My wife and I will be visiting the UK in the near future and possibly living there for a few years. I have been using Waze in the US for quite some time, so I really have some confidence in using the application.
The question I have is will Waze help me drive on the “correct” side of the road? Will the display indicate my position on the road and when and where to make a turn correctly? How about helping through the workings of the major roadways and the exit / entrance ramps?
I know these are simple and questions and I can probably answer them myself, but your answers will help my confidence when I get there. Obviously, experience will be the best teacher, but I don’t want to cause problems and difficulties for my hosts.
Thanks,
CW
I’m afraid Waze won’t do anything specifically to help you drive on the left, any more than it will help drivers to drive on the right in the US.
On undivided carriageways, Waze does not show which side of the road you are on in any country. Where the carriageway is divided, it will show you on the LH carriageway in the UK. Unfortunately, from your point of view, you will find that the UK has far fewer divided carriageways than the US and they tend to be smaller and far closer together.
The history of the UK’s transport network goes back a lot further than the US and has developed in a far more crowded environment. Even for a motorway (our version of freeways), 3 lanes in each direction is the norm, although the busiest sections may have 4 or even 5 lanes at major junctions; and the central reservation is frequently no more than a few meters wide.
On the plus side, the mapping is pretty good in the UK in all but the most rural areas. UK road signage is also pretty good, so that should help you once you get used to the style. Driving on the “wrong” side of the road is something that affects different people to a different extent. Personally, I used to take frequent trips into Europe (where they drive on the right) and never had any problems, but I know some of my friends didn’t like it.
The best advice I thin I can give you is to make an easy start, especially if you’re going to be here for a while. Use a calm, smooth driving style and try not to let some of the impatient idiots you will meet upset you. Give yourself some extra time on every journey so you can afford to stop if you need to.
If you need to stop & ask directions - and you’re using Waze, so that should never happen! - make sure you are prepared for the large range of incomprehensible English accents. :lol:
Here’s a couple of accents for you to practice on:
Easiest method to start is just make sure you follow someone else 
The problem comes when pulling out of a location where there are no vehicles. I drive a lot in the USA and trust me when I come back here, I have to think as to which side of the road I should be on!
Another rule is you are sitting closest to the middle of the road, not closest to the pavement (sidewalk) .
Also bear in mind you are likely to be driving a manual car - i.e. one with a gear stick or shift stick. Automatic cars tend to come at a hefty premium.
Enjoy your trip
Be aware that the “turn on a red light” isn’t a thing over here.
Oh, and look forward to all the roundabouts we have 
You may find it useful to read The Highway Code.
best not mention mini-roundabouts 
I remember the first time I drove in the UK. I’m from a very very flat country that drives on the right side (according to my SO that’s the incorrect side, but I’m convinced it’s the right… ).
It was a dark evening in December and we drove the undivided country lanes I was going to have to take to my new place of employment. It was quite an adventure; not only was I driving on the (for me) wrong side, but hills! Oh my word, hills! I was not used to headlights of other cars disappearing and reappearing suddenly! :o The fastest I dared was 30mph on a 50 mph bit of road and I felt extremely brave. I also kept knocking my right hand into the door as I wanted to use it to change gear. That hurts, I tell you. And at one point, I was getting confused and all of a sudden though that the pedals were switched as well, so instead of changing gear I suddenly accelerated. :roll:
All of that only lasted for a short time. If you follow the flow of traffic, especially in the beginning, it’s not as difficult. Driving on the “wrong” side soon became natural to me. I now dread going home to visit the family and needing to drive on the right. I bet it’ll confuse me now. :lol:
Enjoy people sitting in an overtaking lane at 15 mph under the limit as they want to turn right in 6.5 miles
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Enjoy extreme politeness as the car in front of you lets endless number of cars out of that junction ahead!
And enjoy watching the world go by when you’re at the junction and not one fecker lets you out whilst the impatient taxi driver behind you helpfully leans on his horn!
Visit Northern Ireland! We don’t get that here, the taxi drivers are too tight to use their horns [emoji6]
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk