Driving in the USA

cson

Heading over on a family holiday next week and I've been designated the family chauffeur for the rental car. Having never driven on the right hand side of the road before I'm a little apprehensive. Do any experienced right hand driving boardsies have any tips for me?

helimachoptor

Op, I drove in Germany for the first time last year. Was fine for the most part but had a tendency to drift to the right a bit and ended up clipping a parked cars wing mirror (within a couple of hours of starting) Everything else was fine including some major city driving and autobahn driving.

Best of luck!

EPM

Whatever the hell you do at junctions don't look right...look left...almost got badly caught at the first junction I came to

Creamy Goodness

make sure you turn right on red unless of course there is a sign saying otherwise.

diamondtooth

Always try to remember that the driver should always be nearest the middle of the road.

I found America much easier to drive in than in European countries as the roads are wider, more motorways and I found less aggressive driving etc.

I would rent an automatic car also as I find them easier to drive.

Rent a GPS aswell as I found it took the stress out of deciding what routes to take and you could concentrate on the driving.

I really enjoyed driving in the US. What part are you going to? Enjoy!

scudzilla

I've drove quite a bit on Greece over the last 2 years, i was concerned at first, but as you're driving on the right and the wheel is on the left you tend to concentrate a LOT more than you do at home.
After a few days you will actually enjoy it and not even realise

Mr. Presentable

Don't you need an international drivers permit to rent in the USA?

746watts

You'll be fine. I rented a Ford Taurus (mondeo) with satnav. Drove around San Fran for 4 days. You will drift a little to the right of your lane, so keep an eye on this. Its weird when you cop on to doing this and you'll think WTF....... and correct your positon.
Also when you come up to a set of Red lights and are turning right, you are allowed to filter right on red as long as there are no vehicles approaching from your left..... realised this by observing local drivers including a cop car. Handy system.
When you come to a STOP sign (no lights) junction, make a complete Stop even if you see no traffic coming left or right coz a watching cop car will give you a ticket.
Off highway stick to speed limits, on the freeways they seem to go 10mph above limit unless a cop is around.
Enjoy.

746watts

nipplenuts wrote: »

Don't you need an international drivers permit to rent in the USA?

Not required, EU licence is accepted.

Eoin

I drove from San Francisco to Las Vegas last April/May - I wrote a holiday report, which has a brief section about the driving part of the holiday.

Once the steering wheel is on the same side as everyone else, it's very easy to get into the swing of it. Just be careful pulling out of junctions and making turns (esp. left hand turns). I would definitely second getting an automatic.

dcom

Hi, Ive been the one stung with the driving everytime we've been to the US. To be honest its actually easier than you might think.

My best advice would be 'concentration' especially at junctions if you're not concentrating your instinct will take over and you will veer to the wrong side. So stay focussed.

I would definitely recommend a gps/sat nav it takes a lot of the hard work out of the unfamiliar surroundings. If you cant get one then plan your journey in advance and nominate somebody else to navigate for you and give you instructions well in advance, so that you can concentrate on the drive at least until you get comfortable.

It also depends on where you are going in the US, Manhattan would be very tough for a first timer,whereas florida and California are handy enough.

And as ststed by others above, there is a system in most of the places Ive been where you can turn right on a red light if no cars are coming, if you are not permitted to turn right on red it is usually sign posted at the junction.

So concentration and a good sat nav are essential
Hope this helps..
D

Eoin

Sat nav can be good, but make sure you set it up so it sticks to main roads. My GPS had a little too much detail and recommended roads that nearly turned me grey.

egan007

Drove from Boston to NYC- right into Manhattan broadway via cape cod two years ago in a sweet Mustang. If you are a confident driver driving in the US is a breeze. It's well signposted. Every exit is marked multiple times. We did not have a sat nav just a paper map - added to the fun. My wife did the navigation in the passenger seat.

Give yourself plenty of time to complete journeys - considering it's a holiday, and enjoy the experience.
It was one of my favourite hoildays.

I found the road users to be generally patient and well behaved. -Compaired to here.

kyote00

- obey the speed limits everywhere. If you don't, you will almost certainly be stopped and have to pay the hefty on the spot fines. (you paddy licence will not save you)

- obey parking restriction signs - otherwise you will almost certainly be towed.
(dont park in front of a fire hydrants...)

- Assuming you hire an automatic, you can leave your left leg at home

- stay on the right !

egan007

nipplenuts wrote: »

Don't you need an international drivers permit to rent in the USA?

no

unklerosco

746watts wrote: »

When you come to a STOP sign (no lights) junction, make a complete Stop even if you see no traffic coming left or right coz a watching cop car will give you a ticket.
.

Make sure u do that... Was in the states for 3 weeks last year, spent a lot of it driving, a week of it with family in LA. From one end of their housing estate to the other was 2 miles n it had a load of junctions, was a pain in the ass having to stop at them all but every odd day the cops would be around checking speed etc etc...

neilthefunkeone

Its not a big deal really... You will get it straight away without even thinking about it...

jhegarty

Make sure you get a sat nav.

Check if you can turn right on red lights in the state you are going to.

You do know you rental car will be an automatic, unless you have arranged a manual ?

MagicMarker

My first time driving in Canada was at night, during a blizzard and in a 40 year old pick up!! I was a little nervous to say the least. But you get the hang of it pretty quickly.

As well as drifting, keep an eye out when you pull in to park, you won't be used to the kerb being on the wrong side and you may scrapes mess up the alloys on the car (if it has 'em!).

argosy2006

MagicMarker wrote: »

My first time driving in Canada was at night, during a blizzard and in a 40 year old pick up!! I was a little nervous to say the least. But you get the hang of it pretty quickly.

As well as drifting, keep an eye out when you pull in to park, you won't be used to the kerb being on the wrong side and you may scrapes mess up the alloys on the car (if it has 'em!).

can you drive a truck in canada with a eh you license?

Beechman

I have done a lot of driveing in the U.S. and agree with everything in the previous posts, one thing to rememer if you are behind a giant yellow public school bus , keep a good distance and when it stops and puts on its hazzard lights you stop and wait for it to move off...... never try to overtake it

Del2005

Pedestrians get a green light to cross in the same direction to traffic when traffic gets a green, make sure to check for them before turning.

One thing I've noticed is that for the 1st few days you'll tend to keep tight to the right side of the lane your in, it makes it fun for your passengers when you nearly clip the back of whatever is in the lane beside you. You have to concentrate as others have said to keep to the left of the lane your in.

MagicMarker

argosy2006 wrote: »

can you drive a truck in canada with a eh you license?

I lived there, and apparently an Irish licence allows you to get a Canadian one without doing the test, all you need is the licence and a letter saying your licence is good.

MagicMarker

Oh yeah, pedestrians always have right of way. Don't be surprised if they walk out onto the road without looking first.

argosy2006

MagicMarker wrote: »

I lived there, and apparently an Irish licence allows you to get a Canadian one without doing the test, all you need is the licence and a letter saying your licence is good.

even for a big rig, ? there hiring in yellowknife for ice road driving, 40,000 for three months.

sideswipe

Would second most of the above, I was very nervous about driving in the US- drove from LA to Florida (4500 miles as we took the scenic route!!) The roads are wider, well marked and sign posted. As somebody said above STOP means STOP, if you just slow down and then drive on when there's nothing coming (known as a Californian roll) you can get a ticket if seen (this happened to me in Utah)

A simple and strange tip I used was changing the wrist I wear my watch! Sounds crazy but as my watch was on my right instead of my left wrist it reminded me which side I was supposed to be on if I had a split seconds doubt, this was helpful on smaller unmarked roads and when pulling out at junctions, driving around car parks petrol stations etc.
I didn't have any problems until I came home and pulled out of a junction onto the wrong side of the road!!:o

MagicMarker

argosy2006 wrote: »

even for a big rig, ? there hiring in yellowknife for ice road driving, 40,000 for three months.

I doubt it, big difference between a pick up and a big rig! You'd need a different licence for that.

Berty

When you leave a service station or similar make sure you look left and not right. You would be surprised.

Also make sure you do not hurt your hand when you go to change gear/handbrake by slamming it off the door.

Idbatterim

driving over in the US is staigh forward, i would recommend a sat nav, enforcement any time i have been in the states and I have covered thousands of miles there has been non existant, the drivers over there are extremely patient, just watch out on the motorways for the lane switching and how close they drive to one another! if you are nervous or for the first few days get someone in the car with you to be a co driver, ie keep look out etc...

EI111

Creamy Goodness wrote: »

make sure you turn right on red unless of course there is a sign saying otherwise.

This is dependent on location. New york city for instance has signs only to tell you you can turn right and they are very rare, so OP post where you are going and people may be able to further help you.

edit: for clarity, you can't turn right at red lights in NYC

cson

Thanks to everyone for all the tips and help. Very good advice and its good to know that most of you have driven over there and lived to tell the tale. It's Olando FL so I won't be dumped in at the deep end either. I think the car is an automatic Ford Escape or something like that.

oxegen85

MagicMarker wrote: »

I lived there, and apparently an Irish licence allows you to get a Canadian one without doing the test, all you need is the licence and a letter saying your licence is good.

do you know if this is the same in USA.. moving there soon and was wondering if I need to do a test there or would I just get an international license every year?

southsiderosie

cson wrote: »

Thanks to everyone for all the tips and help. Very good advice and its good to know that most of you have driven over there and lived to tell the tale. It's Olando FL so I won't be dumped in at the deep end either. I think the car is an automatic Ford Escape or something like that.

One thing about driving in Central Florida - there is generally a TON of road construction. Be REALLY careful about drifting, because you can start clipping cones...or people.

Also, in construction zones, the speed limit generally drops 20-30mph. While this can be maddening DO NOT SPEED IN A CONSTRUCTION ZONE. State troopers are ruthless about this, as road construction workers are killed every year because of speeding drivers. Plus, the fines for speeding are double to triple what they normally are, and you will not be able to wiggle your way out of it.

Other than that, the only other thing to watch out for are the little old ladies peering over the steering wheel of their giant sedans.

CreepingDeath

oxegen85 wrote: »

do you know if this is the same in USA.. moving there soon and was wondering if I need to do a test there or would I just get an international license every year?

You can walk into the AA shop in Dublin and get an international license there and then. But I think it's mostly just for countries that don't speak English, a translation of your license.

But if you're staying any length of time in the States then you will have to get a US license/test. Not sure the time limit for non-nationals though, might be 6 or 9 months at a guess.

I drove around Washington DC for 3 months and agree the main things to look out for are
- turning right on red ( being able to break the red light if it's safe )
- school buses have a stop sign that swings out from their side and stops traffic even in a two lane road.
- be wary of large junctions and swing wide at the lights
- GPS is absolutely essential but can go nuts in large cities where coverage is limited
- all the petrol pumps take credit cards so no need to go into the garage ( ensure your bank card and credit card have the US compatible chip in them before going ! )
- always have a load of change ready in the car for tolls

Berty

cson wrote: »

Thanks to everyone for all the tips and help. Very good advice and its good to know that most of you have driven over there and lived to tell the tale. It's Olando FL so I won't be dumped in at the deep end either. I think the car is an automatic Ford Escape or something like that.

Have you driven an Automatic. I hadn't before I arrived in Orlando International and was given a 3.5 V8 Chrysler and screeched all over the multi storey and nearly caused a pile up at the Toll Plaza on I95.

If you have not then go around the car park for a few minutes getting used to the brakes because normally we will clutch and brake and with the auto you just use the brake meaning(for me) I over pressed the brake and nearly gave ourselves whiplash.

Pkiernan

cson wrote: »

Thanks to everyone for all the tips and help. Very good advice and its good to know that most of you have driven over there and lived to tell the tale. It's Olando FL so I won't be dumped in at the deep end either. I think the car is an automatic Ford Escape or something like that.

Spend a little more, and upgrade to a Cadillac. Fantastic big cars. Give a few bars of Irish chocolate to the rental car assistant at the counter, and you might get a free upgrade!

Bigger is better in the US!!

neilthefunkeone

every piece of advice posted should be done over here anyway(except turning on red), "dont drift in the lanes", "stop at a stop sign", "do not speed in construction zones".. so people freely do this over here... Its so stupid..

Get in car.. turn it on.. drive away.... Enjoy your holiday!!!!

Del2005

cson wrote: »

Thanks to everyone for all the tips and help. Very good advice and its good to know that most of you have driven over there and lived to tell the tale. It's Olando FL so I won't be dumped in at the deep end either. I think the car is an automatic Ford Escape or something like that.

AFAIK all US rentals are auto, I've never seen a manual.

I had an Escape before. They are the same as the Ford Escape/Mazda Tribute you see over here, if you see them. They have plenty of room and loads of space and handle well for a 4x4. Just be aware that while you may have booked an Escape you may not get one, if you get something else make sure it's the same size or bigger if not go back and complain. You may get an upgrade.

The easiest way to drive an automatic car when not used to them is to stick your left beside the seat, or somewhere well away from the peddles, so you don't left foot brake by mistake.

E39MSport

Bring small bills for the tolls and make sure you use the 'manual' lanes in the turn pikes.

And don't do what I did. This is embarrasing...

First experience of LHD and of USA. Straight off the plane into a renter in Chicago.

All going reasonably well. Came to first turn pike. Looked massive - loads of lanes. Half of them had 'manual' written over them and the other half had 'automatic'.
Knob end here checks the gearbox. Saw it was an automatic and went with my dollar bills in rush hour traffic to the furthest 'automatic' lane from the manual ones.

I don't need to explain what happened. Suffice it to say that I was mortified and there were scores of people blowing horns at me as I backed out then crossed 6 lanes towards the manual lanes.

Have Fun !!

Wishbone Ash

Traffic on interstates tend to travel very close and overtake with very little room to spare. It can be a little unsettling at first. Overtaking on both sides is also permitted. Large trucks do not appear to be limited like over here and will often be travelling at 80mph. As others have said, you may find yourself drifting towards the right on the first day.

EPM wrote: »

Whatever the hell you do at junctions don't look right...look left..

Look both ways.

Creamy Goodness wrote: »

make sure you turn right on red

...but give way to pedestrians.

diamondtooth wrote: »

Rent a GPS aswell

They can be expensive to rent - buy a cheap one.

Beechman wrote: »

one thing to rememer if you are behind a giant yellow public school bus , keep a good distance and when it stops and puts on its hazzard lights you stop and wait for it to move off...... never try to overtake it

+1 They are very strict about this.

If the school bus stops on a single carriageway road and you are coming from the opposite direction, you are also legally obliged to stop while it hazzards are flashing.

jackofalltrades

Lived in Florida for a few months, just to add to what others have said.

You can turn right on red (unless there's a sign saying not to) just make sure you come to a complete stop before the white line at the junction before doing this.

As Wishbone Ash was saying they're very strict when it comes to driving around schools buses. Don't overtake them, this also applies if your on a Dual carriageway and the Bus stops at the lane closest to the kerb, you must stop if you are in one of the other lanes on the same side as the bus.

If you're on a highway and you come across police/sheriff stopped in the hard shoulder you must either move out of the inner lane or slow down to 15-20 mph.

Automatic car + crusie control + sat nav(don't rent one, buying over there is cheaper) will make life a hell of a lot easier for you.

If you renting a car at Orlando airport when your returning it and you need to refill the tank avoid that Shell petrol station thats on Semoran Blvd. Their prices are ridicously high.

oxygen85 wrote:

do you know if this is the same in USA.. moving there soon and was wondering if I need to do a test there or would I just get an international license every year?

Get a driving licence in the state you are going to be living in as soon as possible, as having a non US driving licence could lead to increased insurance premiums.