! Even when the significant other swears they're fine driving and gets in a fender bender at the end of day 1. That Peugeot did not have a chance! Wheels gave way while skidding on stones on a back farm rd in the cotswolds. And it was only at 15 mph. Either way, those rds are terrifying in the cotswolds!!! Thanks for the tips though, they were perfect. Next day new car, I drove, white knuckle left hand stick was weird...but all went well. Go figure. Driving can cause divorce, beware.

Correction for you: At a roundabout, going straight on, you should take the left most lane, unless indicated otherwise by paint on the road. You can take the second lane if busy (again, unless indicated otherwise)

If you're going straight at a roundabout in Ireland you should be in the left lane, unless it says otherwise.

Using manual/ stick shift requires using both feet. Clutch might take some getting used to Do practice before your holiday. When I drive in America after a few miles I find the automatic a breeze.

Pro tip. When you are on a variable speed motorway in the UK. You will see a yellow cameras that monitors your speed. These are dotted on the side of the road and are placed at intervals, this distance will vary form road to road. Now.. If you switch lanes after each camera the tracking software can't track your speed so you can drive a bit more 'enthusiastically' without getting shopped.

Thanks!

When you are talking about the roundabout all I can think of is the scene in "National Lampoon's European Vacation."

I had breakfast at the Regency Cafe, it was awesome.

The best advice I have received, and in turn given, "The Centre Line is your friend". Most accidents I have seen or had, have to do with the tires and mirrors on the left side of the car. If, when driving, you stay close to the center line, that is less likely to happen. The confusion with the turn signals and the windshield wipers sometimes take a few days to sort out.

in my youth, i remember when detroit's cars rearranged the interior to accommodate cars easily with the steering wheel left or right. Thailand drives like England where's the steering wheel on the right side, but just to the north LaoPDR, Laos, the steering wheel driver is on the left. There's a place on the border where the highway crosses and with big warning signs--notices drivers have to change lanes.

Generally speaking, when going straight ahead/2nd exit on roundabouts you should approach in the left hand lane generally unless road markings/signs suggest otherwise

Nice content, thanks. Parking could also be paid by phone on an app therefore eliminating the use of coins.

Just to be clear, everywhere in Europe is metric bar UK. In Republic of Ireland it's Km on Google maps and on road signs, but northern Ireland is miles on Google maps and road signs. It can be confusing if you're driving around the border areas of ireland as it can change like 10 times in 30 minutes. If you do use Google maps, I usually download my route on my phone before I leave as signal definitely drops for a few mins in very rural areas, but If you miss a turn it won't be able to redirect. When that happens You just gotta drive in some direction til you get signal and can reconnect, don't worry, in rural areas there's a million narrow side roads that looks like farmer track roads but are perfectly fine, so if you have idea of general direction you'll find your back to civilisation eventually. Also, In the west of Ireland, we generally give Dublin registration plates with current year e.g. 20-D-1234 a wide berth as it's a tourist so don't worry if your car cuts out at a light, most people are nice and won't beep at you etc. Don't let some kid tailgating bully you into driving fast, it's common to tailgate but let them drive dangerously, don't you do so!

Excellent video, I would add that the majority of parking meters in the UK do not give change.

BTW diesel in the UK is about $2.50+ per litre at the moment (August 2022)

If you want to see the British countryside by car and you don't intend going to London try flying into Birmingham instead. You're in the middle of England, close to the Cotswolds and only a couple of hours from Wales. Less hassle than Heathrow as well.

Well said in your intro - its not the wrong side, just the other side. 🙂

At 20 seconds in, that's Llanfoist bridge in my town!!

I like the traffic lights in Pattaya Thailand, they have a numbered countdown to say how long you have to wait

Emergency services do NOT have their lights on all the time.

Any Americans who want to practice on roundabouts in the USA go to Indianapolis and spend a few days driving in the north suburb of Carmel. Their mayor loves them and they have the most in the US, up to about 146 last count and growing. As a result they are becoming more common Indiana with the east side of Valparaiso having a major one and several around South Bend.

Hi from the U.K Some good advice here, but I still if you used to an automatic, rent this when visiting the UK. Also two situations that you need to be really careful with are 1 When there is no other traffic on the road. It is very easy to revert to driving on the wrong side of the road. When other traffic is present, it helps guide you, especially at junctions. 2 When travelling down the middle of a one-way street, it is very easy to turn onto a two way street on the wrong side.

For everyone worried about roundabouts, do a google image search for 'Swindon Magic Roundabout' haha

LoVE THIS. I drive a stick in the US so thats exciting news BUT scary to think about passing or having the stick in my left hand…😅Ive driven in Iceland and rural France with no problem…but Ireland is the real test.

After renting cars in Ireland and Australia, the difficulty is not driving on the left side of the road. It's having the left side of your car several feet away from you, instead of right next to you like it is in the US. When I rented a car in Adelaide, numerous parked cars were at risk, and the video of me driving to Kangaroo Island had my left side tires off the shoulder most of the time. Also, you will hit the curb when turning left.

Very good tips and advice in this. I didn't know that the police leave their lights on. That would have freaked me out a bit if I was driving over there for the first time. I also would have assumed that distance was measured in Km, not miles. Very interesting

Left Side Traffic Exists Also In Australia 🇦🇺 Japan 🇯🇵 But The Blinkers And Wipers Are Opposite Most Likely More Automatic Cars

Impressive knowledge as am British

Hey Mark, always interested to hear your take on our little island across the pond. You seem to have been to the UK plenty of times but what’s on your UK to do list that you haven’t yet been able to do?

So funny here in SA we drive on the left. When I was in Kanada I had to drive on right it takes about 30 min and you get used to it. Circles are what you need to keep paying attention to go right way round. For GPS I will suggest download map area in maps for offline use. Driving stick is easy but then everyone learns to drive manual first

I’d like to add to this. I go to Scotland a lot. I have seen more of Scotland than most scots 😂. Anyway, 1- what IS hard is not driving on the left side, it is that ALL your driving reflexes are for the right. Looking in mirrors, checking out entry ramps etc. I would say it takes 4-5 days to relearn. 2- because of 1, don’t go too fast while learning the left reflexes. At least in Scotland, other people are chill with slower traffic. You don’t get road rage like in north america 3- another thing that is a challenge is figuring out your car’s size on the road. When you get in a car driving in America you have an instinctive sense of your size. You lose than when learning to drive left. So watch those sidewalk borders. 4- another challenge is when there is NO round about and there is a normal intersection. Be really careful in turning into the correct lane!! 5- good news!! If you are returning to UK and will drive again, it’s like a bicycle, it will come back to you pretty quick. 6- Narrow lanes: yeah! You have to learn really fast that incoming traffic will pass around 2 feet or less of you. You have a natural tendency to give some space but there is no sides, it is your lane then the asphalt stops and often you have a rock wall 2 feet after. So, look far ahead, stay where you are and get comfortable with close incoming traffic. 7- Single lane ehtics! When driving on single lane roads, all the passing places are not only for the traffic you encounter, it is ALSO for faster traffic behind you!! The default speed limit is 60mph, even on single lanes, so when a car drive up behind you because it is a lot faster than you, LET it PASS!! Remember I told you people are chill with slower traffic? NOT on single lane roads. I follow those bylaws but i have see. Tourists going 30mph and local drive 3 feet behind them, kind pf saying MOVE!! bonuses: You will go towards the wrong side of the car when walking towards it When google maps tells you it takes x minutes to go somewhere, add 15 minutes for each 30 minutes. No kidding. Especially if you have single lane roads. Learn the signs beforehand. Some Are important for your safety. Narrow lanes have often a direction priority

I am just about to pick up my rental and hadn’t thought my insurance wouldn’t cover. Well it doesn’t. So I can still get the insurance from the rental company. Good save

Try driving on the right for the first time and having to take on roundabouts. My other half looking the wrong way told me it was safe to go, despite me noting the extremely large wagon coming towards us. 🤦🏽‍♂️

Many rural roads don't actually have a "side", they're so narrow you will be driving in the middle. There's no jaywalking laws so pedestrians could be anywhere (and have the right of way).

I’m scared to drive in the UK And I’m from the UK 😂

In Australia it’s quite the opposite. When you rent a car most likely you are going to get one with automatic transmission, and we also drive on the left here. 01:58. Speaking of Australia is there any chance you might be able to do a video?

I don't know why everyone doesn't do this. When I travel to Australia, NZ or Brit'n I put a STUDENT DRIVER magnetic bumper sticker on my car. They come 3 for $7 on Amazon. It's a genius hack. Everyone gives you a wide berth.

Lol that’s the cafe from the movie layer cake

Relate your body to the road rather than the car; keep your left elbow in the centre of the lane, or point your right elbow down towards the middle of the road.

Some reverse are press down rather than lift to move.

When you mentioned how the cars are stick shift, I remembered a funny story. I was taking a college course in LA and my professor from London made fun us for driving automatic cars in the US. He said that only disabled individuals drive automatic in the UK. Lol