日本で免許を取って以来１０年以上全く運転しなかったペーパードライバーの私。過去車にひかれたこともあって、苦手意識が強かったのですが、車がないとなにかと不便な地域にいるので、去年運転（の練習）を少しずつ始めました（しかも古いマニュアルカー・・・）。幸運なことにイギリスは右ハンドル、左側通行で日本と一緒（世界では少数派みたいです）。でも大きな違いもありました。それはランドアバウトという信号を使わない（信号を併用している場合もあり）交差点のシステム。基本的に時計回りに交差点をまわり、車が来なければ交差点に進入でき、信号待ちをすることもない便利なシステムなのですが、日本にはほとんどないこのランドアバウト。慣れるまで大変です・・・。
I hadn't driven for more than 10 years since I got my driving licence in Japan. I felt uncomfortable to drive partly because of my experience of being knocked down by a car. However, as I am living in the countryside, away from public transport, I started to practice driving my old manual car little by little last year. Luckily, the UK has the same traffic system as Japan,i.e. we drive on the left side with the steering wheel on the right, which is not common in the world. Still there is a big difference between the two countries' road networks, that is the use of roundabouts. It's a system at junctions without traffic signals or sometimes used in combination with them. Basically you drive round clockwise, but first give way to the cars already on the roundabout as you enter. You don't have to wait for traffic signals, which is quite convenient. I had never seen a roundabout in Japan. It will take me more effort to get used to it...
