Driving in the U.K. ~ Another Milestone!

I’ve reached another milestone! Read on for more about driving in the U.K. and obtaining your U.K. driving license ~

After residing in England for about 3 years, this month I obtained my U.K. driving license! Learning to drive in the U.K. has had its’ challenges! But, with the support of hubby, friends, and family on both sides of the pond, and an amazing driving instructor, I finally achieved my goal.

I am extremely fortunate that in the community I live in, we have many local restaurants, coastal walkways, and a convenient grocery store right next door, so there was not an absolute need to drive . However, after driving for 40+ years, to not have that privilege any longer was a goal I felt I had to achieve.

There have been times when my driving would have been beneficial. For example, dropping off my hubby’s vehicle for maintenance, and his having to take a cab home. Or worrying about if something were to happen and hubby couldn’t drive, we’d be stranded. So, obtaining my U.K. driving license became very important to me.

Different culture plays a part when learning to drive in another country.

Most people realize that in the U.K. we drive on the left side of the road, opposite from my 40+ years of driving in the states. However, there are many other nuances hat you need to understand and be proficient in if you want to obtain a driving license in the U.K.

First off, It is unusual to have a four-way intersection in England. The intersections are replaced with you guessed it, roundabouts! And some of these can be very daunting, especially if you don’t know the area and haven’t grown up understanding the mechanics of a roundabout!

Some other cultural aspects in England are the size of the very narrow, winding roads, parallel parking adeptness is an absolute must, due to the congestion and size of the roads and pedestrians, bicyclists, e-scooters…are all on the roads in abundance here in England. Also, motorcycles are everywhere! A definite cultural aspect is that I find that the rules of the road don’t apply to these other road users as they do back in the states, making the onus on the drivers of cars to be hyper-aware.

Also, I feel that here in England it is a privilege to obtain a driving license. Whereas in the states, the feeling is that driving is more of a right.

In England, 58% of people fail there on the road exam! And yes, I was part of that statistic. I failed my first on the road exam this past summer.

Initially, I went through about 25+ hours of instructor training. I also spent additional hours of supervised driving with my hubby before making my first attempt to pass the practical on-the road exam. I was very despondent and considered not trying again after failing the first time. However, thanks to the support of my hubby, friends, family and driving instructor I pushed forward. After another round of lessons, about 20+ additional hours with the instructor, and too many hours to count with hubby, I did pass my second time around. And yes, hubby and I had our moments of frustration!

Needless to say, a sense of humor helps!

A sense of humor always helps! (©amschotel)

So, long story short, my advice is to utilize a professional driving instructor. Meet that person first, make sure you feel comfortable with them. Take at least 25 hours of on the road lessons and then see how you feel. Yes, see how you feel. If you’re not confident, if you do not feel absolutely ready, then take some more time. Get as much practice as you can with another experienced driver. A reminder, that just as in the states, to drive in the U.K. on a provisional license (a driving permit), you must always have a qualified licensed driver in the vehicle with you at all times.

Take advantage of online tools. I used an app that helped me tremendously while I was studying to pass the written exam.

DVSA Theory App

YouTube also has videos of local driving exam routes which can help get you comfortable with what to expect. I watched numerous videos of local roundabouts to get me more familiar with those In my local area.

And the official DVSA (Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency) has a very helpful website:

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/driver-and-vehicle-standards-agency

Most important, trust yourself. Be confident that you can and will pass your driving test. And DON’T give up!