Ireland driving on the Right?

Wibbs

Meh RHD is IMHO the better layout. Unless you're of the left handed persuasion your most co ordinated hand is your right which should be doing the steering when changing gear. Gear changing takes far less finesse. Look at people driving LHD cars when they're cruising along they tend to have their right hand on the wheel and their left hand doing nada.

testicle

peasant wrote:

Every single motorway/dual carriageway on- and offramp would have to be re-engineered.

No they wouldn't. What was the off ramp, now becomes the on ramp and vice versa.

peasant

testicle wrote:

No they wouldn't. What was the off ramp, now becomes the on ramp and vice versa.

theoretically correct ...but when you take a closer look you will find that there are a lot of solutions out there that only work one way. Not necessecarily the bit directly on/off the motorway/dual carriagway but straight before or after.

peasant

Wibbs wrote:

Meh RHD is IMHO the better layout. Unless you're of the left handed persuasion your most co ordinated hand is your right which should be doing the steering when changing gear. Gear changing takes far less finesse. Look at people driving LHD cars when they're cruising along they tend to have their right hand on the wheel and their left hand doing nada.

I would disagree (I drive both). Being 150% right handed (my left is just there for balance, really) I find it much better to be able to use my more dextrous right as my "free" hand. Things like shifting gear, adjusting the radio, wiping the condensation off the windscreen, adjusting the heater, etc fall much easier to hand.

tabatha

drove for the first time in america recently and found it a doddle thanks to sat nav. cant imagine driving on the right though with roundabouts. at least in the us there arent any, so i have been told. why do we drive on the left does anyone know?

Fratton Fred

tabatha wrote:

why do we drive on the left does anyone know?

because you carry your sword in your right hand. Ride your horse on the left hand side of the highway and you can always defend yourself from someone coming the other direction.

what, you don't carry your sword in your right hand?:eek:

Max_Damage

G Luxel wrote:

Vladivostock in Siberia is home to thousands of RHD japanese imports even though it drives on the right.

About 90% of all cars in East Russia are RHD's Jap imports, even many police cars are Jap imports as well! (according to Wikipedia).

why do we drive on the left does anyone know?

Also becasue of the British Empire.

Wishbone Ash

Ah, the advantages of the tractor - Centre Hand Drive. :D (albeit with the gear selectors on the right nowadays)

Seth Brundle

Wishbone Ash wrote:

Ah, the advantages of the tractor - Centre Hand Drive. :D (albeit with the gear selectors on the right nowadays)

When I think of CHD I think of the Mclaren F1 - I wouldn't have thought of a tractor!

digweed

knowing our governement if they wanted to bring it in they'd want to do it on a phased basis. they'd probably start with hgv's first!!!

D.

Rovi

kbannon wrote:

When I think of CHD I think of the Mclaren F1 - I wouldn't have thought of a tractor!

Don't forget the (very) first Land-Rover!-

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centre_steer

Wishbone Ash

AFAIK, in the Mercedes Unimog the driving side can be alternated (or am I confusing it with something else?).


EDIT: according to wiki - "The newest unimog models can change their steering from left to right in less than one minute to permit operators to work on the most convenient side of the truck."

Nifty:D

Rovi

Wishbone Ash wrote:

AFAIK, in the Mercedes Unimog the driving side can be alternated (or am I confusing it with something else?).


EDIT: according to wiki - "The newest unimog models can change their steering from left to right in less than one minute to permit operators to work on the most convenient side of the truck."

Nifty:D

Check out the Claas Xerion-
http://www.claas.com/countries/generator/cl-pw/en/products/tr/xerion-trac/technik/kabine/start,lang=en_EU.html#44304

The entire cab can be rotated to wherever is most convenient :eek:

jimmycrackcorm

Wishbone Ash wrote:

Many owners do not have to pay registration tax:

Finance Act 1992

134.—(1) A vehicle may, subject to any conditions, restrictions or limitations prescribed by the Minister by regulations made by him under section 141 be registered without payment of vehicle registration tax if the vehicle is—


( b ) being brought permanently into the State as part of the capital goods and other equipment of a business undertaking which definitively ceases its activity outside the State and moves to the State in order to carry on a similar activity there,

So I register a business in the UK next week - buy a car there, trade for a week say and then close it down. Take car across here and register a company here for the same purpose. No registration tax and I have a unsucessful business doing virgin converting.

Wishbone Ash

jimmycrackcorm wrote:

I have a unsucessful business doing virgin converting.

You've lost me jimmy.

Wibbs

peasant wrote:

I would disagree (I drive both). Being 150% right handed (my left is just there for balance, really) I find it much better to be able to use my more dextrous right as my "free" hand. Things like shifting gear, adjusting the radio, wiping the condensation off the windscreen, adjusting the heater, etc fall much easier to hand.

I've driven both myself and I figure it might be better for the left hand to be reduced to doing the mundane things. I would prefer to use my more dextrous controlled hand for the more important things like steering and such. I'm sufficiently nimble with my left(ambidextrous kinda thing) to do the rest. Given that most are righteys it stands to reason that the hand doing the steering should be the more controlled hand than the one wiping the windows or tuning the radio. Maybe that's just me.

tabatha wrote:

why do we drive on the left does anyone know?

As Fratton Fred said your knights of old were right hand drive. Indeed the Roman and Egyptian chariot was too. Also when armies met each other on a road they would walk on the left for defence purposes. Basically you can lay some of the blame on Napoleon apparently. He didn't like the British way of doing things(which it technically wasn't) and moving traffic to the other side of the road was one way he had of getting back at them. Short arse Corsican git.:D

There was a time when pretty much all sports cars were right hand drive regardless of where they were meant to be driven. You can even tell early Ferraris sports models from their touring versions by the fact they're RHD. Now one explanation holds that European race tracks favoured the layout hence...

http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/pic.php?imagenum=1&carnum=532

http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/pic.php?imagenum=7&carnum=532

You will notice the wheel's on the proper side of the car...

RoundyMooney

kbannon wrote:

Didn't Jim McDaid try to change the side of the road we drive on?

Ha! Always a rebellious individual, our Jim. Given recent comments, FG would be the perfect place for him.

On a variation of Stekelly's point about bordering countries with different disciplines, I remember not doing my homework recently, and only realising as I crossed the border into Gibraltar from Spain that I was unsure of their rule. As I'm sure you all know, they drive on the same side as the Spaniards, but with UK style traffic lights and signage. A little surreal tbh.

Anyway, funny as it might sound, and those who have spent a hell of a lot longer doing it than me may differ, or otherwise, but I actually feel more comfortable driving European style. Maybe I'm Americanised or something.

maidhc

G Luxel wrote:

Sweden's cars were always left hand drive, even though they drove like us on the left.

This was also the position in Germany at some point. The idea was that the ditch side is where the action could be found, not in the middle of the road. It was only when cars became more popular that fallacy in this thinking was highlighted.

LHD is a far more sensible layout. In fact in Ireland and the UK we have the ergonomically bizarre layout whereby the indicators and gears are controlled by the same hand. Unless you have a Hyundai!

Another disadvantage of driving on the left is that most farm machinery is designed to be transported at the right. Therefore it often tends to stick out more into the middle of the road in Ireland, where as in Europe it would be facing into the ditch.

G Luxel

Rhd, Lhd, CHD? well that was a feature of a BMW concept car from the mid 90s. Concept cars features lots of things, sometimes no steering wheel at all.
Im sure that in the I930s there was a french Panhard Dynamic with Central hand drive as standard. Remember the ad in the UK for a bank, featuring the Mirov 2, the steering could change from left to right. Only in Japan could you find foreign cars like Mercedes and Bmw left hand drive. There was an advertisement this year for the Alfa I47. The advertisement was made in Japan, the car was left hand drive. Roughly three quarters of the foreign cars are Left hand drive. They are even more expensive than the right hand drive versions.

colm_mcm

maidhc wrote:

LHD is a far more sensible layout. In fact in Ireland and the UK we have the ergonomically bizarre layout whereby the indicators and gears are controlled by the same hand. Unless you have a Hyundai!

.

LHD Hyundais that I've seen have the indicators on the left hand side! bizzare!

Izuzu, Kia, and SsangYong also have "backwards indicators"

peasant

colm_mcm wrote:

LHD Hyundais that I've seen have the indicators on the left hand side! bizzare!

Izuzu, Kia, and SsangYong also have "backwards indicators"

What's bizarre about that?

All LHD cars have the indicator on the left. That's where it belongs ...nearest the hand that's always on the steering wheel.

My RHD Suzuki also has its indicator on the ergonomically correct side ...on the right !

And why is the ergonomically correct side? Because most maneuvres that involve indicating also usually demand a speed change which usually means a change of gear. So you should be able to indicate with the hand that is not busy changing gear.

It is just cheapskate RHD conversions of LHD designed dashboard layouts that have the indicator on the left, the wrong side ...just to save a few cent for different stalks.

colm_mcm

A lot of potential Hyundai customers are put off by the fact that the indicators are on the other side. If they already manufacture the part for LHD cars, and they listened to what customers want, they'd fit them the same as practically every other car - on the left. I haven't got a problem with it, I frequently drive Hyundais, but I know of a lot of people with 2 cars in a household who are frustrated with indicating when they wanted wipers and vice versa.

Wishbone Ash

colm_mcm wrote:

I know of a lot of people with 2 cars in a household who are frustrated with indicating when they wanted wipers and vice versa.

In my experience, from driving an array of vehicles, it comes naturally after a while. As soon as I sit in a vehicle my brain seems to select a 'stored memory' for that vehicle. (The only exception seem to be bikes - I have to concentrate for indicators, lights, dipping etc. )

peasant

All their "local" asian RHD customers probably prefer their indictors on the right side and you can't really blame Hyundai for saving a few cent by not listening to their UK/ IRL customers ...especially as to their minds that request must seem pretty silly anyway

maidhc

peasant wrote:

It is just cheapskate RHD conversions of LHD designed dashboard layouts that have the indicator on the left, the wrong side ...just to save a few cent for different stalks.

The worst of all are the manufacturers who don't respect their RHD customers enough to have the wipers park on the correct side. I am thinking the MK II Golf, and lots of various French cars.

johnnyrotten

Great fun at the border!!

ninty9er

For those referencing Wikipedia...please don't.....if the general quality of information on it is rejected by the 7 universities in the state(at least) it tells you something.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
On the topic of the indicators, gear lever side is correct as a) you indicate leaving appropriate time for others to react b) you don't chan ge gear on bends or corners

Rovi

ninty9er wrote:

For those referencing Wikipedia...please don't.....if the general quality of information on it is rejected by the 7 universities in the state(at least) it tells you something.

I'm assuming this was aimed at me (http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=52330396&postcount=62)?
My apologies, I didn't realise that this was going for peer review at seven universities.

Here are a couple of references to the Land-Rover centre steer prototype that don't contain the eeevil 'wiki' word-
http://www.geocities.com/guide2landrover/prototype.html
http://www.lr-mad.co.uk/history.html

Are those okay?

I'll try not to be so unprofessional in future.

maidhc

ninty9er wrote:

For those referencing Wikipedia...please don't.....if the general quality of information on it is rejected by the 7 universities in the state(at least) it tells you something.

In fairness when I was writing my thesis I didn't footnote what I was told in a pub either...

ninty9er wrote:

On the topic of the indicators, gear lever side is correct as a) you indicate leaving appropriate time for others to react b) you don't change gear on bends or corners

That must make us right and them (Europe and the US) wrong!

Seth Brundle

It looks as if this has sailed its course!
Assuming nobody objects, Im closing this now before the handbags come out.