England is extremely well serviced by public transport such as trains and busses. However, a large proportion of the residents also make use of their own private vehicles. These vehicles are of reputable brands, such as Toyota, Renault and so on. However, England is known for having smaller cars than other First World countries, like the United States of America, in addition to the usual brand and size of vehicle to which outsiders are accustomed.

Almost all of the motor vehicles in England use a stick shift or manual gear-changing device, as opposed to an automatic one. Cars drive on the left-hand side of the road, and the driver sits on the right-hand side of the vehicle. The red traffic light indicates a definite stop, unlike some states in America, where drivers can still turn right on a red light. Speeds are measured in miles per hour, and not kilometres (unlike any other country in Europe). In most cases, drivers are expected to yield to cars approaching from their right (in a traffic circle, or roundabout, for example).

Aerial View of M25 Junction in Surrey on bright but cloudy morning in August

Most parking lots work on a ‘pay and display’ method, where you pay for a certain amount of time and display the ticket indicating your time limit on your dashboard. Street parking is usually limited to a certain amount of time, but is well indicated. For example, double yellow lines mean no parking, a single yellow line means that you may only park after restricted hours (a board will inform you of the details), a dashed yellow line indicates conditional parking (check the board for these conditions) and no line indicates free parking. On-foot traffic officials are present and will fine those who do not adhere to these rules.

In general, the speed limit within urban and / or city areas is 30 miles per hour. On the motorway (or highway), this increases to 70 miles per hour. There are speed cameras to monitor those not adhering to these laws. Any passing or overtaking must be done on the right-hand side of the car being overtaken.

The names of the motorways are usually preceded by an “A” or “M”. “A” refers to roads that are single-lane main roads or divided highways, while “M” roads are formal highways or motorways. “B” roads refer to minor roads. Motorways are only for motorised traffic. No cyclists or pedestrians are allowed on them.

For more information, please view: http://www.trafficengland.com