Right or left driving?

WooPeeA

Most of the world drives on the right side of the road. Usually left driving countries are former British colonies, like Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, some part of Africa etc..

What would you say if you were voting on "Do you want Ireland to be right driving country"?

Have you ever had any difficulties with driving on the right side during travels or something?


Map of left driving countries (blue color):
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ec/Sens_de_circulation.png

Overheal

When you say "Most of the world", Ireland is one of two countries on the planet to have L-Hand driving.

edit: okay so its more like 75. But STILL. It makes you weird o_o

nocal

Have any countries changed from left side to right side in recent history?

Photi

nocal wrote: »

Have any countries changed from left side to right side in recent history?

I think Sweden changed during the sixties. There were a few headaches at the beginning but it changed over relatively painlessly.

Random

Let's spend the money on something else, howz about that?

johnnyskeleton

nocal wrote: »

Have any countries changed from left side to right side in recent history?

Sweeden, and I think Australia changed from right to left.

At the end of the day, it's all about where your cars come from, and Japanese cars are better than American ones, so unless the entire world changes, I'm happy to stay left.

af_thefragile

Photi wrote: »

I think Sweden changed during the sixties. There were a few headaches at the beginning but it changed over realtively painlessly.

But thats Sweden.
Imagine what would it be like if Ireland was to change! The chaos, the people bitching bout it...

I don't mind the left-hand driving system...
Though i'ld say the right one would be more convenient if you were to like go on a road trip across europe or something...

Captain Slow IRL

I wanna drive on the right.

Nuff said!

Tipsy Mac

Most people are right handed, I'd imagine holding the wheel with your right hand is safer than left

WooPeeA

nocal wrote: »

Have any countries changed from left side to right side in recent history?

Yes.

Czechoslovakia, Austria and Hungary changed the rules into right driving system in the lat 30s. Canada was left driving country till changes in 1920's.

China in 1946. Sweden in 1967. Island in 1968. Burma and Nigeria in 1970's..

GrumPy

Driving on the right sounds like a better idea to me anyway.
Would make traveling/possibly living abroad less daunting.

Standardisms are often usful.

It is a word

Cool_CM

If Donie Cassidy says it, it must be true
http://blah.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055232833
It would also make for cheaper cars too, but by the time it happens fuel will be so expensive that it wont matter anymore!
Interesting map on wikipedia about it too:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/32/Countries_driving_on_the_left_or_right.svg

nocal

I just can not see it happening here .

Probably safer if we stay the way we are.

WooPeeA

WooPeeA wrote: »

Yes.

Czechoslovakia, Austria and Hungary changed the rules into right driving system in the lat 30s. Canada was left driving country till changes in 1920's.

China in 1946. Sweden in 1967. Island in 1968. Burma and Nigeria in 1970's..

Also Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Brazil, Chile, Italy, the Philippines, Gambia, Ghana, Sierra Leone, and the United States.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Yeah, go on. I can imagine the red cow roundabout at 8am on the Monday morning after the chagne.

WooPeeA

Interesting text from wiki about changes in Sweden:

Since Swedish cars were LHD, experts had suggested that changing to driving on the right would be safer, because drivers would have a better view of the road ahead.

Indeed, fatal car-to-car and car-to-pedestrian accidents dropped sharply as a result, mostly because people initially drove more slowly and more carefully. However, the accident rate rose back to its original position within two years.

First hours of changes: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Sweden1967.jpg

Captain Slow IRL

WooPeeA wrote: »

Interesting text from wiki about changes in Sweden:

So alternate every 2 years?!

Holsten

Driving on the left is fine, to change would be totally pointless and stupid really.

There is no need whatsoever to do it.

Daftendirekt

I'd agree with Holsten. I think it's completely unnecessary. It might make people more comfortable with driving in other countries, but that's hardly a good reason. Imagine the chaos it'd cause over here!

nocal

WooPeeA wrote: »

Interesting text from wiki about changes in Sweden:



First hours of changes: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Sweden1967.jpg

That picture is hilarious - Dublin would come to a standstill if the change was implemented here.

The reason that I asked the original question was because I would seriously wonder how it could be achieved with greater volumes of cars on the roads.

If it meant cars became significantly cheaper then I would be all for it, but can you honestly see any Irish government not increasing the VRT at the same time???

Black Swan

WooPeeA wrote: »

Have you ever had any difficulties with driving on the right side during travels or something?

Indeed! Especially when the car is configured for right driving instead of left.

robinph

I think it's all Napoleons fault.

Did see something previously about which side of the road they used to drive their horse and cart's on, and there was something about it actually making more sense to drive on the left. Then Napoleon came along and decided he didn't want to be doing the same as the Bristch so got half of Europe to switch to the right.

All motorbikes are left hand drive, well in that you get off them and put them on their stand to the left and doing that into the traffic is probably not the best idea.

dsmythy

Yeah these countries all changed over at the latest in the seventies. There's a hell of a lot more cars on the roads these days. No brainer, keep it how it is.

Think of Northern Ireland sure!

nocal

dsmythy wrote: »

Yeah these countries all changed over at the latest in the seventies. There's a hell of a lot more cars on the roads these days. No brainer, keep it how it is.

Think of Northern Ireland sure!

now that would be hilarious - I can just see the signs

"Welcome to Northern Ireland. Please put your watch back 600 years and by the way...YOU ARE ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE ROAD!"

RobertFoster

No point. We're an island, it's not as if we border with a rhs country and there's hassle crossing over.

conzy

random wrote: »

Let's spend the money on something else, howz about that?

But think of the savings you would make on cars if they didnt have to make lefty version for us stubborn bastards

WooPeeA

What if UK decided to move into right driving system??

WooPeeA

conzymaher wrote: »

But think of the savings you would make on cars if they didnt have to make lefty version for us stubborn bastards

Yup.. Another long term benefit would be safety of foreign visitors in Ireland and Irish people themselves traveling and renting cars all over the world.

World is becoming more globalized so the problem will become bigger in the next decades.

dsmythy

WooPeeA wrote: »

Yup.. Another long term benefit would be safety of foreign visitors in Ireland and Irish people themselves traveling and renting cars all over the world.

World is becoming more globalized so the problem will become bigger in the next decades.

Price and existence of oil will put an end to that :pac:

Why doesn't the world change to left hand driving? There's more people living in countries than traveling between them at any one time. The UK changing to the "European" way of driving is as likely as them giving up their pound.

bigpinkelephant

RobertFoster wrote: »

No point. We're an island, it's not as if we border with a rhs country and there's hassle crossing over.

That crossed my mind when I looked at the map- what do other countries do when they border with a country that drives on the other side?

I REALLY don't think Ireland should change. There are still people talking in pounds instead of euro and even MORE that are still going by miles instead of kilometers

"I got caught speeding at 100 kilometers an hour, I was only doing 50 miles..."

Lirange

People in Cavan already drive on the right.

Mossy Monk

WooPeeA wrote: »

What if UK decided to move into right driving system??

The UK and change?

LOL

vektarman

Japan is the only country to change from driving on the right to driving on the left side of the road.

forestfruits

why change? surely thats just a whole lot of hassle

slade_x

Captain Slow IRL wrote: »

I wanna drive on the right.

Nuff said!

Then whats stopping you, i dont remember seeing anything in the rules of the road that you have to drive on the left:rolleyes:

stevecrow74

doesnt bother me... i let the chauffeur do all the driving....:D:D














and by chauffeur, i mean all my friends who have cars :D:D:D:D:D;)

Xavi6

Change is good. Maybe we should phase it in gradually or do some sort of trial run. Try it with cars first then if that works we can then include trucks, buses etc.

stevecrow74

Xavi6 wrote: »

Change is good. Maybe we should phase it in gradually or do some sort of trial run. Try it with cars first then if that works we can then include trucks, buses etc.

WHAT.. have the cars drivin on the right and trucks and buses on the left.... i dont think the A&E services will be too happy with that :eek:

Xavi6

Can't believe you thought I was being serious.

anniehoo

How does the whole change work though? Is it decided " ok monday week everyone drives rhs alright?"...what happens if you havent listened to the news in a week or were on hols for a fortnight...what a mess! And..for the amount of times you may drive abroad (poss twice ever) what the hell is the point?

Red cow roundabout would be classic though...

Trial me thinks for a day...f*ck everyone up

Overheal

GrumPy wrote: »

Driving on the right sounds like a better idea to me anyway.
Would make traveling/possibly living abroad less daunting.

Standardisms are often usful.

It is a word

if I had my way everyone would drive on the right side of the road, use 240v outlets (its more efficient), the metric system and have roundabou- oh my god ive been converted :eek:

linn

when you're driving on the right side of the road and drive past a sign or a banner or something you have to read it backwards.

c - 13

I've driven on both left (Ireland) and Right (Bahrain), and to be honest I dont feel that theres a whole lot of difference between the two from a safety perspective.

There's no real reason to change other than to be in the majority of countries that drive on the right.

It would cost the country Millons to redo all the signs around the country, road marking would all have to be re-painted, RSA campaigns etc. Would be nightmarish for the first few months.

It may have dropped the road fatalaties in Sweden but I can see it increasing here if they make that change. Common sense dictates that when unsure, slow down and think a bit more about your driving. Unfortunately common sense and the Irish driver dont go hand in hand at the best of times.

Sherifu

c - 13 wrote: »

I've driven on both left (Ireland) and Right (Bahrain), and to be honest I dont feel that theres a whole lot of difference between the two from a safety perspective.

There's no real reason to change other than to be in the majority of countries that drive on the right.

I tend to agree. In any case if it were changed, we will adapt.

Sam Vimes

anniehoo wrote: »

How does the whole change work though? Is it decided " ok monday week everyone drives rhs alright?"...what happens if you havent listened to the news in a week or were on hols for a fortnight...what a mess!

Sweden had a 3 year national campaign to prepare everyone

biko

WooPeeA wrote: »

Interesting text from wiki about changes in Sweden:



First hours of changes: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Sweden1967.jpg

Another link http://www.volvoclub.org.uk/history/driving_on_right.shtml

Wibbs

As robinph pointed out it's napoleon's fault. Before him, armies, men on foot or horse, carts chariots all the way back to the Romans and beyond were like us and went on the left.

I've driven both and I prefer the steering wheel on the right. As most are right handed, it makes sense to keep the hand with more fine control on the steering wheel while changing gear. If you look at early Ferraris and a lot of the other sporty stuff, the race cars were right hand drive and the grand tourers were left hand drive.

Steve_o

Wibbs wrote: »

As robinph pointed out it's napoleon's fault. Before him, armies, men on foot or horse, carts chariots all the way back to the Romans and beyond were like us and went on the left.

I've driven both and I prefer the steering wheel on the right. As most are right handed, it makes sense to keep the hand with more fine control on the steering wheel while changing gear. If you look at early Ferraris and a lot of the other sporty stuff, the race cars were right hand drive and the grand tourers were left hand drive.

I agree, I drove a car in France once and found controlling the wheel with my left arm while shifting gears with my right was dodgy... Driving on the left ftw!

robinph

It's Frances fault

oneweb

So long as there's a transition period of six months where both sides of the road can be used so everyone can get used to the idea at their own pace, where's the problem??.

Alun

http://www.brianlucas.ca/roadside/

All you could ever want to know on the subject, and a lot more besides.