Drive sensibly!

Driving in the Highlands is quite different from what you may be accustomed to, so we thought it would be helpful if we pointed out a few very important basics. Afterall, the objective of you coming to visit us is to have a fun time. We want you to be SAFE!

Some people say the A82 main road from Glasgow to Fort William and Inverness is dangerous. We say some parts of the road require great care and and attention with good driving skills. We say bad driving causes bad accidents - people in too much of a hurry, people prepared to over-take when they can't see the way ahead, people driving TOO SLOW and who are not using the lay-bys to pull over.

Drive on the left
YIELD to vehicles on your right

In the UK, EVERYONE drives on the left hand side of the road. This means the simple, basic, No 1 Rule of the Road is to GIVE WAY or YIELD to traffic coming from your RIGHT.

Speed Limits - THINK ABOUT IT!
The maximum speed limit anywhere in the UK is 70mph. This speed is the legal, maximum speed for motorway journeys too.
In the UK and in the Highlands, we have highways which are called DUAL CARRIAGEWAYS. The maximum, legal speed on these roads is 70mph. Dual carriageways have two lanes in both directions and at any time, can have very small roads joining the carriageway at right-angles to the main carriageway. Furthermore, vehicles can cross dual carriageways at right-angles, whereas on a motorway this is not physically possible. Trunk Roads are most other kinds of roads as well as Single Track roads. On trunk roads the maximum speed limit is 60mph for private cars, unless there are signs instructing you otherwise. Large HGV vehicles should be travelling at 40mph.

BUM IN GEAR - BRAIN IN NEUTRAL!
In the Highlands driving too slow can be just as dangerous as driving too fast. Here's what happens...
You're driving along a road, as far as you're concerned, you've only been driving on the wrong side of the road, in a strange rental car, with the wheel on the wrong side of the car, for a few days. Or you're pulling your caravan to park it somewhere else, or your mini-camper only does 40mph.

You are completely astonished at how close the oncoming traffic is passing you. Everytime a coach or a truck approaches, you're sure its going to hit you.
So you're traveling along the road at between 35-40mph and just coping nicely.
However, behind you, there are now a large number of other vehicles all crawling along at YOUR speed - maybe 12 or more. Suddenly, a driver in one of these vehicles decides he's had enough and he's going to overtake you - but he has to get passed all the other cars behind you first - if its the last thing he does. Sadly, it often is the last thing he does. The resulting RTA is horrific - mangled vehicles, dead people in cars, blood all over the place - and some poor souls have to clear it up!

Fortunately, this need not happen, because we have a solution to this very frequent problem - they are called lay-bys and passing places.
All you have to do is this:

1 CHECK YOUR MIRRORS FREQUENTLY - when traffic is building up behind you, its time to pull over!

2 CHECK YOUR SPEED - 50mph is quite a reasonable speed to travel - 35mph is not and other drivers consider it very selfish.
3 KEEP 80-100 metres behind the car in front!
4 USE PASSING PLACES and LAY-BYS
When you see a blue road sign with a big letter P on it, this means you can pull up, to let cars go bye.
5 DON'T PARK ON THE HIGHWAY - someone will take your butt off!

Speeding and Impatience
Keeping your distance from the vehicle in front.    
If you enjoy driving fast in your car, truck or motorcycle, the obligation is on you to drive with CONSIDERATION and RESPECT for others. Just think about - there could be any number or reasons why someone ahead is driving slowly. Driving immediately behind another vehicle, is BLOODY STUPID and guaranteed to be the catylist for an accident.

KEEP YOUR DISTANCE - AT ALL TIMES -
A minimum of 30 metres is the least you should consider.

Keeping a clear, safe distance from the vehicle in front, allows faster vehicles to pass safely between two slower moving vehicles. This distance also provides everyone with a good THINKING DISTANCE - the distance your vehicle travels before you react to changes.

BE SEEN!

Use your headlights!
A simple and effective way to help on-coming vehicles to SEE YOU, is to drive at all times with your dipped, main headlights ON - try this test for yourself.
Next time you're driving along on a wet day, spend more time observing the vehicles approaching you. See how more quickly and more easily you can DETECT and JUDGE a vehicle with its headlights on... Really simple or what?