Ireland to Make Switch from Left-Side Driving to Right?
An Irish politician insists the country should consider a switch from driving on the left, to driving on the right to reduce accidents caused by foreigners, according to Reuters.
Ireland is, currently, the beneficiary of one of the world’s strongest economic booms, in the last decade. Hence, a windfall of immigrants from Central and Eastern Europe – where they drive on the right side of the road.
Politician Donie Cassidy said, “We have all of these people coming in from Europe and from America and (because of) the roads that they are used to driving on in their own countries it is a huge difficulty when they start driving here. I know when I go to America it takes me five or six days to adjust.
Comments
Phil
I have driven on the left side of the road a few times........ though i may have had one to many when i did.
Peter
I driven on the left side many times, took my first drivers license test in NZ 50 years ago and have since driven in the UK, Southern Ireland Australia Grand Cayman and the Bahamas and NZ ( many times )
A speed restriction is nonsense. The biggest piece of advice is to not get into a car immediately after a long international flight and attempt to drive on the other side of the road.
The 2nd point to remember is to keep the steering wheel , if driving a local vehicle , towards the center of the road.
Note this does not work for motor cyclists, or say driving a European spec car in the UK.
Problems can arise on roads with no traffic, nothing to relate to, and in parking lots as we tend to revert back to habitual driving patterns. I have been caught out several times, fortunately I realised very quickly, and corrected the error
Lastly Finland did a successful conversion in the late 1970s.
The main reason to drive on the right is this, most of us are right handed, I'm a lefty for writing but not for golf, and in a panic situation we swerve to the right and therefore off the road. If one drives on the left its to the right and a head on collision.
Look at New Zealand's collisions where they drive on the left, many head on crashes, Motor cyclists from N.America and visitors who have flown long flights from N.America, Europe, or Korea and started driving without any rest.
I drove the autobahns for 3 years, driven in unrestricted Northern Territories , now speed limited, and across the Nullabor in Australia, . I also ride a motorcycle.
VMMVMMM
That would be nice, although I would miss being scared out of my wits every time I'm in a taxi in Dublin. This would finally offer me the opportunity to drive out there, as I don't trust myself now (especially exiting roundabouts).
Jeb
I drove for a day in England, and did OK about 90% of the time, but at least once in Oxford I caught myself running down the wrong lane toward oncoming traffic. Getting acclimatized to a stick shift in my left hand wasn't too hard, though. But to switch an entire nation's roadway system from RHD-oriented to LHD? I can't imagine the logistics of that. I don't know if Ireland uses roundabouts as much as Great Britain, but it's a recipe for chaos regardless.
Gee
I have to drive on different sides of the road quite frequently.. I'm from India, which drives on the left, but I also drive in the US.. after doing the back-and-forth transition a few times, I feel confident driving in either country.. it just takes me a few minutes to get adjusted.
I did have a really hard time when I first started driving in the US after having driven in India - constantly turning onto the wrong side of the road...
Alexander López
I think all automakers will support the idea. No left-or-right side controls on their cars could really cut costs.
By the way, the original Universal Time reference was to be on Paris, not Greenwich. The rest of the world accepted because England agreed to adopt the metric system in exchange.
yeah, right...
Rachel
Oh I really wish they wouldn't do this. Why Ireland and the rest of the UK thinks they need to change their cities and towns for the sake of -foreigners- is beyond me! America hasn't changed anything for them.
What I love so much about Ireland is that whole difference it brings when you visit. And sentimental as it may be, driving on the other side of the road happens to be different! It's their tradition, why change it?
Bald-win
Left is right.
Right is wrong.
Robert C.
I'm from Ireland. Our speed limit over here is actually 100kmph (62mph). The 75mph only applies to the motorways, of which there are TWO in the entire country.
The suggestion by the politician has been the cause of much hilarity in Irish bars. It cannot be taken seriously. Can you imagine the logistics involved in changing road signs, road markings, junctions, etc., not to mention having to phase out our left hand drive cars.
Reminds me of an old joke about the Irish government switching to driving on the left, but on a phased basis. For the first month, it applies to trucks only!
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