Abo

I was reading the topic "When You Pass someone on the road" posted by Tim S.

The Left Hand Drive Versus Right Hand Drive issue soon arose.
Those who drive on the left supported their native situation
and those who drive on the right supported that.

And the reasoning did not go beyond, we drive on this side of the road, so it must be the best
way to do it.

Which contains no logic or reason really. Saying, "I do it this way, makes this way right",
fails as soon as it is countered with, "I do it the other way, makes the other way right".

1+minus1=0

I drive on the left side of the road in a RHD vehicle. I believe it's the better way, not just
because that's the way it is down here, but because of a darn good reason.

And that is; most people are right handed which means when we let go of the steering
to change gears our dominant right hand remains on the steering wheel to steer the car.

If you think that is insignificant try writing with your left hand or using a hammer in your
left hand.

And all you lefties out there, pipe down. You think it would be better for most people
to have less control over their cars than the least amount of people to have less control over their car?

Sorry USA/Continental Europe, but you got it wrong.

Frayud Loc: Bethesda,MD

If you want a real driving thrill go to Burma where they switched from right hand drive to left a few years ago by government decree. However the government failed to take one fact into consideration: The Japanese dump their right hand drive used cars and trucks into that market and many of their roads are 2 lane and filled with carts, trucks, busses, farm animals and conveyances (small tractors which can be ridden themselves or pull a wagon or implement), and people walking or acting as beasts of burden themselves. Many of the tour busses use assistant drivers to the left of the actual driver.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

Actually I prefer my dominant hand to change gears, which on many cars, requires more precision and muscular coordination than holding onto a steering wheel. To each his own.

Cheers

Abo

Sweden switched to Right Hand Traffic in 1967, having been LHT since from about 1734,
there were probably a few impromptu games of "chicken" when the clock ticked down to
the zero hour of change over too.

Abo

If you think its more important to change gear than steer, you are kidding yourself.

Maybe you just drive in one long straight line, because that's the only time you
are just "holding onto a steering wheel"... like a handle, I suppose you think.

It's provided to enable you to make the car change direction... by rotating the
thing in precise increments.

The steering wheel is not just a device to hang onto as you would have it.

I know i'd prefer to crunch a gear than steer off the road or into oncoming traffic
around a decreasing radius mountain curve.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

As I said, to each his own. As a previous holder of an SCCA and IMSA competition license and having attended several professional race driving schools, I believe I have a “good grasp” of what it takes to maneuver an automobile around a decreasing radius turn at speed. We keep both hands on the wheel (in the “10 to 2” or “quarter to three” position) the overwhelming majority of the time, BUT we also are able to maintain or change the line in a turn while removing one hand for the second it takes to change gears. If we couldn’t, we’d either not race or use a vehicle with paddle shifters, which are very nice, but unfortunately not available on all race cars. Driving a race track at speed is just a tad more demanding than day to day driving, and at least in a good percentage of the world, race cars are LHD so drivers shift with the right hand, and somehow they get by.

Abo

Race cars are driven from the center not the left or the right.

Touring cars, sports cars, etc are best driven from the left seat at anticlockwise tracks.
and the right seat at clockwise tracks.


SCCA and IMSA licences are only local North American licences.

And the "I" in IMSA that stands for International is a grandiose false hood
because Imsa is only a sanctioning body for competition in North America.

There's been some talent that's come up through SCCA; however there's
bulk with an SCCA licence that could not drive a greasy stick up a pigs arse...
and from the horse feathers you've been talking, I'm getting the feeling you are
one of the latter.


I have an FIA open competition licence.. That is a licence to race internationally issued by
the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile. (as well as a Confederation of Australian Motorsport licence). And have won more competitions than you've had roast pototoes.

I'm the instructor that instructs the instructors who instruct race car drivers.

And apart from that Tri X the thread is about driving on public roads,
where there is the opportunity for right hand traffic and left hand traffic differences.
And in that scenario there is, unlike serious motorsport, oncoming traffic.

Having said that, I've watched the figure 8 car races (only in america... i hope) where there
is a cross road intersection for the drivers to negotiate. As entertaining as that is
I reckon it would be simpler just to have an oval and have half the field go clockwise
and the other half anticlockwise. ;-D

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

Well first, do you really feel the need to have a heated argument about this complete with ad hominem insults for SCCA and IMSA drivers? The fact that you’re an FIA instructor doesn’t mean that you have extensive knowledge of the caliber of drivers competing in US races. I note that you’re from Australia, so I wonder how many SCCA or IMSA races you attend each year? I could create a pretty good list of drivers that came up through SCCA, but I’m really not interested in a lengthy and heated debate over such a trivial subject. If you are, carry on - I won’t be monitoring this thread any longer.

Second, a relatively small percentage of actual race cars are center seated - formula cars and prototypes, etc., but there are literally dozens and dozens of classes where the drivers seat is on the left or right side. In fact, if you take a look inside pre paddle shifter F1 cars, a fair number have the shift lever on the right.

In short, I’ll just leave it that it’s a matter of personal preference and becoming of less and less importance as more and more cars move to automatic and paddle shifted transmissions which actually shift faster than a driver, have more gears, and many even blip the throttle to synchronize revs on downshifting. Personally, I’m old school and prefer to shift manually, but no less than Mercedes Benz, who has been doing quite well in F1 recently, stopped exporting manual transmission cars almost two decades ago.

btbg

Not all race cars are driven from the center. NASCAR and for that matter all American stock cars are driven from the left. As for the rest of your comments it requires much more precision to shift gears than to hold onto a steering wheel. It makes sense to use the dominant hand for the skill that requires the most precision. However, even that is a moot point today since manual transmission cars are nearly non-existent.

The reality is that it makes no difference which side of the road different countries require drivers to be on. As long as everyone follows the rules and stays on the correct side it works fine.

Abo

Racing cars are purpose built, they are originally constructed with one seat in the center such
as Indy cars, formula one. 2 and 3. there was Formula 5000, here and in NZ. Formula ford and even
formula V et al... they are racing cars, anything with doors for god sake, is not, I repeat, NOT, a "Racing Car".

Get with the program boys.

Other cars that are raced such as sports cars and touring cars. They are cars that are raced not "Racing Cars".

IMSA is the International Motor Sports Association, it is the sanctioning body for sports car competition in North America... Not Racing Car competition.

Tri X, you have/had an IMSA licence and you obviously still dont know a "Sports Car" and a "Racing Car".
are two different things. WTF?

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

Since the vast majority of the worlds cars have automatic transmissions, I don't see how your argument holds water. In addition, the vast majority of the world drives LHD cars and drives on the right side of the road. Has any country switched in recent years? Not to my knowledge, and such a switch would likely lead to a huge increase in crashes!
(You also left out Asia, Africa, Canada, Central and South America. Last I saw they also had cars, and almost all LHD cars too.)

Abo

A NASCAR is not a "race/ing car".

"Race/ing" cars are single seat, and purpose built for racing and NOT based on a car that could be used for public roads as is the NASCAR premise.

And "Racing Cars" definitely do not have doors, or in a NASCARs case, the semblance of doors.

A "racing car" with a window, LOL.

Abo

Yep, and there was a time when the vast majority said the sun rotated around the Earth.

Your "Automatic" car has not got a bunch of knobs and buttons in the center console that
forces you to remove your right hand from the steering wheel?

Apart from that raft of controls in the center console you need your right hand for, that you failed to realize; the protocol of driving on the left or right of the road was established long before automatic transmissions and power steering existed. So the only thing that is "moot" is your commentary MT.

Check Mate, mate.
Nothing like a good debate.

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

I guess you know nothing at all about cars other than the one you drive yourself. Such a sad state of affairs. PLEASE do not travel to other parts of the world where your prissy opinions will be challenged by all things normal.

Abo

Your right. No worries.

God be with you.