UK driving experience more pleasant than SA

I consider myself a reasonably good driver, having driven hundreds of different cars and in a number of different countries. Yet, despite being trained to drive under the British system in Zimbabwe many moons ago and driving in South Africa, which largely follows UK rules of the road, I had to do a considerable bit of homework before our recent trip to England and Wales.

UK roundabouts

They drive on the same side of the road as us (the left) in the UK and, generally speaking, the rules and warning signs are similar. But then you have … roundabouts. The Brits have become famous globally for their devotion to these civil devices as a cost-effective way to keep traffic flowing from all directions at an intersection.

And, more and more of them are appearing on the British road landscape, including on fast, dual carriageways we here might regard as highways. Do not for a moment think you can apply your knowledge of South African roundabouts – and the rules relating to them – to the UK.

Apart from the fact that most SA drivers do not know the difference between rules for a “mini-circle” and a full-size roundabout in this country, the UK system takes complexity to a new level.

I jumped onto YouTube and spent a few days looking at videos from British driving instructors on how to negotiate a roundabout. And I am glad I did – otherwise I would have done more or less what I do in SA … and got a lot of angry hoots in response. In two weeks and just over 1 600km in the UK, I got only one motorist using his horn, because I had been tardy in changing lanes.

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Roundabouts in the UK can be complex affairs, with up to six different exits, or with one roundabout immediately flowing into another.

They call the principle a “spiral roundabout”, which basically means you move gradually across the multiple planes, one exit at a time, until you line up for your final move out of the roundabout. You have to constantly monitor the signage on the approach to the junction and also watch the road surface itself, which is marked with early direction arrows.

‘Robots’ are also different in the UK

In addition, some circles are controlled by traffic lights (don’t call them robots because no-one will know what you’re on about), which is an added layer of trickery for a visitor from SA, because the lights go in sequence red, amber, green, the opposite of how they work here.

Many people already start moving on the amber, ahead of the green, so remember that when you’re behind the wheel. It is important to take driving in the UK seriously and not only because they (and their cops particularly) do the same.

Public transport

If you’re a tourist wanting to explore the UK properly, you simply cannot do it using public transport.

The UK train service is universally regarded as the most expensive, slowest and most unreliable in Europe – and that was before Brexit. Unlike in Europe, there are not frequent, affordable trains between major centres linking to regular affordable secondary transport, like buses and trams. Thus, if you want to visit, say, the scenic Cotswolds (as we did), it requires a lot of planning, a lot of time and quite a bit of money to do it by train and bus.

And you’ll always be pinned to a timetable. If you are staying in a city, this is less of a problem because urban bus services are generally good as well as reasonably priced. Driving in the UK, once you get over the volume of cars around you and the new situation – and get used to navigating the narrower roads – is more pleasant than SA.

Even though people there complain about rising road rage, I saw little of it and could rely on those around me being competent and legally qualified and that law enforcement was on the ball. Motorways are good and their equivalents of our One-Stop and Ultra Citys – what they call “services” – offer all the amenities. Another tip if you are thinking of a driving holiday in the UK: do it outside winter.

Although British winter weather is less extreme than it is in many parts of Europe, snow can disrupt movement. And, of course, most South Africans are not used to coping with “black ice”.

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