Our recent family trip to California meant hiring a car and tackling the US roads. At first, the idea of driving on “the wrong side” felt intimidating, but we quickly adapted. If you’re planning to hire a car in the States, here are ten things we learnt along the way.
1. Freeway lanes
Freeways are everywhere, and we found ourselves on one almost immediately after collecting the car. The speed limit is usually around 65mph (105km/h). Unlike at home, you can overtake in any lane – so expect cars to pass you on both sides.
2. Right on red
One of the biggest adjustments was that you can usually turn right on a red light if it’s safe and there’s no sign prohibiting it. Once we got used to it, it made sense, but it was strange at first and if you’re not sure then don’t do it!
3. Yield signs
You’ll see Yield signs often – they simply mean Give Way.
4. Four-way stops (and no roundabouts)
We quickly realised that roundabouts are almost non-existent in the US. Instead, many intersections have four-way stop signs. Everyone stops and then takes their turn to go. It’s surprisingly orderly, and most drivers were patient enough to let it work.
5. Traffic lights
The traffic lights hang across the middle of intersections rather than at the side of the road. If you overshoot you won’t be able to see the traffic light and will have to rely on others to know when to go.
6. Watch your drift
Being so used to driving on the left, it was easy at first to drift too far to the right of the lane. It took a little concentration to keep centred.
7. Shared middle lanes
This was one of the scariest things for us. Many wide roads have a middle turning lane that both directions of traffic can use. They’re designed for left turns, but it felt strange sitting in a lane with oncoming cars waiting to use it too.
8. Big cars
Americans love their SUVs and pick-up trucks. We often felt dwarfed, but lane widths and parking spaces are generous enough to fit them all in.
9. Parking
In Los Angeles and surrounding cities, parking meters are everywhere. We parked in Pasadena on Boxing Day and rightly assumed that we didn’t have to pay on public holidays – only to discover that Boxing Day isn’t a holiday in California! That wrong assumption cost us a $60 USD fine. Lesson learnt: always double-check the local rules!
10. Roadside distractions
In LA we saw Waymo driverless cabs sharing the road with us. We also spotted food delivery bots trundling along the pavements and Tesla Cyber trucks are everywhere. They’re all fun to watch, but we had to remind ourselves not to get too distracted behind the wheel.
Overall, we found driving in the US much easier than driving in Europe. Drivers didn’t seem to be in as much of a hurry, and once we got used to the quirks, the roads felt straightforward. We’d definitely recommend hiring a car and giving it a go.
