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Driving on the wrong side of the road...

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I'm in the USA & of course we all drive on the right side of the road (when sober).  I had previously thought that everone else drove on the left (wrong) side, but recently learned that this is not the case.  When in Europe for example, what happens when you go from a country that drives on the left to a country that drives on the right (or vice-versa).  Is there some sort of crossover or something to get everyone switched over?

I was also wondering about which side of the cars the steering wheel is on.  Over here it's on the left side & we drive on the right side of the road & shift with our right hand.  I know that it's the opposite for Japan & can only assume it's the same for Europe, but does it vary depending by country & which side of the road is driven on?  Or do all cars in Europe have the steering wheel on the right whether the car is driven on the right or left side of the road?

Some cars here do have the steering wheel on the right, but it's usually the kids that want their Japanese car to be Japanese spec.  The other exception is postal workers who have their steering wheel on the right so they can easily reach roadside mailboxes.

Anyway, just curious & hoping some of you won't mind letting me know which way different countries do it.

As you say: Cheers!

Neil

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the whole 'left and right side of the road thing' is really messed up. in the UK, we drive on the left, and have the steering wheel on the right, shifting with our left hands. in France, spain germany and most other european countries, they drive on the right, the same as you, and have the wheel on the left. Australia is like the UK, so is Japan. when you move from one side to the other (lets say, from UK to france), you come off the train/ferry and drive on the other side. i don't drive yet, so i don't know what it's like to drive on the right with a right-hand-drive car. must be hard to judge distance between cars on the other side of the road, and left-hand turns. all other countries in europe drive on the right. it's like this if we import a car from the US, there's a bloke near me who has a cadillac, and it doesn't really fit on our small roads anyway, but being a LHD makes it even worse.

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They have sides to roads???? I thought down the middle was the sensible thing[:P] I think thats how they do it in Malta, to miss the huge potholes!

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we'd never have that problem, all the mum's in their 'chelsea tractors' have flattened out any potholes or speed bumps. what is your pothole dodging lightning quick handling ride Tipsy? is there anything left of the suspension? emotion-4.gif

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Neil - all the countries I can think of (UK, Japan, Australia, Isle of Wight, etc.) that drive on the left are islands so there is no real need for a 'crossover'.

It's not that difficult driving on the 'wrong' side when you visit another country - in fact you get used to it surprisingly quickly. The time most people (me) get it wrong is when you first get into the car - you tend to drive off on the wrong side, especially if there is no other traffic around - although you get back on the 'right' side pretty quick people when come at you head on with their full beams on and leaning on the horm! Some people tie something to the steering wheel to remind them when they get in the car.

One day, some 'suit' in Brussels will decide that it is time for us in the UK to come into line with the United States of Europe and make us swap all the road signs, markings, etc. and start driving on the right, but I can't see any real reason why you'd need to.

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Oh one other thing - regardless of which side the steering wheel is on, the pedals are always in the same order. It must be because most people are right-footed...

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"Commonwealth" countries drive RHD cars on the left of the road.

Its a colonial thing... [:P]

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Found this on Google.

Why we drive on the left in the UK...

*In days of old logic dictated that when people passed each other on the road they should be in the best possible position to use their sword to protect themselves. As most people are right handed they therefore keep to their left. This practice was formalised in a Papal Edict by Pope Benefice around 1300AD who told all his pilgrims to keep to the left.

Nothing much changed until 1773 when an increase in horse traffic forced the UK Government to introduce the General Highways Act of 1773 which contained a keep left recommendation. This became a law as part of the Highways Bill in 1835.*

Makes sense I suppose.

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And why the French and Americans drive on the right...

*Reasons to travel on the right are less clear but the generally accepted version of history is as follows: The French, being Catholics, followed Pope Benefice's edict but in the build up to the French Revolution in 1790 the French Aristocracy drove their carriages at great speed on the left hand side of the road, forcing the peasantry over to the right side for their own safety. Come the Revolution, instincts of self preservation resulted in the remains of the Aristocracy joining the peasants on the right hand side of the road. The first official record of this was a keep right rule introduced in Paris in 1794

France also had quite an empire after the revolutionary wars and the keep right rule spread through much of modern day Europe and to colonies such as Egypt. The connection with the USA is thought to be General Lafayette who recommended a keep right rule as part of the help that he gave the Americans in the build up to the war of Independence. The first reference to keep right in USA law is in a rule covering the Lancaster to Philadelphia turnpike in 1792.*

 

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And why the Japanese drive on the left...

*In the 1850's Gunboat diplomacy forced the Japanese to open their ports to the British and Sir Rutherford Alcock, who was Queen Victoria's man in the Japanese court persuaded them to adopt the keep left rule.*

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I thought it was a well know fact we in the UK drive on the correct side of the road,and anyone who drive's on the opposite to us is just WRONG[;)

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In Norway we have a joke about the Swedish people who wanted to try out driving on the left side of the road. They wanted to gradually getting used to it so they dessided to start the try out with busses and trucks only...

 

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In Norway we have a joke about the Swedish people who wanted to try out driving on the left side of the road. They wanted to gradually getting used to it so they dessided to start the try out with busses and trucks only...

 

isn't that just asking for trouble?? i bet the police would have a bit of sweeping up to do if anyone actually tried that!

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I live in the UK, but have driven in mainland Europe a fair bit and its amazing how quickly you adapt. Biggest pain driving a UK car in Europe is overtaking - without a passenger on board you have to risk virtually going over to the other side of the road before being able to see whats coming [;)].

I had a LHD car in the UK for a short while and have to confess apart from overtaking the other big hassle was car park ticket barriers or toll booths when you are in the car by yourself - you either have to reach accross and virtually clamber into the passenger seat or get out and go round and get the ticket!!!!!

When hiring cars abroad though I find you quickly adapt to changing gear with the other hand - seems like second nature after 10 mins of driving.

Chris

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In Norway we have a joke

about the Swedish people who wanted to try out driving on the left side

of the road. They wanted to gradually getting used to it so they

dessided to start the try out with busses and trucks only...

 

isn't that just asking for trouble?? i bet the police would have a bit

of sweeping up to do if anyone actually tried that!

The important line is "[:)]In Norway we have a joke"

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Here's a list of countries it's divided into who drives on the left and who drives on the right (scroll down to the bottom 3rd)

http://www.i18nguy.com/driver-side.html

What is interesting is the list says that China drives on the right but Hong Kong and Macau drive on the left!! I bet there interesting border crossings!!

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What is interesting is the list says that China drives on the right but Hong Kong and Macau drive on the left!!

Reason for that will be that Hong Kong was a British colony up until 1997.

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Well I've driven in a few countries in my lifetime and it's very odd sometimes going from the left to the right and back to the left. I do sometimes find myself driving on the wrong side right when I go back to the states or deploy with my squadron. And when I return  home, there's at least 3 or 4 times I'll pull out onto the road and go into the wrong lane, no on coming traffic so far. Makes it feel sort of like a race track world wide to me.

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If I ever get to UK by car I will bring my sword to protect myself against those drivers on the right... [;)]

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I notice that the little plastic men who drive Tamiyas seem to sit on the left, so I guess they all drive on the right.

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Toby, this is something that has always niggled me, and Tamiya didn't include the mounts on the beetle shell to mount it on the right.

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I guess with the Sand Scorcher it's because it's based on an American desert racer so it would make sense for it to be left hand drive, I'm sure with some modification you could make it into a right hand drive though.

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Yup, and also the bug is german. ( drive on the right ).

I'll probably make a little bracket or something.

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What is interesting is the list says that China drives on the right but Hong Kong and Macau drive on the left!!

Reason for that will be that Hong Kong was a British colony up until 1997.

Yes I realise that!!

Macau was Portugese so why do they drive left?

What I meant was when crossing into China (drive on the right) from either Hong Kong or Macau (drive on the left) your border crossing would be very interesting, how would you suddenly swap lanes without crashing??

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