Think left and you’ll always be right. One day that phrase could save your life. Literally. Nothing ruins a good vacation faster than navigating a road in unfamiliar territory only to see a car hurtling towards you in your lane. Only, it’s not your lane. As it would turn out, you’re actually in someone else’s lane. Adding to your disorientation is the steering wheel that’s now on the “wrong” side of the car (actually the right side of the car) you can at least take comfort in the fact that the pedals will still be where you expect them to be: beneath your feet.
While the majority of nations orient their driving laws to the right, the average American’s chance of visiting a left driving nation is pretty high. When you include most of the Caribbean islands, England, Ireland and Wales, you’re talking about some of the destinations most visited by right-driving Americans. Add in standard shift vehicles to the equation and you’ve basically got pandemonium on wheels.
My favorite bit of advice in preparing for a driving trip abroad comes from a British website. It advises “ If you are planning to visit the UK and happen to come from one of the many countries that drive on the wrong side of the road, the following advice, direct from the Ministry of Transport, is for you:
“Visitors are informed that in the United Kingdom traffic drives on the left-hand side of the road. In the interests of safety, you are advised to practise this in your country of origin for a week or two before driving in the UK.”
Surely, they jest. However, if you do choose to rent a car while visiting a left-driving country I find that the two person approach works best. One person will actually drive the vehicle while the other acts as a look out. An additional pair of eyes and an occasional helpful shout to “watch out” when necessary is a tactic that seems to work best. It’s sort of an escalated version of the American style where one person drives and the passenger proceeds to remind them to watch where they’re going or to slow down. But really, it does help to have another person to co-navigate. What I found works best is a clear division of labor. For example, the driver can concentrate on driving while the passenger can give the “all clear” signal for a lane change or function as an early warning system for an approaching exit. This is not a time for egos but for partnership with the shared goal of arriving alive.
In the States we call them traffic circles but abroad, they’re known as Roundabouts. Americans seem to have trouble grasping the concept of the Roundabout. Think of Raymond Avenue in Arlington by Vassar College and I’ll bet you can name someone that will drive 3 roads over to avoid passing through the series of small circles that were installed to improve traffic flow. By far the trickiest part of driving on the left is navigating through a roundabout. When is it safe to enter the circle? Worse, how do you get out? And how many times do you go round the circle before others notice that you’re recreating the famous scene from the Chevy Chase movie “National Lampoon’s European Vacation”. “Look kids, Parliament. Big Ben.” When you’re finally brave enough to try and make an exit that’s where those additional pair of eyes will really come in handy. The second trickiest part of driving on the left is making a right turn. This is the moment when you might really appreciate that second person reminding you to swing from the left lane into the corresponding far left lane.
Hardest yet is when we tourists tend to take off on foot. In a motor vehicle we have a constant reminder to be on guard. On foot, we are missing the physical cues that help remind us that we’re not in Kansas anymore. England, of course, handles this potential diplomatic nightmare of running over American with a practicality that is truly British. At every street corner when you look down you’ll see a pair of cartoonish eyes staring back at you. It reminds you of the correct direction to watch for oncoming traffic and it’s possible that those extra set of “eyes” just might save you from becoming street pizza.
I actually have more trouble upon my return to the states. After spending a period of time out of the country constantly reminding myself to think “left”, I carry that home with me. On the first day back to work, I’m fairly easy to spot – I’m the one pulling out of my driveway and turning into the wrong lane.
"Postcards" 