For the brave hearted who are going to rent a car for the first time in the US here are a few tips. I am writing this from the experiences I have had.
If you have driven automatics you can skip this paragraph. Even before you can shift to drive (D) or Reverse (R). You need to push the brake pedal else you will not be able to shift to drive or reverse. This should help you avoid fighting with the lever.
We drive on the left side of the road it is quite difficult to remember to stay on the right especially when the road is empty. So, for the first few days keep this in mind.
At the traffic light you can turn right on red unless there is a sign which says "No turn on Red". Ofcourse before you turn on red, you need to look around to ensure no one is heading your way. If you are turning left then wait for the green left arrow. Or if there is a green signal only (for straight traffic), wait for all oncoming traffic to pass and then take a left.
When a road has many lanes, it is not necessary that the lanes are equally distributed. For example - a road may have 4 lanes : 3 for oncoming traffic and 1 for you! In case there are no dividers then there will be a thick yellow line to mark this. So, before you turn left or right have a look and then decide where you have to end up. This was very weird and I ended up almost driving on the wrong side of the road!
4 way stop signs - This is another interesting signal. You will see it as a 4 way stop sign or all way stop. This means the person reaching the stop sign first gets the right of way. In case, two drivers arrive at the stop sign at the same time the driver to the right gets the right of way - which is the opposite when you normally drive on the road where the driver to the left has the right of way.
Assuming you have successfully reached your destination, you now need to park and get down. You will not be able to remove the key unless the gear lever is in the Park (P) position. Hang on! you will not be able to move the gear to Park when the key is in the off position. So, make sure you move to park when the key is in the on position, switch off the engine and then you can get down!
Finally, if you are stopped by the cops do not get down till he/she asks you to. Keep your hands on the steering wheel, lower the window and then follow instructions - this is not through experience but hearsay! Drive Safe!
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