Driving in Florida

Like most of Europe, Americans drive on the right. If you hire a car it will almost certainly be automatic (see Car Rental/Hire for more details).

A lot of terminology to do with driving is different between the USA and Europe, for example what the Americans call gas, Europeans will call fuel or petrol (see Terminology for more examples).

Rules of the road / Highway Code

The highway code is pretty universal but there are a couple of significant differences.

Firstly, unless a sign is posted, you are allowed to turn right on a red traffic light as long as you come to a complete stop and there is no traffic approaching from the left.

Secondly, if you should come across a school bus that has stopped with its lights flashing, then you must stop, even if you are travelling in the other direction. The only time this rule does not apply is if you are on a dual carriageway and the bus is travelling in the other direction.

Read more... [Florida School Bus Stop Laws]

Intersections

Most intersections are controlled by traffic signals which are usually hung on cables stretched across the road but on smaller suburban streets you may come across a 'four-way stop' where again you must come to a halt and wait your turn before proceeding.

Perhaps surprisingly, there are also around 75 roundabouts in Florida. In the past, some states had what were called rotaries or circles but they were generally much larger than the more European style roundabout.

If you do come across a roundabout, approach it with extreme caution as many drivers do not understand how to negotiate a roundabout and they have been the scene of numerous accidents. Some local TV stations show daily public service broadcasts on how to negotiate a roundabout.

Road Network

Main roads in Florida are basically county roads, state roads, highways, US highways or Interstates. All main roads are numbered and as a rule of thumb, even numbered roads traverse the state east-west and odd numbered roads go north-south.

Petrol (gas)

Distances are measured in miles and fuel is measured in US gallons (slightly smaller than a UK gallon). You will not find service stations on the actual main Interstates but at most junctions (intersections) there will be number of petrol stations, restaurants and motels.

At some petrol stations you can pay for your fuel using a credit card at the pump but sometimes you need to pay in advance inside the station.

Not all credit cards are accepted at the pump; some pumps will ask for your ZIP code which is no good if you do not live in the United States.

Lights

Lights must be used at dawn and dusk and in low visibility or heavy rain. Some rental cars have automatic lights which come on when it starts to get dark.

You are very unlikely to encounter ice but beware of skidding on greasy roads after heavy rain, known locally as 'Florida ice' !!

Overtaking on Freeways

Though Americans have the concept of slower traffic keeping to the inside lane, they are more relaxed about lane discipline and overtaking.

When there is heavy traffic on multiple carriageways be particularly careful of cars 'undertaking'; i.e. overtaking on the inside.

Drinking and Driving

As in any country, you should be sensible about drinking and driving. Note that Florida State law prohibits the carrying of alcohol in the cabin of a car; all alcohol must be placed unopened in the boot (trunk).