As a Canadian who occasionally drives in the USA, my number one tip is to avoid all road rage incidents! You never know what kind of armament a driver is packing. Be polite, stay calm, mind your own business.
@Sideways G I think Florida is one of the few states which has a law which condones pre-emtive shooting if the person feels threatened; as in a road rage situation.
Its as if you think you think we are all trigger happy phsycos. You do realize of all the civilian owned firearms on the planet we have like 40 some percent in the US? If you factor crime to population crimes involving firearms are low.
Don’t worry! These are extremely uncommon in every state besides Florida. You will only have to do this if a traffic light breaks and it is flashing red. Normally, 4-way stops are only in suburban areas. Whoever gets there first goes, and if you got there at the same time, just flash your high beams and wave the other person to go.
i guess Im asking the wrong place but does someone know a tool to get back into an instagram account..? I somehow lost the login password. I would appreciate any help you can give me
That uncontrolled intersection at 4:25 was crazy. Multiple lanes, heavy traffic, no lights, no stop signs. I've never seen anything like that in California.
As a U.S. resident I found this very interesting to hear tips from a UK driver for here. Good stuff. Pretty solid advice and some I wouldn't even think of because I'm just used to it.
Buck McAntlerson thanks Buck I appreciate that there is a lot that I am not aware of but hopefully people will keep me right if I get anything wrong. 😎👍
Just a footnote to the 4-way stop sign/intersection. If two cars (going in different directions) arrive at the same time - the car to the drivers right goes first. If there is not a car to your right, that means you go first. If you are not sure - someone will most likely wave you forward or if they see you hesitate, will just go themselves. Also I live in the Orlando area - glad to see you survived I-4!! It is a mess. It is currently under 22 miles of construction/redesign and populated with drivers and visitors from all over the world with varying degrees of skill and understanding of the traffic rules here. It is a battle out there for sure!
Im an ex Brit and I live in the states. Driving here is far easier than in the UK. Once you get used to lhd and accept there are no driving manners you are good.
@@chillis8267no, he’s now a proud American. The only time for him to play the Brit card is to impress some skirt who either thinks very Brit male is James Bond, or has regular dinner parties with the Queen, or prince andrew if you like pizza express.
Jesus I'm glad I watched this! I'm heading to the US (from Ireland) at the end of rhe month and am renting a car for a while. I would have sat at a red light and waited for my arrow right regardless of how many angry beeps came from behind! I also think I would have stood staring at the cashier from outside waiting for them to authorise my pump.. Cheers!
As a citizen who drives in the U.S.A everyday, I thought it was interesting to watch this video and I found it quite entertaining and informative. Although once I remember not too long ago, I traveled to the UK, fabulous country by the way, that the roads are MUCH tighter there. I wasn't driving, but if I rolled down my window, I could almost stick my hand out into the far side of the other lane. It can be very stressful as they know how to drive there and we don't, so being a foreigner and driving in a foreign country can be quite difficult. Props to Europeans for driving in tight spaces! I also noticed that the cars are much smaller. I think my Equinox would almost be big there in the UK.
I'm 17 years old and even though I already have my drivers license I still think it's a good idea to get more knowledge and perspectives from other people
get advanced driving lessons once you get your license. I'm not talking about someone retired guy that sits in the car next to you and says just be safe, I'm talking about someone that will teach you the dynamics of how the machine operates, and will teach you most importantly, the statistics of what really does cause real-world accidents, instead of what you're scared uncle thinks causes most accidents. Getting perspectives from other people can be helpful but can be quite dangerous in reality because people can mislead you. For example, my father instructed me how to drive and was very very safety conscious but when I took riding lessons from the Motorcycle Safety Foundation, I found that what he had taught me was quite dangerous & in many cases illegal. Speeding is not the most common thing enforced by police regardless of what other people say. The speed limit is enforced but people will make you think that as long as you follow the speed limit you don't have to obey any other rules and that is just ridiculous. people will make you think that every time you see a cop pulling somebody over that is for speeding, and that is also not correct. Don't let people scare you, don't let people make it so complicated. Just always drive faster than traffic to your right and always drive slower than traffic to your left. Just like you don't want to tailgate somebody you don't want some car next to you changing lanes and hitting you Just cuz you think they can see you driving 10 ft away from a car is driving 10 ft away from a car and somebody is many times more likely to change lanes on you than they are too outbreak you so be more scared of the cars your next to then the car is your behind. Don't tailgate but don't drive right beside cars either. Don't impede faster traffic out of the right lane. and use turn indicators to indicate what you're "going to do" , not what you already started doing. follow those simple rules and you'll be safe but still I highly recommend everyone take "advanced" driving lessons. not tagart or some little Sears like driving school but real driving instructors. and if you have any interest in motorcycles then definitely take the motorcycle safety foundation course.
Great video!...my only tip would be..although most rules of the road are universal, don't assume anything when you cross a state line. I am behind the times, but I would rather be honked at for not turning right on red than being involved in an accident or ticketed by the police. Another tip...and this may seem strange to Europeans..and I won't defend our gun culture here in the U.S..but if you are stopped by the police. Pull over to a safe place on the right side of the road as soon as you are able. Turn on your 'flashers'. When the officer approaches you..usually on the left.."driver's side"..place both hands at the the 10 and 2 position..clearly visible on the wheel..and ensure any passengers also have their hands clearly visible. When and if asked, produce any needed identification, and before doing so, state to the officer what and why you are moving your hands..and then slowly do so. Most of the time, if you are pleasant and reasonable with a police officer, they will act in kind. But always remember that in their mind, you or one of your passengers has a firearm that may be used against them. Perception is reality in many cases..so always err on the side of caution. It's not a great statement about my nation..but it is common sense.
As someone who learned driving in a country with no right turn on red lights but now drives in America, I must give you an American piece of advice. A right turn on red is practically required if there are no cars coming. Even if there is nobody around, it is considered extremely suspicious to wait around. Cops will think you are under the influence or elderly. Simply: Get in the right hand lane and turn on the right turn indicator as you approach. Stop at the white line at the red light. Look for pedestrians, then “inch out”/“creep out”. If you can see that it is clear, go. (Side note, you really don’t need to indicate unless you’re in heavy traffic. Most cops in big cities really don’t care.)
4:40 basically it's the order that you get there is the order you go. If there is a pedestrian crossing that blocks your path, THEY HAVE THE RIGHT OF WAY. it is insane how many Americans don't know this.
If the pedestrian has just stepped off the curb on the side opposite you he has the right of way. Don't slip around the corner. Stay put until they are completely across the road.
As a Texan, I can tell you that U turns are very common here and very convenient. If at a light, wait until you get the green arrow to make your left and feel free to make a U turn. Tail gating is common in Texas and there's a lot of drivers hogging the left lane and going 10-20 under the speed limit. Road rage is not a problem here as everyone knows everyone else is "packin".....lol. Speeding on X-ways is very common as well as passing on the right. If it has rained, be cautious about standing water on roads, we flood down here and you could well swamp the car in high water if not careful. If it has snowed or iced on the roads, stay off the roads. Texans can't drive in snow or ice
Thanks, this vid was really helpful. I was worried about driving in the US but it was actually fine after watching this. Def needed an explanation on turning right on red and box junctions or I'd have had no idea what to do.
As someone who drove in the US for the first time i would like to add if you are turning on to an expressway, look for the sign that says cars only. Otherwise you might find yourself boxed in by huge trucks. Not all motorways got them but still its good to keep an eye out for them. p.s I drove from New York city to Philadelphia.
remember, the US is a big place with a lot of people. there are different drivers and different states. driving in NYC or LA is not the same as in most of the midwest
At 4:31, you actually had the right-of-way. You did not have a stop sign (from what I could see in the video), meaning you had the right-of-way to travel through the intersection (obviously, if you would have had a stop sign, you would have needed to stop). Only the cross-traffic had stop signs at that intersection which you can see on the left-hand side of the video as you roll up to the intersection. This is why the cars in front of you and the Mercedes traveling the opposite direction of you on the road go through the intersection without stopping. The first care rule applies to the cars that are sitting at the stop sign. This could be a 4-way stop or one which only your direction of travel has a stop sign. You will know you are at a 4-way stop because underneath the stop sign it will say "all way" or "4-way" (you can see this at 4:54). Occasionally some residential areas might not have any signs at the intersection, in which case you should treat the intersection as a 4-way stop.
Nice video Satch. Actually in New England(northeast), we have a lot of roundabouts. People from other parts of the US complain about them all the time.
2:06 Coming from California, we basically never see signs like this anymore. This is the old version but all our signs have been switched to the pictograms of red crossed circle with arrows underneath. Maybe the text version is still common in other states though. Also at many intersections (about half), U turning is prohibited. Turning left is also illegal at many large intersections in San Francisco
If 2 cars reach a 4 way intersection at the same time the car to the drivers right goes first. If four people are at the stop they go one at a time by checking if there is a car to their right. 1, 2,3,4 around the intersection.
Beeping and getting cut off is common on the East Coast, but on the West Coast, specifically Wa, where I am from, people try to avoid cutting others off, and people do not honk very often.
I'm an American and this was interesting to watch. Your American driving experience will vary depending on geography. The topography, state laws, and density are all factors.
I also recommend "Kendrick's Driving Tests" videos on RU-vid. The videos are short (usually 2 or 3 minutes) and show you how to deal with different traffic situations when driving in the USA. Another thing, when filling up with gas, what happens if you pay $50 in cash but the tank is full by, say, the time you reach $40? Do you simply go back in and get a $10 refund?
Appreciate the video, and most of your verbal tips are correct, however in the video you did something incorrect regarding right-of-way at 4:40. Your road did not have a stop sign, but the perpendicular road did (on both directions). This is known as a 2-way stop. You did not have to stop at the intersection, but you did anyway. This can cause rear-end accidents if drivers behind aren't paying attention.
2:42 and 8:44 You should first stop at red light behind the crosswalk line, if there are no pedestrians, bicycles etc is on the crosswalk, then you make a right turn if it is safe. If a police sees you without a full STOP, you will possibly get a ticket. 3:40 i am not american, though i live in CA-US; they won't use horn unless (quite less people are using it for no reason, i am agree with that) if you change the lane on the last second in front of them, you might get a horn. I have hear horn for myself at most 1-2 times in a month, so it must be about your driving pal ;) Please stop first before turning right if there is a red signal for your lanes. Thanks for sharing the info.
A small 1-lane 4-way intersection with Stop Signs is easy, but a large intersection with multiple lanes on all 4 sides is just a big fucking disaster with no traffic lights. It is extremely difficult for me to know who is first with busy slow moving traffic. I live and drive in South Africa (where UK rules apply). People are very dependent on traffic lights, so the moment there is a power failure at a busy intersection, everybody forgets how to drive.
Turning right on red, Don't just go rolling through the turn, treat it as a stop sign, stop and look first there's no traffic coming in the right lane, give way (yield) if necessary, make your turn into that right lane, dont cut straight across out to the left lane, complete the turn then move across if you need to, maybe for a following left turn .
I'm 19 and Going to California next summer (from France) and will drive from Los Angeles to Yosemite national Park and death Valley, thank you really much for this video it will really help me to understand how it works there ! I already know that I will stress but thanks to this video I'll be more confident in what I'm doing
@@abdullahalahmed9454 sadly I don’t know yet… I am going there for je month of June, but I’ve heard (from relatives and friends who drove there) that it’s pretty easy
If a traffic light is not functional (lights are not on at all) it is treated as a 4-way stop sign. A blinking red light is a stop sign. A blinking yellow light is a caution light and traffic may proceed without stopping (with due caution). If an emergency vehicle or safety vehicle is stopped on the shoulder of a road, the passing driver is required to leave an empty driving lane between the emergency vehicle and him/herself. The law in some places is to pass another vehicle on the Left only, but in practicality Americans pass other cars on the Right all the time on a 4 lane or 6 lane highway. This is VERBOTEN in Germany. All speed limit signs are in MPH (miles per hour) not KPH (kilometres per hour). Generally traffic tickets start at 7-10 miles per hour over the posted limit. Example, on a 70 MPH highway, generally you will not be ticketed for driving 76 MPH or less. A police officer or firefighter directing traffic has precedence over a traffic signaling device. Follow the commands of the police officer or firefighter at all times. ALL Traffic (EVEN EMERGENCY VEHICLES) must stop in both directions for a school bus with red flashing lights on a 2-lane road, but only on the same side of a 4 lane divided highway. Yellow line should be kept to the LEFT at all times, white line should be kept to the R at all times. There are some roads with a white center stripe, or line, but mostly yellow all over the country. There are Interstate highways, US highways, state highways, county highways. Make sure you don't confuse them or their numbers.
I would say that it is not true that you cannot turn turn right on red. Coz some traffic lights actually a dedicated right turn green light to allow you to do so...
Turns out that at BP stations here in the USA, or at least at some of them, the diesel pump handles are black (as they apparently are in the UK) and the regular gasoline pump handles are green (as in the UK).
I wanted to add something about "fast lane" vs "slow lane." On what I believe you would call a motorway in UK, or what we would call a freeway, keep right except to pass or if you are about to take a left exit. It's the law most places if not everywhere. You will inevitably have someone who wants to go 30 mph over the speed limit right behind you if you don't.
Thanks for the video. I am here as I will be driving from San Francisco to Yosemite later in the year. I have only driven in the states once similarly from Vegas to the Grand Canyon. Like you said most roads are miles and miles straight and I think the drive to Yosemite will be similar. My only worry is the 4 way intersections, hopefully there won't be too many to deal with. Do you have to give way to a certain direction?! Hopefully I'll be driving a 5 litre Mustang so can just put my foot down and cross at ease 😂
You didn't mention drivers camping in the left lane on highways, impeding traffic and refusing to move over. Drivers driving slow on 2 lane roads and passing sections are rare, and merging into the main road is a project :)
Some gas pumps have E85 fuel. 85% alcohol 15% gasoline. Don’t put that in your car unless the car can handle that type of gas. It’s called a flex fuel car. You see E85 gas in the Midwest a lot.
Welcome to the USA! Driving here is like heaven compare to Europe. The roads are much bigger, smoother and nicer. Whereas Europe is totally the opposite. Potholes everywhere and some places they don't obey traffic lights lol. Hope you enjoy your stay here and don't forget to put on sun screen lotion.
Depends on where you live in europe. Of course some countrysides in romania dont have roads at all😂 but everywhere else west from that you have normal roads
When turning right on red, the traffic light is treated like a stop sign. The driver must first come to a complete stop before turning. Not doing so is treated as driving through a red light and can be expensive.
Amazing video thanks! I go there next week and despite being a fairly competent driver I'm slightly nervous. You've helped massively so thanks. Ps I'm in Blaydon 😂
I was nervous as well when driving here for the first time but I tell you it‘s really easy and most things are straight forward. Everything that isn‘t allowed to do is written on the street or on a sign next to the street.
Hey Satch, I'm lucky enough to have been to Florida more than a dozen times...it's a long way from Ryton and Whickham. Driving around the tourist hot-spots like Orlando, the natives are very considerate when they see a bright new hire car ( most of their jobs are dependent on you). I think your opinion on '...driving in Florida is straight forward...' is correct until you experience driving in Miami !! A few things: If the school bus lights are flashing then just stop and sit there. If someone toots you for not turning right at a red ARROW, just stop and sit there 'cos it's not the same as a red light. Don't ask for directions at a toll booth, you'll get tooted again for delaying the queue. Make sure you always have quarters for the toll roads because a lot of them aren't manned at night and become coin automated only. The road name sign you see overhead at a junction is NOT the road you're on but the road that has intersected that junction. If the rain comes down monsoon stylee and your wipers can't cope, just pullover, everyone else does...it's usually short term. If you want to change lanes don't bother indicating your intentions, just do it..like the locals. I'm old enough to remember when the bad people of Florida were car-jacking and shooting tourists on a weekly basis back in the 80's/90's so here's a few tips to help you blend in with the Americans when you get your shiny new hire car; hang Rosary beads or a Crucifix from your internal mirror and leave cardboard boxes/packing on display in the cabin area . There are roundabouts in Florida but they are mighty rare, there's one in West Palm Beach for example. And finally, it's not ''..highway 4..'' It the 'eye' 4, it's an Interstate road...do I win your Boxster for all that? ;-)
This has been so helpful. Watched it before we arrived in the US. Picked up the hire car and got straight on I 4 having never driven on the right nor in a left hand drive car! Had one near miss cos misread the lanes on the left when turning right but other than that it’s been smooth going. Not as many lines/road markings as in the uk and we do benefit from the white arrows on blue circles at junctions to point us in the right direction but after a week on roads I’m confident enough to even use the outside lanes. Our hire car doesn’t have sat nav but can use car play so can use trusty Google maps which has not let me down yet!!
Roundabouts seems to be a way logical thing instead of intersection. Paying first seems good. It’s directions that kill me. North on 64 or east on 72 etc.
True, but apparently roundabouts can take extra space, that some cities arent too keen on taking. Im not sure about every place in the US and Canada, but traffic lights are pretty intelligent here, and usually pack people in convoys before sending em off, so you wont get interrupted too much by them.
@@honkhonk8009 that’s weird, there’s usually much more space in the US, than in European cities, but we still have a lot of roundabouts. The intersection that was shown in this video was huge!
Thanks it’s good to hear. I looked into it and watched a few of my prev videos and not sure what I was thinking. All of my future vids should have better sound with the odd video that o have uploaded but not yet published. Thanks 😎👍👌
99.99% of gas stations in the USA have credit card terminals that you can use to fill up without interactions with cashiers. That said, non-US credit cards might have a problem with automatic gas stations because some pumps ask for a zip code. On a flip side, I could not use my US credit card in Iceland to fill up because the pump had asked for a pin. Because it is a credit card, there is no pin. It turns out, it is possible to ask for a pin, but it takes several days and the pin comes to you by mail. If you hadn't bothered doing it before leaving for Europe, you are out of luck. Fortunately, my US debit card with its US pin had worked just fine. The credit card worked fine everywhere else in Iceland except a petrol pump.
lol as a U.S. driver I must say that this advice is great for florida. If you are up north and constantly getting honked at you just suck ass at driving and are probably a danger to those around you.
I don't know where you heard that U turns are illegal in the UK but I can assure you that they are in fact Legal unless there is a sign saying you cant
I find it interesting that in Europe (most of the countries) you must have your lights turned on during the night and day. I see that in USA some people don’t have their lights turned on during the evenings...
Yes The NTSB didn’t recommend all cars have automatic lights compare to EU regulations a while ago. Nowadays, most new cars come standard with automatic lights. The cars you’ve seen are older models. Americans generally like their older cars and because our roads are good we keep them for many years. They drive better actually then many newer cars especially on our expansive highways. They’re big and comfy.
I can assure you we Americans breathe as well. If we didn't you would all be screwed. Funny you guys call it beeping, we call it honking your horn like a goose would. I have found that honking is far more common in the city and not the country areas. Also if you are being honked at a lot you might be doing something wrong so I would be mindful of what you were doing when you got honked at, but yes indeed people will honk at for nothing as well. Feel free to honk at others too if they are doing something wrong, about to hit your car, or are not going when it is a green light (lot of distracted drivers out there). Plan on going to Scotland here soon and was looking up tips for driving in the UK. Thought it would be interesting to see tips for UK drivers in USA and was not disappointed! HAHA
If it hasn't been said, Left turn after stop on red from a one-way street to a one-way street in most states (but not all!) Here are the states which DO NOT allow Left on RED. Connecticut Missouri-Kansas City is an exception. New York City (also no Right on Red) North Carolina Rhode Island New Jersey (There is some misinformation online regarding NJ and left on red. NJ state law S39:4-115(b) makes an allowance for right on red, but not for left on red). Update added 29 May 2016. South Dakota (Unless allowed by local ordinance) Maine New Hampshire District of Columbia Guam IN the rest of the country it is a go.
I’ve been driving in North America all my life. What bug me the most is people passing on your right on the highways when you cruise 5-10 mph above the speed limit. Pass on the left!
Hiya! Just wondering what the give way rule is if I was turning left at an intersection and an opposing car was turning right into a single lane road for example? Who would have right of way?
It depends. If you have a traffic light with a green arrow, you go first. If the intersection is stop signs only, whoever got their first goes. Any other time, the person turning right has the right of way. Hope that helps
@@yellowhammer3 hi thank you .. yes it does. Just to clarify, in an intersection with no green arrow, the car turning right would definitely have to give way to a left turning opposing vehicle if there weren’t any dedicated lanes for either? That would be the same in New Zealand but the other way around.
I’m a Brit and have driven across the US a fair bit over the years. All good tips but the one thing that caught me out that you didn’t cover are turning lanes. These are typically marked by yellow lines and run down the centre of a two or more lane road, they’re a space for vehicles to wait in while turning left and NOT over taking lanes, as I found out once while driving through the Ozark’s way back in 2003. I didn’t hit anyone but did have a very irate local have a go.
Yellow lines on roads are always a warning in the U.S. that means there is oncoming traffic on the other side of the yellow line. The center turn lanes are shared by both directions of traffic for turning left, so the yellow is a warning to you to let you know to watch out for cars coming from the other direction that might be trying to use the turn lane at the same time you are.
Also be aware that unskilled/aggressive driving has seen a significant increase in America since the pandemic. Americans seem more likely to speed, tailgate, and weave in and out of lanes. They're also more likely to drive discourteosly and think less about yielding to other drivers. And if this weren't enough, the increased use of recreational drugs and decreased presence of police have recently combined to make the roads much more dangerous. Just look up charts and stats on accidents and fatalities on American roads, especially during the last ten years. Of course, America is a large country and traffic laws and enforcement vary greatly by state. Virginia, for example, is very safe but the cops will nail you there much more quickly than, say, Washington state, which has had a terrible increase in traffic accidents for the reasons I noted above. So, if you're coming to America, research the driving situation where you will be staying. And try to practice with local friends. That's probably the best way to get used to driving here. I've driven in 35 states and can tell you that each state is like its own country. Good luck and watch out for the other guy!
@@InformalGreeting It applies regardless of the side of the road you are on, if the yellow lights are flashing they are loading/unloading kids and you must not pass, I did 3000mls in the USA in '17 and was warned about this rule before I went, apparently the cops love to sit close to schools to nab those who ignore this rule
Also you could easily hit a child. When the lights start flashing on a school bus, everyone in any lane on both sides of the road must stop. In some states they will impound your car if the cops catch you.
