Driving a Hire Car in the UK

As a holiday destination, the UK offers endless opportunities, with breathtaking scenery, a wealth of family attractions in every region, beautiful self-catering accommodation and eccentric friendly people with a great sense of humour. The best way to experience all that the UK has to offer is by hiring a car and touring at your own pace. Only then can you discover all the little nooks and crannies and hidden gems that make this country so special.

Getting used to the roads

If you are driving in the UK for the first time, the experience can prove a little daunting especially if you have never driven on the left hand side. If you find manipulating the gearbox with the left hand a little tricky, most car-hire companies provide automatics, but drivers willing to try will find that it does become easy with a little practice. When driving around town, try to maintain a road position as close to the left as possible and remember that the difficult part comes when turning right - this is when you must cross lanes of traffic. Take care to adhere to local speed limits at all times and keep a keen eye out for large yellow boxes at the side of the road which coincide with painted stripes on the road - these are speed cameras and there are over 4000 of them across the UK.

You will find that although most driving rules and regulations will be similar to those of your own country, signs and road layouts may appear very different, and it will take time to get used to them. Britain has thousands upon thousands of roundabouts, which many foreign visitors may not be familiar with. You will spot a roundabout when you see the large green sign displaying a diagram of the intersection. Some can be quite complicated, especially those whose islands are covered in trees, rendering the exits invisible on approach. It is essential to make a mental picture of the diagram you see on the sign, and decide immediately exactly which exit you will be taking in order to position yourself and indicate accordingly. Move to the right hand lane if you are turning right and stay to the left if you are turning left or continuing straight on. This is only a general rule, however, look out for road markings in case there are special rules, which there often are.

Car-hire essentials

Wherever your country of origin, when hiring a car you will need to present either your driving licence or an international driving permit along with your passport. The lower age limit for hiring a car in the UK is 21 and younger drivers may have to pay a supplement to cover the higher insurance costs incurred by their age group. Payment will need to be made at pickup time in full using a credit card which must be in the name of the main driver. Take time to inspect your vehicle at this time and report any scratches or bumps that are not declared already on the paperwork, otherwise you will find yourself liable for their repair when you return the vehicle.

If you have an accident

Driving in a foreign country with unfamiliar roads, regulations and signs does involve a risk and you must be extra careful at all times even when you have built up a degree of confidence. If you should be unlucky enough to have an accident, most car-hire companies include a roadside assistance service in their tariff, so ensure that they provide an emergency telephone number for you to call should this situation arise. Contact the police if you are certain that you did not cause the accident, as a third party will be liable in these circumstances. It is essential to take the names and addresses of all people involved, and of course call the emergency services if anybody has been injured in the accident. Under no circumstances should you seek to have the car repaired yourself without the prior consent of the car-hire company as this will be in breach of the terms and conditions.

Staying longer

If you plan to stay in the UK for a longer period, a driving licence from an EU country will enable you to drive legally for the time the licence is valid. Most other visitors from outside the EU are allowed a year’s grace period - the DVLA can supply a list of designated countries included in the list. However, some other countries of origin are entitled to only 6 months legal driving in the UK with a foreign licence or international permit after which a test must be taken and a full UK licence acquired. It is important to adhere to these legal requirements as failing to do so will undoubtedly invalidate your insurance policy.