Japan is correct for driving on the left, here is why:
- Thread starter Chris Davison
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- 15 Mar 2002
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Chris Davison said:answers please
To break this down for clarity:
USA right -handed driver sitting on the left.
Holds the steering wheel with left hand.
Uses right hand to mess about with tape deck , gears and other items on the right.
Looks at traffic with "left eye".
Bang!.
I'm left-handed and drive tractor-trailers in Japan, surely a recipe for disaster according to your view of things.
Please explain my lack of BANG!
Also explain why having the less dextrous hand performing tasks requiring dexterity (fumbling around for chips and whatnot) is preferable to having the more clumsy hand performing those tasks and diverting one's attention from traffic.
MeAndroo
先輩
- 29 Jul 2004
- 767
- 16
My thoughts concerning this thread:
A) If driving with one hand causes you to have an accident, drive an automatic with both hands. I believe 10 & 2 are still the proper spots for your hands. I don't care what your reasoning is (it's more fun, I feel more in control, it saves gas), if you can't handle a manual, don't drive one.
B) Grabbing at items while driving raises the risk of an accident, regardless of what hand you use and what side of the road you're on.
C) Americans ride bicycles? In the street? The only ones I've seen are bike messengers, and they'll cross 4 lanes of traffic. I don't think they need any help.
D) Most drivers aren't safe anyways.
A) If driving with one hand causes you to have an accident, drive an automatic with both hands. I believe 10 & 2 are still the proper spots for your hands. I don't care what your reasoning is (it's more fun, I feel more in control, it saves gas), if you can't handle a manual, don't drive one.
B) Grabbing at items while driving raises the risk of an accident, regardless of what hand you use and what side of the road you're on.
C) Americans ride bicycles? In the street? The only ones I've seen are bike messengers, and they'll cross 4 lanes of traffic. I don't think they need any help.
D) Most drivers aren't safe anyways.
Mycernius
The Hairy Wookie
- 4 Feb 2005
- 4,644
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An accident waiting to happen! You must move to a country where it is more suited for you, at once!Mike Cash said:
In fact a safe idea would to make all left handed people live in one area of the world and drive on the right and all right handed people live another and drive on the left. The only people allowed to travel from one country to another are all us ambidextrous people. It makes about a much sense as this thread
- 15 Mar 2002
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Mycernius said:
A needlessly complicated solution. It would be far simpler to let people stay where they are and require them to drive on whichever side of the street the OP says is appropriate for their dominant hand. All we would have to do is get rid of the narrow-minded traffic laws that say one must drive on either the left or the right side of the road. Since people would be driving both ways on both sides of the road, this would also result in more efficient use of the motorways and eliminate not only traffic accidents but congestion as well.
I don't know why no one thought of it sooner.
- 4 Feb 2006
- 33
- 0
- Thread starter
- #81
Increased accident probability , not guaranteed accidents
Mike Cash
important device and requires your dominant hand's control
Mike Cash
See title
Luck..but see title
You are not going to believe this, but the steering wheel is the most
important device and requires your dominant hand's control
Last edited:
- 4 Feb 2006
- 33
- 0
- Thread starter
- #82
Japan is Eastern
To us in the UK , sure Japan is eastern.At least japan drives on the left
which is safer for right handed people.driving on the left in Japan came from the UK I understand so in this respect Japan is "Western" at least "UK western" .
Driving on the left.
Driving on the left is correct for right-handed people the great majority, here is why:
When changing gear in a UK car with the steering wheel on the right , this is of course correct in the UK etc for driving on the left--------your left hand changes gear and your right hand stays on the steering wheel, (this is safer for right handed people.)
The reverse is the case in countries where one must drive on the right.-- in other words if you live in the USA you hold the steering wheel with your left hand and change gear with your right hand because of course the steering wheel is on the left in the USA--------this is dangerous if you are right handed.
Bicycles: Bike riders are in real danger in countries where driving on the right is mandatory again assuming you are right handed----Try mounting a bike in the USA and you will find yourself in the stream of traffic when getting on the bike---- try it yourself---------: Mounting a bike in the UK is done from the sidewalk by right handed people who find it easier to put their right leg over the bike. , Much safer and this must have saved many lives.
Reversing up a steep drive: My drive in the UK is very steep----------when I reverse out I hold the steering wheel with my right hand and look over my left shoulder to the rear window. In a USA car you must hold the steering wheel with your left hand and look over your right shoulder to look out of the rear window.. So you must reverse with your left hand on the steering wheel.. Or stick your head out of the window if you want to use your right hand on the steering wheel. ---Dangerous for the 82% right handed majority.
Right handed people who are also "right eyed" have the traffic coming toward them on their right in left hand driving areas , which is the way "right eyed" people are able to react better. When overtaking on a right hand driving USA road the right eyed/handed driver looks in the mirror with the left eye and also views the oncoming traffic with the left eye. A change of gear is sometimes needed to overtake so he/she is driving left handed while changing gear with the right hand and looking in the mirror and oncoming traffic with the left eye. Of course the gear change should in theory be completed before pulling out but this in practice is not always the case. The prevalence of automatic gear change in the USA may not be just luxury after all but necessity
Perhaps a billion cyclists in right hand driving areas around the world are all risking their lives mounting their bike in traffic. Also In right hand driving areas a greater number of people reverse with their heads out of the window and hundreds of millions of right handed drivers hold the steering wheel at speed with their left hand. There are over 6 billion people in the world today and billions of people using road transport. Driving on the left is safer and provably safer for right handed drivers; however I concede that because over 60% of the world drives on the right there is no prospect of a global change to driving on the left.
Christopher (Chris) Davison London UK
To us in the UK , sure Japan is eastern.At least japan drives on the left
which is safer for right handed people.driving on the left in Japan came from the UK I understand so in this respect Japan is "Western" at least "UK western" .
Driving on the left.
Driving on the left is correct for right-handed people the great majority, here is why:
When changing gear in a UK car with the steering wheel on the right , this is of course correct in the UK etc for driving on the left--------your left hand changes gear and your right hand stays on the steering wheel, (this is safer for right handed people.)
The reverse is the case in countries where one must drive on the right.-- in other words if you live in the USA you hold the steering wheel with your left hand and change gear with your right hand because of course the steering wheel is on the left in the USA--------this is dangerous if you are right handed.
Bicycles: Bike riders are in real danger in countries where driving on the right is mandatory again assuming you are right handed----Try mounting a bike in the USA and you will find yourself in the stream of traffic when getting on the bike---- try it yourself---------: Mounting a bike in the UK is done from the sidewalk by right handed people who find it easier to put their right leg over the bike. , Much safer and this must have saved many lives.
Reversing up a steep drive: My drive in the UK is very steep----------when I reverse out I hold the steering wheel with my right hand and look over my left shoulder to the rear window. In a USA car you must hold the steering wheel with your left hand and look over your right shoulder to look out of the rear window.. So you must reverse with your left hand on the steering wheel.. Or stick your head out of the window if you want to use your right hand on the steering wheel. ---Dangerous for the 82% right handed majority.
Right handed people who are also "right eyed" have the traffic coming toward them on their right in left hand driving areas , which is the way "right eyed" people are able to react better. When overtaking on a right hand driving USA road the right eyed/handed driver looks in the mirror with the left eye and also views the oncoming traffic with the left eye. A change of gear is sometimes needed to overtake so he/she is driving left handed while changing gear with the right hand and looking in the mirror and oncoming traffic with the left eye. Of course the gear change should in theory be completed before pulling out but this in practice is not always the case. The prevalence of automatic gear change in the USA may not be just luxury after all but necessity
Perhaps a billion cyclists in right hand driving areas around the world are all risking their lives mounting their bike in traffic. Also In right hand driving areas a greater number of people reverse with their heads out of the window and hundreds of millions of right handed drivers hold the steering wheel at speed with their left hand. There are over 6 billion people in the world today and billions of people using road transport. Driving on the left is safer and provably safer for right handed drivers; however I concede that because over 60% of the world drives on the right there is no prospect of a global change to driving on the left.
Christopher (Chris) Davison London UK
Kinsao
Horizon Rider
- 8 May 2005
- 8,515
- 143
Ah, but if your non-dominant hand is doing the fumbling for chips or CDs, might it not be likely that you will take your attention away from the road and wheel in order to better focus on what your non-dominant hand is doing? Whereas if you use your dominant hand to get your CDs, you can use it easily without needing to take your attention off the road.
Just my 2 cents!
lol - this thread is amusing me mightily, by the way! So much so that I'm actually finding myself contributing!
Just my 2 cents!
lol - this thread is amusing me mightily, by the way! So much so that I'm actually finding myself contributing!
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