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Driving on the unaccustomed side of the road



 
 
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  #1  
Old March 6th, 2004, 08:48 AM
John0714
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Default 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?


  #2  
Old March 6th, 2004, 09:19 AM
Alan
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Default 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?


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

  #3  
Old March 6th, 2004, 10:00 AM
A Mate
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Default 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?




  #4  
Old March 6th, 2004, 10:33 AM
Alastair J. Smith
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Default 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.


  #5  
Old March 6th, 2004, 10:45 AM
Peter Webb
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Default 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?




  #6  
Old March 6th, 2004, 01:17 PM
Keith Willshaw
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Default 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


  #7  
Old March 6th, 2004, 01:34 PM
Roger Martin
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Default 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.


  #8  
Old March 6th, 2004, 01:43 PM
Gerrit 't Hart
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Default 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


  #9  
Old March 6th, 2004, 01:46 PM
Burke & Wills
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Default Driving on the unaccustomed side of the road

in article , John0714 at
ojunk wrote on 3/6/04 3:48 AM:

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?




My Australian friends who experienced my first attempt at left-drive will be
happy to share their experiences....once they're out of therapy 8-)

That said, a good piece of advice I received was, "think of the centre line
as being beside you," which is true no matter what side of the road you're
driving. Intersections, roundabouts (rotaries to us), etc. were
disconcerting primarily because of the instinct to look the "wrong" way
first and, in some cases, to turn onto the wrong side of the road.

My own first experience was Sydney to the Blue Mountains and return - not
recommended! Much better was to get some rural, but good quality, roads to
get the feel. In a more general sense, I would suggest not trying to learn
in a zoo city (heavy traffic and inattentive drivers), or one with byzantine
traffic (London, Johannesburg, etc.)

Manual shift only complicates things. I left that enterprise for the
Falklands where it didn't especially matter if you stalled out (since
chances are, nobody else was around except in Stanley). I'm not sure having
no prior experience with a stick made it easier or harder - on the one hand,
I had no prior biases (higher gears towards you or away from you), but OTOH,
it was two things to learn/get used to at once. On balance, I think it was
better to get used to left-drive first, then work on the tranny.

Then, of course, there are the small and amusing things like going to shift
gears and finding your hand out the window, reaching for your seatbelt and
getting the centre console, going to signal and turning on the wipers....


  #10  
Old March 6th, 2004, 07:59 PM
Dave Proctor
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Default 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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