Left Hand Drive Cars and the Direction of Forward Traffic

When it comes to transportation, a country will decide if it is to be either left hand drive cars or right hand drive cars and traffic that will be driven on its roads. For drivers who visit a country that seats its drivers on the opposite side, it can be a surprising change to sit thus on their first driving experience in such a country.

Road rules dictate that traffic will be either left hand or right hand in any country. This means that the forward moving traffic will all be on the left or right side of the road. North American drivers are used to driving on the right hand side of the road. Most of the world's countries place their forward moving traffic in the right hand side. Approximately 66% of the world's drivers are on the right hand side. The other 34% drive forward on the left side of the road.

Not only are cars moving forward on one or the other side of the road, the driver will be positioned on the left or right hand side of their vehicle. Cars, which place the driver on the left hand side of the car, are called left hand drive cars. The driver on the right hand side is driving a right hand drive car.

When cars first came out, many times the driver position was in the middle of the seat. This placement did not last long since it did not afford the driver any visual or protective benefits. When the driver is seated on the left hand side of the car, the person can keep incoming traffic in view and stay in a correct position on the road relative to incoming traffic. The driver can judge the distance from incoming cars and at intersections. This birdseye point of view is also helpful when an oversize vehicle is coming towards the car.

Another benefit to having a driver located on the left hand side of the car involves the front seat passenger. A driver will be able to drop off a front seat passenger who is seated on the right side of the car at any street location when necessary. When the passenger is on the left seat, the driver must pull into a laneway to let the passenger leave the vehicle.

Right hand drive cars offer the driver protection in case of a collision with incoming traffic. By protecting the driver this way, it is believed that the driver will have a better survival rate after an accident. Although a right hand drive car does not offer all the visual cues that the left hand car does, the right hand car is still popular with some consumers.

The driver of the car and the country that the person is driving in will ultimately decide the suitability of a left hand drive car for their roads. Left hand drive cars offer many benefits including a clear view of the road and oncoming traffic. For many drivers, the left hand drive cars are a better choice.

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