The experience of taking a 4×4 onto rugged Scottish roads is one of excitement and thrills. From small country trails to wide open coastal trails, there’s always something amazing to see and do. However, if there’s one thing you need to remember above all else it’s this – in the UK, we drive on the left. This can catch out many visitors from America, China and, in fact, two thirds of the world! So here are some of our best tricks and tips on how to remember what side to drive on when driving your 4×4 with Nomadic Scotland.
On what side of the road do you drive in Scotland?
All roads in Scotland are for left hand driving. However, if you explore some of our glorious countryside in our 4x4s, you will definitely come across small country roads. These are usually only big enough for one car, meaning you will take up the full width of the road. So what do you do if you come across another vehicle in the opposite direction?
Firstly, don’t panic! On such small roads, you will normally come across ‘passing places’. These areas make the road a little wider at regular intervals. If you see a car coming, usually whoever is closest to the passing place will wait there until you can pass safely. However, sometimes reversing is required to get back to the nearest passing place. Do note that you should never park in a passing place as that can quickly cause a traffic jam.
‘Drive on the left’ wristbands
One of the most popular and convenient ways to help drivers remember what side to drive on, are wristbands. These fit nicely onto your left wrist with the words ‘drive on the left’ printed. They are available in multiple languages and act as a constant reminder when you are at the wheel.
They come in particularly useful at roundabouts which can be stressful when you are used to driving round them towards the right. Here in Scotland, when you arrive at a roundabout you give way to cars on the right and drive around it in a clockwise direction. A wristband can help remind you of this when you arrive at one, taking some of the anxiety away.
Windscreen stickers
A similar idea is a windscreen sticker indicating to drive on the left. These can be useful because they are always there so if you swap drivers you don’t need to also swap wristbands.
A problem with driving long distances can be when you settle into a comfortable routine and slip into old habits from back home. Our instincts can often take over, but with a windscreen sticker you have a constant reminder right in front of you to drive on the left hand side.
Stay alert
One of the easiest ways you can drive safely in Scotland is to be well rested. This will help you to stay alert whilst driving and keep to the left. Careless or reckless driving is a big enough problem, but combined with driving on the wrong side of the road car result in accidents.
We find that most people get used to driving on the left pretty quickly. To make things even easier, make sure you hire one of our automatic 4x4s so that there’s one less thing to worry about when enjoying our spectacular roads and scenery. Get in touch with us today to enquire about availability for your next driving trip in Scotland.