It was my first time driving on the other side of the road. And so I had to be extra careful. I didn’t have any real issue, and this, I believe, is largely due to the graciousness of those who were driving around me. Some observations:
- Right lane line should align with centre of car. Back home, I had gotten very used to my car and hardly give any thought to this. But in Seattle, the rental company issued me a car much wider than I am used to.
- Turning right on red – did it for the first time!
- I had read about the middle island for turning vehicles but had to overcome the idea that I can drive onto an area marked by yellow lines.
- Nobody horned (at me) and motorists waited until they could safely overtake me.
- People tend to give way once you signal – in crawling traffic, I could make it to the HOV lane quite easily.
- People drive at speed limit on the slowest lane of the freeway. That would be a marvel in my country, where the speed differential from the fastest to the faster to the slowest lane can vary quite a bit.
- The entry lane of the freeway merges with the slowest lane on the freeway – so when I am on the slowest lane, I need to watch out and give way to entering vehicles.
- How to behave at uncontrolled intersection was another matter I was curious about. It was quite easy – each driver goes in turn, depending on who reaches the stop line at that intersection first. Frankly easier than what happens in my home country – you are supposed to give way to your right but many a time, it is a matter of who is more daring.
- Went around a roundabout. It was in a quiet neighbourhood and so narrow! And it goes counter-clockwise.
Everything is amusing when it is new/ flipped from what you are used to. I was happy that I managed to come out of this unscathed. Haha.