How difficult is it to drive on the wrong side of the road?
I would consider myself a good driver on the right side of the road but I am wondering if visiting Ireland and renting a car is for me.
Also how do you feel about driving manual transmission when not used to churning gears with the usual hand?
I'm from the states and live in Ireland. I never had a problem with switching back and forth as I visit the states and Germany frequently.
The one danger is if youre in a parking lot or similar and pull out onto the road when there are no other cars after not driving for a while, you might be on the wrong side for a second.
The trick to remember isn't left or right its that the driver is always in the middle of the road.
If youre holding the steering wheel and are on the outside of the road, youre going the wrong way. Keep the center line right next to you and you'll be grand as the Irish say.
While not pertinent to the OP, the USVI drives left and has left-side driver seats as well.
on the opposite side, Myanmar (formerly Burma) has right hand steering and driving on the right hand side of the road
They drive on the left in the Bahamas too, so they mostly import Japanese cars, but there's a lot of American cars and golf carts, so the driver can be any side...
thats manicial. good trivia though thanks
I found myself saying out loud "Right turn to the left lane" when initially getting used to driving in the UK.
I change between the two fairly often and the two most dangerous things are -
Looking the wrong way when approaching a roundabout
Going to change gear with the wrong hand and punching the door
Generally it's only difficult if you drive a RHD car on LHD roads or vice versa
Coming from Australia to Europe. So many times.
And on the level of hitting the door:
Waiting to turn at a crossroads, only to have the other car pass on the other side of the road while you look stupid.
When I was planning a trip to the UK I swapped the gearshift location on my racing wheel setup and drove around a bunch in Forza Horizon 3 so that I’d be ready.
Didn’t end up renting a car, so all my work was for naught.
It’s not so bad if there’s loads of other cars, but if you set off onto a quiet road, it can be quite easy to zone out and forget where you are if you’re not careful
This. Especially driving out of carparks.
Yeah that's where I struggle, when transitioning back to the road from any random places where you were in the middle of the path.
Did this when driving abroad, my partner also didnt notice and had to remind me.
I've seen a tourist do this 🤦 beware of junctions
You should be ok if you stay focused and alert. When you're in the driver's seat you will always be in the middle of the road next to the white line, whatever country you're in.
The trickiest part is making turns. Driving in Europe, the US and Canada I used to say to myself "loooong left and tight right". In Ireland, you'll be turning right across the oncoming traffic. It's tricky because if you don't focus, habit will take you on to the wrong side of the road. After a couple of days you'll get used to it.
Hire an automatic, they're more common these days anyway. Having said that, I never had a problem changing gears withe the "wrong" hand.
Enjoy! The Irish countryside is lovely.
I'm pretty sure driving on the wrong side of the road is illegal in most places, please do not drive on wrong side in Ireland.
In Ireland I would only drive on the correct side of the road, but thanks
In my experience it's surprisingly easy. I found the break in routine snaps me out of complacency, making me more alert.
Wise to hire an automatic, I think. Not difficult with so many rentals offering hybrids or electric now. My right hand would struggle with gear shifts and I'd imagine it is even harder switching the other way around (if you are right-handed).
Getting used to driving on the 'wrong' side isn't too hard but understanding unfamiliar road signs at the same time might be quite taxing. Remember to read up on the local road laws, and whatever their equivalent of the Highway Code is.
It’s quite easy if you’re right handed since your dominant hand is in control of the wheel and with left hand you are only moving the hand mostly in straight line and diagonals along with a feedback as well, so it’s hard to mess up.
Make sure to practice using your right hand to make crude gestures out the window.
Better brush up on local customs too. Some gestures are more crude than others in different countries.
When you are in such a country, then it isn't the wrong side anymore. It is the side where everybody is driving.
Just not necessarily in the same direction
Some to heaven...
Judging by the drivers near me, quite easy
It's easy if you pay attention at all times. Do not fall into your ingrained habits. If you stay focused, especially while turning, you won't have a problem.
I have never driven a manual on the wrong side. I wouldn't do that. I would rent an automatic.
I visited Ireland and it took me maybe a day to get used to driving on the left.
Driving a stick shift on the left though took a little more time, I would often go from 1st gear to 4th gear. My muscle memory wasn't developed in my left hand for this.
Be aware though that the streets are much more narrow in the countryside. I was often nervous driving there.
Seconding the narrow roads. And sometimes the only automatic vehicle they have left to rent is a 7-seater wagon.
It's like driving in the fast lane on the highway. If you can do that you can drive on the "wrong" side of the road
You get used to it after a few scares. Hell I was just a pedestrian in Japan and damn near got run over looking the wrong way out of habit. Only once!
I find it's harder as a pedestrian than a driver... You're mostly aligning yourself as a driver and looking for pedestrians/cars coming but they can come from either side regardless of what side you're driving on... For pedestrians though the side you look at first is switched so there's a very real chance you just step out into traffic
I almost walked into traffic in England once, a friend had to pull me back. Scary stuff.
It’s not that bad, you might have a couple of moments where you suddenly second guess yourself, particularly on smaller country roads, or car parks. Just remember you the driver should be nearest to the center of the road and you’ll be fine. If you pre book you might have a chance of renting an automatic to make things even easier.
Never driven on the other side of the road but I have driven right hand drive. It was a little strange for pretty much the first couple shifts but the pattern was ultimately the same.
Personally I enjoyed the experience, it's always fun to try something new. I still prefer left hand drive because it's what I'm used to but don't let comfort keep you from a memorable experience!
I think the gear switching is fine but the oncoming traffic is definitely a big negative
I can't say anything about driving on the left side since I never had to do it.
About the clutch, I think it depends on whether you used to do it a lot. I used to drive stick when I learned to drive, but for the last 5 years I have only driven automatic or electric. But when I rented a car with manual transmission, my muscle memory came back within a few minutes and everything went fine.
Be extra cautious when parking on the left. The wheels are closer to the curb than you might think.
I learned that lesson. Twice.
It totally depends on the person. I'm from the left-driving UK, and have friends who hate every second of driving in the rest of Europe. Personally, I find it takes about 10 minutes to acclimatise and then it seems normal and I'm fine.
In my experience, turns at lights are the hard part, remembering what lane you are supposed to end up in.
For me, the hard part isn’t driving on the “wrong” side of the road. You pick that up pretty quickly. You need to think a bit more when turning, but it’s not so hard. For me the harder part is driving from the “wrong” side of the car. I may have almost mounted a curb or two because I forgot where I was in the lane.
It's easy if you travel on busy roads, you follow the flow of traffic, much harder to be the only person on the road, you rely on your habits, and can easily fund yourself looking at a head on collision.
it's super difficult because there's oncoming traffic
Do it! I had. Lot of fun. Just be aware and you'll be fine. :)