Glad I don't live there.......

[Stempy]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-p ... 240992.stm

[CitroJim]

That'll be fun

I hear Lorries are changing sides today and cars tomorrow...

[Paul-R]

I seem to recall that originally everywhere in Europe that had wheeled transport drove on the left dating back to Roman times.

This was because the majority or people were right-handed and they held their reins there with their whips in their left hands. Driving on the left thus reduced the chance of charioteers whipping (literally!) someone else's eye out.

So why does most of Europe now drive on the right? This dates back to Napoleon who decided that he wanted to change things for change's sake just to show how powerful he was.

I've driven both right and left hand drive cars over the years and I prefer RHD simply because of the gate pattern on manual gearboxes. It's far easier to snick the box into fourth and fifth when the lever is nearer to you.

Perhaps this the start of the chageover to world-wide driving on the left? We can but dreram...

[Sid_the_Squid]

It can be done, Sweden changed from driving on the left to driving on the right over night, which actually caused a decrease in the number of traffic accidents the next day.
But that is the swedes, very organised bunch.

[andmcit]

actually caused a decrease in the number of traffic accidents the next day.

Could that not just be due to the fact that everyone had to snap out of
automatic pilot for that day and actually think carefully about what they
were doing though? I bet a week later the figures were the same again
as everyone got complacent again!

That'll be fun

I hear Lorries are changing sides today and cars tomorrow...

Very good Jim!

Andrew

[addo]

It's really silly; they simply don't have the funds to p*** up against the wall like that. Would be easier to allow RHD cars, keep the original road rules and make it caveat emptor.

[Paul-R]

It can be done, Sweden changed from driving on the left to driving on the right over night, which actually caused a decrease in the number of traffic accidents the next day.

That's right but IIRC the difference was that the Swedes already drove LHD cars so it was just a case of regularising matters.

Why they had LHD cars and drove on the left I have no idea!

[JohnD]

[quote="Paul-R"] This dates back to Napoleon who decided that he wanted to change things for change's sake just to show how powerful he was.
quote]

Not only did he change sides, he changed from miles to kiloms.

[myglaren]

It can be done, Sweden changed from driving on the left to driving on the right over night, which actually caused a decrease in the number of traffic accidents the next day.

That's right but IIRC the difference was that the Swedes already drove LHD cars so it was just a case of regularising matters.

Why they had LHD cars and drove on the left I have no idea!

I was there on holiday the week before they changed and almost everyone was worried that it would be carnage.
As said though it was very well organised and happened very early in the morning when most people were sleeping. IIRC they did it on a weekend too.
Anyone who could left there cars at home for the first couple of weeks so traffic density was radically reduced, not that there was much to start with.

Don't recall how they solved the problem of the bus doors but as you say the majority of vehicles are/were LHD to start with. Probably because lots of cars there were imported German or American. Or perhaps there were a lot of German and American cars because they drove on the right to start with, who knows?

[Xaccers]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-p ... 240992.stm

Now if only Europe and some other countries would do the same


The reasoning behind the change in Samoa is pretty sensible, they're closer to the Australian and Japanese car manufacturers, meaning cheaper and greener cars, rather than the current big american gas guzzlers they have.

[Stempy]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-p ... 240992.stm

Now if only Europe and some other countries would do the same


The reasoning behind the change in Samoa is pretty sensible, they're closer to the Australian and Japanese car manufacturers, meaning cheaper and greener cars, rather than the current big american gas guzzlers they have.

You mean gas guzzlers like Activas and V6's

[Xaccers]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-p ... 240992.stm

Now if only Europe and some other countries would do the same


The reasoning behind the change in Samoa is pretty sensible, they're closer to the Australian and Japanese car manufacturers, meaning cheaper and greener cars, rather than the current big american gas guzzlers they have.

You mean gas guzzlers like Activas and V6's

In the US, Activas and V6's are considered economical

It's also safer to drive on the left.

[falling-out-with-my-car]

the answer to having the bus doors on the wrong side is to drop people off at traffic islands in the centre of the road, protected by concrete posts/barriers. They might call them roundabouts....

regards Nigel.

[addo]

The trams in Melbourne deal with similar issues all the time (dropping commuters in the middle of the frog).

[marlon]

Well they still drive on the left in Thailand and its nearly all Jap cars there .