When my sat/nav (short for satellite/navigation aka GPS) says “Take the third exit off the roundabout”, my blood pressure SPIKES!! A simple statement in how to make a right, but oh so difficult! More on that later.
Driving in Ireland is a lot different in many ways from the USA, so you may know about the obvious. The biggest is the Irish drive on the “wrong” side of the road…aka on the left. When you get in the car to drive, everything is flipped. You actually drive on other side of the car compared to the USA. It takes about two weeks before you actually get in the car where the steering wheel is located because you are so used to getting in the other side.
When starting to drive in Ireland, the best thing is to plunge right into it and stay focused. Just remember as a driver you should be towards the center of the road. Easiest thing to do is to follow the person in front of you. Hardest thing, beside roundabouts, is making a right hand turn. Goes against all logic. My only advice is to stay focused especially when pulling out of an intersection. When you are ready to go, think again making sure you are doing the right thing.
Another thing about driving in Ireland is the small parking spots, small areas to reverse, small lanes, – small, small, small! Getting into and out of a parking spot is challenging and don’t worry about dinging other cars when opening doors…there is no getting around it.
Now to roundabouts in Ireland. They are small, fast and double laned. You need a steady hand and aggressive nature to get through. Once you think you get the hand of roundabouts, then you get beeped.
Some cars have a large L or N sticker on the back windshield. That is to identify those that are LEARNING or NEW drivers. I think Americans should be allowed to hang the USA flag on the car so everyone gives you clear space to get around the roundabout.
The last thing about Ireland is driving with your wife which is a touchy subject. The one thing I’ve learn that when driving with your wife in Ireland, there is no such things as a back seat driver. A second set of eyes has gotten help us drive on the left side of the road instead of right, with directions and overall safety. That being said, I now know what is more terrify than learning to drive in Ireland….sitting in the passenger seat while Michelle learns to drive in Ireland!!
Luckily Michelle let’s me do the driving!
Adventures in Ireland 