Right hand drive vs. left hand drive

[S2000&CooperS]

Great thread guys! I'm becoming nervous already as we are renting MINIs this coming September during our trip to England. Never driven or even taken a ride in a RHD car and never have been to a country where RHD is the norm.

I am right-handed and so it's natural for me to shift a LHD car with my right arm but I dunno about shifting with my left hand - I hope i find the right gears at the right times!

[MoonPie]

Nervewracking! Good luck!

Along the same topic, I read an informative (one page) article in the March issue of National Geographic about Right and Left Hand Driving...cannot locate it online! grrr...The article title is 'Right (or Left) of Way' by Scott Elder...

Here's a different map and some history/info on the countries that do drive on the left side...
http://www.travel-library.com/genera...hich_side.html

[Cabri Au Lait]

Its easy really, we manage when we go to Euro land, and the USA, so I'm sure you will get to grips with it soon enough.
You can practice by getting a plate or some thing about the size of a steering wheel, and three small tin cans.
Now sit in the 'wrong side of the car., place the 3 tins approximately where the pedals are on the other side of the car.
Now start driving, the shifter is on your left, its all falls in to place very quickly.
The hardest part is remembering the left side of the road, and junction rules, and er roundabouts.
Get a copy of the UK Highway Code if you can, its invaluable.

[htrout13]

A few years back, my mom and I (US) hit England and Ireland for a month tour - renting cars in both countries. Cars in both countries were manual, and we only had 2 problems - the first was finding reverse (didn't know you had to pull up on something on the stick to get into reverse), the second was figuring which way to go when hitting the round abouts... Shifting was a breeze. Your feet already know what to do - the stick knows what to do - and you're left hand has jealously been watching your right hand all these years and knows exactly what to do - so it's almost a non issue. It's learning that in England - when in the cities, you stick to the outside, floor it, and don't be embarrassed if you have to go around more than once (look kids, big ben, parliment). When in the country, yellow means go and that's what you do - go!

Have fun!!!

[Tonyt3]

If you want to know what its like to drive on the 'wrong' side of the road before coming to Britain on a holiday, just go out and do a little practice before you get here.... Next time you go to Wal-Mart, just drive on the left hand sifde of the road. You'll get lots of people trying to help you, giving you useful tips and advice.... Most people will realise that you are going on holiday soon and will helpfully move out of the way for you.


on a serious note, people worry about using the left hand to change gear. Well, the more you think about it, the harder it is. If you can manage to remember to get in the drivers side every time (harder than you might like to think!), once sat at the wheel, most stuff will come naturally. It actually makes more sence to change with the left hand, as most people are right handed, you actually control the car at all times with your right hand on the wheel.

Another thing on the 'rigght' 'wrong' side argument.... 95% or so of race tracks are run clockwise, even those in Europe. Its harder to judge the racing line on a left hand drive car on a clockwise circuit. The main exception to this rule are American oval circuits

[Aqualung]

I just got to the UK yesterday and hopped into my hired car (no, not a MINI). I found the transition pretty easy, I haven't driven over here in 15 years or so (and even then, not extensively).....drove around Maidenhead, Wokingham, & Windsor and then down to Stonehenge (about an hour southwest). I find the roadways well marked, and the roundabouts well designed.

I think the biggest drawback to a RHD in the US or vice versa would be trying to get in/out of gated things, in addition to toll booths as was mentioned previously. Tho' w/ the MINI it's fairly easy to lean over ;-)

[seneville]

Quote: Originally Posted by BruceK

The only thing that is completely weird to me is driving an older RHD car that still has the turn signal lever at the 3 o'clock position. Apparently, some time in the late 1970's and early 1980's most car manufacturers began building only one kind of steering column for both LHD and RHD cars they made: one that had the turn signal lever at 9 o'clock. Must have made manufacturing sense to just make one part, and it seems most of the RHD world has adapted over time. When I restored my classic 1965 Mini about 6 years ago, I kept it as RHD (would have been easy enough to switch to LHD had I want to do so), but I made sure I changed the turn signal from the 3 to 9 o'clock positions to keep my sanity intact.

Bruce,

i have almost the same setup as you (2004 mcs, 1964 morris saloon) and i do have a problem with the blinkers. Sometimes when i'm switching back and forth i'll be in the new car and turn on the wipers when i want to turn. It's a little embarassing with others in the car. The shifting for me isn't too difficult as i'm left handed so shifting with my left doesn't really seem to awkward.

|sn

[BruceK]

Quote: Originally Posted by seneville

Bruce,

i have almost the same setup as you (2004 mcs, 1964 morris saloon) and i do have a problem with the blinkers. Sometimes when i'm switching back and forth i'll be in the new car and turn on the wipers when i want to turn. It's a little embarassing with others in the car. The shifting for me isn't too difficult as i'm left handed so shifting with my left doesn't really seem to awkward.

|sn

I know exactly what that's like. If you get bored, you can easily change out the turn signal switch on your old Mini by flipping the switch around to the other side of the steering column and rotating the black plastic column covers (got to love old BMC simplicity!). I remember that I also drilled all they way through the existing hole in the column and tapped the other side of the hole for the little screw that flicks the turn signal switch off after completing a turn. Took all of 10 minutes to do, and as I said, it keeps me sane when switching between MiNiS.