How Do Right Handed People Adapt to RHD Cars? | FerrariChat

How Do Right Handed People Adapt to RHD Cars?

Discussion in 'Ferrari Discussion (not model specific)' started by Nospinzone, Jan 27, 2021.

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

  1. Nospinzone

    Nospinzone F1 Veteran

    Jul 1, 2013
    7,346
    Weston, MA
    Full Name:
    Paul
    I’ve always thought I could never drive a British or other RHD car. I am right handed and I just can’t imagine sitting in the right hand seat and shifting with my left hand.

    I was just looking at some photos in another thread with pics from Australia. I can’t imagine myself not missing shifts if I had to use my left hand, particularly if I was driving aggressively.

    So what is it like for right handers, I assume you just get used to it?
     
  2. energy88

    energy88 Two Time F1 World Champ
    Silver Subscribed

    Jan 21, 2012
    26,812
    West of Fredericksburg, VA
    Full Name:
    John
    Shifting is easy. Surprisingly, it comes easy. Just put your mind to it.

    What I find scary about driving on the opposite of the road are roundabouts and not automatically reverting back to what one has done their entire life.
     
  3. JP365

    JP365 Formula 3

    Mar 8, 2007
    1,340
    Chicago
    Full Name:
    John F
    When I’ve been in Ireland and England I have rented manual transmission cars and have never had a problem with shifting. The roundabouts and narrow roads in Ireland on the other hand... If a right hand drive car I wanted became available in America, I’d have very little hesitation about buying it.
     
    ThreePedalSteve and Nospinzone like this.
  4. Steve Magnusson

    Steve Magnusson Two Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa

    Jan 11, 2001
    25,037
    30°30'40" N 97°35'41" W (Texas)
    Full Name:
    Steve Magnusson
    Just be thankful they didn't reverse the pedal order, too. ;)
     
    LARRYH, ShineKen, LVP488 and 4 others like this.
  5. daniellove304

    daniellove304 Rookie

    Jan 5, 2020
    17
    Marietta Ga
    Full Name:
    Daniel
    Drive the car :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:
     
  6. Admiral Goodwrench

    Admiral Goodwrench Formula Junior

    Mar 2, 2005
    687
    Santa Fe, New Mexico
    Full Name:
    Robert Phillips
    Dear Paul,

    I found that in the USA one does not have a learned shift pattern for the left hand so after a few shifts it becomes vey natural.

    Stay safe and best regards,

    Robert

    Image Unavailable, Please Login
     
    nicholasn, NbyNW, turbokraft and 5 others like this.
  7. racerboy9

    racerboy9 Formula 3
    Silver Subscribed

    Nov 3, 2003
    2,499
    I had the same trepidation of shifting with my left hand the first time I went to England. I needn't have worried. It was totally natural after a few miles.
     
    Nospinzone likes this.
  8. Nospinzone

    Nospinzone F1 Veteran

    Jul 1, 2013
    7,346
    Weston, MA
    Full Name:
    Paul
    It's funny you say that. The first time I drove in England was 1971 and it was on a Triumph Bonneville. Coming from the US and a Harley, I shifted with my left foot and braked with my right. At that time Triumphs were the opposite, shifting with the right foot and braking with the left.

    I was there with a friend, we had both ordered the Bonnevilles from the states and picked them up at Harvey Owen Cycles (near Elephant and Castle as I recall). Riding in London it wasn't too hard to stay on the left because there was so much traffic you really couldn't ride on the wrong side. Once we got out into the country though we had to pay attention not only to the side of the road to stay on, but also the opposite side pedals. When stopping quickly we mostly relied on the handbrake because your immediate inclination was to hit the shifter on the right side! :D

    So I've driven a RHD motorcycle, of sorts, but never a car.
     
    Texas Forever likes this.
  9. colombo2cam

    colombo2cam Formula Junior

    Jan 31, 2019
    827
    Full Name:
    Ted
    Having driven several RHD cars you would be surprised how quickly you adjust.

    I have never driven a RHD car(sober) on the right side of the road that sounds more difficult.

    the car below has the accelerator pedal in the center and shifting is sequential and on the outside of the car.


    Image Unavailable, Please Login
     
    Nospinzone likes this.
  10. vincep99

    vincep99 Formula 3
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    Jun 8, 2009
    1,929
    Good remarks above.

    I've driven my LHD car in England and although shifting was the usual for me, it had a lot of blind spots. A few years later I rented an RHD car, as as stated above it was easy to get used to.
    I also rented a motorcycle in England , and that was pretty easy (easier than riding an old Triumph with right-side shift/left-side brakes)

    As to roundabouts: I love them, at least here in the US. Like JP365 said, they are a challenge in England/Ireland, especially when you get to a double or triple.
     
    Texas Forever and Nospinzone like this.
  11. technom3

    technom3 F1 World Champ
    Rossa Subscribed

    Mar 29, 2007
    14,723
    Phoenix AZ
    Full Name:
    Justin
    The concern when your driving isn't the shift g. Oddly your brain adapts quickly.


    Its the spacial awareness if sitting in the other side of the car and if driving a rhd in a lhd world... Making right turns and hitting the curb is oddly a concern. You tend to just cut it a little closer for whatever reason.
     
    tomberlin, Boomhauer and Nospinzone like this.
  12. Steve Magnusson

    Steve Magnusson Two Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa

    Jan 11, 2001
    25,037
    30°30'40" N 97°35'41" W (Texas)
    Full Name:
    Steve Magnusson
    +1 -- I had an aunt and uncle who spent a lot of time in the UK, and, more than once when driving with him back in the US after his return, he'd try to finish either a left, or right, turn going into the wrong lane direction -- that gets your attention ;). Could tell it was just his unconscious natural reflex for what felt like "normal driving" to him at the time.
     
    Nospinzone and technom3 like this.
  13. Texas Forever

    Texas Forever Seven Time F1 World Champ
    Rossa Subscribed

    Apr 28, 2003
    75,380
    Texas!
    Oh, you're talking about cars. Nevermind.
     
    Nospinzone likes this.
  14. stever

    stever F1 Rookie
    Silver Subscribed

    Apr 18, 2006
    4,067
    West. Wisconsin
    Full Name:
    Steve R
    Why would lefthanders have any less difficulty?
     
  15. Il Co-Pilota

    Il Co-Pilota F1 Veteran

    May 29, 2019
    6,023
    Hopefully some place nice.
    Full Name:
    A.B
    Making friends and helping people I see...

    Sent from my SM-G930F using FerrariChat.com mobile app
     
  16. ross

    ross Three Time F1 World Champ
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    Mar 25, 2002
    36,208
    houston/geneva
    Full Name:
    Ross
    a few times in my life because of work, i have had to commute from london to somewhere on the continent, so i spent 4 days a week with a left hand drive car on the right side of the road, and 3 days on the right side of the car and the left side of the road. more than a few times i would forget where i was and find myself driving on the wrong side of the road!
    but in general, you get used to it.

    whats worse, is then i spent a number of years with a left hand drive car in a right hand drive world....
     
    Nospinzone likes this.
  17. Themaven

    Themaven F1 Rookie

    Nov 2, 2014
    4,252
    Eastdown
    Full Name:
    Darius
    enlightening
     
  18. Themaven

    Themaven F1 Rookie

    Nov 2, 2014
    4,252
    Eastdown
    Full Name:
    Darius
    I am right handed and live in the UK. I have RHD and LHD manual Ferraris and I also review cars here and in LHD markets. My conclusion is that I am more comfortable driving a LHD car in a LHD territory than a RHD car here, even though I was brought up and learned to drive here. Particularly a manual. It makes sense for your better hand to be doing the gear changing.

    Driving my F512M LHD in the UK a bit of a piggery on narrow country roads as the car is so wide and low anyway. The average van is faster point to point due to overtaking confidence.

    but to the original question, I prefer driving LHD on the correct roads, than the other way round, despite living here. It seems more “right”. And in a cruiser, you can rest your left arm on door top while controlling things with your right. I’ve never hit a kerb for these reasons, or found myself on the wrong side of the road, but there’s always a first time.
     
    wax and Nospinzone like this.
  19. tantumaude

    tantumaude Formula Junior
    Silver Subscribed

    Mar 3, 2016
    929
    Burlington, Canada
    Full Name:
    Mat
    As some have alluded to, in my experience the hardest part wasn't so much the shifting (mind you, I never raced a RHD car either), but the situational awareness, especially on roads with no markings.

    Where I really struggled was Japan; the car I rented last time also had the turn signal and wiper stalks on the opposite sides (wipers on the left of the wheel, turn signal on the right! Needless to say, after a few kms I had a very clean windshield and a few frustrated drivers behind me.
     
    ross and Nospinzone like this.
  20. Themaven

    Themaven F1 Rookie

    Nov 2, 2014
    4,252
    Eastdown
    Full Name:
    Darius
  21. ross

    ross Three Time F1 World Champ
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    Mar 25, 2002
    36,208
    houston/geneva
    Full Name:
    Ross
    the solution to these problems is obvious.....all you need is a mclaren f1
    :)
     
  22. spirot

    spirot F1 World Champ

    Dec 12, 2005
    14,500
    Atlanta
    Full Name:
    Tom Spiro
    Driving in the UK is pretty easy as long as you have gps..... using your left to shift gears is not hard ... it only feels weird the first hour or so


    Sent from my iPad using FerrariChat
     
    tomberlin and Nospinzone like this.
  23. A348W

    A348W Formula 3

    Jun 28, 2017
    1,741
    North Wiltshire, UK
    I learnt to drive in Canada, but now live in the uk for many years and have rhd and lhd drive Ferraris.

    whilst some say it’s because I learnt in Canada I find driving the lhd easier; most people over here will admit they are more intuitive. No idea why!

    That said, as noted above, the hardest bit I find of driving on the continent or back in North America is when making turns at junctions and making sure I end up on the correct side of the road!!! Remembering I can turn right on a red and the number of cops hiding in the bushes as well.

    Hardest thing about driving a lhd car here I find is special awareness filtering into motorways, and grumbles from passengers as they generally end up either staring down the middle of the road or the other lane entirely!!!!
     
  24. spirot

    spirot F1 World Champ

    Dec 12, 2005
    14,500
    Atlanta
    Full Name:
    Tom Spiro
    I've had a couple of wrong way's for a brief second but usually I'm good while in the UK. The small B roads are the challenge because there is really not enough room for two cars so its like you are in the middle of the road at all times... sometime I forget to move left... and end up more on the right. usually there is enough traffic that I can just follow them. in 2018 I did one thing that I thought I would not do - drove in and around central London... we have relatives in Kingston and Windsor, so we rented a car and drove over to have lunch with them... from our hotel in London.... it was super easy.. mostly because the average speed is about 20 mph. but knowing where to go - is key... when you don't have GPS... God save you... its so easy to get lost. the UK has the worst road signage in the world.
     
  25. italiafan

    italiafan F1 World Champ
    Silver Subscribed

    Jul 19, 2006
    16,102
    Full Name:
    Stickbones Swagglesmith
    When in UK I forced myself to always loudly declare internally, “Eyes Right!” whenever approaching a roundabout or intersection. Saved my bacon more than once.
     
    Twosherpaz, tomberlin and tantumaude like this.

Share This Page