Driving?

This is somewhat of a silly question, but I just can't help but wonder... How long did it take each of you to adjust to driving in the UK? On the left side of the road, wheel on the right side of the car? How awkward is it for you when you visit the US?

About a day - it's really easy to get used to being on the other side of the road/car when everyone else is, too!   It took me a few weeks to feel comfortable with NOT hugging the centre line, as the hardest bit for me was adjusting to the fact that the majority of the vehicle is now located to my left, instead of my right.  You know how you have an instinctive knowledge of how close your car is to the curb when driving?  That didn't immediately translate for me. 

When I go back, I usually fly into Atlanta, hire a car and get immediately spit out into high-speed interstate traffic, so there's really no awkwardness at all - instinct kicks in.  That said, there's usually one time near the beginning of every trip where I make a turn out of a driveway onto a deserted road (in a subdivision or something, not on a road with proper markings) and wind up on the other side of the road.   But after two years of driving in the UK and six trips back to the US, it's really not a big deal at all.

Remembering which way to look was the hardest bit.

as the hardest bit for me was adjusting to the fact that the majority of the vehicle is now located to my left, instead of my right.  You know how you have an instinctive knowledge of how close your car is to the curb when driving?  That didn't immediately translate for me. 

I think I still drive way too far over to the left! But as for feeling comfortable, I'd say it took me about a week. Maybe a bit less. It's far less scary that it sounds a first, to be honest.

As for driving in the US, I've only been back once in 5 years and I didn't drive at all. No sense in confusing myself!

I didn't start driving here in the UK until around a year after I moved. Now, it's been a year of taking lessons and I feel comfortable driving here - though it probably only took me around a month or two of lessons to get adjusted to driving on the left, though looking the correct way did take a bit of time. I've been to the US three times in the two years and have driven each time - it's only taken me around 5 minutes to get readjusted - I've just gone back to it automatically I guess since I've been driving over there for a lot longer.

Unlike most people, I found it very daunting to drive on the left, it wasn't my idea of a good time, but I wanted to drive around because public transport around here isn't that great. Four months after I started driving, I am finally comfortable. I still have left side of the car adjustment issues. The small roads don't help any, but I'm used to those now.
My driving test examiner pointed it out on Friday for my test- in fact, I got two minors for being too close to the left at various points during the test.   

I did go on the right side of the road last week after coming off a one way street.  I didn't even click I was on the right until a car was coming at me. 

Umm...how did I pass my test again, first time?

Due to various issues, I had been back to the states 4 times since I moved here (in January) and I've driven each time and I've had no issues getting adjusted back to the right side of the road.

I have issues with driving the wrong way round here too!  In fact, so much that although I got my provisional licence at least three years ago, I still have not taken lessons or done anything to get my permanent regular licence.  I really need to do so!  I have only driven 2 or 3 times here - max, and every time I got really freaked out (might have had something to do with DH being in the car & he's a nervous driver himself...).  When I get behind the wheel here, a blind panic hits me & my brain gets all confused about which side I need to be on, etc.  I feel the same way when we are out walking sometimes - it's all muddled if we are walking along a road & my little brain is trying to work out which shoulder of the road we should be on, to be facing oncoming traffic...

I was an excellent driver in the US (DH even says so) - drove in all kinds of weather conditions, all kinds of road conditions, city, country, interstates, long distances by myself, etc.  But here I am totally freaked out - not so when I go back to the US (cos I still do the driving when we visit there).

Then again, there has been no compelling force for me to learn here.  We don't need to drive places most of the time - very infrequently anyway.  DH drives when we need to take the car somewhere.  Our public transport is good, so I can get to most of the places I need to go that way, or by walking.  Still there are times of inconvenience...like when maybe I'd like to go to Costco or a mall, say -- and because DH hates to shop, we don't go - because he's the driver.

OT Mrs Robinson, but I LOVE your quote in your bottom signature 

I waited 5 years to learn to drive here and once I had my license and a car, my whole world opened up. I was able to take a higher paying job, I was able to do what I wanted, when I wanted and not wait for a bus, train or tram. I think that sometimes people who don't drive might have more trouble adjusting as they lose that freedom that they might have had in the states.

I failed my test the first time around (after driving for 15 years in the states) and now after driving here for about 3 years, its as natural to me as was driving in the states. I have no wrong side of the road issues, and I also learned that I love driving a manual far more than I like to drive an automatic.

When I go back to the states (Around twice a year) I can adjust within minutes to driving on the right. I just chant this...keep to the right, keep to the right, keep to the right. I am a much better driver for learning to drive in the UK. My husband on the other hand, won't drive in the states...he is a chicken.

OT Mrs Robinson, but I LOVE your quote in your bottom signature 

Yeah, I think that's my favorite GD song!  I have noticed your little dancing bear before...

I have issues with driving the wrong way round here too!  In fact, so much that although I got my provisional licence at least three years ago, I still have not taken lessons or done anything to get my permanent regular licence. 

Me, too. I have been here for ten years and have switched over my BC licence to a British one and I still don't drive for the fear. Sometimes, I wonder if I should have bothered because BC doesn't allow the transfer from British licences to BC ones if we ever move back. Oh, well, we could choose another province temporarily if this was a real problem. And we are not leaving Yorkshire anytime soon!   

I took me a while to be honest and I drive an automatic!  I got my license in December but have been in the UK since Dec 2006 and I still sometimes turn onto a road and go blank on which side of the road I should be on.  It's only a fraction of a second until I remember LEFT LEFT!  But in my opinion, it takes a while to fully adjust and driving loads and just being in the car a lot helps a great deal.

If you have issues with driving on the "wrong" side of the road, you MUST get out and drive more to get used to driving on that side.

Wow, it seems some people just adjust pretty quickly, while others it takes a while. If you don't mind my saying, I also notice that with those who don't adjust as well, it's usually out of fear, or nervousness. Maybe it would help to just relax about driving and take a more "natural" approach? I wouldn't know because I haven't driven in the UK, just throwin' out an observation.

Wow, it seems some people just adjust pretty quickly, while others it takes a while. If you don't mind my saying, I also notice that with those who don't adjust as well, it's usually out of fear, or nervousness. Maybe it would help to just relax about driving and take a more "natural" approach? I wouldn't know because I haven't driven in the UK, just throwin' out an observation.

I think part of the fear is trying to adjust to the different sizes in roads on top of driving on the other side of the road - I know that made me very nervous when I was learning to drive and I was born and raised in the UK (it took me a year of weekly lessons and two failed tests before I finally passed, and then another 2 years to feel fully confident on the road and comfortable driving in areas I wasn't familiar with)!

The US is full of big, wide, straight roads, often with 4-6 lanes and plenty of space, whereas the UK roads are much smaller and less straight and it can be very daunting trying to drive along a twisty, windy country road that only has enough space for one car to fit in... and then there's a big tractor coming your way and you have no idea how it's going to get past you without crashing right into your tiny little car ! Or trying to drive down a tiny street with cars parked on both sides of the road so there is only enough room for one car to fit through and there are cars coming towards you!

Plus, there's the parking spaces which seem to be about half the width of US parking spaces, and the roundabouts, and the unfamiliar road signs and rules of the road. There's also pedestrians and bicycles to worry about, and people driving faster on the motorway than they usually do in the US (you see a lot of people going 90-100 mph, even though they're not supposed to).

Coming from the US (where I am currently living), I can understand why people would be nervous and afraid to drive on the UK roads. I have relatives who have lived in the US for 30 years and even though they learned to drive in the UK originally, they have spent so much time driving on large US roads that they get scared by the small country roads when they come back home to visit.