Living with left-hand drive

The worry usually goes like this: the car is exactly what you want, but it is on the wrong side, and surely that is going to be a nightmare on a narrow British road. It is a fair question, and it is worth thinking through before you buy. The short version is that plenty of people drive left-hand drive cars in the UK every day, and the adjustment is smaller than most expect.

It is legal to register and drive

There is no rule that a car on UK roads has to be right-hand drive. A left-hand drive American car can be registered with the DVLA, taxed, insured and driven here like any other. It goes through the same process as every import: customs and NOVA, an IVA test if it is under ten years old or an MOT if it is older, then DVLA registration.

You do not need to convert it to right-hand drive. On most modern American vehicles that would be a major job, and it is very rarely worth doing. What the car does need is a handful of changes so it suits UK roads and passes its test.

What changes on the car

A car built for driving on the right is set up for that in a few specific ways, and US federal standards differ from UK requirements in a few more. On an American import, the usual list is:

• Headlights. US beam patterns are aimed for traffic on the right, so on UK roads the dipped beam would throw light towards oncoming drivers. The headlights are replaced or converted so the beam dips the right way for driving on the left. This is dealt with as part of the conversion, before the car goes for its test.
• Rear fog lamp. Required here and not fitted to US cars, so one is added and wired in.
• Side repeaters. Many US vehicles lack the side indicator repeaters UK requirements expect.

One thing that usually does not need changing is the speedometer: American cars already read in miles per hour. We do the conversion work in our own workshop and test in our own IVA lane at Castle Donington. Newer cars with integrated lighting units tend to cost more to convert than older ones with separate lamps, and we price that in the quote. Our guide to converting a US car has more detail.

Living with it day to day

The first week feels odd. By the end of the first month, most people barely think about it. A few situations do need a bit of thought.

Overtaking

This is the one that needs the most care. Sitting on the kerb side, you cannot see past a lorry or a van as easily as you would from the right-hand seat. The answer is to hang back further than usual, which opens up your view down the road, and to accept you will overtake less on single-carriageway roads. On motorways and dual carriageways it makes very little difference.

A second pair of eyes

A front-seat passenger is sitting where the driver normally would, and can see what you cannot. Plenty of couples fall into a routine where the passenger says when the road ahead is clear. It helps, but the decision to pull out is always the driver’s.

Junctions and roundabouts

At junctions and on roundabouts, the traffic you need to watch most is coming from the right, which means looking across the car and past your passenger. Take an extra moment, lean forward if you need to, and it soon becomes habit.

Car park barriers, tolls and drive-throughs

Anything built for a driver’s window on the right is a small stretch: car park ticket machines and barriers, the odd toll booth, drive-through windows. Pull in close, take the seatbelt off and lean across, or let a passenger handle it. Everyone finds their own method within a few visits. Some people get out and walk round at awkward barriers, and that is fine too.

It becomes normal

If you have driven in the US, you already have the habit of sitting on the left. What changes is the side of the road, and that is the bit most people adjust to quickly.

Insurance

Insurance is available for left-hand drive cars in the UK. Not every insurer may want to quote for every import, and what you pay depends on the car, its value, any modifications and you, so it is worth getting quotes early, ideally before the car arrives. Insurers that are used to imported vehicles are often the easiest place to start.

When you ask for a quote, tell the insurer the car is left-hand drive and an import. Expect to be asked for more detail than on a UK car: the VIN, the exact specification, the year of manufacture and any modifications. Declare them accurately so the policy covers the car you actually drive. You will need cover in place before you collect the car once it is registered.

Resale

Left-hand drive does narrow the pool of UK buyers, because some people will not consider one. How much that matters depends on the car. For something that was never sold new in the UK, such as a full-size pickup or a particular muscle car, buyers looking for it expect left-hand drive and are often happy to have it. For a model that is widely available here in right-hand drive, left-hand drive can count against it. If resale is a big part of your thinking, it is worth factoring in before you buy.

Pickups and big American vehicles

Full-size pickups and large SUVs are imported and registered here, and they go through our workshop and IVA lane like any other American vehicle. The steering wheel position is rarely the issue with these; the size is. A few things to think about honestly before you commit:

• Narrow roads. Country lanes, older town centres and roads lined with parked cars are tighter than most American roads. A wide truck needs more care, and from the left-hand seat you are sitting on the kerb side, furthest from the centre line, so judging the offside of a big vehicle against oncoming traffic takes practice.
• Parking. UK parking bays, multi-storey car parks and residential garages are not built with full-size trucks in mind. Check height and length limits before you drive into a multi-storey, and think about where the vehicle will live at home.
• Classification. Depending on its configuration, a pickup can be classed as a passenger vehicle or a goods vehicle, and that affects how it is tested and taxed. We confirm the classification for your specific truck before you commit.

None of that stops people enjoying these vehicles here. It just means choosing with your own roads and parking in mind. Our pickup trucks and SUVs and 4x4s pages cover the import side in detail.

Getting a left-hand drive car here

If the steering wheel was the only thing holding you back, it needn’t be. Send us the car’s details and we will tell you which test route it takes, what conversion work it needs and what the whole job costs, from collection in the US to UK plates.

Get a quote

Quick answers