Author Topic: Driving on the left-hand side of the road (Read 1155 times)

Replicant · « **on:** May 22, 2005, 03:18:10 AM »

Interesting website of the origins of driving on the left-hand-side and the right-hand-side of the road.

http://users.pandora.be/worldstandards/driving%20on%20the%20left.htm

lazs2 · « **Reply #1 on:** May 22, 2005, 09:21:21 AM »

I really hate shifting with my left hand.

Do you think that because most U.S. cavalrymen wore their sidearms cross draw is why we drive on the correct side of the road?

did we whup the brits because they were still thinking sword era?

How much does it cost the uk to continue with this madness? Allmost every Healey built was built with the steering on the correct side.

lazs

Hangtime · « **Reply #2 on:** May 22, 2005, 11:27:22 AM »

Quote

“Visitors are informed that in the United Kingdom traffic drives on the left-hand side of the road. In the interests of safety, you are advised to practise this in your country of origin for a week or two before driving in the UK.”

I think I'll hop on the expressway for some sunday morning UK driving practice.

Monk · « **Reply #3 on:** May 22, 2005, 12:01:09 PM »

Are the shifting pattern and pedals also changed on a wrong sided car?

beet1e · « **Reply #4 on:** May 22, 2005, 12:59:39 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Monk
Are the shifting pattern and pedals also changed on a wrong sided car?

No.

Nilsen · « **Reply #5 on:** May 22, 2005, 01:08:21 PM »

I dont like to offend anyone so i always drive in the middle unless im drunk.. then i use both sides.

I drive liberal style!

beet1e · « **Reply #6 on:** May 22, 2005, 01:46:52 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Monk
Are the shifting pattern and pedals also changed on a wrong sided car?

But the windscreen wipers are normally arranged to park the other way and are positioned differently so as to give the driver's side the best sweep. However SOME car makers in the past could not be arsed to make this mod. Porsche was one. Even the 1960s/70s Austin/Morris 1100/1300 had the wipers on the wrong way, leading to a huge unswept area on the driver's side.

Holden McGroin · « **Reply #7 on:** May 23, 2005, 01:12:24 AM »

I'd rather we drove on the left, steering wheel on the right in America. It makes it a lot easier to lean out the window and squeeze off a few at the guy who just cut you off. Unless your left handed.

Monk · « **Reply #8 on:** May 23, 2005, 01:28:51 AM »

Thank you.

rpm · « **Reply #9 on:** May 23, 2005, 01:33:34 AM »

I used to drive 100 ton Euclid haul trucks in a quarry. We had to drive on the left with right hand drive for safety in case of a collission and so we could see the edge of the cliff better. It was quite an unsettling experience until you got used to it.

lazs2 · « **Reply #10 on:** May 23, 2005, 09:18:04 AM »

when I drove in england it was a mess... I didn't really understand the signage and the streets/roads/highways are freeking NARROW.. they have a 4" shoulder on the roads instead of a 10 foot one and it rains constantly and after the 4" shoulder is a usually a stone wall put up to fend off vikings or some such..

Shifting with my left and going into the merry go round called a "roundabout" while trying to read the quaint little signs.... I tried to pick a gear to stay in so that I could concentrate on all the other crap.

Their roads explain the no muscle car thing but their weather sure makes a mockery of their weather sealing in their old roadsters.

lazs

beet1e · « **Reply #11 on:** May 23, 2005, 10:31:37 AM »

LOL Lazs! ^

rpm · « **Reply #12 on:** May 23, 2005, 10:32:24 AM »

LOL, try taking an 18-wheeler off the interstate anywhere in New England, Ohio or Pennsylvania. The roads were made for horse and buggy and just paved over in the last 50 years. Most of them barely have 8 foot lanes and none of them have any shoulder at all.

Nashwan · « **Reply #13 on:** May 23, 2005, 11:11:38 AM »

Quote

Shifting with my left and going into the merry go round called a "roundabout" while trying to read the quaint little signs.... I tried to pick a gear to stay in so that I could concentrate on all the other crap.

Lazs, even our women can manage roundabouts and gears and signs at the same time.

beet1e · « **Reply #14 on:** May 23, 2005, 11:25:05 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by lazs2
Their roads explain the no muscle car thing but their weather sure makes a mockery of their weather sealing in their old roadsters.

I always wondered why there were muscle cars in the US, as there was a nationwide speed limit of 55mph when I was there in the early 80s. Most of the cars I saw had speedometers calibrated to only 85mph.

The straight roads and easymode turning went a long way to explain the dead steering/sloppy suspension I found on most of the cars I drove there.