City vs. Countryside Driving in the UK
The UK has one of the highest road networked countries in Europe, whether in the city or the countryside. What are the pros and cons of driving in the city or the countryside? Be it from the narrow roads in the countryside or the major motorways in the cities.
The countryside has many narrow roads that need drivers to take extra caution during their manoeuverability. It might be a disadvantage, but with few cars on the road, you are assured to be at your destination on time, whether in the suburbs of York, Coventry or Aberdeen in Scotland. Highways in London or Birmingham are wider and spacious, but traffic during rush hours might keep you stuck for a few hours before getting to your destination. Whether driving in the countryside or the city, they all come with their challenges and benefits.
What are the differences between City and Countryside driving?
Speed limits greatly differ between the countryside and speed limits in the city. The countryside has higher speed limits that might go up to 60mph. The high-speed limits are due to lower traffic in the countryside. The countryside is also more likely to have a wider range of view hence lesser risk of hitting obstacles, allowing you to step more on the gas pedal. Tight countryside roads will be much lower than 60mph. City roads have a lower speed limit ranging between 20mph and 30mph, depending on your driving zone. It is because cities' traffic volume is higher than the countryside's volumes that tend to be lower.
The countryside has low volumes of traffic compared to city roads with high volumes of traffic. Apart from the few farm tractors strolling down the countryside after a tough day at work, countryside roads have limited users. It will take almost a quarter of the total time you will take to cover the same distance on city roads while driving on countryside roads. City roads have traffic due to people from all walks of life rushing to attend to various activities, from office workers, doctors, students, tourists, professionals and many others.
In the countryside, driving is much more silent than driving in the city. Countryside driving is characterized as windy and maybe the sound of your car's engine. You will certainly feel the car tires kissing the tarmac down the driveway when driving in the countryside. Driving in the city is very noisy, from hooting cars in a hurry, emergency sirens from police, ambulances and firefighters rushing to save lives and property to noise engines from several vehicles rushing to different destinations.
Driving in the countryside has greater visibility than driving in the city with limited visibility. Tall buildings in the city challenge drivers to anticipate what is coming from behind those corners. Countryside roads might have a visibility challenge on roads meandering up or down hills and through places with thick vegetation like forests. Visibility in the countryside is affected by fog or misty conditions, which rarely happen in cities in the UK. Pollution in major cities in the UK is a major concern hindering visibility when driving.
Wildlife is mainly a concern when driving in the countryside. When driving in the countryside, it is advisable to keep note of traffic signs that indicate the presence of wildlife. At such places, it is good to drive at lower speeds and keep an eye on the road and the surroundings to avoid knocking wild animals.
- Navigation in the day and night
Countryside roads are easier to navigate during the day than during the night. Most countryside roads in the UK are not installed with traffic lighting systems making navigation at night a challenge. Apart from high traffic volumes during the day, which makes navigation a challenge, city roads have better navigation due to the traffic lighting systems installed in major cities in the UK.
Countryside roads have few signs to guide you; it remains upon the driver to make decisions to navigate the roads safely and correctly safely. City roads have signs almost everywhere to guide drivers on what to do and where to g, makings it easier to navigate city roads.
Countryside roads are straightforward. City roads need drivers to be careful; missing an exit will take you to a different destination. City road networks are complex for less experienced drivers. You have to take great attention and caution when navigating through highways in London or Manchester.
Is driving in the city or countryside safer?
Driving in the city or the countryside comes with safety issues and benefits. City driving is relatively safer due to controlled and lower speed limits than countryside driving. Countryside accidents in the UK are mostly fatal compared to accidents on city roads. City roads have many signs guiding drivers while the countryside has fewer signs that leave drivers to make their own decisions which is a challenge to learner drivers who have less knowledge on the best decisions to take in various situations. City roads also pose a challenge when driving on fast lane highways that require drivers to go at higher speeds. With high traffic, any mistake by a single driver has been catastrophic to tens of other drivers on city roads. The differences in safety when driving on city or countryside roads are minimal because both have various challenges.
In conclusion, driving in either the city or countryside varies greatly and has many differences in the UK. The differences range from speed limits, traffic, noise, visibility, wildlife, navigation during the day and night, signage and road networks. The differences give you different experiences when driving on various roads in the UK, whether you are an experienced driver or a learner driver. These differences require a driver to make judgments according to their situation to ensure the safety of others and themselves.