driving on the other side of the road

[dsc]

Hi everyone,

so I bought my first ever car today. A British one too, a VW Polo to be precise. And of course I had to drive it from the sellers house to my house. Let my just say that it was a rather interesting experiance. Scary as hell as well. I kept reaching for the door when trying to change the gears and was driving VERY close to the left side of the road (being used to the fact that there's no car left on my left).

Anyway I made it and it wasn't too bad. Now I only need to go to work on Monday. And Tuesday. And Wednesday...

Regards,
dsc.

[Aadje]

Well good luck then and try to keep the door shut

[fred25]

Maybe you could drive on the right side of the road, but in reverse?

Good luck in any case!

[P.B]

You'll soon get used to it - the scraps on your right hand knuckle from the door bin every time you try to change gear will remind you!

I've driven in loads of different countries, including some that choosing a side of the road to drive on seems optional . I've also driven lots of LHD vehicles in the UK and RHD vehicles in LHD territories. The only time I've got it wrong is when I've been at home in my own car.

The time you are most likely to make a mistake is when you pulling out of a carpark, or some other area where there isn't a dashed line down the middle of the road, and there's no other traffic around to remind you which side you should be on (the more traffic that's around the harder it is to make a mistake). If I've been travelling a lot I can STILL make this mistake.

I'd suggest sticking some masking tape to the steering wheel with an arrow to the left on it for the first 4 weeks as a reminder.

Good luck

[darrensandford]

Every time we go to visit my wife's parents in France, I manage to get it wrong once. Usually, once is enough to scare me in to paying more attention!

[CakeBoy]

Many many years ago, I joined a multi-lane freeway in Tampa in the wrong direction ......... oh boy was that scary

[dsc]

Hi everyone,

well I survived the first day of driving to and from work, so I guess it's not going to be too bad:)

Thanks for all the good lucks;)

Regards,
dsc.

[CakeBoy]

Glad you survived dsc .... welcome home

[dsc]

Hi,

Thanks a lot Cakes:)

Regards,
dsc.

[petikas]

I find roundabouts to be the most challenging when driving in a country where the driving side is different to the one I'm used to.

[Aadje]

Specially this one . . .

[Joris]

I wonder which drugs the architect was on when he designed this one....

[petikas]

mind bending!

[Jaanus]

i take it that this is from the good old kingdom, eh? i´ve heard they even have some more magnificent ones.. :LOL:

[dsc]

Hi,

yeah I'm also amazed with how the British love the roundabouts:) that's why they try and use the concept everywhere;)

Seriously if you like roundabouts you shouldn't come to Poland as we have very few roundabouts and rather complicated crossroads, for example with 8 lanes crossing with a semi square roundabout in the middle and 4 tram tracks going through it:) Still it's nothing like the videos I've seen from India or Russia where they have no traffic lights, huge complicated crossroads with millions of cars and no one crashes:D

Regards,
dsc.