Driving on the right as a UK or Australian driver: the habits that catch you out
A general familiarisation guide · Last updated 27 June 2026
If you learned to drive on the left — in the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand or elsewhere — switching to the right is rarely a problem of knowledge. You know which side you should be on. The trouble is that years of practice built reflexes pointing the other way, and reflexes don't read the rental agreement. Here are the moments that most often catch experienced drivers out, and how to blunt them in advance. And if you're headed stateside, our guide to driving in the US as a UK driver covers what's different there.
Which side of the car do you sit on?
Driving on the right usually means sitting on the left of the car, which puts you closer to the centre of the road than your body expects. The hand you reach out with for the gear selector swaps sides too. It's worth a quiet minute, parked, just getting used to where everything now sits before you pull away.
Your default glance points the wrong way
The habit that catches people out most is the automatic first look. When you drive on the right, the nearest oncoming traffic approaches from the opposite side to the one you've scanned for all your life. This bites hardest at quiet moments — pulling out of a driveway, stepping off a kerb on foot — precisely when you're relaxed and running on autopilot. Rehearse a deliberate look both ways until the new direction feels natural.
Drifting after a turn
The classic error isn't the turn itself; it's the few seconds afterward, when an empty road offers no other cars to copy and instinct quietly steers you back toward the side you grew up on. Knowing the moment exists is half the battle. Make a habit of consciously confirming your side as you straighten up out of every turn.
Which way do roundabouts go when you drive on the right?
Crossing the oncoming flow happens in the mirror image of what you know, and roundabouts circulate the opposite way — anticlockwise when you drive on the right. You don't need to rebuild the rules from scratch, but you do want the shape of an entry and exit to feel rehearsed rather than backwards in the moment.
Tiredness undoes new habits first
Fresh reflexes are fragile. After a long flight or a full day, your brain reaches for its oldest defaults — the ones trained on the left. Treat your first drive as one that deserves full attention: well-rested, unhurried, and ideally not in the dark or the rain.
This is general familiarisation guidance, not driving instruction or a substitute for the official rules of your destination. Always check local guidance and drive within your ability.
Frequently asked questions
Is it hard to switch from driving on the left to the right?
The difficulty isn't knowledge — you know which side you should be on — but instinct. Years on the left built reflexes that point the wrong way, so the fix is rehearsing the new habits until they feel natural before you travel.
Which way do you look first when you drive on the right?
The nearest oncoming traffic now approaches from the opposite side to the one you've scanned for all your life. Practise a deliberate look both ways — especially at quiet moments like pulling out of a driveway — until the new direction feels automatic.
Do the pedals and gears change when you drive on the right?
The pedals stay in the same order, but you'll usually sit on the left of the car and reach for the gear selector with your other hand. A quiet minute parked, finding everything before you set off, saves fumbling once you're moving.
Why do drivers drift back onto the left?
Old reflexes resurface most when you're tired or on an empty road with no other cars to copy. Consciously confirming your side as you straighten out of each turn keeps the new habit in place.