If you are from England and go to America, what does it feel like to drive with the wheel on the left side?

Question

Does it feel so weird that you can't do it or do you just get used to it? Also you don't have to take a test or anything do you?

Answer 1

Weird

i would practice a bit on a not busy road to get used to it first....its cool after though

_Emily<3_

Answer 2

I grew up in Scotland, one of the other three "states" that make up the United Kingdom.

When I moved to Texas, I was allowed to drive on my old license for one month and then had to take the Texas driving test. There were two multiple choice papers: the old easy one with questions like: does smoking marijuana improve your driving skills? And the new tough test, that asks questions about stopping distances at various speeds.

The physical driving test was a joke – it was easier than the UK test by a factor of ten. The biggest laugh was reverse parallel parking between two fluorescent posts. One of the posts was so far away I didn’t see it at first. I could have parked two buses in that space, never mind one sedan.   :o)

Driving on the right felt natural from the start and road positioning was easy, however during my only dangerous encounter so far, I did find that I instinctively pulled my car to the LEFT to avoid danger. Hopefully I am now conditioned to pull to the right.

The main problem I encountered was the stick shift, but not as you might imagine. I like stick shifts – they save fuel, the gears are changed at the right moment, unlike with an automatic that cannot “think ahead” and they improve driving experience – plus I looked cool to my girlfriend. It is as easy to change gears with the right hand as it is with the left, and no retraining is required.

However – and you may know this already – we don’t think about changing gears. Something in the back of our brain is listening to the engine revs. Hence we go up and down gears as required but without making conscious decisions. Your hand just does it. And this is why, during the first couple of months here, I often bashed my left hand off the left door as it automatically went out to shift the stick that wasn’t there.

These days are now well over. I now find it as easy to drive on either side of the road (the correct side in each country). I guess the position of the driver’s seat (right or left) remind the back of my brain which side of the road I should be on.

Answer 3

it feels the same,you should just switch over automatically but just be very very care full pulling out from junctions!we took our car to belgium recently and nearly made that mistake!yet when i drove a left hand drive in the countries where they drive on the left never a problem,just a right hand drive in a left hand drive country.weird but you should have no problems,phil

Answer 4

The problem comes after u get home and being tired u instinctually drive on the right or is it wrong , side O S##t!!!!!!!!!!!!!