I am going to England soon and will be renting a car. All of the rental cars are manual transmission. I have no problem with the manual part, what I would like to know, is the pedal configuration the same as here in Canada? Control gas and Brake with right foot, and control clutch with left. I ask this because you are driving on the right side of the car, changing gears with your left hand, just wondering if the pedals are backward too? Anyone who has ever driven in Great Britan please respond and let me know, it will take a load off my shoulders, and may help me prepare for driving in that country...if driving on the right side isn't confusing enough. Thanks!
What is the pedal configuration in a manual car from Great Britan? Is it the same as North America?
The pedal layout and gear positions are the same both sides of the Atlantic. Getting used to the layout of the car controls will be the first of the issues that you'll have to cope with.
I used to work at a large airport outside London and have seen some of the daft things that US drivers do as soon as they collect their hire cars. They seem to think that everything is same as %26quot;at home%26quot;. Please accept the following in the spirit of helpfulness...
A few things to note, or you may have %26quot;difficulties%26quot; when driving in the UK:
Get the terminology right (English is a slightly different language from American).
In the UK only very specially adapted cars run on 'gas'. Your fuel will be diesel or petrol (don't mix them up, it would be an expensive mistake). What you call the %26quot;gas pedal%26quot; is the %26quot;Accellerator%26quot;.
There are commonly two grades of petrol, their names vary by company: normal/regular/super and Premium. Unless you have a souped-up sporty car then don't waste your money on Premium.
Most car diesel is very much the same these days (low sulphur etc) regardless of what label the garage gives it. In some places you can buy bio-diesel if your car will take it and you're feeling %26quot;eco-friendly%26quot;.
As a general rule at roundabouts (and many other junctions) - unless signs indicate otherwise - you should give way to traffic approaching from your right (unless you're already on the major road).
Most garages are self-service and Petrol is sold in litres. It is very expensive (about 97pence/litre) so drive carefully or your fuel bills will be shockingly high. The further from London you are the cheaper it gets, unless you're in a very rural area. Don't buy it from a motorway service station because it's even more expensive. The cheapest places to refuel are in supermarkets.
People are generally tolerant at road junctions etc. but if you make a mistake and proceed as if you were driving on the right then people will not accept %26quot;US tourist%26quot; as an excuse when you bend their car.
At all times keep in the left lane on motorways unless you are overtaking. You'll see lots of idiots who think that they have a God given right to hog the centre lane. Don't be one of them, they cause jams and bad tempers.
Keep to speed limits at all times (as usual, you should ignore the idiots who think the rules don't apply to them). The UK is liberally covered with automatic cameras, which you won't see untill it's too late, and your car will be traced to you via your hire company. They'll have a nice collection of fines for you to pay.
Trains always have right of way at level crossings. There are not many of these in England but there do seem to be plenty of people who %26quot;play chicken%26quot; and usually lose. Bumping a train could affect your collision damage insurance.
Familiarise yourself with UK driving rules, road signs and terminology. Many are not the same as in the US (especially at junctions). To keep yourself out of trouble you should read the Highway Code BEFORE you come. It's not long and will save you a lot of grief. The link below should help you.
Enjoy your stay.
What is the pedal configuration in a manual car from Great Britan? Is it the same as North America?
I haven't driven in Great Britain, but I have driven in Japan which also has right-hand drive cars. The gas is on the right, brake in the middle and clutch on the left just like you are used to with a left-hand drive car.
The hardest thing to get used to is looking to the right first when crossing an intersection (and when crossing the street when you are walking).
I am American and went to the UK in May. The pedals are the same as cars in North America - gas on the right, brake in the middle, clutch on the left. The gear shaft is also the same as cars in north America in that 1st gears is the upper left corner of the shaft, 2nd gear is the lower left corner, etc. But you will have to use the gear shaft with your left hand which is strange. You may bump the curb a few times since your perception of the width of the car will seem odd from the right side but you will get used to it. Driving on the left side of the road will be odd but you will get used to it. Just a note - Unless you are in a city, the roads in the UK are very confusing if you are from North America. They are very narrow and most are not labeled. My buddy and I drove around Somerset County and we were so lost even with a map. Both of us have a great sense of direction but the signs were either non-existent or came up so fast that you missed them. When we would ask people for directions, they didn't even know the names of the streets on the map - they would say,%26quot;Just drive up the road and take a left go to the third roundabout and take a right drive straight and take a left after that.%26quot; We were so lost and we just got more lost as the day went on. But it was an adventure. Just be sure to have the passenger navigating while you drive. You will need it. Have a great time : )
PS - Don't bring a car into London unless you are used to heavy city driving. My buddy and I are from NYC so we are used to it but if you aren't, park the car out of town and take the train into the city center.
You should be able to get an automatic if you ask for it in advance. However, the pedals are exactly the same, gas/throttle/accelerator on the right, brake in the middle and clutch on the left. I'd agree with The Tank, and have a look at the Highway Code he recommends. Remember roundabouts work clockwise and you give way to traffic from the right on these (usually). And if you dodge around the barriers on a level crossing you'll be explaining yourself to a higher authority that the police!
yes, just the same, its surprisingly easy, i drive on right in France regularly, the only thing is when youv'e had a break leave a note on the wheel to say drive on the %26quot;right%26quot; to remind you, once your'e going its no problem, don't worry , enjoy, the thing that will amaze you over here is the speed and overtaking- good luck
Yes.!!!
The pedal layout is the same in the UK as the US / europe.
And the gear stick layout is the same - reverse position may vary if its 5 or 6 speed.
You should be able to get an automatic car to hire though...
Our cars are powered by engines in Britain, only our bicycles have pedals!
you have got it from GB
exactly the same.all cars over here are right hand drive though so should be taken into consideration.most hire companies have automatic cars so insist or try another.welcome to britain.
yes its the same
