How Well Do You Know British Rules of the Road?

AUTO

By: Ann

5 Min Quiz

Image: YouTube

About This Quiz

Whether you're traveling to Britain, or are just curious, you're going to get a serious crash course in driving in the UK. If you fail and get fed-up, just say "bollocks" and jump on a double-decker bus.

In Britain, they drive _____ ?

Famously, the Brits drive on the left. To those who live in the US, we consider this the wrong side of the road.

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Most cars in Britain are _____ ?

Before going to Britain, brush up on your manual transmission skills. The truth is that the majority of cars in Europe use a manual transmission.

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Speed limits on the road are posted on a _____ ?

Speed limits are displayed on a white circular sign with a red border. The numerals themselves are in solid black.

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Speed limit signs are indicated in ______ ?

Funny enough, speed limit signs in the UK are actually indicated in miles and not kilometers. At least that's one thing that won't confuse you.

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What is the National Speed Limit?

The National Speed Limit is really only a default speed limit. You'll find it on a white circular sign with a black diagonal stripe.

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What is the actual National Speed Limit in the UK?

The National Speed Limit is 60 MPH for vehicles and motorcycles. Built-up areas and areas near schools will be 20-30 MPH.

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An undivided highway is a called a ______ ?

In Britain, an undivided highway is known as a single carriageway. A single carriageway can have many lanes, going in both directions.

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Are there speed bumps in Britain?

There most definitely are speed bumps. There are several other "traffic calming" measures that are used in the UK.

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Are speed cameras used in Britain?

Speed cameras are most definitely in use in the UK. There are also mobile radar devices used to catch offenders. There are penalties for speeding.

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Do Brits tend toward speeding?

Truth be told, there's a culture of speeding in Britain. Most people tend to believe that just 10% over the speed limit won't do much harm.

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The freeway is called the ______ ?

In Britain, the freeway is known as the motorway. Motorways can never be used by pedestrians, motorcycles under 50cc or horse riders.

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You can only pass on ______ ?

In Britain, you can only pass on the right. It is very dangerous to pass on the left at high speeds.

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As a rule of thumb, try never to exceed ______ ?

As a rule of thumb, try never to exceed 70 MPH. Also pay attention to the maximum limit permitted for your vehicle.

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Are all police in marked cars?

The police in Britain use both marked and unmarked cars. That means that you must be extra vigilant to following the speed limits.

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Slow-moving vehicles should remain in the ____ lane.

Slow-moving vehicles should endeavor to stay in the left lane. This is the opposite from what it is in the US.

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Should you drive on the hard shoulder?

You must never drive on the hard shoulder to the left. This is intended for breakdowns and fast access by emergency services.

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Do the Brits mind when you break ahead of the queue?

We do it all the time in the US, but the Brits won't tolerate it. If the lanes are narrowing from three to one, do not jump ahead in the queue. You'll be killed.

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What is the name for the off ramp?

In Britain, the name for the off ramp is the slip road. You want to be sure to slow down when approaching the slip road.

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Junctions are numbered ______ ?

Motorway junctions are numbered sequentially. This number bears no relation to the distance between them.

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Can you turn right on a red light?

You absolutely can't turn right on a red light. Don't even attempt it. This is something that is possible in the US at certain places.

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Can you turn left on a red light?

Nope. No, no, no. You can't turn on a red light, no matter what direction you're going.

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Can you go in the opposite direction of a green filter arrow?

Nope. No, no, no. Here we have another thing that will get you killed. When the arrow goes green, always go in the direction of the arrow.

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In the UK, the light goes from green to ____ ?

In the UK, the light turns from green to amber. After it has turned amber, there are even more colors after that!

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Which of these is correct?

The normal sequence of lights in the UK is red to amber, then green. After going green, the light will go from amber to red again.

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Amber means _____ ?

In Britain, amber means stop. Some people do not abide by this, but it's important to come to a stop when you see that color.

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Traffic lights for pedestrians are called ______ ?

Traffic lights just for pedestrians are called pelican crossings. These follow the same green-red rules.

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Flashing amber means _____ ?

The flashing amber light means that you should give way to pedestrians. This is similar to the flashing yellow light in the US.

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Roundabouts are _____ ?

Britain is big on roundabouts. These circular passageways help to keep traffic moving, and they offer a great photo op.

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In the roundabout, it's important to give way to the ________ ?

It's crucial that you give way to the right in roundabouts. You also want to get in a lane and stay in that lane.

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When exiting the roundabout, be sure to _____ ?

It's always important to indicate with your turn signal that you're exiting to the left. This is crucial for those who are entering the roundabout​.

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Roundabouts are _____ effective than they used to be.

Unfortunately, Britain is more congested than it used to be. That means that roundabouts are not as effective as they once were. They pose a challenge for foreign drivers.

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Do roundabouts have traffic signals?

Roundabouts didn't use to have traffic signals. But again, with more congestion, traffic signals have been added.

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British police officers are called _____ ?

The Brits call police officers bobbies. When they pull you over and give you a ticket, try not to call them boobies.

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A specific kind of pedestrian crossing is the _____ crossing.

In Britain, you encounter zebra crossings. These are for pedestrians, and they're painted with white and black stripes. There are also black and white posts with orange flashing lights.

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Crossing guards are called _____ men/women.

Lollipop men and women are crossing guards in school areas. Similar to the US, they carry a sign that is shaped like a lollipop, and they wear bright yellow reflectors.

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