Driving on the wrong side of the car

[matthew1g]

Probably a common question. Where I live we use the british method, AKA RHD and driving on left lanes. clockwise around roundabouts etc.

 

Anyhow, I'm going for a vacation in Italy and will be renting a car for the first time, and of course it's a bit tough to adjust to the different way the world drives. I drive a manual here and will drive a manual there.

 

So are there any tips and tricks of how to deal with such a situation? My biggest fear is I'll actually go round roundabouts clockwise instead of anti-clockwise (they go anti-clockwise right?)

 

 

[Trund]

It might sound funny, but go play a lot of GTA, and try to follow actual traffic rules.

Also keep in mind to yield to traffic that's coming from the right.

 

And yes roundabouts are anti-clockwise, and you blink when leaving it (to the right of course ).

[ChrissDaMan]

Hmm, dont know about roundabouts, but about shifting, i got to drive a british imorted Supra MKIV, the gear shifting was kinda enoying in the begining, but got use to it after like 20-30 minutes not as hard as i thought, Don't worry man, you will be fine.

 

good luck

[sivispacem]

I've always found I just...well, do it. I spend the first 5 or so minutes nearly opening the door instead of changing gear and then it all makes sense.

[Outcast]

Don't overthink it. I drive plenty in the US, UK, and China so I'm switching from LHD to RHD and back to LHD all the time. Once you start thinking about how you're supposed to shift or what direction you're supposed to turn into, you're gonna mess up. Just go with the flow of traffic while keeping an eye on road markings.

[Ex Hellraiser]

If I were you, I wouldn't get a manual there. If you think that you are going to have trouble adjusting to a new layout, you should just get an automatic for the short stint you are there.

 

Yes, roundabouts are anti-clockwise (or as we say in America, counterclockwise). I think everything else would be easy to understand after a little cruising.

[Lurch]

 

If I were you, I wouldn't get a manual there. If you think that you are going to have trouble adjusting to a new layout, you should just get an automatic for the short stint you are there.

 

Yes, roundabouts are anti-clockwise (or as we say in America, counterclockwise). I think everything else would be easy to understand after a little cruising.

Bad advice. And from what I've read, renting a car with an automatic is about twice what what it costs to rent one with a manual throughout europe. I'd much rather save myself the dough and learn to shift with the other hand.

[Daniel4]

Don't worry, you'll be fine, I haven't heard of anyone finding it really hard

[Ben73]

Playing games will do nothing to help you really. I been playing driving games for my whole life based in America driving on their side of the road. the opposite to what side we drive on Australia.

The first time I drove in the US I felt completely out of place. First few corners I took pretty steady. I hated changing lanes to the right at first. That right hand wing mirror looked so small and far away at first. I had to watch my lane placement, I kept instinctively drifting to the right side of the lane. After a couple of hours I felt relaxed. After I few days I was very confident and I just drove my normal driving style.

 

When I returned home to my RHD, I reversed extremely slow out of my driveway. It felt very strange driving on the correct side of the road.

[FlyeThemoon]

Ben73 Exacly ive been playing The Getaway series on PS2 and Live for speed on PC and dont see diffrence, only in that The Getaway games driving left side of road still confuses me because in GTAs(not couting london series) you drive right side not left one.

[Daniel4]

Oh and by the way, I shall also be driving on the other side of the road for the first time soon, but it'll be in my own car.

[Sup3rman]

I know a man who is from the UK, he is the husband of my moms friend. When we drove with him, that was when he had only driven here some weeks, he always wanted to drive on the left side. He was quite nervous and careful driving like that and slow also. Now when he has been driving here for years and also simultaneously in UK he has it all figured out. He even drives and old Yamaha on our roads. Point is that its not impossible to learn to drive on the opposite side of the road. You just need to be consistent and you need to take time.