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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? |
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Driving on the unaccustomed side of the road
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#3
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Driving on the unaccustomed side of the road
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? |
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Driving on the unaccustomed side of the road
"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. |
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Driving on the unaccustomed side of the road
Beware. The dangerous period is when you go back home. You think that you
don't have to concentrate anymore (bacuase its back to how it should be), but in fact you are now at least partially accusatomed to driving on the other side. I seldom have any problems driving in the States, because I pay very close attention to which side of the reoad I am on. However, couple of times I have come back to Oz and turned out of driveways onto the right hand side of the road. "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? |
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Driving on the unaccustomed side of the road
"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? Cant say I've ever had a problem when renting a car overseas since the steering wheel being on the wrong side of the vehicle tends to jog the old memory. The only time I've been momentarily confused is when driving my own car through France and Germany Keith |
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Driving on the unaccustomed side of the road
As another poster wrote, I think its just a matter of concentration. Road
signs, road markings, etc all give you a good hint and "wake ups" on which side of the road you should be on. Honda used to have an ad for motorbikes - saying that riding a motorbike took 100% concentration, it was 100% relaxation. Which is about right when driving a car as well. Back in the 1970s I used to travel a lot between the UK and Europe and I cant remember a time when I got it wrong while driving on the right - arriving back in Dover was another matter and I tried a few times to go around the roundabout the wrong way. Later I spent time in France working, I drove my right hand drive Simca to work, drove a Renault or Citroen left hand drive vehicle for work, then back in the Simca. Again I never had any problems apart from reaching for the gearstick on the wrong side once in awhile. At least you did nt have to suffer Victoria's (now scrapped) give way to the right when turning left rules which caused no end of accidents - not just for overseas visitors I might add. |
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Driving on the unaccustomed side of the road
"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 |
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Driving on the unaccustomed side of the road
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? I never have a problem with the actual driving as long as there is traffic around. I find it easy to stay on the correct side as I merely follow the other traffic. Where I have problems is when the road is deserted, I often find myself on the wrong side. I also have trouble remembering to reverse the sides I look to - instead of "right, left, right" it becomes "left, right, left". I also have trouble reverse parking on right-hand drive systems, but then I have trouble reverse parking on the right hand side of one-way streets as it is, the angles are all wrong. Dave ===== NSW Rural Fire Service - become a volunteer today. http://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/ |
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