Tips for Driving Safely on the Right Side of the Road
As a driver in the UK, you’ll be familiar with driving on the left side of the road, so driving on the right side can seem pretty daunting. Well, we’re here to help. Here you can learn how to adjust to driving on the right when holidaying in a foreign country.
Preparation is Key
There’s not a lot of practical preparation you can do when it comes to gearing yourself up for driving on (what you believe to be) the ‘wrong side’ of the road. However, you can ensure your driving skills are up to scratch in your own country.
So, before taking on the challenge of driving on the right side of the road, be sure to brush up on your driving as a whole. Focus on observational skills and the correct use of signalling, changing lanes, dual carriageways, motorways – the lot!
Whilst there are various different traffic systems in other countries, safe driving is fundamental, regardless of which side of the road you drive on.
Read more: 4 Foolishly Dangerous Things to do Whilst Driving
Always Remember: Keep to the Right
This might sound obvious but it’ll really help to keep it at the forefront of your mind. If you keep telling yourself that you need to keep to the right, it’ll soon become second nature for you to do just that.
It’s well worth taking a passenger (who can also drive) with you first off, so that they can keep an eye on your road positioning and guide you. You’re likely to be travelling with company anyway, unless of course, you’ve decided to go on a solo holiday! In which case, stay calm, focus and keep to the right.
Roundabouts
As you know, we drive around roundabouts in a clockwise direction in the UK. However, countries that drive on the right hand side of the road approach the roundabout in a counter-clockwise direction, which means that when driving in these countries, you need to remember to give way to the left.
Granted, this will take some getting used to, so approach roundabouts slower than usual to allow yourself to have sufficient time to observe traffic flow, signs and lanes. Be sure to remain relaxed, even if you miss your exit; making dangerous manoeuvres at the last second could cause an accident.
Junctions
Whilst in the UK, we approach a T-junction and prioritise our observations to the right, in countries that drive on the right, the opposite applies and oncoming traffic is seen coming from the left.
Motorways and Dual Carriageways
You’ll join motorways and dual carriageways in the right hand lane, which is the complete opposite of what we’re used to doing in the UK! This will no doubt take some getting used to, so it’s wise to stay in the right lane, which is the slow lane, until you adjust.
Remember to check the left blind spot before entering the middle or left lane when overtaking, rather than checking the right.
Top Tips
In order to stay as safe as possible when driving on the right side of the road, it’s important to bear these tips in mind:
- Brush up on your driving and observational skills before travelling
- Research the country that you will be driving in
- Take along a co-driver to help with navigation, keeping to the right and observation
Read more: The Legalities of Driving Abroad
See, we’re not only clued up on car registrations, we know our stuff when it comes to driving cars too! Primo Registrations’ MD loves travelling, and he is no doubt seen driving a car that flaunts a personalised plate. Be sure to take a look at our selection of number plates today.
