In March I am popping to Florida for the Sebring 12 hour race. Flights and car hire booked.
Anyone know if I need anything other than my passport and UK old-style driving licence for my car hire? International licence maybe?
Thanks in advance
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Payment is generally prefered by credit card (acts like another form of ID, plus if you have an accident they can charge the excess directly - but watch for charges that should not be made).
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Examples of some very important rules: do not park near fire hydrants, do not \"jaywalk\", be very careful at crossroads, do not PASS a schoolbus from EITHER/ANY direction if its lights are flashing!
At least the signs/rules are in American-English and not a continental language that you do not know.
for more, do a search on google for \" driving regulations Florida USA\", it will give you many useful links. eg.
www.hm-usa.com/driving03.html
www.travelfurther.net/dictionaries/index.htm
The following links are comprehensive driving handbooks:
The 2000 Florida Driver Handbook
www.hsmv.state.fl.us/handbooks/English/
Year 2002 - The California Driver Handbook
www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/hdbk/driver_handbook_toc.htm
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I leave for Florida next weekend. Thanks to all for the advice here.
One thing I'm NOT clear on is drink driving. The obvious recommendation is don't. But what is the law? The driver handbook mentioned by MB says 0.08 BAL, anyone any idea how that equates to our system? (Or, more to the "pint", how much beer that is?). I use the rule of thumb here that two pints NOT on an empty stomach over an evening will leave me OK.
I am not planning on DUI but want to be absolutely sure I am not breaking the law if I have a bottle or two.
Thanks
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Drinking - just dont chance it, they are very strict.
Speeding - be very careful. There are patrols everywhere and radar-guns mounted on oncoming police cars will clock your speed too. In some areas, they have speeding checks from the air.
You will see police everywhere - unlike the virtually invisible police presence in the UK. You may even come across "convict chain-gangs" working on roadsides.
Dont forget, at the rule at cross-roads and the rule "Right-turn allowed on RED" - proceed slowly with caution until you get used to it. You will get a few impatient "hoots" on the horn while you gain confidence.
Final piece of advice on driving: In towns and cities, you may come across a central lane reserved for turning LEFT into side streets, with marking indicating which part of the lane is for your use and which part for oncoming traffic that want to turn to their LEFT. On my first trip, I did not use these lanes for a few days, while I got used to their correct use by observing other drivers. Until then, I went 1st right, 2nd right, and 3rd right around a block to get into the side street I wanted.
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Get the rules of the road for the State.( But I do not know the source- perhaps the American AAA).Locals will only give you some of them and you are then left exposed.
From what I recall:
Out of town on roads with one lane each way and a gravel shoulder do not use the gravel to pass someone waiting to turn left.
Even empty beer cans in the passenger compartment is an offence.
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Further suggestions
1. Take out ALL insurance options
Lady in my office took wrong advice and got credit car hit for £100s due to " car damage and lost revenue when the car was in the body shop for a few days
2.Check out the car even if you are shattered after the flight. Easy to say!!
On one trip I found a half flat rear tyre the next morning. It was, I suspect, chucked on when I upgrade from the booked car.Fortunately only a slow short trip to hotel but I had to get it checked out to avoid back tracking to airport
Another time 40 miles from NYC where the street lights ended I found main beam headlights lower than normal dip beams - NOT funny when tired and on your own.
3. Check how internal light is switched on (with doors locked of course). Some have no obvious switch. You brighten the instrument lights and hey presto on comes the light above.
4.Check how the filler cap is unlocked.
I found two buttons in the back of the glove box. 1 for the boot and one for fuel flap. You have 1 ignition only key and 1 does all key. Idea is to lock boot amd glove box the Hotelm can park car
5. Check route to filling staion cos empty tank on picking up.the car
Also route to destination. Go to public area if you miss you route then read map
I have seen it suggested ,Though not always possible - get a cab on arrival and start car hire next morning fresh and in daylight
Enjoy your trip and br careful
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Thanks all. I leave in 8 hours, and can't wait.
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Good luck Smokie, and have a great time.
HF
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Well I'm back safely, what a trip.
Thanks to all for the tips, they were all printed out, heeded carefully and resulted in a trouble free trip.
I really LIKED the two main differences in road rules - turning right on a red light, which prevents unnecessary queues forming, and overtaking in any lane on the highways, which prevents tailgating as when someone is in your lane you can just use the next one.
I thought in general their highway signage was not as clear as ours, and regularly missed a turn (but that was partly down to having no passeneger with me to help navigate and get me to the right lane in good time).
The speed limits seemed to vary a fair amount, even on the interstates, and I found the cruise control invaluable in helping me stick to the limits and conserve fuel (I did nearly 1000 miles in the 1st 3 days then hardly anything in the rest of the week).
Americans were bemoaning the increasing price of "gas" - anything between $1.63 and $1.87 per US gallon in my experience. (Although their gallon is somewhat smaller, this is pnly about £1 a gallon - $20 (c £13) was enough to take my Dodge Neon from empty to full.)
Oil was cheap, many places offering oil changes for less than £10. And what looked particularly cheap were those additives which were about one third the price here.
In Miami I had to pay the hotel $15 for valet parking which seemed a lot, but the hotel was right on the South Beach so was top notch. In Daytona, Bike Week had just ended, but there were many stragglers who hadn't yet left. I didn't realise that there Really Were people who looked like ZZ Top! Spring Break Week(s) were just beginning, less said about that the better, I think (college kids out to misbehave!).
Lastly, in the 12 hour race at Sebring (the purpose of the trip) the new Bentleys took Pole and second in qualifying but were then relegated to the back of the pack for a technical infringement, leaving the 2 Audis up front and with an unassailable advantage - the Bentleys came in 3rd & 4th.
Once again, thanks for the help guys
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Smokie,
"I really LIKED the two main differences in road rules - turning right on a red light, which prevents unnecessary queues forming, and overtaking in any lane on the highways, which prevents tailgating as when someone is in your lane you can just use the next one."
Glad you enjoyed the trip.
I agree with the first point in the above but the overtaking in any lane has its downside and in my experience tailgating is a problem in Florida - particularly when the roads are busy. But this has all been discussed before - do a search for 'tailgating USA'
I was there at the same time as you in the Melbourne/Cocoa Beach area. Thousands of bikers everywhere on their HDs - a great sight and enough to make the Growler drool. Even though most were ridden sedately there was a huge number of casualties - always is though. It won't be long before Florida gets in line with other States and makes helmets compulsory. Hope they will abolish Spring Break vacations too!!!
Cardew
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