UK Residents
If you need a paper guide - check out this
Amazon Links page
US Residents
If you need a paper guide - check out this
Amazon Links page
Driving in the USA
a
First Time USA Drivers Guide
It is almost impossible to even 'get to
the shops' without a car in the USA...
You can see by the size of the car park of even a small Take Away,
that 'a car is essential'.
Most holidays to the USA are of the
'Fly-Drive variety'. This means that somebody will have to
drive a car…
Are you prepared for this ?
Don't panic, the mechanics of it are actually easier than you
may think!
If you have never driven in the USA
before, read through this section and get to know the differences.
You will be in a strange place, getting lost at home is bad enough,
getting lost here can be easy to achieve and unpicking a mistake,
difficult - to say the least.
Let's try to help...
Before we begin…
Read and understand The Florida State Drivers Handbook
here...
If you have kids with you, note the section on Child Restraints.
Then try to find out as much as possible from your booking agent about
exactly where your Hotel or Rental Home is, in relationship to the
Airport. We can help -
mail me.
Preparation
Don’t forget your Driving License and
any vouchers or paper work about Car Hire (Rental)
that your Travel Company or Agent has given you.
Your first 'drive' will be from the Airport to your accommodation.
Many tour operators leave it until you arrive to give you the
directions.
Obtain directions before hand, if at all possible, and study maps
for as long as you can before you depart. Get an idea of where you
are going.
My Map,
Rooms
& Villas
Locators will help you with some of this prep-work. A Paper Guide
can be handy, not as good as these sites, but using the two together
may give you more confidence. Try this link to a list of
Guides &
Maps publications available from
Amazon.
There is also a 'Top-Down'
Map System that can give you an idea of where places are.
Plus, check out the 'Flashing
Maps' for an over view of journeys from the
Airports.
Nominate a co-pilot as your right hand person. (literally Right
hand, remember you will be on the Left of the car)
Go over and over your directions trying to get a mental picture of
where you are going.
You can use on-line mapping systems to help. Note that they don't
often show the 'best' route just the quickest. Use Airport codes in their
system as 'Place name in North America' - MCO (for Orlando
International) & SFB (for Sanford) - at 'Get Directions To Here'
link at top right.
Keep alert. Don’t drink on the
plane if you have to drive.
U.S. Drink Driving law is very strictly enforced and you will be
charged if caught and spend a night in the cells. Not a good way to
start the holiday!
UK Visitor Specific
The most obvious difference with driving in the USA is
that they drive on the Right hand side of the road and you do it
from the Left side
of the car.
You may be familiar with driving your own car on the
Continent and, if you have done this, you will know that strange
feeling of being on the wrong side of the road.
It felt unusual and maybe scary for a while but your car had a
familiar set-up and you can get used to driving in the gutter
although overtaking was ... well, interesting.
The biggest difference to this is that in the US you will be on
wrong side of both the road and the car.
You will be used to judging the greater distance on your left
side but now the width of the car will be on your right.
The arm you lean out of the window is the wrong one (it does balance
the suntan), the gear change (shift) is on the right, the person to
scream at / talk to, is also over there and it’s an
automatic...
Have you ever driven an automatic?
Always have the Parking Brake 'On' when you put the vehicle into
'Drive'. Just in case the engine is reving or the tick-over is set too
high. Otherwise the car may jump forwards...
The Parking Brake may be a foot operated pedal on the far Left of
the wheel well.
Check out the 'Getting the Car sections of the
MCO or
SFB Pages for more
Parking Brake information.
Only use one foot (the right one!) for operating the Accelerator
(Gas) and Foot Brake pedals. You should keep the left foot well over to
the left or tuck it up against the seat.
There is a slight (but only slight) possibility that when you have
to stop
quickly you will instinctively stab at the non-existent Clutch pedal
with your left foot. Possibly hitting the Brake pedal with way too
much force.
This was worse in older cars that tended to have long Foot Brake
pedals, not so bad nowadays. Keep that left foot well away!
Most automatics will 'creep' at tick-over without the Brake. You
can move slowly forward or backwards by just releasing and applying the Brake
pedal.
Use this technique in slow areas, Car Parks etc, and only use the accelerator to
finally pull-away.
Gently though or you will get that tire screeching sound!
(especially on polished Car Park floors)
Freeway Driving
Most people are wary of Freeways in the US until they are
more used to driving on the wrong side of the road.
It is recommend that all British First Time USA
Drivers pick Routes
that avoid Freeways and The Beach Line Expressway if at all possible
for your Arriving Drive.
Having said that, some {especially those arriving via. Orlando
International Airport (MCO) and staying near I-Drive} have no real
choice but to use The Beach Line Expressway (it's not as busy as the
Interstate). The two most reported problems with Freeway Driving are
- that stretches can be busy at all time of the day & night and
'undertaking'.
Getting busy?
As an example from Sanford
Airport (SFB) -The journey via. I4 to locations West (not South
- the Freeway is traveling South by the compass, but West to Tampa
as far as the whole is concerned) will initially be quiet for a few
miles but the traffic will build up as you travel over Downtown
Orlando and then on towards the International Drive exits, the
joining of The Bee Line Expressway , the Lake Buena Vista exits,
getting more quiet down towards US Hwy 192 and out into the country
for US Hwy27 in the Clermont area.
From Orlando International (MCO)
North exit {Black Signs} - Immediately after leaving the airport you
will be on The Beach Line Expressway SR-528 . This is a cross Orlando
highway going from I4 out to the Space Coast (Atlantic Ocean side)
via. the airport. So, although it's busy, it's not that bad. You
will need to go this way if you are staying on International Drive
as there is no viable alternative via. MCO's South exit.
It is a main artery for Interstate 4 and does speed up travel to all
areas of Orlando.
I4 gets busy directly after it's junction with The Bee Line SR-528,
It's the weight of West bound traffic meeting the Lake Buena Vista
exits for Walt Disney World that causes the slow down.
Traffic on US freeways is no worse than traffic anywhere else - it's
just that you could do without the hassle.
Mail me for some help if you think you need to... just ask, I'll do what
we can.
Undertaking
The other drivers on Freeways can bring about the other
problem - undertaking!
It's not illegal in the USA to overtake on the 'inside'. That's the
right hand side...
With all the other distractions, it can be bloomin scary.
As you get to the busier areas, you get lots of locals literally
zooming by on all sides! Changing lanes in front and behind in a
seemingly random ballet.
Making a decision to stick to the lane one from the right (a
theoretical slow lane) doesn't work as the width of the freeway
changes from 3 to 4 to 5 lanes at various points. At exits, sometimes
two lanes exit, sometimes only one. Sticking to the left and keeping
your foot down will only end up with you going too fast... Here you
will also encounter the few American drivers who have no respect for
the Speed Limit.
You have to be on-top of what you are doing.
It's all quite exciting when you are used to it - but after an 8
hour flight?
-- --
From Sanford Airport {SFB} (Charter and Holiday Airlines), your Travel Company
or Car Rental Company will almost definitely instruct you via.
SR-417 The Central Florida Greeneway. Click
here
for my Directions. An overview of Arriving at SFB is
here...
From Orlando International Airport {MCO} (British Airways, Virgin,
and internal USA transfers) their instructions may take you out to
the Beach Line and Freeway or you may be instructed to go via SR-417
The Central Florida Greeneway.
Click here
for my Directions, for all areas other than International Drive.
International Drive is so close to MCO via. The Bee Line Expressway
that it is not worth the bother of going all the way round. The Beach
Line is not exactly a Freeway. It's a Toll Road and a bit quieter
than the Interstate. An overview of Arriving at MCO is
here...
Mail me if you need help or a second opinion..
just ask, I'll do what I can.
Note - If you came to this page from another link - you may
want to give it a full read...
Lane Position
Experience has shown that most UK drivers drive far over
to the right hand side of a lane. Watch out for this phenomenon
especially when you are in a lane with traffic or parked vehicles,
to your right. You may not be as far away as you think.
Traffic Lights (Signals)
This
aerial shot shows a typical approach to Traffic Signals. Note how
the Left lane turns Left and the Right lane turns too. The two
centre lanes go straight on.
This is International Drive crossing Universal Blvd. heading
South (my
map), you will come this way returning from Belz Mall back
to your temporary home.
Note the traffic lights in the sky, hung on a wire diagonally
across the junction. At some (like this one) the light for the
Right lane can be a good distance away, all the way across the
junction. You don't need this light though - you can make a
Free Right Turn.
The Left turn lights are in the middle of the
road and much closer.
Looks like there are lot's of cars with slight oil leaks in
Orlando...
Turning Left at a Traffic Signal.
Turning Left at a Traffic Light (Signal) can be a little
un-nerving the first few times.
Most
major road junctions will have a Left Turn Lane controlled by a Left
Turn Light. It may be up in the air but should never be so high that
you can't see it through the window from the front row of the grid
(sorry).
If the road you are turning into is a dual carriageway (divided
highway) just don't forget to be in the right lanes after the
turn.
That's all the way across the first set of lanes on your left and
the dividing bit. If pressured there is a tendency to go left round
the kerb, like back at home - this will end up with you facing a
line of cars pointing at you.
Go all the way across and then turn left into the empty road with
cars going 'away' from you... Take your time - don't panic.
The first major turn Left at a Traffic Signal for British Visitors
visiting the Kissimmee area is likely to be at
this light at Celebration Ave.
and US Hwy 192... (use you browser 'Back' button to get back to
here)
Here is an example
-
This is North Bass Road heading North (exit from Wal-Mart Kissimmee
and Country Creek, Creekside, Waterford Subdivisions) at it's
junction with US Hwy 192 'Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway' going
East/West. Left is
West, Right is
East. My 'Top Down'
Map... Street Level map
here...
Approaching to turn Left in the Left lane.
Note
- this a Left Only turn lane. The one on the Right is for Straight
Ahead and Right.
As we approach, the Left lane turn light is Green, the Straight
Ahead and Right Turn lights are also Green, sometimes they will be
Red while left alone is Green (as in the picture above) and vica
versa.
Just wait for the left turn light to turn Green before moving.
The Van, two cars in front just went Left, as the light on
the Left of the Yellow Line is lit and the arrow on it shows to turn
Left. The opposite of this light is holding all other traffic from
crossing the junction.
Though this picture doesn't depict oncoming traffic from the
opposite side of the intersection. This is the most dangerous part.
You must yield to oncoming traffic coming across the intersection
towards Wal-Mart. (see the silver car coming toward us
in the previous image)
Some will be going straight across your path, and some will be
making opposite turns to go Eastbound on US192.
If you're going Westbound and therefore making a Left turn onto
US192, you must first yield to the 'straight ahead' traffic that may
be coming your way. Usually, this will entail a 'brief' stop in the
middle of US192, before even completing the turn...
Many turns have dashed lines that guide you into the correct lanes.
But, if they don't the line of 'dripping oil' will guide you in all
but wet weather.
Once you get used to it, take your time and start watching for
Traffic Lights in the sky.
It's a doddle!
Arrange a transfer to your Hotel or Villa and collect the
car tomorrow.
This takes even more more time and may not solve any real problems.
Unless you are really tired.
Use a 'Follow Me Service' - the experience is that they are so
expensive that most Brit's simply will not pay the amounts they
charge.
A few Villa Rental companies run a Shuttle Service to your
destination and have the car waiting there for you. There aren't
many that do and I know of no major UK Package Agent who uses this
system.
Information on this site is provided 'as is'.
We apologies for any omissions or errors. E.& O. E.
Content copyright - 2007 Orlando-Maps.info - Visitors Guides
Paper Guides
a
First Time USA Drivers Guide
Rental)
that your Travel Company or Agent has given you.
This
aerial shot shows a typical approach to Traffic Signals. Note how
the Left lane turns Left and the Right lane turns too. The two
centre lanes go straight on.
Most
major road junctions will have a Left Turn Lane controlled by a Left
Turn Light. It may be up in the air but should never be so high that
you can't see it through the window from the front row of the grid
(sorry).
