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Essential Driving Tips for New Zealanders Moving to the UK

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Are you moving from Wellington, Auckland, Christchurch or anywhere else in New Zealand to the UK?

Well, if you intend to drive over there, you might be in for a bit of a shock. The roads, driving conditions, and attitudes are a lot different in the United Kingdom than in Aotearoa, so you’ll need to be prepared for the culture shock!

But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.

In this guide, we’ll highlight some essential driving tips for New Zealanders moving to the UK. If you take these on board, you should have little problem making the transition.

 

Pro Tip!

Ok, first things first. Driving in the UK is very different from New Zealand, not least due to the sheer number of vehicles on the road.

For this reason, you might want to take a driving lesson or two with a professional, fully qualified driving instructor just to get your bearings. Check out Ezlicence if you do.

Major Rules and Regulations

When driving in the UK – which includes England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland – there are some primary rules and regulations you should bear in mind.

They include the following:

  • Like in New Zealand, they drive on the left in the UK
  • 17 is the minimum age you can legally drive in the UK (not 16 like NZ)
  • There are strict speed limits you need to adhere to, which are displayed in miles per hour, not kilometres
  • All road signs and traffic signals must always be obeyed
  • If you are caught not wearing a seat belt, you could be fined £500+ (approx NZ $1000) 
  • If the inside lane of a road is clear, don’t block the middle lane
  • It is illegal to use your mobile phone when driving
  • All cars must safely give way to emergency service vehicles
  • At roundabouts, give priority to traffic coming from the right-hand side unless instructed otherwise

This is just a summary of the many rules and regulations that make up the Highway Code. It is worth familiarising yourself with it if you intend to drive in the UK.

 

Driving Licence

To legally drive in the UK, you will need to hold a full and valid driving licence.

Provided it remains in date, this entitles you to drive a vehicle with 8 passenger seats or up to 3.5 tonnes in weight for a period of 12 months.

After that, you will have to apply for a UK driving licence, if you don’t intend to move back to New Zealand.

You will not be able to drive in the UK if you have a provisional driving licence (aka learner’s) that was issued outside of that jurisdiction.  

Those who want to rent a car will need to have held their licence for a minimum of at least one year. If you are under the age of 25, you might have to demonstrate having held it for longer.

 

Manual Cars

According to the Department for Transport, there are around 31.7 million cars on the road in the UK, and over 70% of them are manually operated.

For this reason, if you are used to driving an automatic, you might want to get some practice with a manual – another reason to take lessons with a professional instructor.

 

Don’t be fooled by distance

When driving in the UK, you should always allow for extra time for your journeys.

Traffic can be busy, especially during peak periods, so while you might think a journey might only take 20 minutes because it is only 10 miles away, it can actually take much longer.

It is worth checking an app like Google Maps or Waze to determine journey time. However, as a general rule of thumb, add an extra 15 minutes to half an hour on top of what they advise.

 

Unusual Driving Laws

Along with the main rules and regulations outlined above, the UK has some less known laws you will need to adhere to. Some of them include the following:

  1. In the UK, driving with a dirty, illegible number plate is an offence, and a fine could result, particularly if you have personalised plates.
  2. Driving in flip flops, high heels, and hiking are all no-nos. It contravenes rule 97 of the Highway Code, which states that drivers are not allowed to wear shoes, which might prevent them from correctly using the vehicle controls.
  3. It is illegal to sleep in your car when you are drunk. Even if you have no intention of driving, you can end up with a big fine and 10 penalty points.
  4. While you might think it’s funny, you’ll be laughing on the other side of your face when you are hit with a £100 fine for not adhering to Section 3 of the Road Traffic Act. It demands that you drive with reasonable consideration for other people.
  5. You might be aware that being caught speeding could result in you being fined. But so could driving too slowly. Indeed, you could be hit with an on-the-spot £100 fine and possibly even be given three demerit points. This could even be extended to £5,000 and nine points if you are found guilty in court.
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