Overtaking fairytale

Arnout · 20-12-2022 11:35pm #1

A colleague of mine is adamant that it's illegal to overtake with an LHD car here (and in the UK), and likewise with an RHD car on the continent. Seems like a fairytale to me, I had never heard of such a rule, also I can't find anything along those lines when googling it. Anyone any thoughts about it?

Of course care must be taken, always with overtaking, but even more so in a car with the steering wheel on the wrong side for the country. To the point that sometimes I indeed decide against it in my LHD car. And there's always the generic rule: thou shall not drive dangerously.

colm_mcm · 20-12-2022 11:42pm

Total nonsense

passatman86 · 20-12-2022 11:47pm

Well i do know that the mclaren f1 with its seat located in the middle cant overtake in any country because of this issue .....

Wishbone Ash · 21-12-2022 12:55pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120020146#Comment_120020146

Same for all cyclists, motorcyclists and 99% of tractors!

CiniO · 22-12-2022 11:36am

I've spend about 6 months in Ireland this year driving LHD car, and I used to overtake as normal (when visibility allowed).

whomitconcerns · 22-12-2022 11:43am

Not illegal. But you had better have a very very good look around. 😁

Ubbquittious · 22-12-2022 10:06pm

Do the standard LHD trick with first going further into the ditch to see out past the fella you are trying to overtake before you veer out over the white line

Buddy Bubs · 22-12-2022 10:22pm

You should only undertake in a LHD car

wotzgoingon · 22-12-2022 11:17pm

Would it not be safer overtaking in a LHD car in Ireland and a RHD in Europe as you are sitting closer to the car you are overtaking.

wotzgoingon · 22-12-2022 11:18pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120020146#Comment_120020146

Never knew that about them. Bastards still put the gear stick on the wrong side too.

edit: Just thinking, considering the car it's most likely an automatic so side wouldn't really matter.

Arnout · 23-12-2022 9:48am

According to the always reliable Wikipedia it's a manual. Wouldn't expect any different in that era, by the way.

From a British car manufacturer you'd expect the stick to be on the other side, I agree. Maybe from a racing perspective it makes more sense to have it to the right of the driver? Or did they have a stroke of marketing genius and were they thinking of selling more of those cars in countries where LHD is the norm?

Thanks everyone by the way for replying.

passatman86 · 23-12-2022 3:20pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120020146#Comment_120020146

This was a bit of humour btw

"just to clarify"

CiniO · 25-12-2022 11:47pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120027291#Comment_120027291

McLaren F1 is definitely not an automatic.

blackbox · 26-12-2022 11:14am

Paddle shift?

LIGHTNING · 26-12-2022 5:38pm

@My battery is shagged take a 24hr ban. Not having this sort of replies across multiple posts.

AMKC · 27-12-2022 4:13pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120027287#Comment_120027287

I think the main issue here is the car trying to overtake having the steering wheel on the wrong side for the country it'd in so the driver can mot easily see ahead of that car to make sure there is not traffic coming the other way. Even if they drive further back behind the car they are trying to pass they still have it harder than a car with the steering wheel in the right side for the country it is in and have to drive right over on the wrong side of the road too see before catching up and passing the other car or vehicle.

wotzgoingon · 27-12-2022 4:16pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120037995#Comment_120037995

I realised that yesterday after this kind gentleman mentioned it who is now banned and posts removed.

Overtaking fairytale

Comments