Driving in the US

Driving in US is a fairly straightforward task though there are a few things that should be noted. Care should be taken in the big cities and note that some roads require a toll.

All cars drive on the right side of the road with drivers sitting on the left side. Speed limits are all posted on signs and are in Miles per Hour (MPH). Highways/freeways will most likely have a speed limit of 60 or 70 MPH. In the cities, the limit is 30 or 40 MPH on most streets.

Pedestrians have right of way at any intersection. Stay alert! Light- controlled intersection will most time have pedestrian signals also which will allow pedestrians to cross when the traffic signal is green (ie, they will be proceeding across the intersection when you are proceeding the same direction).

Lights at an intersection follow the following pattern:

• Red - Stop behind the line indicated.
• Green - Proceed when it is safe to do so.
• Yellow - Stop behind the line indicated.
• Red …

Note: Some lights may have green arrows to indicate that traffic may proceed in the direction indicated. Some lights may have both a green arrow along with a red signal meaning that traffic can proceed in the direction of the green arrow.

Most cars on the road have a automatic transmission not many people drive standard/manual transmission cars. Petrol is purchased in gallons and is relatively inexpensive.

American Drivers are maniacs and tend to drive much faster than any posted speed limits. For the most part drivers tend to follow the rules of the road though many will “roll through” stop signs instead of coming to a complete stop. Many drivers will fail to signal when changing lanes and will pay little head to any safe amount of distance between you and them.

To drive in the US you need a current driver's license (licenses for most countries are allowed for use in periods up to a year in the US). An International Driving Permit is NOT required.