As a Swede who moved to the UK, reporter Alice Sjoberg needed to get used to numerous issues – however there are some issues about driving within the UK that baffle her.
Reporter Alice Sjoberg has shared variations between driving within the UK and Sweden (Picture: Alice Sjoberg)
Having moved to the UK from Sweden only a few months earlier than my twentieth birthday, I had already earned my driving licence again dwelling and felt completely snug behind the wheel – even in the course of snow storms.
However, it took 4 years of dwelling within the UK, finishing college and residing in bigger cities, earlier than I lastly took the leap and bought my first automobile, largely out of necessity for work. Whereas I had grown accustomed to the differing street guidelines as each a pedestrian and a passenger on numerous types of public transport, there remained some vital changes I needed to grasp as I received used to driving in a brand new nation.
There are nonetheless facets of driving right here that I discover moderately peculiar, and beneath is my record of six issues I merely have not received used to, regardless of having pushed right here for almost 4 years — proof that driving overseas will be far tougher than anticipated.
1. Driving on the left facet
Some of the obvious distinctions is that Britons proceed to drive on the left-hand facet of the street, moderately than the suitable, as roughly 75% of the world does.
It represents a substantial departure from driving on the suitable, primarily requiring you to continually remind your self to do the alternative of what feels pure — equivalent to utilizing your left hand to alter gear as an alternative of your proper, and navigating roundabouts in a clockwise course moderately than anticlockwise.
4 years on, I nonetheless often discover it unusual to drive on the left-hand facet of the street, significantly when my mother and father are visiting and travelling with me. However, I’ve come to just accept that the UK drives on the left.
One other side I hadn’t given a lot thought to till buying my automobile was simply how in a different way motor insurance coverage operates right here. Not solely was it significantly extra pricey than again dwelling, however it additionally capabilities in a completely completely different means.
In Sweden, drivers take out insurance coverage for every particular person automobile moderately than for the drivers themselves. This implies anybody holding a sound licence can get behind the wheel of your automobile, so should you’ve had one too many on the pub, you possibly can merely ask a good friend to drive it dwelling.
This method makes much more sense to me, as I wrestle to get my head across the quite a few elements considered for automobile insurance coverage within the UK.
Six issues I discover bizarre driving within the UK as a Swede
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3. Magic Roundabout
After I first bought my automobile, I used to be dwelling in Swindon — dwelling to one of many UK’s infamous Magic Roundabouts. Constructed in 1972, it contains 5 mini-roundabouts organized in a round formation. These 5 mini-roundabouts journey in an anti-clockwise course, whereas the outer ring strikes clockwise.
I had navigated the roundabout quite a few occasions by bus earlier than proudly owning a automobile, on my method to work. But it took almost a 12 months of automobile possession earlier than I plucked up the braveness to drive by way of it myself — and I loathed each single second of it. In the meantime, most Swindon residents will sing its praises, insisting it is remarkably sensible and environment friendly when you familiarize yourself with it.
4. Driving in snow
Having grown up in Northern Sweden, the place I lived for 19 years till I moved to the UK, I am no stranger to driving in snow. In reality, in an effort to get your driving licence in Sweden, it’s a must to cross a particular driving check the place you present your abilities of driving in snowy, icy, and moist situations with out shedding management of the automobile.
Nevertheless, upon arriving in Britain, I used to be shocked by the site visitors mayhem triggered by even the slightest dusting of snow. I often discovered myself unable to depart my dwelling because of prolonged queues of stationary site visitors clogging up my road.
In consequence, I’ve learnt to keep away from venturing out at any time when snow falls — just because I do know I am going to find yourself caught in gridlock someplace alongside the way in which.
5. Driving 60mph on nation roads
In the meantime, one of many issues I nonetheless cannot get my head round is how drivers are daring sufficient to succeed in 60mph on slender, winding nation lanes that may barely accommodate a single automobile.
I am going to persist with a snug 40mph at most, navigating each bend as cautiously as potential to minimise any likelihood of a collision.
6. Purple lights in roundabouts
Lastly, I fail to spot the need of getting site visitors lights inside a roundabout. I recall the primary time I encountered one, and needed to hit my brakes after merely not anticipating to see the lights as I used to be driving by way of the massive roundabout. I had by no means skilled something like that in Sweden earlier than.
To my thoughts, the roundabout is already there to handle site visitors circulation and permit drivers to succeed in their vacation spot as easily as potential. The roundabout ought to function a substitute for site visitors lights, so having each working concurrently appears totally redundant to me.
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