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I'm curious. Why doesn't the UK switch to driving on the right side of the road? Sweden did so in 1967. It would make a lot of sense to do so, especially with the Chunnel and ferries making it so easy to drive over to the Continent.
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Originally Posted by Cloudy Dayz
Probably the same reason the US doesn't switch to metric. Too many people who can't deal with change. At least in their defence one-third of the world still drive on the left, and switching is a pretty complicated matter. We are literally going to be the last country in the world to switch to metric, which is a relatively simple matter.
That's not a valid defense. The UK is connected with Continental Europe, and every European country on the continent is ride-side drive. It would make much more sense for the UK to switch to ride-side driving. That way all vehicles are uniform, with the steering wheel on the left side, which makes it much easier to pass safely and to see traffic.
That's not a valid defense. The UK is connected with Continental Europe, and every European country on the continent is ride-side drive. It would make much more sense for the UK to switch to ride-side driving. That way all vehicles are uniform, with the steering wheel on the left side, which makes it much easier to pass safely and to see traffic.
Although there is a modicum of logic in what you propose Erik, the enormous hassle, years of planning, and gazillions of U.K. pounds in costs that would be involved, make it almost certainly a non starter, oh, and I think that you meant right side driving, not ride side.
It will almost certainly be left as the status quo I think, it will be easier.
At the moment ferries arrive all day long at our Channel and North Sea ports, disgorging hundreds of 18 wheelers from all over Europe, all LHD, and their drivers manage to manoeuvre all over Britain by driving on the left, and get in no more accidents than our indigenous drivers.
I drove a RHD articulated Mercedes-Benz all over Europe, and the only accident I was ever involved in, was when a Finnish driver clipped the side of my trailer while it was stationary, being unloaded in a factory near the Luxembourg/Belgian border, at Aubange.
I won't say my son, a professional owner-operator (his truck cost more than my house) loves it, but he loves the income it provides to him. People find it hard to believe a trucker can gross 20k a month.
Grossing 20K is one thing, I am sure that truck eats up some of that, and fuel, etc.
How much does he net?
Grossing a lot is of course the start of making a lot. And if he manages the truck intelligently, he should be able to be more profitable than a run of the mill trucking company, because he's right there and he's his own boss, can do what he thinks is best right away. Of course if he makes a mistake he does not have much backup either.
Not for me, yet. But then again I don't drive for a living.
I like my car, and I don't mind driving for PLEASURE.
I drive to work. And for vacations. And I'll drive miles and miles away to go to a given store, for convenience, or for something I want. For example I might drive 13 miles away to the suburbs to a store that has parking, rather than only 8 miles away to a store in the city that's a gazillion times more crowded, or has no parking lot.
Sometimes I'll just ride (drive some where) for the heck of it.
That does NOT mean I'll drive five hours for a short weekend. I have a very tight circle for how far I'll drive to get to a place only to stay for two nights. For example I never have thought driving three hours in bumper-to-bumper shore/beach traffic on Friday after work -- was worth it to get to a given place -- only to turnaround and come back Sunday. Drive four hours get there 8 or 9p Friday...leave to return Sunday after lunch....no thanks. But MILLIONS of people do it.
That's not a valid defense. The UK is connected with Continental Europe, and every European country on the continent is ride-side drive. It would make much more sense for the UK to switch to ride-side driving. That way all vehicles are uniform, with the steering wheel on the left side, which makes it much easier to pass safely and to see traffic.
Likewise it would make sense for the US to switch to metric, since we are part of Continental North America and virtually every country not only in North America but the entire world uses the metric system. That way all vehicles would be uniform with metric speedometers. But we can't make a simple change like that. So everytime I drive across either of the borders I have to be constantly converting miles to kilometers. If the US was the only country in the world to drive on the right, we would have to cross over at each border. Because there is no way the US would ever make a major change like that, if we can't even change to the metric system.
The US and the UK both share the same problem. We are both old world countries that can't adopt to a changing world.
BTW the UK is not geographically connected to Continental Europe, and soon it will not be politically connected.
I do enjoy driving, particularly for a road trip or any trip out of the ordinary.
I also have a lengthy commute to work with "interesting" road conditions in winter as it is over mostly rural roads, lol. I also don't mind this drive and it certainly keeps my winter driving skills sharp.
I've only had one drive in my life that annoyed me and that was in NYC. I gave up after a couple of hours and ended up parking the car and walking
The US and the UK both share the same problem. We are both old world countries that can't adopt to a changing world.
BTW the UK is not geographically connected to Continental Europe, and soon it will not be politically connected.
We’re not connected by a land border, like the U.S. and Canada, but Erik was maybe thinking of Le Shuttle.
This is a special train that runs from Cheriton, Kent, U.K. to Coquelles, Pas-de-Calais, France through the Euro-Tunnel.
It has flatbed cars with a kind of latticed sides for trucks and buses, and double decked cars enclosed in stainless steel, for cars and light vans and motorcycles.
You drive on and stay with your vehicle for the 35 minute trip under the English Channel, there are no food and coffee kiosks, but there are toilet facilities every three cars.
So in effect, you can drive non stop from the U.K. to France, or France to the U.K., pausing only to buy a ticket, unless you have pre-paid online.
Likewise it would make sense for the US to switch to metric, since we are part of Continental North America and virtually every country not only in North America but the entire world uses the metric system. That way all vehicles would be uniform with metric speedometers. But we can't make a simple change like that. So everytime I drive across either of the borders I have to be constantly converting miles to kilometers. If the US was the only country in the world to drive on the right, we would have to cross over at each border. Because there is no way the US would ever make a major change like that, if we can't even change to the metric system.
The US and the UK both share the same problem. We are both old world countries that can't adopt to a changing world.
BTW the UK is not geographically connected to Continental Europe, and soon it will not be politically connected.
The next time you're at the grocery store, look at any food or beverage package/container and you'll see that they all have metric quantities listed. Try and work on any American vehicle built in the last 20 or 30 years and you'd better have a set of metric tools, because everything is metric except what is displayed on the instrument panel. And I can change that easily. When I enter Canada, I just switch from English to metric and now my speedometer displays my speed in kph. We really only use the English system internally.
The next time you're at the grocery store, look at any food or beverage package/container and you'll see that they all have metric quantities listed. Try and work on any American vehicle built in the last 20 or 30 years and you'd better have a set of metric tools, because everything is metric except what is displayed on the instrument panel. And I can change that easily. When I enter Canada, I just switch from English to metric and now my speedometer displays my speed in kph. We really only use the English system internally.
The plan was for the US to convert completely to metric, including metric speedometers and metric roads signs, at the same time Canada and many other countries were converting. But Ronald Reagan put a stop to that, by defunding the conversion. So now we are forever stuck in limbo between metric and a ridiculously obsolete measuring system.
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If the US was the only country in the world to drive on the right, we would have to cross over at each border. Because there is no way the US would ever make a major change like that, if we can't even change to the metric system.
in winter as it is over mostly rural roads, lol. I also don't mind this drive and it certainly keeps my winter driving skills sharp. 
