Any brits drive in America?

Woolley · Post by **Woolley** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 6:58 pm

For my holiday to Florida, i've found a car rental company that doesn't actually charge through the roof for under 25's. So for £250 i'll be renting one of these for 2 weeks:

Are there any weird laws that i should know about before i go that are different to ours? (other than driving on the right

) I drive an auto anyway so thats not a problem.

uploader · Post by **uploader** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 7:12 pm

max speed limit in America is 65 miles per hour and watch out for undertaking

you you · Post by **you you** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 9:34 pm

You're British, drive on the left.

Damn your eyes man, you should be setting these Colonials and example,

Harrumph

TC3 · Post by **TC3** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 9:40 pm

Am over in USA right now.
The 4 way stop sign......you give way to any vehicle at the crossroads before you and then you can make your move when your turn is up.
Seems to me you can overtake in any lane on the freeways and some other roads too.
Gas costs peanuts compared to UK!!!!!!
Have fun

Taz · Post by **Taz** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 11:00 pm

This is my favorite law though not sure if its just for California, or also applies to other states:

"
On a two-lane highway where passing is unsafe because of traffic in the opposite direction or other conditions, a slow-moving vehicle, including a passenger vehicle, behind which five or more vehicles are formed in line, shall turn off the roadway at the nearest place designated as a turnout by signs erected by the authority having jurisdiction over the highway, or wherever sufficient area for a safe turnout exists, in order to permit the vehicles following it to proceed. As used in this section a slow-moving vehicle is one which is proceeding at a rate of speed less than the normal flow of traffic at the particular time and place.
"
It means you are not stuck for ages behind a caravan as in the UK. ie the caravan should pull over once 5 cars are behind.

daugava · Post by **daugava** » Wed Jul 18, 2012 1:13 am

uploader wrote:max speed limit in America is 65 miles per hour and watch out for undertaking

What does "undertaking" mean?

Tristik · Post by **Tristik** » Wed Jul 18, 2012 1:29 am

~~
Taz: That may be a law, but it's the kind know one recognizes. You'll see 10+ cars are humping behind some jackass doing 10 MPH under the speed limit.

Daugava: Undertaking is when someone passes another vehicle where the passing vehicle uses the slow lane to pass instead of the 'passing' lane. Since it's all backwards, slower traffic stays to the right lanes and faster traffic is supposed to use the left lanes.

Oh, and there are some 75 mph speed limits in the US, but I think they are mostly in the central-western part of the US.

And you can turn right on a red light in some states (including Florida as far as I know)

Use your turn signals always, don't go more than 5 mph over the posted speed limit, and come to complete stops at red lights and stop signs. Follow those and you should have no issues driving in the US. Any oddball laws you break you will probably just get a warning from the cop unless he's a total douche.
~~

TC3 · Post by **TC3** » Wed Jul 18, 2012 6:42 am

Has it been mentioned there is sometimes a sign at lights allowing cars to turn left on red as long as path is clear. That is one of my favorites

Woolley · Post by **Woolley** » Wed Jul 18, 2012 7:52 am

Sounds like its easier driving there than over here! Thanks for the tips. I read about the turning right on red rule, seems a good idea. 4 way crossroads sound confusing though.

you you · Post by **you you** » Wed Jul 18, 2012 9:21 am

Woolley wrote:Sounds like its easier driving there than over here! Thanks for the tips. I read about the turning right on red rule, seems a good idea. 4 way crossroads sound confusing though.

It does sound a good idea, I'm going to practice over here....

daugava · Post by **daugava** » Wed Jul 18, 2012 12:35 pm

Woolley wrote:Sounds like its easier driving there than over here! Thanks for the tips. I read about the turning right on red rule, seems a good idea. 4 way crossroads sound confusing though.

They are - with these, most agressive drivers are usually the ones to cross the intersection first.

Tristik · Post by **Tristik** » Wed Jul 18, 2012 7:03 pm

Woolley wrote:Sounds like its easier driving there than over here! Thanks for the tips. I read about the turning right on red rule, seems a good idea. 4 way crossroads sound confusing though.

~~
Car to the right is supposed to have the right away at a 4 way stop. So if you stop at a stop sign the same time as another driver and he is at the crossroads to your left, you have the right of way. If he's on the right, he has the right of way. If it's the kind of stop where there is a bunch of cars from multiple directions, just pay attention to the pattern before it's your turn at the stop sign.

I'll usually slow down a bit if I see another car that's gonna hit a 4-way stop sign at the same time as me so there's no confusion as to who goes first. Then again, I'm a safe driver and not a douchebag like so many other drivers I see here.

It's weird, but the amount of bad drivers I've seen since going to 3rd shift is amazing. People are just significantly more inconsiderate in the early morning. Why, just this morning I had 2 completely different people come to a dead stop in front of me for no reason....then turn into a driveway. No turn signal or anything to let me know WHY they were stopping in the middle of the road. Oooooo, I hates those people!
~~

maddiedog · Post by **maddiedog** » Thu Jul 19, 2012 11:37 am

Tristik brings up a good point. I'm not sure about the UK, but in the USA, lots of people assume you can magically understand what maneuvers they are about to perform, and therefore never indicate with their turn signals.

Also, you'll be surprised how many cars are far shittier than some of the ones in the UK. We don't have yearly inspections like you guys do, so people with taillights out, trailers with no lights at all, and improperly-secured cargo in pickups is all very common around here. Use caution.

I'm not sure if you can left-on-red in the UK, but you can't in the USA. If you have a green light and the intersection is clear, you can proceed.

In the USA, a left turn yields to EVERYTHING. If someone going the opposite way is taking a right and you are about to take a left onto the same road, let the person going right go first.

4-way stops are being overcomplicated in this thread. I yield to EVERYONE at a 4-way stop. I approach, come to a full stop, wait for all the other traffic that is already waiting to go, then take my turn. The car to the right is supposed to have the right of way on the West coast, but on the East coast, we usually yield to the car on the left, and occasionally throw logic out the window and just go whenever. Hence my suggestion of YIELDING TO EVERYONE!

When you right-on-red, make sure to come to a complete stop before turning, unless there is a yield sign, then you can roll through.

Woolley · Post by **Woolley** » Thu Jul 19, 2012 11:51 am

What's a yield sign?
No, in the UK there's no turning at all on red. Red is stop and that's it. Unless there's a separate green light in the shape of a left arrow.
I think I will just stop for everyone at a 4-way. And I'll keep way back of other drivers incase of broken brake lights etc.

gn2 · Post by **gn2** » Thu Jul 19, 2012 11:52 am

Yield = Give Way

maddiedog · Post by **maddiedog** » Thu Jul 19, 2012 12:05 pm

This is a yield sign:

: Yield.jpg (31.46 KiB) Viewed 4003 times

It means you can go, but only after traffic is clear.

gn2 · Post by **gn2** » Thu Jul 19, 2012 12:08 pm

UK equivalent:

Woolley · Post by **Woolley** » Thu Jul 19, 2012 4:22 pm

ah i see thanks.

Tristik · Post by **Tristik** » Thu Jul 19, 2012 7:58 pm

maddiedog wrote:The car to the right is supposed to have the right of way on the West coast, but on the East coast, we usually yield to the car on the left...

~~
Seriously? I thought the 'car on right has right of way' was a universal thing across the whole US.
~~

AustinPCX · Post by **AustinPCX** » Thu Jul 19, 2012 10:27 pm

At a 4 way, 2 way, 8 way, whatever way. He who hesitates goes last. Just pay attention and be ready when its your turn. Don't be a jerk, but don't be indecisive either.

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