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Right hand drive vs Left hand drive

Posted: 2002-08-19 04:17pm
by Acclamator
Also describable as "Britain, Ireland, Japan, Australia and New Zealand vs everybody else".

(BTW, I'm referring to the layout of the car itself, not to the side of the road driven on. So RHD means a car with the driver's seat on the right side, and LHD is a car with the driver's seat on the left side.)

Posted: 2002-08-19 04:42pm
by RayCav of ASVS
www.audiusa.com

in there they have a thing where they talk about how supposedly the system the US uses (I always get right and left confused, I'm dumb ok? :P) offers superior vision

Posted: 2002-08-19 05:01pm
by Wicked Pilot
I would simply say that as long as the driver is on the "inside" side, he is in the superior position.

Posted: 2002-08-19 05:33pm
by RedImperator
I'm torn on this. On the one hand, I'm an American, which means I prefer the left hand side of the car. On the other hand (bad pun intended), I'm a lefty and I haven't driven a car with an automatic transmission on a regular basis since high school, and I imagine a gearshift would be easier to work with my left hand.

Posted: 2002-08-19 09:29pm
by Spanky The Dolphin
Even though I don't drive, I voted for Right-hand Drive, 'cause it's more stylish and sophisticated.

USA be damned, RHD rocks. :D

Posted: 2002-08-19 09:52pm
by Jack Lain
Damn. I thought you were talking about masturbation. ;)

ah, err... left hand drive in a right hand world.

Posted: 2002-08-20 02:06am
by Erinyes
RedImperator wrote:I'm torn on this. On the one hand, I'm an American, which means I prefer the left hand side of the car. On the other hand (bad pun intended), I'm a lefty and I haven't driven a car with an automatic transmission on a regular basis since high school, and I imagine a gearshift would be easier to work with my left hand.
I'm left handed, too, but I really don't find any difficulty at all in operating the shifter with my right hand. It's not like it's an overly complicated motion. Down, up and to the right, down, up and to the right. I'm used to left hand drive, and I like it.

That said, I wouldn't mind trying out right hand drive if it were, oh, a deep maroon R33 on a closed track :wink:

Posted: 2002-08-20 02:07am
by Erinyes
RedImperator wrote:I'm torn on this. On the one hand, I'm an American, which means I prefer the left hand side of the car. On the other hand (bad pun intended), I'm a lefty and I haven't driven a car with an automatic transmission on a regular basis since high school, and I imagine a gearshift would be easier to work with my left hand.
I'm left handed, too, but I really don't find any difficulty at all in operating the shifter with my right hand. It's not like it's an overly complicated motion. Down, up and to the right, down, up and to the right. I'm used to left hand drive, and I like it.

That said, I wouldn't mind trying out right hand drive if it were, oh, a deep maroon R33 on a closed track :wink:

Posted: 2002-08-20 02:36am
by Crown
Right Hand Drive. I live in Australia.

Also when I was in Greece, trying to change gears with my right hand was just difficult. I am right handed and I prefer to have my strongest hand on the wheel when I am changing gears...

Posted: 2002-08-20 02:58am
by Tsyroc
Hmmm, lately I've been thinking it's a good idea to have a manual transmission because fewer people seem to be able to drive them these days . Which means it's less likely for my automobile to be borrowed or stolen. Now I am thinking it would be even better if I had right hand drive vehicle. :)

Ahh, maybe I should just get a motorcycle.

Posted: 2002-08-20 09:34am
by Lusankya
That's what I think too, Crown.

I was watching some kind of American drama on tv a while back (forget what it was - one of the hospital ones). A guy was teaching his daughter how to drive, and changing gears with the right hand just looked so weird and unco that I decided that I was glad that I lived in a country with right hand drive.

Posted: 2002-08-20 10:31am
by Tsyroc
Lusankya wrote:That's what I think too, Crown.

I was watching some kind of American drama on tv a while back (forget what it was - one of the hospital ones). A guy was teaching his daughter how to drive, and changing gears with the right hand just looked so weird and unco that I decided that I was glad that I lived in a country with right hand drive.
At least the peddles are in the same place. :)

To a lesser extent the gears are in the same place too.

Posted: 2002-08-20 11:14am
by Nick
Tsyroc wrote: At least the peddles are in the same place. :)

To a lesser extent the gears are in the same place too.
Are they?
Left foot clutch (left-most) & brake(centre), right foot accelerator (right-most)? (Hmm, I've watched enough American movies - I guess this is so)

Normal gear pattern (some vehicles - not normal cars - differ):
1 3 5
2 4 R

Oh - and as a right-hander, I definitely prefer right-hand drive. If I'm going to have only one hand on the wheel, I want it to be my strongest one.

And whoever pointed out that RHD goes with driving on the left, and LHD goes with driving on the right was spot on. . .

Posted: 2002-08-20 11:25am
by Smiling Bandit
Wait - when you say Right Hand Drive, do you mean the side of the Car you sit on or the side of the Road you Drive on?

I clicked on Right, but I'm Americano forever!

(Rah me!)