🇺🇸 United States
Driving in the United States.
The US is one of the world's most-driven-by-foreign-visitors countries, and one of the most confusing: fifty states, fifty sets of rules, no federal driver's license, and an insurance system that catches every visitor off guard. This section is organized, sourced, and linked back to the official authority for every claim.
Topics
We're building this out now. Pages markeddraftare being verified against official sources and may be incomplete.
Driving basics in the US
ReadySide of the road, speed units, seatbelts, DUI, phones, school buses — the rules that apply everywhere.
Road signs reference
ReadyMUTCD — the federal standard for every sign you will see. Shapes, colors, and exceptions.
Speed limits + mph↔km/h
ReadyWhy US speeds are always MPH, how to read them, state maxima, and a live conversion table.
Interstates & expressways
ReadyThe Interstate numbering system, US Routes, state routes, freeway vs expressway vs parkway.
If police stop you
ReadyExactly what to do when lights come on behind you — the six-step procedure international drivers should follow.
State-by-state rules
ReadySpeed limits, right-on-red, phone, helmet, insurance — the key differences across 10 top-visited states.
Licenses & IDP
ReadyForeign driver licenses, International Driving Permits, per-state acceptance.
Renting a car
ReadyAge, documents, credit cards, insurance add-ons, one-way rentals, the FTC rules.
Auto insurance
ReadyState minimums, rental CDW/LDW, your own policy, travel insurance.
Toll roads
ReadyE-ZPass, SunPass, FasTrak, TxTag — how tolls work in rental cars.
Bringing your own vehicle
ReadyCBP rules for temporary import, carnets, EPA/FMVSS conformance, time limits.
Primary official sources
These are the authorities we cite throughout the US section. If you want to verify anything on this site, start here.
- NHTSA
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- FHWA MUTCD
Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices — canonical road-sign reference
- USDOT
US Department of Transportation
- US State Dept — Foreign Visitors Driving
US State Department
- CBP
US Customs and Border Protection — temporary vehicle import
- NAIC
National Association of Insurance Commissioners — auto insurance minimums by state