Other side of the road!

For most of us we take for granted that we walk to our car, jump in, start it up, and then pull to the end of our driveway, turn left (or right as your case may be) and drive away. All on automatic. For the past few weeks I have not been able to do that. Too many times I have come up to an intersection, stopped and then looked left for oncoming traffic only to see taillights! Driving in the UK requires you to switch all your natural (for those of us left side of the car drivers) tendencies. This starts with needing to make sure you walk up to the correct door if you plan to drive. Always a strange feeling to walk up to the car door and then realize the steering wheel is on the other side!

What are the changes?

• Getting in on the other side of the car to drive
• The blinker is on the opposite side of the steering wheel (oops there go the wipers again!)
• Shifting the gears with the left hand

• Rear-view mirror is up and left
• Traffic comes from the right not left
• Traffic circles go the opposite way
• On dual carriageways (4 lane highway) stay to the left and pass on the right
• Watch for the curb on left corners

STAY LEFT! When I first started driving here our host, Campbell, gave me the advice: just remember always stay left. That has been good advice. After a few weeks I think I have begun to get the knack of driving here. I do catch myself every once in a while still taking a corner and being on the wrong side of the road but the times are getting less.

Unique things to Northern Ireland are the very narrow roads with no shoulder, and hedges along the roadways.

There are also some unique signs that we have never has seen before!