Top Ten US Driving Tips
The US Road Trip is for many people – including most Americans – the dream holiday. It’s the freedom of the road, the ability to stop or move on, a chance to see the country’s breath-taking scenery, and to cross its wide-open spaces.
But there are some different driving rules and regulations you need to take account of if you’re an overseas driver hoping to drive Route 66 or the Pacific Coast Highway, two of the country’s best-known routes.
1) As a general rule, driving in the USA is easier than driving in many countries. Roads are well signed, and it is a driving culture there so everything is geared for the motorist. The only difficult bits can be in big cities (like anywhere else in the world) and at complex exchanges where several interstates might meet and you can have several lanes of traffic. In these circumstances a satnav is invaluable, to tell you which lane you need to be in.
2) The vast majority of exits from interstates and highways are on the right. If a left-hand exit is approaching, the sign for it will be over the left-hand lane rather than the usual right-hand lane.
3) Americans have a more flexible attitude about which lane to drive in. The rule is that you should normally be in the slow lane unless overtaking. In the USA, though, because traffic is constantly exiting and entering from the slow (right-hand) lane, it’s normal to drive in the middle lane or lanes. You’ll soon pick up the protocol, although we have to say that in our experience many American drivers have no idea about lane discipline. It’s very common to come across a driver tootling along below the speed limit in the fast lane, when the slow lane is empty for miles ahead, forcing you to overtake on the inside.
4) Different states have different laws, so if you’re driving in more than one state it can help to check the rules in each state. In Oregon, for instance, it’s illegal for a driver to fill their own car at a gas station. You have to wait for an attendant to do it.
5) It’s an offence in most (but not all) states to have an open container of alcohol inside a vehicle. It’s best to play safe and keep all alcohol, open or not, in the boot (or trunk, as it’s called in the USA. The language of driving terms is a whole other matter.)
6) Keep a close eye on speed limit signs. The maximum speed limit also varies from state to state so you may have to adjust your speed as you cross a state line. The Highway Patrol has some sneaky hiding places along the highways and interstates and you don’t want to see that flashing light in your rear-view mirror.
7) Wherever you are, if an emergency or police vehicle is on the hard shoulder with lights flashing then you must pull over into the next lane unless it’s absolutely impossible because of the traffic. Most people would pull over for a broken down vehicle too. Likewise, if a flashing-light vehicle is approaching from behind, or coming towards you and it’s not a dual carriageway, you must slow to a stop and pull over till they get past.
8) You must carry your driver’s licence on you in the car at all times, and also have your insurance and tax documents.
9) You must pull over and wait when a school bus stops for an official stop. The lights will flash to warn you and ‘STOP’ signs will pop out from each side of the bus.. You must not attempt to pass the bus, no matter which side of the road you are on. School buses are yellow, and easy to spot.
10) The USA has Stop signs. They do have some roundabouts but most drivers don’t really ‘get’ them. On the other hand, many overseas drivers don’t get the Stop sign system either.
If you see a Stop sign you must come to a complete stop. Even if you can see that there is no other traffic, you must come to a stop, if only momentarily. YIELD means the same as it does elsewhere: you only need to stop if there’s traffic on the road you’re entering. If it’s clear, you don’t need to stop.
When you approach a Stop sign, look to see if it says 2-WAY, 3-WAY, 4-WAY or ALL-WAY underneath the STOP. This helps you work out who has priority. If it’s an ALL-WAY stop or a 4-WAY at a 4-way junction, then all drivers have to stop. Priority goes to whoever got there first. This can create awkward situations, but most US drivers are so used to their system that everyone figures it out instantly. Foreign drivers might be more hesitant, and may also be used to thinking that priority goes to the driver on your right, as at a roundabout. No, at a STOP system you take it strictly in turn.