Driving on the unaccustomed side of the road

This past November and December I drove extensively in the area bounded by
Adeaide, Brisbane, and Melbourne, or whatever I am an American who has driven
in the USA and Canada for 40 years. I found driving on the left often quite
disconcerting. Several times I got on the wrong side and got pulled over by the
police. No tickets or accidents unfortunately. But I feel I am living on
borrowed time and thus may never be back to anywhere you drive on the left
since vacations without automobiles I have found very unsatisfying.

I would be interested in others' experiences on driving on the unacustomed side
of the road anywhere in the world. Would you care to share?

On 06 Mar 2004 07:48:29 GMT, ojunk (John0714) wrote:

This past November and December I drove extensively in the area bounded by
Adeaide, Brisbane, and Melbourne, or whatever I am an American who has driven
in the USA and Canada for 40 years. I found driving on the left often quite
disconcerting. Several times I got on the wrong side and got pulled over by the
police. No tickets or accidents unfortunately. But I feel I am living on
borrowed time and thus may never be back to anywhere you drive on the left
since vacations without automobiles I have found very unsatisfying.

I would be interested in others' experiences on driving on the unacustomed side
of the road anywhere in the world. Would you care to share?


Last year, I drove rental automatics for a week in California, and two
weeks from New Orleans to DC through the deep south. About 3000 miles
all up.

Then a "Eurodrive" Clio manual for 11000 km through all of the EU plus
Czech. Finally, a week (1000 miles) from Edinburgh to Oxford via Wales
and Salisbury back on the "correct" side of the road.

I hardly hit anything, and no-one hit me. Of course, some of the others
were very good at taking evasive action :-)

I must admit, even with 17 years experience as a Melbourne cab-driver,
nothing prepared me for Rome. I think they must still be filming
Ben-Hur, but with Fiats and Vespas instead of Chariots.

Of course, Rome looked like a quiet Sunday drive compared to Naples.

As far as the change-over of sides of the road, it was a matter of
starting very slowly, and consciously thinking every time we came to an
intersection. The most likely place to make a mistake was on left-hand
turns into a new road - I tended to stay on the left the first couple of
times. The converse for a driver coming here would be turning right.

But, we survived, and had a bloody good time. And we saw places in
Europe no tourist bus has ever visited.

Cheers Alan

Drove in Canada for three weeks (on the wrong side!), then Ireland for three
weeks (correct side again), then Turkey for 4 weeks (I think they were
supposed to drive on the right side; usually however it was in the
middle!!). I'm 63 - but really found no problem - in fact, back in Brisbane
I had to be careful coming out of supermarket car parks etc that I didn't
heave over onto the right hand side!!!

It's a matter of concentration - and not a lot of that frankly!


"John0714" wrote in message
...
This past November and December I drove extensively in the area bounded by
Adeaide, Brisbane, and Melbourne, or whatever I am an American who has
driven
in the USA and Canada for 40 years. I found driving on the left often
quite
disconcerting. Several times I got on the wrong side and got pulled over
by the
police. No tickets or accidents unfortunately. But I feel I am living on
borrowed time and thus may never be back to anywhere you drive on the left
since vacations without automobiles I have found very unsatisfying.

I would be interested in others' experiences on driving on the unacustomed
side
of the road anywhere in the world. Would you care to share?

"John0714" wrote in message
...
This past November and December I drove extensively in the area bounded by
Adeaide, Brisbane, and Melbourne, or whatever I am an American who has
driven
in the USA and Canada for 40 years. I found driving on the left often
quite
disconcerting.

I think that is your answer, 40 years driving on the same side. I think you
will find most people in this forum have done a lot of travelling and are
therefore used to driving on the "wrong" side of the road.

I would imagine you would have been using a hire car of which 90%+ are
automatic. It's more interesting when you have to change gear with the
"wrong" hand as well.

The Aussies drive quite courteously, you need to come and practice in the UK
where slow or hesitant drivers are not tolerated very well.

"Alastair J. Smith" wrote in message
...


The Aussies drive quite courteously, you need to come and practice in the
UK
where slow or hesitant drivers are not tolerated very well.



I have done it several toimes now in Europe, and only twice have had a
problem with the wrong side of the road. Both times during 1972 when I was
young (and stupid) but later trimes have not proved a problem and I have
actually driven further each time.
I would like to dissagree on the relative courtesy of drivers here in Oz
compared with those in the UK. Invariably I have found the UK drivers very
tolerant. Once in London driving down Victoria Embankment, realised I had
taken a wrong turn off a bridge and, finding a break in the median stopped
to do a U-turn. Held up traffgic behind me but not so much as a beep!
Luckily it was a Sunday morning. :-)
Also on narrow country roads I continually was astounded at the courtesy
shown by drivers.
Here in Australia is a different matter. Only yesterday a road rager killed
a little kid, who had got out of his parents car in their driveway and the
offender crashed his car into the parents car and squashed the kid. The
offender was taken to hospital with serious injuries after the parents had
got to him and beat him up.

Gerrit - Perth

On Sat, 6 Mar 2004 20:43:55 +0800, "Gerrit 't Hart"
wrote:

I would like to dissagree on the relative courtesy of drivers here in Oz
compared with those in the UK. Invariably I have found the UK drivers very
tolerant.

That is why I think the idea of "T" plates should be investigated.

(Background: In Australia, learner drivers have to display "L" plates
and newly licensed drivers have to display "P" plates.)

A car displaying a "T" plate would indicate to other drivers that the
driver was a tourist, was unfamiliar both with their surroundings and
possibly the intricacies of both local road rules and driving
etiquette, and could possibly lead to local drivers displaying
somewhat more tolerance to what appears to be idiotic driving
behaviour but which is actually confusion.

Of course, the "T" plate might be a beacon to some of the less
law-abiding members of the community who would consider them as easy
targets, which is why I am saying it should be investigated thoroughly
first.

Dave

=====

NSW Rural Fire Service - become a volunteer today.

http://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/

"Dave Proctor" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 6 Mar 2004 20:43:55 +0800, "Gerrit 't Hart"
wrote:



Of course, the "T" plate might be a beacon to some of the less
law-abiding members of the community who would consider them as easy
targets, which is why I am saying it should be investigated thoroughly
first.



In Florida they had distinctive license plates on rental cars
which had to be changed as criminals were targetting
tourists on that basis.

Keith

in article , Dave Proctor at
wrote on 3/6/04 3:04 PM:

On Sat, 6 Mar 2004 20:43:55 +0800, "Gerrit 't Hart"
wrote:

I would like to dissagree on the relative courtesy of drivers here in Oz
compared with those in the UK. Invariably I have found the UK drivers very
tolerant.

That is why I think the idea of "T" plates should be investigated.

(Background: In Australia, learner drivers have to display "L" plates
and newly licensed drivers have to display "P" plates.)

A car displaying a "T" plate would indicate to other drivers that the
driver was a tourist,


Hertz has a little sticker on the spedometer reminding the renter to "drive
left." Must be very annoying to the domestic/NZ/UK/etc. patron.

But it makes much more sense than the signs along the Great Ocean Road:
"Drive on the left in Australia." If you haven't figured it out by the time
you get to the narrow, meandering G.O.R., you're in BIG trouble....

On Sun, 07 Mar 2004 06:04:11 +1100, Dave Proctor
wrote:

That is why I think the idea of "T" plates should be investigated.

Oh yeah - the bright red french number plate on my Eurodrive Clio
proclaimed to everyone that I was a tourist.

It certainly helped the Austrian cop who made me aware of the fine for
driving on their highways without the sticker (that would have cost
about ten euros if I had known) on my windscreen. 120 euros lighter I
was suitably educated, and he had the honesty to admit he targets the
red number plates.

Whether it helped the crazy drivers in Naples avoid me, I can't say. I'm
convinced the only reason they don't have more prangs there is that they
assume everyone on the road is as crazy as they are.

Cheers, Alan

Of course, the "T" plate might be a beacon to some of the less
law-abiding members of the community who would consider them as easy
targets, which is why I am saying it should be investigated thoroughly
first.


A similar thing used to result in Europeans being murdered in Miami.