Australia driving on the Right post '17 (LHD)

[Spurious]

As per LoudPipes post, it wouldn't be cost effective to switch sides of the road. Having LHD cars would be ok though.

After driving through Melbournes CBD, I quickly got the hang of the old "right turn from left lane" thing. It helped though that I was a pedestrian for a few weeks so I had the chance to watch it all go down time after time.

The only real challenges I see for Aussies who want to buy a LHD car is that they would have to change gear with the right hand, flip the bird with the left hand & drive backwards in to a drive through takeaway store!

[Jastel]

Story I heard in UK somewhere was:
In the 1700's London Bridge was so congested the mayor decided that traffic must drive on the left of centre to cross it. Horse and cart days remember.
Reasons were the sword theory, you waved your right hand to say hello and show you were unarmed, and also being 90% of people are right handed when whipping horses you needed to sit on the right of the cart, otherwise you couldn't swing properly...or would hit your passenger in the head.

As I tell all Americans, You drive on the right side of the road, we drive on the correct side of the road.

Our infrastructure is set up for driving on the left, theirs is the other way, its pretty obvious where to go when you drive over there.

[zilo]

An often overlooked country that is RHD is Japan.

Some nice high powered cars come out of that country that I am glad we have access to.

[Bearman]

My feeling is that as long as the UK and Japan stay RHD then so will we.

The change would be more difficult for those countries. If either one did change and it went well we just may follow.

[chevypower]

Originally Posted by zilo

An often overlooked country that is RHD is Japan.

Some nice high powered cars come out of that country that I am glad we have access to.

But they permit LHD cars, and every car they produce comes in LHD. I think short term it would be a pain in the *** but I think future generations would be thankful for an international standard. The world is only going to get smaller. If Australia and NZ switch, Samoa will have to change back again!

[Bonn]

......and Singapore

[zilo]

Originally Posted by chevypower

But they permit LHD cars, and every car they produce comes in LHD. ........!

Not always mate.

[Franco Cozzo]

Someone here in town has a 1970s American ute thing as a daily, its not an F truck or a Silverado etc, its similar style to one of our utes, and its LHD and I used to come across him all the time in the mornings.

He obviously manages alright.

Since we no longer have our own auto manufacturing industry (come 2016 or what ever):

- We should drop the ADRs, we already use Euro emissions standards so why can't we adopt Euro/Jap/American design regulations (with minor mods such as headlights etc)?

- Allow LHD cars to be imported and driven on the road if the owner chooses to (change headlights obviously)

- Allow parallel importing on vehicles, if you can get a new RHD Merc cheaper from the UK including shipping, taxes, and currency conversion rates, go for it.

What are we trying to protect? Its floating upside down in the water.

[FPV GTHO]

Probably an El Camino or Ranchero then.

[Stefan]

LHD car are a moronic idea...might be OK for some but I can imagine most killing themselves attempting an overtaking manoeuvre, your car needs to be completely in the overtaking lane or worse the on coming traffic lane before the driver is able to see if the lane is clear.

I would not want to be exposed to a bunch of drivers with questionable ability driving LHD cars.

I don't agree with allowing 25 year old LHD cars on the road either, what the difference if its 25 years old or brand new?

I always thought we drove on the wrong side but it seems those damn French are the culprits of not conforming....

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by Stefan

LHD car are a moronic idea...might be OK for some but I can imagine most killing themselves attempting an overtaking manoeuvre, your car needs to be completely in the overtaking lane or worse the on coming traffic lane before the driver is able to see if the lane is clear.

I would not want to be exposed to a bunch of drivers with questionable ability driving LHD cars.

I don't agree with allowing 25 year old LHD cars on the road either, what the difference if its 25 years old or brand new?

I always thought we drove on the wrong side but it seems those damn French are the culprits of not conforming....

Its called don't overtake on single lane roads because its risky, or have your passenger spot for you.

Or only overtake in overtaking lanes.

People can't drive RHD cars properly either it seems so whats the big deal

[XBROO]

Like I said I used to be against LHD cars on our roads, but it really isn't hard to learn. I have never driven a LHD vehicle until 6 months ago, where I jumped straight into a 12 tonne truck and loaded it's 22 tonne and had no problem. I drive through the city, on the highway, peak hour or not, I think if you haven't tried it then your mind is close.

[FPV GTHO]

What are you going to be overtaking in a 22 tonne loaded truck though?

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by FPV GTHO

What are you going to be overtaking in a 22 tonne loaded truck though?

Grey Nomads with single axle caravans doing 60km/h on 100km/h roads

[Whitey-AMG]

Well, just like the coreolis effect influences water to swirl clockwise in the southern hemisphere and counterclockwise in the northern hemisphere, its just natural for us down here to be different....

[XBROO]

Originally Posted by FPV GTHO

What are you going to be overtaking in a 22 tonne loaded truck though?

Actually I do past a few grey nomads doing well under the 100. But like it has been pointed out you don't have to pass, if it's not safe too. If you guys can't get that through your heads then it doesn't matter which side the steering wheel is on.

[2011G6E]

Originally Posted by Big Damo

Just let us import/drive LHD cars if we choose to, so if you are capable of driving a LHD car then buy/drive one.

I mean we can already drive a 25 year old LHD car on the road but not a new one, what gives?

THANK YOU...

My favourite niggle...why the hell is Australia practically the only country in the world that cares what side of the car the wheel is on? If you can safely drive 25 year old LHD cars, then why not 25 day old LHD cars as well if you so wish?

There are only a tiny number of developed modern countries that have RHD roads...and this hamstrings and effectively protects our makers (and increases imported new car costs) by making us a special market that special models have to be built for.

Go look up any of the big US manufacturers and "build and price" whatever takes your fancy from mild to wild to trucks...

Then go have a quiet cry in the corner, realising the only reason you can't have one at those ludicrously low prices is that our government treats drivers like children who can't be trusted with new LHD cars...

[Guzz226]

Originally Posted by MercurySilver

pmsl
its not going to happen (changing to left re driving)
but lets open up the lhd market
please

Agreed

Why not keep driving on the left, but allow RHD and LHD vehicles together

I guess the biggest issue is someone not judging the RHS of a LHD car correctly ?

edit: just read the overtaking post and that is a fair point - enough nufties that can't drive properly in a RHD when it comes to overtaking, nevermind a LHD where they can't see cause they are tail gating etc.

[AUwindsor]

why not new lhd cars? ..to protect a local car industry, which has FAILED

still why not lhd new cars, even though old lhd are on the roads no prob's? ..the people at the top incharge of Australian affairs.. FAIL. just like their local car industries did

we live in a global economy

[XBROO]

Originally Posted by AUwindsor

why not new lhd cars? ..to protect a local car industry, which has FAILED

still why not lhd new cars, even though old lhd are on the roads no prob's? ..the people at the top incharge of Australian affairs.. FAIL. just like their local car industries did

we live in a global economy

I was thinking the same, we have no local car industry too protect now, so there should be no problem.

I can see everybody's point about some people won't be able to cope over on the left. Then there should be a separate test to show you are competent and another letter can be added to your licence.

[chevypower]

In the US, you can actually buy a RHD Jeep Wrangler from the factory.

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-s...78333900&Log=0

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-s...87924512&Log=0

[2011G6E]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right-_...t-hand_traffic




Oh...and when they stop building Falcons and Commodores, who wants to bet a whole five bucks that the protectionist import tariffs and taxes aren't dropped but keep inflating the price of "foreign" cars...I mean if there's no local industry to "protect" then why not drop them altogether...?

[vztrt]

Originally Posted by 2011G6E

Oh...and when they stop building Falcons and Commodores, who wants to bet a whole five bucks that the protectionist import tariffs and taxes aren't dropped but keep inflating the price of "foreign" cars...I mean if there's no local industry to "protect" then why not drop them altogether...?

What taxes are those? The SFA % on imports. The FTA cars that have no tarrif or the higher end euro cars that are exempt from luxury tax due to the likes of merc loybbing the government to get it removed?

The price is inflated by the manufacturer. Lux cars are inflated and people pay it. Big deal that its expensive, if they're not paying that the lux tax then someone else will have to pay for the shortfall in the tax.

The tripe you come out with.

[Keepleft]

Remains a longer term UN plan - a single LHD and drive on right - world.

I have no problem with either, glad - some readers support the idea of allowing LHD vehicles in. They'd simply have to meet general ADR/UNECE regs. Not all agree, this is The National Motor Vehicle Theft Reduction Council's view (0ctober 2014):-
Right hand drive

NMVTRC makes the assumption in this submission that relaxation of standards would not be allowed to facilitate the import of left-hand drive vehicles into the Australian market. Doing so would introduce very significant safety issues which we assume would not be acceptable to the community.
Restricting any possible relaxation of import requirements to right hand drive vehicles narrows the potential sources to a small number of large, sophisticated markets (notably Japan and the UK) as well as a number of smaller markets which drive on the left and therefore already have a fleet of used right hand drive vehicles on their roads (such as New Zealand and Samoa).

[Tickford.]

the laws for LHD vehicles in Victoria.

https://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/~/me...eb.ashx?la=en.

this...

(b) the words “Left Hand Drive” must be clearly and legibly displayed in letters at least 75mm high and of proportionate width on the rear of the vehicle.

...should it be made compulsory for all LHD vehicles on the road?

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by 2011G6E

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right-_...t-hand_traffic

image

Good to see all the civilised countries have RHD

Originally Posted by Keepleft

Not all agree, this is The National Motor Vehicle Theft Reduction Council's view (0ctober 2014):-
Right hand drive

Who the heck are they, not one of Harold Scruby's inventions I hope ?

[zilo]

Perhaps we should have MID DRIVE vehicles?

Then we could flood all the world markets aussie innovation....

Probably be safer sitting in the middle ...

[Guzz226]

Originally Posted by xxxg

the laws for LHD vehicles in Victoria.

https://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/~/me...eb.ashx?la=en.

this...

(b) the words “Left Hand Drive” must be clearly and legibly displayed in letters at least 75mm high and of proportionate width on the rear of the vehicle.

...should it be made compulsory for all LHD vehicles on the road?

I thought that used to be the case once upon a time but then was relaxed to the current standard.

Compulsory signage and specific driver licence endorsement that you are capable of driving a LHD would be the go I reckon.

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by zilo

Perhaps we should have MID DRIVE vehicles?

Then we could flood all the world markets aussie innovation....

Probably be safer sitting in the middle ...

McLaren's beaten you to it.

[xxx000]

I'm in the U.S. right now and driving on the rhs of the road
Australia won't be changing the side we drive on in my lifetime.
The benefit of a broader range of potentially cheaper cars would be vastly outweighed by the cost of enacting it.
Maybe Muir will take up the cause.