Driving in the UK

UK Motorway Sign

I’ve been living in the UK for 4 years now.  I’ve been driving in the UK for 4 years now.  I’ve never driven on the motorways save the wee ones around Peterborough in the 4 years I have been driving in the UK.  I’m frightened you see.

Mind you, in the US, I became a qualified driver at the age of 16…on the first attempt and everything!  I drove successfully in the US for 18 years with only 1 or 2 speeding tickets (everyone has at least 1!).  I didn’t drive initially when I moved to the UK in June of 2005 because we couldn’t find a company to insure me until I had a UK driving license.  Non-UK residents are permitted to drive on their foreign license for up to a year before being legally obligated to take the UK driving test.  We did eventually find an insurance company to cover me before getting that illusive UK driving license and my hubby got me a gorgeous 1991 Mini for me to putter about in.  It was a lovely car…

My Glorious Mini

I killed it!  In a sleep deprived, brain addled state after a brilliant holiday to Malaga in 2007, I left work and on a tight bend off a roundabout I clipped an oncoming car, careened into the dirt and throughly killed my Mini.  Gone…in a flash.  Sob!  That spring, forced to ride the bus to work, I began preparing to become a licensed driver in the UK.  We had a friend who was a driving instructor and after 7 lessons, I felt I was ready to attempt one of the hardest driving tests in the world.  And on that first attempt in May 2007, I passed!  With flying colours.  Woo hoo.  Part of my driving test was driving on the motorway around Peterborough.  That’s about as far as I have come since then.  The A1 runs around Peterborough and I’ve been on it a few times but mainly only to skirt around Peterborough to Stamford and vice versa.  My hubby is a brilliant driver and when we go places together or as a family, he almost always drives.  And you’ll never catch me driving into London!  God no!  That’s what public transport is for!

One of my Mummy Blogger friends, Claire of Being A Mummy, invited Little Miss and I to a Mummy Blogger Tea last week.  I decided that the time had come.  It was time to tackle the motorway.  Let me explain my fear to you:

I’m used to driving in the US on highways that are very straight, very wide and very well marked.  You get mileage signs telling you how many miles to the next destination, highways are North, South, East and West and very obviouly signposted.  It’s a bit hard to get lost as there’s on and off…THERE ARE NO ROUNDABOUTS!!!  Now that’s not entirely true as some roundabouts have made their way into the American Motor System which is actually brilliant…American’s just don’t understand them!  The challenge I have with the UK Motorways is the markings…why are all the markings ON THE ROAD…how are you supposed to see that properly??  I know it’s more about knowing where you want to go and watching for the sign on the approach to a roundabout to know which lane to be in but still…I keep wondering every time, “WHY ARE WE IN THAT LANE??”  Hubby isn’t brilliant at explaining that…he just drives and I watch.

A UK Roundabout

So, Little Miss and I braved the A1 on our adventure and guess what?  WE SURVIVED!  In fact, even though I got a bit muddled after exiting the A1 for St. Albans, I managed to use my brain, read signs and negotiate St. Albans to get to my final destination.  I was so proud of myself.  Now, I don’t think I’ll ever be ready to tackle London but I managed to get from one point to another all on my own and live to tell the tale.  Maybe we’ll try another adventure some other day?  If you’re a “foreigner” in the UK, what do you feel about the motorways, roundabouts and driving?  If you’re a British Citizen, do you ever struggle with driving in the UK?  Share your HORROR STORIES…I’m hoping we won’t have any to add!