Riding into the sunset, and your new life

With all the hurdles that you need to overcome when moving to the UK, (thankfully) there is no need to redo your driver’s test.  I spent a short time in Aus and it’s massively nerve-wracking to write your theory and then take your drivers test all over again.

It’s an easy swap and you can find my earlier blog about it here, although that was nearly 3 years ago and I do recommend you check if the processes have changed since we arrived.

Before swapping your license out, remember 3 key things: you need a valid SA license (not an expired one), you have 12 months to exchange your license, you can do the exchange immediately on arrival, provided you are not on a short-term visa.

But once you have your shiny new card license in your hand, here’s the lowdown of driving in the UK, as a newly arrived Saffa:

• Driving in bad weather is flat out awful, so don't underestimate what it's like to drive when the weather plays up.  In 3 short years, we've slid off the road in icy conditions, got stuck in a foot of snow, driven in rain so heavy that visibility was down to a few feet at best with nowhere to stop, and experienced times where you are driving on instinct and faith because when the weather gets bad, it get really bad.  Generally speaking, drivers are not reckless in bad weather but you will still find the odd idiot, especially if you are nervous.
• The streets are mostly very narrow and it seems that the whole world parks on them.  Garages are for storage, not parking a car and your job is to navigate down the street, without bashing side mirrors as you go along.  If parked cars are on your side of the road, you will need to give way to oncoming vehicles by slipping into any gap possible.  This is sometimes really awkward and you won’t be able to pull over completely, but the oncoming vehicle is not likely to let you off the hook and don’t be surprised if they ramp the pavement to get past you, giving you a meaningful look on their way past.
• If you are the oncoming vehicle with right of way, you need to say thank you to the car that pulled over for you.  It’s important, don’t forget!
• Roundabouts (traffic circles) are everywhere!  They generally keep traffic moving better than traffic lights (robots) but they are not, I repeat NOT, treated as four-way stops.  You always yield to the right, every single time and you’ll quickly develop the knack of shooting into the stream of traffic with just the tiniest gap.  When it comes to major roundabouts in big towns, this can be daunting at first but grit your teeth and be brave.  Just don’t be stupid.
• Flashing your lights is a signal to give the other car right of way.  It’s not a warning!  Most drivers when they see the flash of lights will shoot forward even if you aren’t slowing down, it’s a thing here, taking the gap as fast as possible without causing the other driver to slow down even a little bit.  So please don’t flash your lights thinking you’re telling the other driver to back off and let you through…because you aren’t and they wont.
• Cars entering the motorway do so quite smoothly.  Whilst they do not have right of way, this is not SA where you menacingly keep driving in the left lane, forcing the other driver to stop and let you pass.  It’s widely accepted that either you slow down and let them in or you change lanes to make space for them.  The only exception would be trucks who are less likely to maneuver easily but most cars will let you in safely, and you should do the same in return.
• Parking spaces are annoyingly small, and every single Brit seems to love reversing into a parking.  I get why, it’s quite difficult to reverse out of a parking without swiping the car next to you, so driving forward is easier – I’ve just never mastered the art of reversing into tiny parking spaces without swiping the car next to me, so it’s a catch-22 really.The passive-aggressive behavior of local drivers comes out in their ability to glare at you as they zoom past (Saffa style).  You know the look, the one that says “you just annoyed me and ruined my day so now I’ll stare you down and let you feel the full weight of my disapproval”.
• Drivers do not hoot unless there is a dangerous situation in front of them.  There’s no beeping to get a car to move faster, tooting to alert other drivers to space for passengers, honking when the light goes green.  It’s all pretty silent unless a genuine car crash is about to happen. 
• Drivers have an annoying habit of driving right up your bum, I have no idea why but personal space is apparently something to be violated when driving. 

And finally, locals love, absolutely LOVE, to moan about traffic, roadworks, potholes, accidents, other drivers, gritting and bad weather. Mostly driving here is not very different to driving in SA, with a few little quirky differences.  Have fun, be safe!

The open road awaits