DRIVING IN GREAT BRITAIN

AN INVALUABLE GUIDE TO ALL POLES WANTING TO DRIVE IN GREAT

BRITAIN
1. INTRODUCTION
Having driven in Poland for the last ten years, both in the towns and in the countryside, I feel
that I have a fairly good idea of the differences between driving in Poland and driving in
Great Britain and as such where Polish drivers may have problems on British roads. This
guide to driving in Great Britain focuses in on these differences. It is not the full British
highway code rewritten as, in many areas, driving in Great Britain is similar to driving in
Poland and not everything needs going over.
It is wise to be aware that road rage is a lot more common in Great Britain than it is in Poland
and this is probably because the British do believe they are good drivers and they do not
suffer fools gladly. If you sit 2 metres behind a car in the fast lane of the motorway flashing
your headlights, the car in front is more liely than not to bloc your road for a longer period
of time.
The police in Great Britain are another important consideration. Television programmes
showing !!T" footage of bad driving are very popular in Great Britain and the British police
have all sorts of technology at their disposal to eep an eye on motorists. If you do something
stupid with your car thining there are no police in sight then beware, there is a good chance
that your action was caught on camera and you could end up with a ticet as well as an
appearance on prime#time British television..
Basically, to avoid problems with other drivers and to avoid contact with the police, be
inconspicuous and the best way to do this is to now the rules and the principles for driving in
Great Britain.
2. BASIC PRINCIPLES
$on%t ever forget that in the whole of the &', vehicles are driven on the left. 'eep to the left,
go around roundabouts on the left and move bac to the left after overtaing. The most liely
places for forgetting that you must eep to the left will be when turning at (unctions, when
moving away from a paring position or when on )uiet, traffic free roads. *ust concentrate
and be careful.
If you are driving a Polish car in the &', be careful when overtaing on normal roads. +our
visibility will be very poor.
Basically driving is all about getting from point , to point B without causing any problems
for you and for other drivers. The highway code and other drivers generally recognise that
for this to be achieved the following principles are adhered to-
.. $on/t drive too fast and don/t drive too slow.
2. 0ae sure other drivers now e1actly what you are going to do with your vehicle 2 use
your indicators.
3. $o not cause oncoming drivers to brae or swerve. 4ever overtae when there is oncoming
traffic. This includes overtaing cyclists.
5. 'eep a safe distance between yourself and the car in front. $o not tailgate, do not harass
and do not come speeding up to within a couple of metres of the car in front with your
headlights flashing.
6. Be courteous to other drivers. 7or e1ample, in slow moving traffic allow traffic into the
flow from side roads and do not bloc (unctions.
8. Be constantly aware of the actions of other drivers.
9. Be constantly aware of the actions of pedestrians.
:. 0ae sure your vehicle is roadworthy and safe.
;. 0ae sure you are up to date with all your documentation# licence, insurance etc.
.<. $on/t drive drun or otherwise into1icated.
... $on%t do anything that might distract you when driving i.e. use of mobile phone.
. TOWN DRIVING
Bo! "#$%tio$s
!riss#crossed yellow diagonal lines in a yellow rectangular bo1
These don/t e1ist in Poland and so may appear rather strange at first sight. However their
purpose is fairly straightforward. They will be seen at (unctions =nearly always in (unctions
with traffic lights> and on railway crossings and they are to prevent bottle#necs and to eep
traffic flowing as much as possible.
The simple rule is 2 do not enter the bo1 (unction if your e1it is bloced by cars in your e1it
route. +ou can enter the bo1 to turn right and wait for a gap in on#coming traffic, if your e1it
route is clear.
P&r'i$() *o&di$( &$d sto++i$(
This is a little bit hit and miss and, (ust as in many countries, you may believe that you have
pared in a perfectly legal place only to find a ticet shoved under your windscreen wipers.
The ticets are larger than the Polish version and generally covered in a waterproof plastic
cover 2 nothing is taen for chance. Traffic wardens once they have issued a ticet will not be
persuaded to change their minds and the only way you can avoid being liable to pay the fine is
if you write a nice letter to the local highways office arguing your case. Traffic wardens do
not carry weapons in Great Britain but they will prosecute if threatened.
National Laws
Double red lines
These are to found mainly on main routes in busy cities and they mean absolutely no stopping
under any circumstance.
Single red lines
These mean no stopping during specified times
Double yellow lines
These mean no loading?unloading or paring at any time but short stops are allowed to allow
passengers to get in or out of the vehicle.
Single yellow lines.
These mean that there are restrictions on loading and unloading and?or paring 2 normally
time restrictions or paring at certain hours. +ou can normally par at any time on a @unday
on such lines. The restrictions on any single yellow line will be set out on a sign on a pole on
the pavement somewhere ne1t to the line. Be careful with single yellow lines. , misreading of
the restrictions is probably the number one reason for receiving a ticet.
Local Laws.
Avery town and every city will have its own regulations for paring in places where there are
no lines. @ome towns have paring metres where you simply feed the machine with coins for
a certain amount of time =again read the signs carefully for any restrictions>. @ome towns have
ticet machines where you feed a machine get a ticet and display it in a visible location
inside your car 2 the most popular method in Poland. Bther towns may have a system of
ticets which you must buy from local shops and then you must use your 0asters $egree to
wor out how to cross the right bo1 or scratch off the right bit.
@ome towns allow free paring on @unday but, beware, not all towns. I got stung in Bath for
assuming that their @unday paring rules would be the same as those in Condon 2 stupid of
me. I wrote a grovelling letter to the relevant authority and they let me off.
The easiest option in most towns and cities is to find a car parD grab a ticet on the way in
and pay on the way out.
Blue disability badges
Blue disability badges issued throughout the A& are recognised in the &' and generally
enable badge holders to use special mared car#paring spaces on public roads free of
charge. It is absolutely illegal to par in a disabled paring bay on a public road without
the blue badge. If you do so you can be fined E.<<<.
There are variations in the way a blue badge can be used across the &' so beware and the
badge does not legally entitle you to priority paring in a private car par such as a super
maret or off#street car par. However all supermarets and shopping#centre car pars will
have paring places mared as being designated for disabled paring. These private spaces for
disabled paring are not legally enforceable but generally the spaces are not abused and if you
do par in a disabled spot without a badge you will end up in an argument with somebody
with a more conscience and sensitivity.
If you feel you are entitled to a blue badge you will need to apply to you local council 2 visit
the offices or chec out their website for more information. But in all cases you will re)uire a
visit to a doctor and a doctor%s recommendation.
Ro#$d&,o#ts
The British highways department loves its roundabouts. They are as British as +orshire
pudding and (ust as fulfilling. The Polish roundabout is a rare ob(ect and when it does e1ist it
is rarely in its pure form. Polish city roundabouts also have to contend with trams and because
the Polish authorities believe that Polish drivers can/t cope with cars and trams, they have
added traffic lights to most of these roundabouts. These traffic lit roundabouts in Polish cities
offer a uni)ue driving challenge that re)uires a )uic eye and even )uicer feet. I/m sure
many drivers fly across the roundabouts with their eyes closed and their fingers crossed
=e1cept you don/t cross your fingers in Poland>.
The standard British roundabout is a much more staid affair. $rive up to the roundabout
slowly in second gear and loo to the right. If nothing is coming, move on to the roundabout,
go around it clocwise and e1it where you want. If something is coming from your right you
must stop and wait for the road to become clear. The only other thing to remember is your
indicators. , little table may help with the indicators saga-
,pproach to
roundabout
Bn roundabout *ust before leaving
roundabout
Turning left Indicate left Indicate left Indicate left
Going straight 4o indicator 4o indicator Indicate left
Turning right Indicate right Indicate right Indicate left
$oing a uturn Indicate right Indicate right Indicate left
The main difference with the Polish use of indicators is that in Poland most of the time the
third column in the table above is ignored. +ou have to guess if a driver is leaving the
roundabout or not.
P&r'ed %&rs
Fhen passing cars pared on your side of the road use your common sense. If you can pass
the car at a car door space then do it but if this is difficult then (ust be very careful. Fhat you
should never do is overtae a pared car in a way that maes the driver of an oncoming
vehicle feel as though they have to brae 2 be patient. *ust lie in Poland it is not uncommon
to come across cars pared at some space from each other. +ou should really use your
(udgement on this but it is perhaps enough to say that it is bad practice to swerve in and out of
pared cars. If there seems to be more than one pared car on the street, move out to overtae
the first and then stay out until the last pared car has been overtaen. *ust lie you would
when overtaing moving vehicles, give other drivers plenty of notice about what you intend
to do. $on%t pop out from behind the bac of a vehicle. 0ove across to overtae at a good
distance before the vehicle.
-. ETI.UETTE
,s far as relationships with other drivers is concerned, driving in Angland offers many
parado1ical e1periences. The British can be the most polite of drivers, but they can also be
very aggressive and road#rage is not unusual and definitely more common than in Poland.
E!&/+*es of +o*ite ,eh&vio#r0
Cetting you on to the main road from a side road when the traffic is moving slowly. This is
very common and allows most commuters to get to wor on time. 4ormally a driver will flash
his headlights if he is letting you in. Gemember that most of the time flashing headlightsH are
a good thing. This practice is also now pretty widespread in Poland.
Farning you about a Police radar trap. *ust as in Poland, flashing lights are used for this
warning.
HThe practice of flashing lights is a difficult area. It is true that flashing headlights are used to
allow another car to proceed and they are used as warnings about the police, but both these
uses are informal and are against the highway code which states that flashing headlights
should only be use to warn other drivers of your presence.
1. DRIN2 DRIVING
It must first be stated that the ma1imum allowed limit of alcohol in your blood is far greater
than in Poland. In Poland the limit is basically <.2mg. In the &' it is <.:mg. This will allow
the average man to have a couple of pints of standard strength beer. ,lthough this may sound
generous, it should always be remembered that alcohol and driving are not the best
combination. There is a saying in Anglish 2 Ione is too many and two is not enoughI. This
basically means that if you start drining it/s not so easy to stop. 7or many people two pints is
not enough once they start drining and it is all to easy to have that e1tra /one for the road/
that will push you over the limit. However, the fact that you can have a drin or two and drive
home is for many people a civilised thing and does allow for nice family trips to the pub on a
@unday lunch when dad can have his pint or two of real ale. The &' alcohol limit is still high
probably because of pressure from the pub and restaurant trade.
If you do go over the limit and are caught then the penalties are harsh and the conse)uences
serious.
If you are stopped by the police and breathylised and found to be over the limit you will
immediately be arrested and taen to the police station. ,t the police station you will be ased
to provide two more breath samples and the lower of these readings will be admissible in
court. If the reading is (ust above the limit, you can choose to have a blood or urine sample
taen 2these may give lower readings. If the blood or urine sample has fallen to below <.:mg
you will be released. If however the alcohol level is confirmed to be high, you will be charged
and you could end up spending the night in the cells.
If you are charged with an offence you will be given a date to appear in court. &p to this date
you will be able to drive so can drive to court if you so wish. However this is not wise as you
probably won%t be able to drive home.
+our case will be heard in a magistrates court. Bnce you have paid or served your sentence
the story will not be over. 7or starters your insurance company will drastically increase your
insurance premium
There are some legal technicalities that drivers should be aware of. , driver can only be
stopped and breathylised if they have committed an offence, if the police have reason to
believe that an offence has been committed, if the police suspect drin driving or if the
vehicle is suspected of being in an earlier accident. Basically, if they do stop you, it is not
difficult for them to thin of a reason for breathylising although they will probably not
breathylise if everything appears to be o. If the police have grounds for suspicion and you
refuse to tae a breathalyser test, you are breaing the law and you will be arrested and taen
to the station. However this refusal will not constitute a drin#driving offence. If you refuse a
blood test at the station, then you will be charged with drin driving.
There are four offences relating to drining and vehicles. The first offence is driving or
attempting to drive whilst being over the prescribed alcohol limit There is also the offence of
being in charge of a vehicle whilst being drun. This is one to be careful of because it means
that you can also be charged for deciding to sleep in your vehicle rather than driving home. If
you are drun eep well away from your car. The other two offences relate to refusing to give
samples. ,ll the possible penalties are shown in the table below-
O33ENSE PENALT4 DRIVING
DIS.UALI3ICATION
7ailing to provide a roadside
breath test =code $G9<>
7ine # up to level 3 =E.,<<<>
5 penalty points on your
licence
$is)ualification is at the
discretion of the court
$riving?attempting to drive
with e1cess alcohol
=$G.<>
7ine # up to level 6 =E6,<<<>
and?or up to 8 months
imprisonment
0andatory dis)ualification
for at least .2 months for
first offence
0andatory dis)ualification
for at least 3 years for second
offence within .< years
Being in charge of a motor
vehicle with e1cess
alcohol =$G5<>
7ine # up to level 5 =E2,6<<>
and?or up to 3 months
imprisonment
.< penalty points on your
licence
$is)ualification is at the
discretion of the court
,fter driving?attempting to
drive refusing to provide
samples for analysis
=$G3<>
7ine # up to level 6 =E6,<<<>
and?or 8 months
imprisonment
0andatory dis)ualification
for at least .2 months for
first offence =.: months
tends to be the norm as
you are considered to
have been trying to avoid
being found guilty>
0andatory dis)ualification
for at least 3 years for
second offence within .<
years
,fter being in charge
refusing to provide
samples for analysis
=$G8<>
Penalty # fine # level 5
=E2,6<<> and?or 3 months
imprisonment
.< penalty points on your
licence
$is)ualification is at the
discretion of the court
5. SPEED LI6ITS
@peed cameras are everywhere in Great Britain. The country%s regional Police 7orces are
permitted to eep the money earned from speed cameras and this e1tra income is a welcome
addition to their budgets. @o obviously the use of speed cameras by the police has been rather
accelerated in the last few years. 4ow, there is a very good chance that if you are speeding,
you will be caught. The cameras are not fae or empty of filmD they do wor. British drivers
are now lie German drivers and generally very law abiding when it comes to the speed
limits. This wasn%t the case .6 years ago.
,ll speed limits are shown in the table below-
T7+e of vehi%*e B#i*t8#+ &re&s
9
Si$(*e %&rri&(e8
:&7s
D#&* %&rri&(e8
:&7s
6otor:&7s
C&rs ; /otor%7%*es
<i$%*#di$(
%&r8derived
v&$s #+ to 2
to$$es
/&!i/#/
*&de$ :ei(ht=
3< =5:> 6< 8< =;8> ;< 9< =..2> ..< 9< =..2> ..<
C&rs to:i$( %&r&v&$s
or tr&i*ers
<i$%*#di$(
%&r8derived
v&$s &$d
/otor%7%*es=
3< =5:> 6< =:<> 8< =;8> 8< =;8>
B#ses) %o&%hes &$d
/i$i,#ses
<$ot
e!%eedi$( 12
/etres i$
over&**
*e$(th=
3< =5:> 6< =:<> 8< =;8> 9< =..2>
Goods vehi%*es <$ot
e!%eedi$( >.1
to$$es
/&!i/#/
*&de$ :ei(ht=
3< =5:> 6< =:<> 8< =;8> 9< =..2> HH
Goods vehi%*es
<e!%eedi$(
>.1 to$$es
/&!i/#/
*&de$ :ei(ht=
3< =5:> 5< =85> 6< =:<> 8< =;8>
H The 3< mph limit usually applies to all traffic on all roads with street lighting unless signs show otherwise.
HH 8< mph =;8 m?h> if articulated or towing a trailer.
Bf course, the speed limit on a road does not mean that it is always safe to drive at that speed.
+ou should slow down when weather conditions are poor or when sharing the road with
cyclists, horses or pedestrians. If you are driving too fast for the conditions the police can
arrest you for dangerous driving.
>. C4CLISTS) ?ORSES AND PEDESTRIANS
C7%*ists
Fith cyclists there are two issues to be aware of-
.. How you as a driver of a motored vehicle behave towards themD and
2. How they behave towards you, other road users and road regulations.
In the Polish countryside, the cyclist is a common sight and Polish drivers should be well
e1perienced with dealing with cyclists. However, the approach to countryside cyclists is rather
different in Great Britain. If you see a cyclist in front of you on a country road you should
really treat it the same as any other vehicle. If you are on a dual carriageway, then simply use
your mirror, indicate and then move completely into the outside lane. If you are on a normal
single carriageway road then you must be aware of oncoming traffic. If there is no oncoming
traffic then it is mirror, indicate, move into the oncoming lane and overtae. Treat the cycle as
if it were a car and move right over when overtaing. If there is an oncoming vehicle then
don%t mae any attempt to overtae the cyclist. @low down and wait at a good distance behind
the cyclist until the road is clear. 4A"AG overtae a cyclist in a manner that forces an
oncoming vehicle to brae or swerve. BA P,TIA4T.
$ealing with cyclists in urban areas re)uires additional sills. Because of the amount of traffic
on the roads in towns and cities, you may not be able to give cyclists as much room as you
would wish. *ust be very careful, especially when turning corners, and watch out for your
wing mirrors.
Perhaps the biggest problem with cyclists in the larger cities such as Condon is the way they
behave towards you. !yclists will weave in and out of traffic, they will go through red traffic
lights and they may (ump on and off the pavement. The only thing you can do is be constantly
watchful and aware.
Bne cycling manoeuvre that deserves special mention is the cyclist that turns right. If a cyclist
wants to turn right they will loo over their right shoulder =probably> put their right arm
straight out =almost certainly> and then move over in front of your vehicle to the middle of the
road. If you are travelling fast they will probably wait for you to pass them before attempting
the manoeuvre, but if your speed is reasonable they will move out in front of you and they
will assume you will now what they are doing.
,lthough it is not legally compulsory, most cyclists will wear helmets. 4early all cyclists will
now and use the correct hand signals and it is rare to see a cyclist use the pavement =illegal>
unless it is a specified cycle trac. Cights at night are a legal must.
?orses
It is not uncommon to come across horses and riders on country lanes. If you do encounter
such a sight then you must slow right down to a very gentle trot and pass the horses very
slowly, giving them lots of space. 4A"AG HBBT +B&G HBG4.
Pedestri&$s
If you are driving on a small county road there is a good chance that there will not be a
pavement. If there are any pedestrians on the road they will be on your side of the road =the
left> and waling towards you. If it is at night, dip your headlights as soon as you have seen
the pedestrians. +ou don%t want to blind them with your full beams.
Pedestrians in the towns and cities offer a different challenge.
Is it very important to state that whereas (ay#waling is illegal in Poland, it is not in Great
Britain. @o when driving in Great Britain pay strict attention to the actions of pedestrians as
they may (ump out in front of you if they thin there is a chance of crossing the road.
Pedestrian crossings
*ust as in Poland, Pedestrian crossings come in two forms in Great Britain. There is the old
fashioned Jebra crossing and the red man green man lights crossing.
The zebra crossing
These still e1ist in Great Britain but over the years they have been disappearing and have been
replaced with lights. They are nowhere near as common as they are in Poland and perhaps
because of this they are generally highly respected by drivers. Kebra crossings are very
conspicuous. The blac and white stripes will be clearly painted, they will have flashing
round yellow lights maing their location and white Jig#Jag lines will be painted on the road
ne1t to the pavement either side of the crossing.
The law relating to Jebra crossings is that a driver must stop when a pedestrian has at least
one foot on the crossing. Generally this law is obeyed and drivers do stop. If you ignore a
pedestrian on a Jebra crossing 2 as is common in Poland # you are rising the life of the
pedestrian as they will e1pect you to stop. The Jig#Jag lines on the road indicate a no#paring
area.
The Pelican crossing pedestrian lights
,s in Poland there is a red#man and a green man and this is where the similarity stops.
Polish pedestrian lights-
Red /&$ 2 it is not safe to cross, cars will be on the crossing and it is against the law to cross
the road.
Gree$ /&$ 2 pedestrians may now cross the road and have right of way over cars but be very
careful as there may still be cars coming
British pedestrian lights-
Red /&$ 2 it is not safe to cross, cars will be on the crossing. However it is not against the
law to cross as long as you do not interfere with traffic.
Gree$ /&$ 2 pedestrians may now cross the road in complete safety 2 there will be no cars
crossing.
,ll pedestrian lights in Great Britain will mae a beeping noise when the man is green.
@. AD6INISTRATION AND BUREAUCRAC4
Vehi%*e re(istr&tio$
The procedure for vehicle registration is very different in Great Britain from the system in
Poland. In Great Britain, once a car has been given its registration plates it will eep the same
ones for its lifetime. The only thing that changes when the vehicle is sold is the name and
address as stated on the vehicle registration document.
Fhen buying a new car, the dealer will sort out the registration documents and you will be
presented with a new car and a new set of registration papers.
Whe$ ,#7i$( & se%o$d8h&$d %&r.
Buying a second hand car in Great Britain is so simple it will mae a Pole cry over the
ludricrous process that needs to be undergone in Poland. The whole administrative process in
Great Britain taes about five minutes # on a bad day, and involves a modicum of pen in, an
envelope and a stamp. 4o visits to offices which only open during woring hours, no long,
long )ueues, no removing and installing new plates and no ta1es to be paid on the transaction.
,ll cars should have a "6 registration document. +ou can chec that the certficate is not a
fae by holding up to the light and checing for the $"C, watermar.
Fhen you have decided that you want the vehicle and payment has been arranged then do the
following-
Two part registration document V5
+ou should be given the top half when you buy the vehicle. Tell $"C, by completing the
bac of the registration document and posting it
Three part registration document V5
The person selling the vehicle must complete /your details/ in the top =blue> section. Both you
and the seller need to sign the declaration. It is the responsibility of the person selling the
vehicle to send it in to $"C,. They should then hand you the "6?2 green section
appropriately filled in. The $"C, must be notified as soon as the vehicle changes hands.
Registration certificate V5C
The person selling the vehicle must complete section 8 /new eeper or new name?new address
details/ of the "6!. Both you and the seller need to sign the declaration in section :. It is the
responsibility of the person selling the vehicle to send it in to $"C,. They should then hand
you the "6!?2 green section appropriately filled in.
,part from the mechanical state of the car and the genuinness of its history, you should also
consider the following-
.. $oes the car have a valid 0BT.
2. $oes the car have valid road ta1.
Bf course you can buy a car that does not a valid 0BT or road ta1 must you must be aware
that you will need to obtain them before you drive the car on the road.
6OT
Fhen a vehicle is older than 3 years, it must undergo a road safety inspection every year. This
is nown as the 0BT =0inistry of Transport> test and is compulsory if a vehicle is to be on a
public road.
The 0BT test is very similar to the annual Polish technical test although from e1perience, I
can say that the British testing centres are generally stricter than the Polish centres. They will
chec all the usual features including the state of your tyres but they will also be looing out
for heavy rust 2 especially in the lower body panels and car floor. In all the years of having
0BT tests in Poland not once have my bodywor or tyres been checed. In Great Britain, my
Gover mini metro failed its 0BT because of a rust hole in the floor.
The ma1imum price for an 0BT test in 7ebruary 2<<: for a private passenger car is E6<.35-
If the vehicle fails the test but is repaired at the test station which failed the vehicle, the re#
e1amination is free.
7or most failure categories, if the vehicle is brought bac to the same test station and retested
before the end of the ne1t woring day, there is also no charge
4ote that trailers do not need an mot certificate, although caravans do..
Ro&d t&!
Avery British registered car which is on a public road, even those that do not move anywhere,
must have an up to date and paid for road ta1 dis on display in the bottom left hand corner of
the windscreen of the car. The ta1 dis will include information on the registration number of
the car and the e1piry date of the dis. !ars without the ta1 dis are liable to be impounded.
The 2<<: road ta1 charges are as follows-
I$s#r&$%e
The insurance system is noticeably different from the Polish model. In the British insurance
companies they will generally offer you two types of policy on your insurance-
.. Third party, fire and theft. This is similar to the Polish B! but with one big difference.
+our car is insured against theft. This policy is the compulsory minimum re)uired.
2. 7ully comprehensive =fully comp>. This is e)uivalent to the Polish ,! policy whereby
you are covered for all damage to your car whatever the cause.
There are important considerations to be made when insuring your vehicle-
Insurance premiums are calculated from a number of factors which include-
.. "alue of car
2. @iJe of car engine
3. @usceptibility of car to theft
5. @ecurity systems on the car
6. ,ddress of registration of car
8. Fhere car is pared at night
9. Fho is driving the car
:. ,ge of driver=s>
;. $riving history of driver=s> =i.e any driving related convictions>.
.<. A1tent of non#claims bonus
Points .#8 are all covered in Polish insurance policies. The differences occur in points 9#;.
Basically, in Great Britain the insurance premium depends on the details of the car and the
main driver of the vehicle. Insurance policies generally only cover the one named driver. If an
.: year old wants to drive a 3 litre sports car the insurance premium will be astronomical.
,nd there is no chance in Great Britain of the .: year old driving on his?her father%s insurance
unless the father pays a very large e1tra premium. This is why in Great Britain most young
drivers will have something smaller and less obviously dangerous. Insurance premiums for
the over 26s are significantly cheaper. It is possible to have an insurance policy that names an
e1tra driver or even allows any driver but these do cost e1tra. The important thing to
remember is that even though you may thin that your car is fully insured it may be only
insured for you to drive and not your relatives or friends.
Point no .< is )uite interesting because, (ust as in Poland, you will be able to get a large 6< or
8<L discount on your insurance premium if you have a number of years of no#claims. Fhen
getting my first insurance in Poland I provided a copy of my British no#claims certificate
along with a certified translation and the Polish insurance company PK& were happy to give
me a 6<L reduction for my years of no#claims in the &'. It would be interesting to find out if
British insurance companies would be as accommodating for Polish drivers coming to Great
Britain. 0y advice would be to as.
+ou should shop around when deciding who to buy your insurance from. There are many
insurance companies on the maret and you can compare prices. Gemember, however, that the
cheapest policy may not always be the best policy for you. In Great Britain, I was insured
with one of the biggest and oldest companies. They were not the cheapest but the service they
offered was great 2 courtesy car and everything. ,ll Polish drivers now that the cheapest
insurance companies in Poland have problems parting with their money when re)uired to do
so. Beware of something similar in Great Britain.
Accidents and insurance.
The laws of the highway code are such that in the ma(ority of accidents it is easy to decide
which driver was at fault. If you are involved in an accident and the circumstances are clear
and both parties agree on the cause and there are no in(uries then the police do not need to be
informed. However, if there is a disagreement or an in(ury then the police do need to be called
on ;;;. If a driver accepts blame =it is best to get this down on paper> or if the police
apportion blame then this driver%s insurance company automatically becomes liable to pay for
all damages. Insurance companies will advise drivers never to admit blame, but at the same
time they do insist on the complete truth on insurance claim forms. Thus the standard
procedure after an accident is that nobody admits fault, the drivers of the vehicles swap
names, addresses and insurance details, each driver then truthfully fills in an accident report
form and the respective insurance companies fight it out between each other as to whose fault
it was. It is a legal re)uirement that an accident report form for your insurance company
should be completed after an accident and that the form must tell the whole truth and nothing
but the truth.
The good insurance companies do provide a good post#accident service. ,ll administration
can be done by phone, internet or post and the only office you should have to visit is the one
in your local insurance company approved garage to get your vehicle repaired. The simplicity
of the system can perhaps be e1plained by telling the story of one of my accidents in Great
Britain.
I was in my old 7ord @ierra and had slowed down at a give#way (unction when a transit
van ran into the bac of me.
Fe e1changed details and went on our way. 4o blame was admitted.
I telephoned my insurance company and they told me to go and get a )uote for the
damage from one of their approved garages.
,t about the same time, I completed and posted my accident report form.
The garage gave me a )uote and I informed the owner of the van of the cost.
He said that the amount was far too high and said that he would lie a mechanic of his
own choice to loo at the damage. I informed him that because the garage was insurance
approved and because he was obviously at fault, the )uote could not be )uestioned.
I again spoe to my insurance company on the phone and they told me that as I had a fully
comprehensive policy I could go ahead and get the repairs done.
The car was repaired, I paid nothing, I was even given a nice courtesy car for the wee
and the insurance companies sorted the payment out. I did nothing else.
The whole process from accident to repair too about one wee.
It should be stated here that the whole process was so easy for me because I had fully
comprehensive insurance. If I had had a third#party policy, I would have had to wait for the
van#driver%s insurance company to admit liability before I could have got the car repaired 2
and this can sometimes tae a very long time.
Tr&i*ers &$d %&r&v&$s
&nlie, motor vehicles, there is no central registration system for caravans and trailers. If you
want to pull a trailer or caravan you should simply ensure that all it is in good technical order
2 lights, tyres etc and that it has a registration plate number that is the same as the towing
vehicle%s number. This system saves on the bureaucracy and cost of the Polish system but it
does mae life difficult if you want to borrow your friend%s trailer. It would be a good idea
perhaps to have an e1tra rear number plate ready for such occasions. 4ormal siJe trailers and
caravans can be driven with a normal class B driving licence.
Drivi$( test &$d drivi$( *i%e$%e
+ou can legally drive a car on a public road in Great Britain from the age of .: but of course
if you wish to drive unsupervised you must obtain a full licence. There are in fact two types of
licences for standard vehicle driving. Fhen you start to learn to drive you will of course, (ust
lie in Poland, go out on the public roads for your lessons. Before you can do this you must
apply for a Provisional driving licence by completing a form and sending it to !ardiff. These
and all forms are available from the post office or off the internet.. The learning to drive
e1perience in Great Britain does offer some fun differences to the e1perience in Poland. There
are many many driving schools competing against each other for your business but generally
the costs of lessons do not greatly differ between local schools. Fhat can differ are the cars.
British driving schools are not all re)uired to use 7iat Puntos, or any other type of car for that
matter. If you want to pay the e1tra to learn to drive in a 0ercedes @ class then feel free. Bnce
you have your provisional licence you can hit the public roads. This is where it starts to
become fun. +ou can choose to sign up with a driving school, but you could also enrol the
services of a very ind relative or friend. +B& $B4%T 4AA$ TB P,+ , $GI"I4G
@!HBBC TB CA,G4 TB $GI"A. If you are feeling braver enough and you now
somebody stupid enough can go out and the wide open highway under the supervision of a
)ualified driver and with a little green learner sticer stuc to the front and bac of your car.
Beware, getting your relative or friend to teach you to drive on a public road can lead to big
fall outs and it should always be remembered of course that private cars do not have dual
controls.
Bnce you feel you are ready to tae your test you should apply for a test date by filling in the
relevant form and sending it to MM. In 7ebruary 2<<: the cost of the test is. *ust as in Poland
you should en)uire about how long the waiting time is for a test in your local area and then
apply within the re)uired time.
Fhile the Polish test consists of 3 parts 2 theory, manoeuvres and road driving, the British test
consists of two parts 2 theory and road driving. The theory taes about MM and consists of MMMM
)uestions based on the highway code. The road driving test taes about 56 minutes and apart
from the driving around bit also consists of the manoeuvres 2 reversing around corners,
emergency stop etc.
Bnce the e1aminer has uttered the wonderful words, Nyou have passedO, you can immediately
begin to drive unsupervised. @o if you too the test in your own car, you can then drive home.
,pply for your full licence and then wait a couple of wees for it to be delivered. 4owadays,
a standard driving test will give you a licence to drive class 2 vehicles 2 basically cars and
small trucs below 3.6 tonnes.
The fact that you can drive home without actually holding a licence is a reflection of an
important difference between Polish and British law. $GI"AG@ $B 4BT H,"A TB
PH+@I!,CC+ !,GG+ THAIG $B!&0A4T@ =CI!A4!A, GAGI@TG,TIB4,
I4@&G,4!A> FITH THA0 I4 THA !,G. If you are stopped by the police and are re)uired
to show the documents and you don%t have them then you will be re)uired to produce said
documents at the nearest police station within 9 days. 0y advice would be to have your
driving licence with you at all times, as a means of identification if nothing else. The police
will )uicly be able to chec the ownership details of your car through their computer and if
you can show that you are in fact the registered owner, they will be a lot happier. +ou don%t
want to spend some time visiting the local station. If you are driving a Polish registered car
then do have your documents with you.
Drivi$( :ith Po*ish do%#/e$ts.
I7 +B& H,"A , PBCI@H $GI"I4G CI!A4!A, +B& $B4%T 4AA$ ,4 BGITI@H
CI!A4!A. !arry on driving and don%t worry about an British test unless you really want to
do it or you thin that future employees may re)uire an British licence. It is not possible to
put points on a foreign driving licence for an offence committed in the &'.
+ou can drive a Polish registered car as long as you have insurance. There may be a point
when it becomes impossible to insure your car from Poland for continued use on the British
roads. +ou will then need British insurance and to get this you will need to register your car 2
or sell it and buy a car already registered in Great Britain.
I/+orti$( &$d re(isteri$( 7o#r Po*ish %&r.
Perhaps the easiest way of describing the process of importing your Polish car is to give a step
by step guide-
.. Bring the car to Great Britain using your Polish documents =registration, insurance>. $on%t
worry about having to declare anything at customs.
2. Fhen in Great Britain get the technical stuff done to your car. This could include-
a. !hanging or ad(usting the headlights.
b. 7itting the rear fog lamp on the right hand side of the car.
c. !hanging the face of the speedometer to include miles.
Probably the best idea is to visit your local 0BT test centre and get a sort of pre#test done.
The garage will tell you what will need to be done on your car to allow it to pass it%s 0BT.
3. If the car is more than .< years old get an 0BT done. If the car is less than .< years old
then it will need to go through a process of @", =single vehicle approval> testing. +our local
0BT centre will now how and where this can be done. This step is not necessary if your car
has a valid Auropean !ertificate of !onformity from the manufacturer.
5. Bnce it has been determined that your car has the re)uired technical documentation =0BT
or @", or Auropean !ertificate of !onformity> then it can be registered. To do this you will
need to contact the appropriate office and fill in the appropriate forms. The office you will be
dealing with is-
T?E EASTGATE O33ICE CENTRE
EASTGATE ROAD
BRISTOL
BS1 5AA
TEL0 B11> C12-1C1
3AA0 B11> C12-1--
C. USE O3 4OUR ?ORN AND 4OUR LIG?TS
The hor$
+our horn should only be used to warn other drivers or pedestrians of your presence. The car
horn is not to be used to indicate displeasure or impatience. This shouldn%t pose a problem for
Polish drivers as the horn is not e1cessively used in Poland, e1cept perhaps at traffic lights
when a driver may be slow moving off. This can happen on rare occasions in Great Britain but
drivers will wait more than a couple of seconds. The use of the horn as a sign of impatience is
guaranteed to annoy other drivers so if you real feel you need to use it then use a smile as
well. The driver in front will use his mirror to see who was hooting him and if the face in the
mirror has a nice smile then annoyance )uicly turns to appreciation. ,ccording to the
highway code the horn should not be used when the vehicle is stationary and this includes
traffic lights.
Horns should not be use at all between the hours of ...3< pm and 9.<< am unless you need to
give a warning of danger.
Use of *i(hts &$d i$di%&tors
eadlights.
It is not necessary to use headlights during daylight hours unless the weather conditions are
maing visibility poor. This is a big difference to the law in Poland and is important to note. If
you do see a car with its headlights on during the day it probably means that there is poor
weather ahead. The lights act as a good warning to other drivers so it really is )uite important
not to use your lights in normal conditions.
+ou should use your lights between sunset and sunrise and this period generally corresponds
to the lighting of the street lamps.
The highway code does say that you can (ust use your sidelights at night on roads with street
lamps but all drivers use their headlights on all roads at night.
The Polish are good e1perienced night#time drivers and shouldn%t e1perience any problems in
Great Britain where road conditions are good and where most main roads have cat%s eyes
maring the lane boundaries on the road. *ust as in Poland mae sure you don%t daJJle with
full#beam headlights and watch out for pedestrians and cyclists.
!og lights
7og lights should only be used when visibility is very poor and should be off when conditions
improve. $o not use full#beam headlights in fog 2 they mae visibility worse not better.
+our haJard warning lights are only to be used as a warning and should only be used in two
cases-
Fhen you have stopped and pared when you are temporarily blocing traffic. 7or
e1ample if you have stopped on a single yellow line to unload something and you will
only be stopped for a matter of minutes then do use your haJards. They allow other drivers
to now that you have stopped and that it is o for them to overtae you.
Bn a motorway or dual carriageway when you encounter a stream of slow moving or
stationary traffic. +our haJards will warn other drivers behind you. Turn them off as soon
as the car behind you has safely settled into the line of traffic
"ide lights and par#ing lights
+our side lights and rear lights should be used as paring lights when you have stopped on the
side of a dar road without streetlights. $B 4BT CA,"A +B&G HA,$CIGHT@ B4 FHA4
+B& H,"A @TBPPA$ 2 this is guaranteed to confuse other drivers, not to mention the fact
that you will probably blind them. If you have pared on the road itself then use your haJards.
$ndicators
The Polish use of indicators is haphaJard to say the least and maredly different from the
British use. ,fter driving in Poland for .< years, I am still getting used to the way indicators
are used in Poland. The main differences occur because of the nature of the (unctions. In Great
Britain you indicate for e1ample to show that you are leaving the main road. In Poland this is
also done most of the time but not all of the time. This is perhaps best illustrated in the
diagram below-
The (unction below is very common in Poland but rather unusual in Great Britain and it shows
a situation where the main road bends sharply and the road going straight on is a secondary
road.
In Poland, the procedure is as follows-
a> Turning left =staying on main road> 2 indicate left
b> Going straight on =leaving main road> 2 no indicator
In Great Britain, the procedure is as follows-
a> Turning left =staying on main road> 2 no indicator
b> Going straight on =leaving main road> 2 indicate right
Bther differences in indicator use can be seen-
.> ,t roundabouts where the British will indicate to show they are leaving the roundabout.
a>
b>
2> Bn motorways where the British will indicate to show that they want to (oin the
motorway.
3> Bn reversing out of paring places 2 the British will not generally indicate
5> Fhen overtaing pared cars 2 the Polish indicate more than the British.
6> Fhen driving very slow in a town, for e1ample when looing for a street or a paring
place, the British will generally indicate (ust to show vehicles behind that they can
overtae.
4umber 6 in the above list is a very important point and comes up in many insurance cases. If
the vehicle in front of you is driving very slow but not indicating and you attempt to overtae
the vehicle, which suddenly speeds up and hits you, the accident is your fault. If the vehicle is
indicating and then does the same, then the accident is the fault of the driver of this vehicle.
7inally you should be warned about lorry drivers. +ou may be stuc behind a slow lorry in
Poland which then indicates right. This probably means that it is now safe to overtae 2
although be very careful. This may also happen on rare occasions in Great Britain. *ust lie in
Poland be very careful. This indicator may (ust mean that the lorry is stoppingD it does not
formally mean that the road is clear for you to overtae.
1B. 6OTORWA4 DRIVING
There is a very e1tensive networ of motorways and dual carriageways in the &' and if you
are travelling any sort of distance between towns the chances are that you will be able to use a
motorway. 0otorways are, as of yet, not so common in Poland and may not be fully
understood.
7or all motorways the following rules apply-
.. +ou enter a motorway from a slip road from where you will accelerate onto the motorway.
The slip road is there for you to gradually increase your speed in order to be able to enter
the motorway at the same speed as traffic already on it. Fhen on the slip road and if you
have an un(oined dotted line on the road to your right, then indicate right to inform drivers
that you want to (oin the motorway. $B 4BT F,IT TB I4$I!,TA &4TIC +B& THI4'
IT I@ @,7A TB *BI4 THA 0BTBGF,+. The cars already on the motorway need to
now what you want to do and when you indicate they will move over to a outside lane to
allow you to (oin the motorway. If they can not move over you must slip into the gap
between the traffic when it is safe to do so. If you are travelling at the right speed this
should not be too difficult. The ey to (oining the motorway is to be calm, to use your
mirrors and to physically loo to your right.
2. Fhen changing lanes, indicate well in advance to let cars coming up behind you now
what you are doing. ,gain they may move over to let you move across but if they can%t or
if they don%t you must not move across in front of them. Fait until the lane is clear.
3. $o not tailgate. British motorways can be very busy and traffic may be relatively slow
moving even in the fast lane. $o not ris causing an accident by getting too close to the
car in front. Tailgating is an e1ample of the worse ind of driving and the police will react
if they see it.
5. The speed limit on the motorway is 9<mph 2 about ..2ph. If the road conditions are
good and the road fairly clear then a lot of traffic will travel at around :<mph. It is very
rare to see cars going much faster and of course it must be remembered that to travel at
:<mph is to brea the law.
6. 0ost motorways will have at least 3 lanes- the inside lane, the middle lane and the fast
lane. The general rule is to eep to the left and once overtaing has been done to move
bac to the left. However, in reality, the inside lane is often lined with trucs and it is
dangerous in itself to eep nipping in and out of this lane. If the motorway is busy and you
want to travel above 8<mph, leave the inside lane to the trucs and use the middle and
outside lane. Here you should eep to the left. &se the outside lane only for overtaing.
$o not cruise along constantly in this lane. Trucs are not allowed in the outside lane,
although coaches are so beware of these.
8. @topping on the motorway is forbidden unless there is an emergency =and this does not
include wanting to go to the toilet>H. There are regular rest#stops and services stations
along the motorway. If you have car trouble and you need to stop in the hard#shoulder
then be very careful. Fatch out for motorway traffic and 4A"AG attempt to cross the
motorway on foot. Phones are available at regular intervals for you to contact the
emergency breadown services.
H Going toilet on the side on any road in front of passing traffic is not accepted practice in
Great Britain and could end you up in trouble with the police. If you need to stop for the toilet
=not on a motorway> and there are no public toilets then find a bush or tree well out of sight
of the road.
11. TAILGATING
, separate section had been given over to the sub(ect of tailgating because it is a particular
problem in Poland and generally speaing, Polish drivers do drive far too close to the vehicle
in front. The general rule =although not law> is that the distance between your vehicle and the
vehicle in front should be at the least at the safe breaing distance. These distances are shown
in the table below-
,lthough these distances act as a guide, the police will stop you if you are far too close to the
vehicle in front and you may be charged with dangerous driving. *ust lie in Poland, if the car
in front of you suddenly braes and you run into the bac of it, then the accident is your fault.
+our distance from the car in front should be such so that if it comes to a )uic stop, you can
also stop without running into the bac of it.
12. CONGESTION C?ARGES
Basically, if you drive your vehicle into central Condon you will have to pay the congestion
charge of E:. This charge e1ists to tae the pressure of the roads in central Condon, to
encourage more people onto public transport, to encourage car#sharing and to raise money for
a greener transport policy.
Bne payment will allow you do enter and leave te Jone as much as you want over the day.
There are some e1emptions to the charge. Gesidents have a ;<L discount for e1ample and
disabled badge holders pay nothing after registering with the appropriate authority.
Payment of the congestion charge can be made by MMMMMM
If you don%t pay the charge you will receive a penalty fine through the post. The e1pensive
camera and computer system set up to monitor the charges is very )uic and very efficient
and will eventually identify a vehicle that has not paid the charge.
1. T?E POLICE AND OT?ER AUT?ORITIES
To begin with it must be said that the police in Great Britain do not have little stics with red
circles to stop cars. If a police officer on the street wants you to stop he or she will raise an
arm and point at you. Being stopped by an officer on the street is not so common and most
stopping is done by patrol cars who will come probably come behind you flashing their blue
lights and sounding their siren.
Fhen ased to stop you should do so calmly and safely, watching out for other traffic and
then turn your engine off when stopped. +ou can get out of your vehicle if it is safe to do so,
unless the police office indicates that you should stay in the car.
1-. ROAD SIGNS AND ROAD 6AR2INGS
Bf course, some of the road signs in Great Britain will be instantly recognisable to Polish
drivers and will mean the same in Great Britain as they do in Poland. However, there may be
some signs in Great Britain that do not e1ist in Poland and some signs in Poland that do not
e1ist in Great Britain.
Goad signs in Great Britain can be categorised into 5 groups-
Farning signs
Brder signs
Information signs
$irection signs
W&r$i$( si($s
These, (ust lie in Poland, are mainly triangular with a red edge. The only difference is that in
Poland the bacground is yellow, while in Great Britain the bacground is white.
Order Si($s
These are mainly circular and can fall into two categories- those that prohibit =mostly white
bacground> and those that obligate =blue>.
I$for/&tio$ si($s
,ll of these are rectangular in shape.
Dire%tio$s si($s
Blue for motorways, Green for primary routes and white for secondary routes. Bf course
when woring out how far you have to travel remember that all distances are in miles and that
. mile is appro1imately ..6 ilometres.
Po*ish ro&d si($s th&t 7o# :i** $ot fi$d i$ Gre&t Brit&i$