Visitors uncomfortable with or intimidated by the prospect of driving on the left-hand side of the road may wish to avail themselves of extensive bus, rail and air transport networks that are reasonably inexpensive. Roads in the United Kingdom are generally good, but are narrow and often congested in urban areas. If you plan to drive while in the U.K., you may wish to obtain a copy of The Highway Code, available in the United Kingdom. Public transport in the United Kingdom is excellent and extensive. However, poor track conditions were thought to have contributed to train derailments resulting in some fatalities.
Repairs are underway and the overall safety record is excellent.
Many U.S. citizens are injured every year in pedestrian accidents in the United Kingdom, forgetting that traffic moves in the opposite direction than in the United States. Care should be taken when crossing streets. In Gibraltar, as in the U.S. and Continental Europe, driving is on the right-hand side of the road. Persons traveling overland between Gibraltar and Spain may experience long delays in clearing Spanish border controls. British customs authorities may strictly enforce regulations regarding the import or export of certain items, including material deemed likely to incite racial hatred, firearms and personal defense items such as mace or knives.