Adjusting to driving on opposite side of road (car rental, vehicle, Japanese)

[everwinter]

I'm wondering from others with experience how hard it was for them to get adjusted to driving on the other side?

This has probably been posted, but I couldn't find it in the search.

Vacation time & I usually don't get a rental, but the area I'm going has cheap car rentals & it would be the best way to see around. Other than the arrival city the area is rural, so no large cities.

[sunsprit]

I didn't find it to be an issue after the first couple of minutes of driving in London and then heading out to the countryside. You just go with the flow ....

I did have the benefit of having driven a couple of RHD cars before heading overseas, so I was used to the dash and controls layout and sitting on the right side of the car to drive it.

[MisterNY]

You'll get the hang of it. I did it on a few trips to Jamaica, Japan, Grenada and Antigua. The only thing you'll get a kick out of, and it wil take some time to get adjusted, is the indicator and wiper controls on the opposite sides.

From time to time, you may accidentally activate your wipers when you actually want to use your indicator. Good Luck!! Enjoy it.

They actually have some nicer cars than we do (Japanese and European).
Lucky chumps!!

[bobman]

I find it a little awkward at first, but you soon adapt.
Just be careful not to relax too much, and slip into home driving habits.

I find it's a help that if I haven't "switched sides" for a while, and I'm hiring a car, I ask someone from the hire office to take me a quick 5 minute trip around the block, just to refresh myself what it feels like.

[TheViking85]

I found it pretty straight forward. A nice rule to remember is that the driver should always be the one sitting closest to the center of the road. Remember that and you'll be fine.

Only thing to think of, is whether or not the traffic laws differ a lot. I drove on the wrong side a couple of times in England, and the "right of way" laws were fairly different to Norwegians ones. ...Then again, the American ones were even stranger, so you should be good.

The hardest part for me with driving on the wrong side of the road, was trying not to wreck or dent that 1954 Bentley I was driving.

[cdelena]

I found it pretty awkward, especially adapting to shifting with my other hand, dealing with turns in traffic, and finding my way all at the same time. When it is just cruising straight down the other side of the road it is no problem.

[golfgod]

I think you adjust quickly, the only thing that really bothered me was TRAFFIC CIRCLES. Particularly because at the time Great Britain had different rules for right of way in them than the Continent. Not sure if that's still true.

[Crew Chief]

Getting comfortable on the other side of the road doesn't take that long. The things the above posters mention about the vehicle controls are definitely true! And you'll find the way you move in a RH-drive car feels strange from what you are used to back home, such as using your mirrors, shifting and even looking over your shoulder. but, fear not, plenty of drivers convert every year!

[DBCC]

In my extensive and frequent travels to the "old colonies" have found the best thing to do is receive the rental car and drive around the airport a couple of times, coming back to the same spot you started from.

Watch the signs, and remember that the odometer is in Km and not miles.......it may be a long journey otherwise.

Road signs are not that easy to understand in Hong Kong though.

[getmeoutofhere]

It's still regular driving, so you adapt pretty quick.

Or you, you know, die.