Having moved to the UK from Sweden just a few months before my 20th birthday, I had already earned my driving licence back home and felt thoroughly comfortable behind the wheel – even in the middle of snow storms.
Nevertheless, it took four years of living in the UK, completing university and residing in larger cities, before I finally took the leap and purchased my first car, largely out of necessity for work. While I had grown accustomed to the differing road rules as both a pedestrian and a passenger on various forms of public transport, there remained some significant adjustments I had to master as I got used to driving in a new country.
There are still aspects of driving here that I find rather peculiar, and below is my list of six things I simply haven’t got used to, despite having driven here for nearly four years — proof that driving abroad can be far more challenging than anticipated.
1. Driving on the left side
One of the most glaring distinctions is that Britons continue to drive on the left-hand side of the road, rather than the right, as roughly 75% of the world does.
It represents a considerable departure from driving on the right, primarily requiring you to constantly remind yourself to do the opposite of what feels natural — such as using your left hand to change gear instead of your right, and navigating roundabouts in a clockwise direction rather than anticlockwise.
Four years on, I still occasionally find it strange to drive on the left-hand side of the road, particularly when my parents are visiting and travelling with me. Nevertheless, I’ve come to accept that the UK drives on the left.
2. Insurance
Another aspect I hadn’t given much thought to until purchasing my car was just how differently motor insurance operates here. Not only was it considerably more costly than back home, but it also functions in an entirely different way.
In Sweden, drivers take out insurance for each individual vehicle rather than for the drivers themselves. This means anyone holding a valid licence can get behind the wheel of your car, so if you’ve had one too many at the pub, you can simply ask a friend to drive it home.
This approach makes far more sense to me, as I struggle to get my head around the numerous factors taken into consideration for car insurance in the UK.
3. Magic Roundabout
When I first purchased my car, I was living in Swindon — home to one of the UK’s notorious Magic Roundabouts. Constructed in 1972, it comprises five mini-roundabouts arranged in a circular formation. These five mini-roundabouts travel in an anti-clockwise direction, while the outer ring moves clockwise.
I had navigated the roundabout numerous times by bus before owning a car, on my way to work. Yet it took nearly a year of car ownership before I plucked up the courage to drive through it myself — and I loathed every single moment of it. Meanwhile, most Swindon residents will sing its praises, insisting it’s remarkably practical and efficient once you get to grips with it.
4. Driving in snow
Having grown up in Northern Sweden, where I lived for 19 years until I moved to the UK, I’m no stranger to driving in snow. In fact, in order to get your driving licence in Sweden, you have to pass a special driving test where you show your skills of driving in snowy, icy, and wet conditions without losing control of the car.
However, upon arriving in Britain, I was taken aback by the traffic mayhem triggered by even the slightest dusting of snow. I frequently found myself unable to leave my home due to lengthy queues of stationary traffic clogging up my street.
As a result, I’ve learnt to avoid venturing out whenever snow falls — simply because I know I’ll end up stuck in gridlock somewhere along the way.
5. Driving 60mph on country roads
Meanwhile, one of the things I still can’t get my head around is how drivers are bold enough to reach 60mph on narrow, winding country lanes that can barely accommodate a single vehicle.
I’ll stick to a comfortable 40mph at most, navigating every bend as cautiously as possible to minimise any chance of a collision.
6. Red lights in roundabouts
Finally, I fail to see the necessity of having traffic lights inside a roundabout. I recall the first time I encountered one, and had to hit my brakes after simply not expecting to see the lights as I was driving through the large roundabout. I had never experienced anything like that in Sweden before.
To my mind, the roundabout is already there to manage traffic flow and allow drivers to reach their destination as smoothly as possible. The roundabout should serve as an alternative to traffic lights, so having both operating simultaneously seems entirely redundant to me.