Timeline for How to prepare for driving on the opposite side for the first time, after decades driving on the other side
Current License: CC BY-SA 3.0
7 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 3, 2016 at 9:49 | comment | added | user29788 | @Dennis every Vauxhall I have driven has had it in the normal place on the left - but dont assume that this is true for all right hand drive cars, as I drove a Chevrolet Spark in South Africa that had the turn signal on the right hand side of the right hand drive steering column. At a guess, cars intended for the UK market have it in the "normal" UK place, but other markets may have different placements and there is no doubt that a few have been imported to the UK independently of the manufacturer. A quick scan of the current Vauxhall owners manuals for UK market cars shows all on left. | |
| Dec 2, 2016 at 22:43 | comment | added | user38879 | @Moo, I could swear the last car I rented in the UK (a Vauxhall?) had it on the right, and I know that all the cars I've rented in the Caribbean and the last car I rented in New Zealand had it there too. Since that plus the Toyota is my entire sample it seemed like it is mostly on the right to me. | |
| Dec 2, 2016 at 22:14 | comment | added | user29788 | @Dennis pretty much all UK cars have the turn signal on the left side of the steering column, I have yet to find one that doesnt. | |
| Dec 2, 2016 at 21:20 | comment | added | user38879 | The windshield wiper thing can be a problem even when moving from one right-hand-drive car to another. While most seem to put the turn signal on the right, close to the door, the Toyota I usually drive in the UK instead has it on the left where I expect it. I think the latter is sometimes done to save the manufacturer having to build two different versions of the steering column. | |
| Dec 2, 2016 at 21:20 | comment | added | MJeffryes | @FighterJet This actually varies between RHD cars. Asian manufacturers put the indicator on the right, European and American manufacturers put it on the left. | |
| Dec 2, 2016 at 20:31 | comment | added | user42547 | The hardest part, I think, would be learning how to shift with your left hand. I've also heard tales about tales about windshield wipers coming on when going to make a turn. | |
| Dec 2, 2016 at 18:09 | history | answered | user38879 | CC BY-SA 3.0 |