Let's drive on the other side of the road.....

ems_12

Can you imagine the chaos!!? :eek:

"A senator yesterday suggested Irish motorists should drive on the other side of the road to facilitate the huge influx of foreigners."

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/are-you-right-there-donie-are-you-right-1284950.html

Anan1

Indo reporting at its best. Later in the same article, they quote the Senator as actually having said that 'in time we could examine the possibility of changing and driving on the other side of the road'. Hardly the same thing, is it?

Wishbone Ash

There was a thread on this yesterday.

Barlow07

ems_12 wrote: »

Can you imagine the chaos!!? :eek:

"A senator yesterday suggested Irish motorists should drive on the other side of the road to facilitate the huge influx of foreigners."

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/are-you-right-there-donie-are-you-right-1284950.html

What a load of rubbish i have ever read, if they want to live in this country then they play by are rules which involves driving on the LEFT hand side of the road. If it was me i would make sure they can speak the language before getting a licence, it amazes me at the times people asking for directions and they cant speak a word of english so how are they ment to read the signs and road rules marked?

Wishbone Ash

Barlow07 wrote: »

What a load of rubbish i have ever read, if they want to live in this country then they play by are rules which involves driving on the LEFT hand side of the road. If it was me i would make sure they can speak the language before getting a licence, it amazes me at the times people asking for directions and they cant speak a word of english so how are they ment to read the signs and road rules marked?

I think you need to read your post!

dogmatix

The Metro today says it was Senator Donnie Cassidy. Difficult to take anything seriously from a FF who wears what must be the most unconvincing and hideous looking wig since Bruce forsyth in the 1980's.

Apart from economic / tourism issues, are there any real advantages to changing the side of the road we drive on?

ShayK1

we could buy cheaper cars from central europe?

randombar

Ya to be honest I think it would be ok, instead of just buying cars in England we could buy from anywhere in mainland europe, america and so on!

They switched sides of the road in sweden in 1965, just stoppped all traffic late one night and got them to change

Bring it on i say (nothing to do with the fact that I own a LHD)

Sweden had left-hand traffic (Vänstertrafik in Swedish) from approximately 1734, when it changed back from a short period of right-hand traffic starting in 1718. Finland, under Swedish rule until 1809, also drove on the left, and continued to do so as a Russian Grand Duchy until 1858.[31]

This continued well into the 20th century, despite the fact that virtually all the cars on the road in Sweden were LHD. (One argument for this was that it was necessary to keep an eye on the edge of the road, something that was important on the narrow roads in use at the time). Also, Sweden's neighbours, Norway and Finland already drove on the right, leading to confusion at border crossings.

In 1955 a referendum was held on the issue, resulting in an 82.9%-to-15.5% vote against a change to driving on the right. Nevertheless, in 1963 the Swedish parliament passed legislation ordering the switch to right-hand traffic. The changeover took place at 5am on Sunday, September 3, 1967, which was known in Swedish as Dagen H (H-Day), the 'H' being for Högertrafik or right-hand traffic.

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.[citation needed] 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.[citation needed] However, the accident rate rose back to its original position within two years.[citation needed] There are still a number of places[vague] in Sweden where left-hand traffic remains for reasons of economy[citation needed], and naturally all of these have partitions between lanes.

FredH3as

I heard that the RSA suggested that a trial is in the offing whereby over a weekend they will allow thucks & buses to drive on the right and if it works out then cars will be allowed to drive on the right :eek:

Wossack

Unless they're offering free LHS conversions, surely this'll just make things worse?

Seth Brundle

See How do these people get elected!!!