Should Ireland start driving on the right side of the road?

15-06-2025 02:45PM #1

Now since the UK has left the EU Ireland is paying a lot more for car imports. I thought it would be a good idea if we switched over to the right. There would be a lot more of a selection from America and Europe and it would probably save people money.

What do you think?

prawnsambo · 15-06-2025 02:51PM

No. What happens when you cross the border into NI?

thejuggler · 15-06-2025 02:55PM

Only if they phase it in gradually. Lorries and vans only for the first week…..

Nody · 15-06-2025 03:00PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123546268#Comment_123546268

The same as when you drive off the ferry from France?

To OP; the biggest problem is honestly mainly going to be purely physical. For example take any motorway exits; suddenly they are all pointing the wrong way and would need to be redone and be ready at the same time. Apply that simple example across the board for any and all infrastructure in Ireland which would be complained about as wasted money.

elperello · 15-06-2025 03:01PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058416540/should-ireland-start-driving-on-the-right-side-of-the-road

I'd like to see a full cost/benefit analysis before deciding.

As @prawnsambo points out NI would be a problem if they didn't change too.

horse7 · 15-06-2025 03:20PM

A lot of people are driving on the right side already.

SteM · 15-06-2025 03:25PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123546291#Comment_123546291

Obviously when you drive off the ferry into France there is a physical, very obvious, change. Where is that obvious change when driving into NI?

Montage of Feck · 15-06-2025 03:34PM

Id imagine the death toll would be horrific if this was ever tried. Any way drive on the same side of the as Japan, we should introduce a car tax model based on the more enlightened Japanese model that favour small economical cars.

blackvalley · 15-06-2025 03:41PM

So all Irish registered right hand drive cars would now be driving on the right ie the driver at the hand shoulder side instead of towards centre line of road

Jim_Hodge · 15-06-2025 03:45PM

The societal cost would be huge. Infrastructure changes and obsolete right hand drive cars alone would massively outweigh savings in purchasing left hand drive cars. Japanese cars would become more expensive. And who really wants American made cars?

Sam Russell · 15-06-2025 03:56PM

As newer cars are getting more automation, then the ability to swap driving side will get easier. If cars get closer to 'drive-by-wire', then the change over might be quite simple.

On the other hand, the cost of changing just the road signs and road markings will be absolutely huge. Just imagine the cost of swapping actual cars from RHD to LHD, either by new LHD being purchase, conversion. Now imagine the cost of all the road collisions.

This topic turns up as regularly as 3D tv. It ends just as quickly.

15-06-2025 03:56PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123546397#Comment_123546397

I'm assuming the Japanese cars are being manufactured and imported from the UK and not japan - I could be wrong.

PixelCrafter · 15-06-2025 03:59PM

If we were going to do that we're about 70 years late. You'd have had to complete the switch over long before the volume of cars and the intensity of infrastructure was in place.

Sweden did it, but they were already driving a lot of LHD cards at the time anyway and it was done in an era before the volume of traffic that's on the roads now.

Loads of junctions aren't symmetrical and you'd end up with a total mess of consequences, way behind the issues with borders.

User1998 · 15-06-2025 05:04PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123546424#Comment_123546424

Yes you are indeed wrong

prawnsambo · 15-06-2025 05:05PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123546291#Comment_123546291

There's a buffer zone there which is the ferry itself. You get on the ferry which is neutral and drive off on the other side of the road. You would need a similar buffer zone for every border crossing. And I'm struggling to even imagine what that would look like. Carnage comes to mind.

I'm surprised this is being taken seriously. It's a non-runner for so many reasons.

Nody · 15-06-2025 05:08PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123546600#Comment_123546600

And compared to 270 border crossings to every exit on Irish motorways, runabouts etc. it's difficult how exactly? The NI issue is a non issue by comparison to what would need to be done in Ireland in general with comparable minimal rebuild requirements.

paul71 · 15-06-2025 05:12PM

Rebuild every road junction, roundabout and motorway exit entrance in Ireland. On a timescale required to implement in one fell swoop. The cost would make the childrens hospital look like a cowshed, the death toll would run to several hundred, perhaps several thousand.

15-06-2025 05:13PM

Is there any RHD country that borders a LHD country?

prawnsambo · 15-06-2025 05:15PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123546606#Comment_123546606

Well that's what we were discussing since I brought it up as a difficulty and you suggested it wasn't. I can't think of an easy method of switching cars from one side to the other without considerable expense. Motorway on-ramps become off-ramps and vice versa. Roundabouts likewise, just change direction.

L1011 · 15-06-2025 05:19PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123546620#Comment_123546620

Quite a few

Usually sorted by a crossover bridge if the borders are heavily used, or just stop and slowly change sides if not.

whisky_galore · 15-06-2025 05:21PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123546620#Comment_123546620

Laos/Cambodia and Thailand

bazz26 · 15-06-2025 05:24PM

We have one of these threads every couple of months on here.

15-06-2025 06:01PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058416540/should-ireland-start-driving-on-the-right-side-of-the-road

Now since the UK has left the EU Ireland is paying a lot more for car imports.

By the time we got around to making all the changes to convert to LHD the UK would probably be back in the EU/Common Market/Customs Union.

Hamsterchops · 15-06-2025 06:14PM

Silly idea unless the UK does the same thing. Imagine changing sides at the border, surely we'd also have to buy LHD vehicles going forward.

Not impossible, but it would certainly drive another wedge between us and the rest of these islands.

LambshankRedemption · 15-06-2025 06:22PM

Can you imagine the chaos??

We'd need an education programme with TV ads, and pamphlets to every house for about 10 years and 12% of the population would still be unaware that the change was going to go ahead. On the night before the changeover, there would be a Prime Time Special reminding people that the change over was happening at midnight that night, and some people would get confused and think we were changing back again.

I think we should do it just for the comedic effect.

15-06-2025 06:54PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123546769#Comment_123546769

Well at the very least it would deprive the UK of 5.4 million potential customers.

The Helpful Engineer · 15-06-2025 07:00PM

Considering most Irish drivers can't use motorways properly, driving on the outside land when the inside is empty, I don't think it would be a good idea.

prawnsambo · 15-06-2025 07:06PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123546924#Comment_123546924

Maybe they'll end up in the inside lane by default?

15-06-2025 07:56PM

I've had a look at the Numbeo cost comparison site. If you bought your car in Europe you could potentially save up to 10 grand.

Volkswagen Golf 1.4

https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/country_price_rankings?itemId=25&displayCurrency=EUR

Toyota Corolla Sedan

https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/country_price_rankings?itemId=206&displayCurrency=EUR

CrowdedHouse · 15-06-2025 08:38PM

LHD is not going to vaporise high taxes on cars in Ireland

prawnsambo · 15-06-2025 08:46PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123547118#Comment_123547118

You'd have to live in Europe too. VRT not a thing there.

Should Ireland start driving on the right side of the road?

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