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DRIVING ON THE LEFT.

  • 18-01-2013 8:53pm
    #1
    Irishgoatman
    Registered Users Posts: 1,741 ✭✭✭


    Found this piece in the Mayo/Galway advertiser.

    Haven't had a chance to check out the authors facts but it makes interesting reading!!.


Comments

  • #2
    WildWater
    Registered Users Posts: 714 ✭✭✭WildWater


    Interesting, I remember reading a book on Risk by John Adams a few years ago.

    He cited the example of Sweden changing sides. Before the changeover there was widespread media speculation over in impending carnage. But in fact the dead rate on the roads dropped dramatically in the month (September) of the changeover. This of couse was because drivers 'over compensated' for the new higher risk environment and were driving slower and more carefully after the changeover. Unfortunately, they soon got used to the new side and by November got back up to their 'normal' fatality levels.


  • #3
    Irishgoatman
    Registered Users Posts: 1,741 ✭✭✭Irishgoatman


    But at least we'll never change over. With instructions to travel on the left being a papal decree and Ireland being a good Catholic country we have no option.:rolleyes:


  • #4
    camper guy
    Registered Users Posts: 111 ✭✭camper guy


    Irishgoatman wrote: »
    But at least we'll never change over. With instructions to travel on the left being a papal decree and Ireland being a good Catholic country we have no option.:rolleyes:

    Agree with Irishgoatman, and to boot we dont want to be buying those
    cheap left hand drive cars and vans.

    We like paying true the nose for everything.

    The great whipping boys of europe that we are :mad:.


  • #5
    CelticRambler
    Registered Users Posts: 6,694 ✭✭✭CelticRambler


    Changeover doesn't have to be a big deal - just go for a phased introduction. Pedestrians and cyclists first (plenty of them are already well-used to travelling on the "wrong" side), then buses and HGVs seeing as a lot of these drivers have loads of experience of continental driving, with domestic and small professional vehicle drivers changing when they buy a new car. As for changing the road signs, sure who looks at them anyway?


  • #6
    Irishgoatman
    Registered Users Posts: 1,741 ✭✭✭Irishgoatman


    CelticRambler wrote: »
    Changeover doesn't have to be a big deal - just go for a phased introduction. Pedestrians and cyclists first (plenty of them are already well-used to travelling on the "wrong" side), then buses and HGVs seeing as a lot of these drivers have loads of experience of continental driving, with domestic and small professional vehicle drivers changing when they buy a new car. As for changing the road signs, sure who looks at them anyway?

    I agree that this is the way to go.
    Start the phased in at, let's say Sat night/Sun morning around 1am when there's very few people out and about and the gards have very little to do at that time of the night so they'll be free to help and advise drivers.

    I would suggest tho that it would be a good idea to start with the buses.
    With the doors on the buses now opening into the road the few people around at that time of the night, in Dublin or Galway for example, will have a chance to learn that they have to go into the road to board the bus and not just to walk on the road beacause pavements are boring.


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  • #7
    Irishgoatman
    Registered Users Posts: 1,741 ✭✭✭Irishgoatman


    I meant to add to the above that Taxis, Hackneys, Hire cars and the like should be left to the last as most of them are not really bothered which side of the road they drive on anyway so they are less likely to get confused during the actual phasing in period.


  • #8
    odds_on
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,869 ✭✭✭odds_on


    CelticRambler wrote: »
    Changeover doesn't have to be a big deal - just go for a phased introduction. Pedestrians and cyclists first (plenty of them are already well-used to travelling on the "wrong" side), then buses and HGVs seeing as a lot of these drivers have loads of experience of continental driving, with domestic and small professional vehicle drivers changing when they buy a new car. As for changing the road signs, sure who looks at them anyway?
    From memory, when Sweden changed over, they had a 24 hour ban on travel by road except for emergency vehicles and those involved in changing the signs around. What also helped the matter, was that many drivers also had LHD cars.


  • #9
    Del2005
    Registered Users Posts: 18,855 ✭✭✭✭Del2005


    camper guy wrote: »
    Agree with Irishgoatman, and to boot we dont want to be buying those
    cheap left hand drive cars and vans.

    We like paying true the nose for everything.

    The great whipping boys of europe that we are :mad:.

    We have some of the cheapest vehicles in the EU, it's our glorious leaders who make the price high with VAT and VRT. So even if we had LHD vehicles they'd still be amongst the most expensive in the EU.


  • #10
    spaceHopper
    Registered Users Posts: 3,961 ✭✭✭spaceHopper


    What about odd even plates every other day for the first few weeks, would boost motor sales as well


  • #11
    CelticRambler
    Registered Users Posts: 6,694 ✭✭✭CelticRambler


    24 hour stoppage? Ah no, think of the damage to the country's economy if no-one was able to drive for a day. :eek: No, the best you could hope for would be maybe to time it for when the clocks go forward. In fact, might as well put them forward by two hours then and have continental time to match the roads.

    In any case, these days you'd have to run a pilot project first. What would be best - introduce the changes in three or four "corner" counties like Wexford, Kerry and Donegal? Or somewhere like Kildare that half of Dublin drives through every weekend?


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  • #12
    camper guy
    Registered Users Posts: 111 ✭✭camper guy


    Del2005 wrote: »
    We have some of the cheapest vehicles in the EU, it's our glorious leaders who make the price high with VAT and VRT. So even if we had LHD vehicles they'd still be amongst the most expensive in the EU.

    All hail our Glorious leaders .Our Bankers, solicitors, and golden hand shake boys and when they mess it all up again who will pick up the tab? Joe public.:eek:


  • #13
    Irishgoatman
    Registered Users Posts: 1,741 ✭✭✭Irishgoatman


    CelticRambler wrote: »
    24 hour stoppage? Ah no, think of the damage to the country's economy if no-one was able to drive for a day. :eek: No, the best you could hope for would be maybe to time it for when the clocks go forward. In fact, might as well put them forward by two hours then and have continental time to match the roads.

    In any case, these days you'd have to run a pilot project first. What would be best - introduce the changes in three or four "corner" counties like Wexford, Kerry and Donegal? Or somewhere like Kildare that half of Dublin drives through every weekend?

    Although I didn't expect it to happen, this has turned into a fun thread.

    Ramblers idea might seem crazy at first glance until you go on line and see how other countries that border each other, with different sides of the road to drive on, handle the problem. It works well with either a "Fly-over" to switch traffic or traffic lights that when your lights go green you cross and switch at the same time.


  • #14
    iverjohnston
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,242 ✭✭✭iverjohnston


    From Wikipedia
    Sweden had left-hand traffic (Vänstertrafik in Swedish) from approximately 1736 and continued to do so until 1967. Despite this virtually all cars in Sweden were actually left-hand drive and the neighbouring Nordic countries already drove on the right, leading to mistakes by visitors. The Swedish voters rejected a change to driving on the right in a referendum held in 1955.
    Nevertheless, in 1963 the Riksdag passed legislation ordering the switch to right-hand traffic. The changeover took place on a Sunday morning at 5am on September 3, 1967, which was known in Swedish as Dagen H (H-Day), the 'H' standing for Högertrafik or right-hand traffic.
    Since Swedish cars were left-hand drive, experts had suggested that changing to driving on the right would reduce accidents, because drivers would have a better view of the road ahead. Indeed, fatal car-to-car and car-to-pedestrian accidents did drop sharply as a result. This was likely due to drivers initially being more careful and because of the initially very low speed limits, since accident rates soon returned to nearly the same as earlier


    I remember reading an article on the swedish changeover. It was decided by Government that if the change over did not take place in 1967, the rapidly expanding national car fleet would soon render it impossible to achieve. Also sweden had for years constructed their slip roads, roundabouts and motorways in such a manner to allow right side travel. Some of our own newest roads would hardly allow this!
    Mack in Cavan


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