Speed cameras, box junctions and roundabouts. and other United Kingdom Warning Or Danger Tips

If you're driving, watch out for speed cameras! They look like metal boxes on posts, sometimes painted yellow. If you are breaking the speed limit a photo of your number plate is taken (you will see the flash) and there is an automatic fine....and it's not cheap! They are very unpopular but increasingly common.

If you see a yellow grid painted on the road at a junction follow this rule: do not enter the box until your exit is clear, even if the traffic lights are on green. The exception is if you wish to turn right, when you may enter and stay in the box until your path is clear.

There are many roundabouts in the UK, some tiny (mini-roundabouts) and some huge. The rule for all is simple: give way to the right before you enter the roundabout, keep moving when you're on it and keep signalling appropriately until you exit.

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You may see mobile vans selling food and drink at tourist spots or in laybys (places to stop on main roads). Be wary of these .......the ones at tourist spots may rip you off, and their hygiene is not always good. It is better to buy food and drink from shops to take with you, or look for a pub or cafe nearby.

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It is against the law to use your mobile phone whilst you are driving, and penalties are steep. You can still use a hands-free set. Remember that not all traffic police cars are marked or obvious, and that many stretches of motorway are continually filmed. It's not worth the risk!

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Double yellow lines at the side of the road mean parking is forbidden.

A single yellow line means you can park for a limited time during set hours ... there will be a head-height sign somewhere nearby to tell you when.

If you park illegally you may return to find a 'parking ticket' on the windscreen. these are given out by traffic wardens and police, and require you to pay a steep fine. You won't know when wardens are about ....they can appear as if from nowhere, especially in cities.

Many car parks have machines to give you a ticket, but you will usually need the right change. Sticky tickets should be put in the front windscreen, where they can be seen by the inspector. Be warned, if you do not buy a ticket you may have to pay a fine (£40+ is not unusual) or your car may be clamped and you will have to pay to free it. You can never tell when an inspector is around, so just buy the ticket and stick to the time limit!

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UK traffic lights have 3 colours. The sequence is: red, red and amber, green, amber, red. You may only move forward on the green light. Red and amber together means 'stop, but be aware that the lights will change in a moment'. Amber alone means 'stop, the lights are about to turn red'. You may only carry on across an amber light if stopping would cause an accident (if the car behind is much too close to you, for example).

It is against the law to move across traffic lights on anything other than green, and you may be fined. However, British drivers are the same as anyone else, and you will often see people moving on amber or red and amber!

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The only poisonous snake in the UK is the adder or viper. It ranges in colour from whitish grey to yellowy or reddish-brown, and is 60 -75 cm long. A darker zig-zag marking runs down its spine, with a V or X shape on the head. Adders like rough country, such heather or bracken-covered moorland, but are very shy and unaggressive. I've only ever seen one in 40+ years of walking (that's why there's no photo, but google images will provide one if you look).

Adders will not bite you UNLESS YOU HURT THEM FIRST. The bite is rarely fatal, but you should seek medical attention promptly.

Adders are a protected species so it is against the law to kill them. If you are lucky enough to see one, treat it as a great photo-opportunity!

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