Driving on the left.
This trip has been my first experience driving in the UK, and it's not exactly what I expected. Friends and family really wound me up about how difficult and nerve-wracking it is to switch from right to left. To be sure, I've had to bear that fact in mind constantly, but the switch felt fairly natural. That's been true for most of the regulation differences that we've encountered: where there are differences, they are usually subtle and critical, but fairly easy to follow. They just require careful attention. I was struck by how similar the rules for roundabouts are in Alberta and the UK. The critical difference is that you need to change out of the inside lane before exiting a roundabout in the UK. All of the signs are different, but very clear and straightforward. I am especially impressed with the use of road markings here: they are packed with information. I wish the roads in Edmonton were half as clear.
No, what makes driving here feel much more challenging than back home is the sheer complexity of the roads. Back home, there is plenty of space to build multi-lane roads where every lane has one specific purpose. Where a simple intersection creates too much congestion, we build underpasses and more sophisticated junctions. In the UK, space is at a premium, and so roundabouts are used to improve flow where an underpass (here termed a "subway") would be impractical. They are simply everywhere, and work extremely well once you get the hang of them. Even on straight roads, lanes constantly shift about and change purpose as you travel along them, as the designers try to cram in right-turn lanes, bus stops and parking spaces into what Alberta would consider a two-lane road with no stopping allowed. Country roads, while much simpler, are 60mph and full of hills and blind bends.
You have to keep alert all the time and read the road markings quickly. It's stressful and focuses the mind, but the challenge has not been overwhelming, so far. Well, except for London. That particular form of hell I'll leave to Brendan to relate.
No, what makes driving here feel much more challenging than back home is the sheer complexity of the roads. Back home, there is plenty of space to build multi-lane roads where every lane has one specific purpose. Where a simple intersection creates too much congestion, we build underpasses and more sophisticated junctions. In the UK, space is at a premium, and so roundabouts are used to improve flow where an underpass (here termed a "subway") would be impractical. They are simply everywhere, and work extremely well once you get the hang of them. Even on straight roads, lanes constantly shift about and change purpose as you travel along them, as the designers try to cram in right-turn lanes, bus stops and parking spaces into what Alberta would consider a two-lane road with no stopping allowed. Country roads, while much simpler, are 60mph and full of hills and blind bends.
You have to keep alert all the time and read the road markings quickly. It's stressful and focuses the mind, but the challenge has not been overwhelming, so far. Well, except for London. That particular form of hell I'll leave to Brendan to relate.