The United States has become one of the main tourist destinations for Europeans. The experience of crossing the pond and the great offer that the North American country has, due to its great length, are the main attractions. However, there are many who choose to take routes along the East and West coast, needing a car in many cases, since Uber is not enough.
What is driving in the United States?
Traveling to the United States is already an experience worth getting, especially if it is the first time you have made such a long trip. On the one hand, you will have to get used to a time change for the first time, which compared to Spain, will be a minimum of six hours less if you choose to stay on the East coast, and visit such reputable cities as New York or Boston, among others. In addition, you will also have to face a transatlantic flight for the first time, having to think about what your entertainment will be until you reach your final destination. In fact, depending on the city you go to, it will also be necessary to make stops at different airports.
Beyond all this, driving in America is already an experience, almost on the level of driving on the left in the UK. The roads in the United States are much wider and the highways have almost twice as many lanes as in Spain. This encourages you to run more than what is allowed, but Americans take the laws very seriously, especially traffic laws. So, if you run more than what is allowed, don’t be surprised if other drivers start honking at you asking you to respect the speed limits. However, the main change is not here, but in the traffic light situation. While in Spain, we stop in front of the traffic light and the intersection is right behind it, the Americans do it the other way around. We must stop before the crossroads and the traffic light will be just behind.
Also, when refueling, we should not ask for the liters we want. Americans run on gallons, which is more than a liter. Electric cars and automatic transmission are also the order of the day in this country. More and more tourists are choosing to take Route 66. Despite the fact that the tradition is to do it on a motorcycle, and especially with a Hardley-Davidson, more and more people are doing it by car. The tradition of this route in the United States is similar to that of the Camino de Santiago in Spain, although the purposes are very different.
Benefits of getting a driver’s license in the United States
All in all, getting a license that allows us to drive in the United States has numerous benefits. The most prominent are the following:
- Be self-sufficient and have autonomy. A driver’s license will be necessary if we want to have autonomy to move across the width of the United States, which is really a lot.
- Do not depend on public transport. With a driving license we will not depend on public transport. Depending on where we are, and especially if it is a high and wealthy area, the frequency of buses is really low.
- Being able to rent a car. Having a driving license, including a European one in some cases, is necessary to be able to rent a car and sign the respective contract with the car company.
- Do not have problems to circulate. US legislation, as is also the case in Spain, requires having a valid driving license in order to have the right to drive without any kind of problem with the police.
Another of the main differences with respect to Spain is the possibility of Americans being able to drive a car from the age of 16, despite being minors. In our country we cannot have a driver’s license until we are of legal age and we turn 18 years old. In the United States, on the other hand, the age of majority is not reached until the age of 21, although the possibility of driving a car comes much earlier for the Yankees.
How to get a driver’s license in the USA?
More and more tourists decide to rent a car to travel throughout the American territory. Despite the fact that there are more and more companies that accept the European driving license, to avoid problems throughout your stay it is advisable to go to the General Directorate of Traffic in order to obtain an international driving permit, which is available in up to ten languages. In this way, the possibility of renting a car will be totally safe. However, as in our country, the driver’s license cannot be expired but must be valid. In other cases, international students spend a lot of time in the United States on an F, J, or M visa. It is permissible to get a driver’s license, although you should check with the school in question as it varies by state. The same occurs with those people who are in the country working temporarily or for whom an asylum application has been approved.
However, the situation varies with those people who have obtained a permanent resident visa in the United States. In these cases, they are required to undergo an exam to pass the US driver’s license and opt to be able to drive throughout all the American states and also Puerto Rico. It is known as ID, and it will also serve you for other purposes such as opening a bank account, cashing a check or demonstrating that you are of legal age and, therefore, you have the possibility to choose to buy alcohol and tobacco. It will be necessary to undergo different tests such as a theoretical exam, a practical exam and a vision exam where you must demonstrate that you are fit to drive in the United States. Could also be done with a manual car. In some states, the driver’s license from other countries allows one of these tests to be validated. Before submitting to these exams, the administration may require some documentation such as the original social security card, birth certificate, electricity or gas bill, among others, or the identification card with the tax payment number (ITIN).
Once you have your driver’s license, we also recommend that you take an interest in the driving regulations in force in the state in which you are. Although in general there are no variations, each of the different North American territories has its own particularities. In some states, for example, it is possible to turn right if no one is coming even though the traffic light is red. It also respects the prohibition on consuming alcohol, drugs or using a mobile phone while behind the wheel. In the United States they are really strict with the current regulations. However, being able to get a driver’s license in the United States will allow you to have an easier life. Move around the big cities without having to take a taxi or public transport or being able to travel to more rural areas of the country in a totally autonomous way will be possible with a valid driving license. In some areas of the North American country there is hardly any public transport, making it difficult to move around the country.
