Ireland driving on the "wrong side of the road"

Cool_CM

Cassidy wants driving on other side

Irish motorists should drive on the other side of the road to facilitate immigrants and tourists, Seanad leader Donie Cassidy said today.

The Fianna Fail senator and hotelier made his comments during a debate on road safety in the upper chamber in Leinster House. He also called for a lower speed limit of 80kmh to apply to immigrants and tourists who are unfamiliar with Irish roads.

"Maybe in time we should have a look here in Ireland at the possibility of changing and driving on the other side of the road," he said.

"From a tourist point of view our biggest destinations are Europe and the US and they all drive on the right side of the road. "So there are a lot of good reasons."

The former TD from Co Westmeath also said that cars of ten to 15-years-old bought at auctions should not be allowed on the roads network.

He said: "Right throughout the country, we see immigrants availing of these cars, the same as Irish emigrants did in England and America in the 1950s and 1960s when they were trying to get a start in life.

"I think that there should be a 50mph \[80kmh] speed limit put on anyone coming from another country that is going to use our roads, particularly from destinations where they are driving on the opposite side of the road."

Senator Cassidy (63) called on the Road Safety Authority chairman Gay Byrne to carry out research on the issue. A day-long debate in the Seanad could also be allowed to discuss the matter, he added.

Senator Cassidy, who claims links with the family of former US President Bill Clinton, yesterday told the Seanad that he didn't believe Republican candidate John McCain was too old at 71 for to enter the White House.

© 2008 ireland.com

Obviously he hasnt thought about the fact that there are 2 countries on this island, one not governed from Dublin and that this clearly wouldn't work.
Aside from that good idea, bad idea?

Tragedy

Good I reckon, many more places to import cars from, more models available and be in line with the rest of europe(excepting UK)

Tis about time, lets be honest

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

there are alot more people in Ireland who are used to driving on the left side than there are tourists who are used to driving on the right.

without being too abrupt, **** them.

Jimbo

Hmmmm, a hotelier tring to facilitate tourists. Maybe a conflict of interests?

micmclo wrote: »

It'd cost hundred of millions to reengineer all the roads :eek:
Think about , every off-ramp on a motorway would have to be rebuilt.

I suppose we could all just drive backwards on the right hand side

AckwelFoley

I went with the "f*ck no" option

Pherekydes

It's a good job breathing is involuntary.

Lazare

We should probably phase it in, maybe trucks and buses first, then if it works, cars a few months later.

AckwelFoley

Lazare wrote: »

We should probably phase it in, maybe trucks and buses first, then if it works, cars a few months later.

Ha ha! great answer!

Lirange

We'll switch to driving the other side when America switches to the Metric System (i.e. never).

Anyone that believes the many should be inconvenienced for the few needs to get off the Amy Whinehoose crank.

WindSock

Mc MordÜff with fries wrote: »

there are alot more people in Ireland who are used to driving on the left side than there are tourists who are used to driving on the right.

without being too abrupt, **** them.

My thoughts exactly when I heard the bloke talking on the radio. He sounds like he doesn't think things through much.

Toots

This is a terrible idea!! Imagine the carnage for the first few months of trying to phase it in, people forgetting and coming off roundabouts in the wrong lane etc! In theory it might sound good, in practice it'd be just awful! Just awful!

Rb

The Fianna Fail senator

Surprise surprise, yet another retarded idea by a member of Fianna Fail. Lets just hope this 63 year olds life ends quick enough to stop him wasting any more of the tax payers money.

TerrorFirmer

rb_ie wrote: »

Lets just hope this 63 year olds life ends quick enough to stop him wasting any more of the tax payers money.

Indeed

Mr. Presentable

You'd be surprised how many countries drive on the left

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

There was a fatal crash near Athlone over the weekend caused by a car being driven by eastern europeans on the "wrong" side of the road. Any changeover will make such an incident a common occurrance till everyone gets used to it (or dies).

Jimbo

I think everyone else should change to the left hand side.

nipplenuts

nipplenuts wrote: »

You'd be surprised how many countries drive on the left

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

Blame Napoleon (& henry Ford) for tha large number of countries driving on the right. In the 1930's many European countries drove on the left, America started on the Left as well, changed about 1910.

Oman

i say stick with the japanese and stay to the left, they might just give ireland free ipods if we stick with them

Holsten

It will never happen.

RHD 4tw.

masseyno9

Oman wrote: »

i say stick with the japanese and stay to the left, they might just give ireland free ipods if we stick with them

Aren't ipods made in california??

Aside from that, what's wrong with the way things are now, there's no major glaring deficiency in the system as it is so....if it ain't broke, don't fix it!

Oman

wait a minute

List of right-driving countries


115. Oman

its a clear indication that we need to move with the times and switch to the right side of the road

Hydroquinone

Imagine the cost of turning all the roadsigns round and redoing all the paint markings on the roads at junctions and having to remodel all the roundabout and slip road parts and rejigging all the ticketing booths at carpark entry and exits and toll booths and having to pay every vehicle owner to get his steering wheel and pedals put on the other side.

I suppose a fifteen percent hike in taxes might cover it.

I note the boyo who suggested it is a former TD. Good job he's not looking to be elected as a TD with notions like that.

5starpool

I heard him on the last word earlier, and felt he was embarrassing himself with his half assed arguments tbh.

dsmythy

I'd never heard of this Cassidy chap before. However now that i do know him he's going into my nutjob book.

Mr. Presentable

I think left and right should reach compromise. We'll all drive in the middle!

Oh, wait, women have been doing that for ever

Onikage

He's clearly avoiding the more pressing issues of the day. You won't see him calling for a ban on wearing a wig while driving.

fricatus

If the left-hand-side is good enough for Japan, then it's good enough for Ireland. Ganbatte Nihon!!!

Dave!

Are there benefits either way?

ztoical

so what would we do at the border with that lot up North? Being part of the UK they'd stay on the left so you'd drive up on right then cross over to the left? That wouldn't get confusing at all.

I drove from greece back to ireland with my dad in a right hand drive car I honestly can say I noticed no difference, have also rented cars in the states and driven from new york to DC and didn't have any issues driving on the right so I don't think its really that big a deal for tourists coming here having to drive on the left.

The Real B-man

We are a island nation why should we bother changing? i think changing to Kph was also as waste of time and money.

ziggy

This post has been deleted.

the_syco

The day this happens, is the day I buy a truck.

WindSock

DaveMcG wrote: »

Are there benefits either way?

It was initially so people wouldn't clash swords on horseback. Bring back swords and horses I say. Then we'll see who will be in the right hand lane. Except maybe lefties.

TJJP

there’ll be wigs on the green......

colm_c

Deleted User wrote: »

There was a fatal crash near Athlone over the weekend caused by a car being driven by eastern europeans on the "wrong" side of the road.

It think the main issue with immigrants driving over here is that they bring the cars with them from their own country - right hand drive - which makes it much more difficult to drive in a left hand driving country - mirrors, observation etc. are all wrong - which can lead to accidents.

Also the fact that some keep the cars for a few years over here without paying any tax or insurance, while the good citizens are getting ***ked for both.

There should be a ban on driving right hand drive cars in Ireland.

gcgirl

colm_c wrote: »

It think the main issue with immigrants driving over here is that they bring the cars with them from their own country - right hand drive - which makes it much more difficult to drive in a left hand driving country - mirrors, observation etc. are all wrong - which can lead to accidents.

Also the fact that some keep the cars for a few years over here without paying any tax or insurance, while the good citizens are getting ***ked for both.

There should be a ban on driving right hand drive cars in Ireland.

you mean left hand drive cars?

colm_c

gcgirl wrote: »

you mean left hand drive cars?

Doh!

stepbar

For a stupid fcuker he's fairly loaded. Just goes to show...... :rolleyes: A retarded idea. If anything, it would create more accidents.

This would be a nightmare. They can't implement something which has such a serious risk of death or injury, our road carnage is bad enough as it is. But personally I don't see why we should bend over backwards to accomodate people coming into the country, we do things our way and you do them yours. If we tried to do things our way in some countries we'd literally be killed!

I took some photos around Dublin one evening and sent them by e-mail to a friend in the US, one of the first things she noticed was the traffic on the "wrong side."

minidazzler

Oman wrote: »

i say stick with the japanese and stay to the left, they might just give ireland free ipods if we stick with them

Ipods are made by Apple! They are American.

Harpy

This is the worst idea ever roads deaths would go way compared to they are now... getting everyone to change what side we drove on would be disastrous and also would they have to change like some of dual carraige ways asweel seen as off ramps would be on the wrong side.

Blisterman

Wouldn't the on ramps just become the off ramps and vice versa?

Maybe I haven't thought this through enough, but would the actual road layouts need to change at all?

There have been plenty of examples in the past by the way, of countries changing which side of the road they drive on. Personally I think it's a good idea in the long term, but we should wait until the UK changes too.

ztoical

Blisterman wrote: »

Maybe I haven't thought this through enough, but would the actual road layouts need to change at all?

All the road signs and road markings would need to be reversed and unless they hired an army to do it all in one hour they'd have to put roads signs up for both directions while changing over. Its not like swtiching to Kilometers from miles were the odd sign not changed won't make a massive difference but miss one sign for this and you'd have an accident waiting to happen.

I don't see why we should bother as already stated we are an island nation with only one land border to worry about and them up north drive on the left to. Anyone coming here would have to get the boat or fly and the signs at the airport and ferry are pretty clear what side you should be on.

Mr. Presentable

ztoical wrote: »

All the road signs and road markings would need to be reversed and unless they hired an army to do it all in one hour they'd have to put roads signs up for both directions while changing over. Its not like swtiching to Kilometers from miles were the odd sign not changed won't make a massive difference but miss one sign for this and you'd have an accident waiting to happen.

It was done successfully and without serious accidents in Sweden. The signs would be installed and left covered until the changeover. In any case they'd be facing away from you until then!

Mr. Presentable

Blisterman wrote: »

Personally I think it's a good idea in the long term, but we should wait until the UK changes too.

If we waited for the UK for everything we'd never do anything. Fcuk the UK, we are an independent country and the North would just change to suit us (as with Gibraltar, for example, and Spain).

BKtje

Don't see the point. I come from a country where they drive on the "wrong" side but its amazing how quickly you adjust (if you concentrate). I don't see the point really (this is for the foreigners who need to drive on the "wrong" side here).

Apart from the cost tot he taxpayer, what about the cost of having to change all the cars to left hand drive.

pd101

NO!:mad: Let everyone else change. You would have to have everything changed like junctions, signs, roadmarkings etc, and we'd have to get used to driving left hand drive's. Every one would be crashing.

Saint_Mel

For the restrictions on foreigners ... does he expect the Gardai to stop
everyone going over 80kmph and ask them where they are from!!!!

kevmy

nipplenuts wrote: »

It was done successfully and without serious accidents in Sweden. The signs would be installed and left covered until the changeover. In any case they'd be facing away from you until then!

Ever been to Sweden. Theres about 1500 cars in the whole country and everybody obeys the rules. Do this in Ireland with a car dependent population, an element of roguery and an incompetent government and you get carnage.

Also there is no advantage in changing. If someone gives me a better reason that helping tourists drive on the 'wrong' side of the road I'll will write to my TD and get fully behind the idea

Archeron

Saint_Mel wrote: »

For the restrictions on foreigners ... does he expect the Gardai to stop
everyone going over 80kmph and ask them where they are from!!!!

All foreigners will be given orange jumpsuits at the airports and seaports, and be legally obliged to wear them at all times.

projectmayhem

kevmy wrote: »

Also there is no advantage in changing. If someone gives me a better reason that helping tourists drive on the 'wrong' side of the road I'll will write to my TD and get fully behind the idea

yeah i'd be of the same opinion.

it is a nice idea to go to the other side of the road (it would probably open us up to more cars and imports etc.) but right now there isn't really a viable argument to do it. there's no point in spending so much money that'll cause a lot of arguments and accidents for the sake of eastern europeans and tourists.

in fact it's probably more of an adventure for tourists. i know it is for me visiting the states/europe.

plus, does it not add a bit of charm to us? we're one of the few nations in the world that drive on the left.