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Question

Would it make more sense and be safer for the driver if the steering wheel were on the opposite side (assuming most of the time you’re driving your alone in your car)? Assuming that nothing changes as far as our driving laws, rules, and regulations. When you're driving the vehicle, you are closer to the median, which in turn makes you closer to the drivers approaching from the other direction. If you were on a road that has no shoulder and no room to swerve out of the way, a head on collision would have less damage to the driver if they were on the opposite side.

What do you think? Is this idea ridiculous or something that should be given more thought?

Answer 1

Nope.  I have driven on both side of the road, on both sides of the car.  Neither one feels any less safe than the other once you get used to it.

I also had an old mail truck as a car in high school.  Converted that banged up old thing and made is street legal.  It was seriously ugly, but, as you say, I was further from the median.  I was driving on the right side of the road, but driving from the passenger seat...  Didn't make a difference, except for the fact that I was less able to see oncoming traffic.

So, no.  You are 100% wrong.  When you drive closer to the median (regardless of whether you drive on the right side of the road or the left, you are better able to see oncoming traffic, gage distance and avoid collisions.

When it comes to your theory, it has not as much to do with the positioning of the steering wheel.  It has to do with the competency of the driver.  I can tell you that I feel VERY much less in control when driving a really huge truck.  I'm out in the country, so there's not a lot to hit... but when my "City Car" which is a Honda Civic broke down and I had to drive the 2007 Tundra into town?  I was sure that I was going to run someone over and not even know it!

Anyways, look at the safety features i cars.  The driver is rarely the one killed in a head-on collision.

Good critical thinking, though!  Keep it up!  It's good to question why things are the way they are.

Answer 2

I prefer driver side and always will, pass side is just backwards..

You would have to change all the FAST FOOD places too

Not going to happen in the US

just my .02

Answer 3

Seems like a valid point, except on single lane highways. you need to be able to see to pass.

I always wondered why I feel safer in the outside lanes on the freeway........

Answer 4

i think that would be better for the drivers but i know if i am going to crash and i have a passenger i am getting my *** out the way first even at passengers expense i think that would be most reactions was look out for number one

Answer 5

why do we press down on the remote control buttons harder when we know the batteries are getting low?

Answer 6

The steering wheel is on the left side for a reason.  You're closer to the middle of the road for a reason....so you can see the oncoming traffic and better judge distace between your car and theirs.  If you were to move your steering wheel to the other side of the car, you would have to switch which side of the road you drove on.

Answer 7

It's not ridiculous.  I thought the same thing when I drove my left side steering wheel car in England.  In that situation, I was doing what you suggest.  It felt very strange!

Anyway, I'm not sure it would contribute much since head-on crashes as usually so brutal that it probably makes no difference.  Food for thought:  Mr. Paul, driving Lady Di's Mercedes, was killed when he hit the upright concrete column in the Alma tunnel.  His passenger, Lady Di's bodyguard, was severely injured but lived.

Answer 8

If the crash is offset so that only the passengers' sides are impacted, the drivers would have a greater chance of walking away without injury. However, the reason the vehicle is controlled by the side of the car closest to the median is because doing so helps to avoid head-on collisions.

Answer 9

I think that is an excellent idea to be honest.......of course it can't stop a head on from happening, but the reduction of fatal injuries would have to drop quite a bit.......that might be worth sending your idea to consumer safety commission and see what type of response you get............good idea!

Answer 10

not really.if you look at statistics Europe has less auto fatalities then we do

Answer 11

Most people who drive today are more likely to make a mistake when judging the opposite side of the car and the distance between objects. With the person being closest to oncoming traffic, it gives them a better edge when trying to judge distance and keep themselves from hitting other objects or cars.

So, it might reduce fatalities but it would increase the number of overall accidents. Not necessarily a good trade off.

Answer 12

That question could be debated.  Most likely, if you are in a head on collision, you would be hurt no matter what.  More people die in the passenger seat when they are in a car accident in a car made with the driver's seat on the left side.  This subject is something that needs to be researched.  I think it would be better if the driver was in the middle because they have more of a feel of the space around them than being on one side of the car.

Answer 13

That is just plain crazy.

Answer 14

Mr.Maryland , huh?

I think your concern for safety comes from your experiences with the poorly skilled drivers where you live!

I too am from Maryland.Specifically the region just north of Washington DC. I'm intimately familiar with the maniacs who operate machinery on our roadways that they aren't capable of handling.

As far as the whole "steering wheel on the right" thing...no.

That would only work if we drove to the left side of the road.

Think about it...no matter what side of the road we drive on we will always be facing on-coming traffic.So which side of the car is safer?

Granted it would be safer to be on the other side of the car when a head-on collision occurs , but how many MORE collisions would happen because of the limited visibility afforded to a driver who was positioned away from on-coming traffic.Also...what would happen to a driver (with a right-hand steering wheel) who turned left in front of on-coming traffic? He or she would be hit dead-on.Most drivers go solo.Left turn accidents on "right-side-driving" highways would be much more deadly for drivers with right-side steering wheels.

Answer 15

stupid idea