Re: Just got back from Warren Ohio

Posted by Loyd Smith On 2007/7/24 12:30:43

"Also I was thinking the same about the driving here, as I'm renting a car tomorrow in Boise Idaho togo view the '41 Coupe I'm buying, and I'm a bit nervous about the other side of the road thing."

As a veteran of over twenty year service in the (US) air force, have had occasion to drive in GB, Australia, Thailand and Japan. Most of the serious accidents involving driving on the opposite side of the road from the one that you're most used to were (in my experience) caused by US military personnel driving American made vehicles with left hand drive in these countries. This combination creates a normal tendency to perform an abnormal operation (turning the wrong way into traffic on the WRONG side of the road). Having driven both LHD and RHD vehicles on both sides of the road, it is my experience that, as long as you're driving a vehicle made to be driven on whatever side of the road one normally drives on in whatever country you're driving in - and exercise a normal amount of caution - you'll have very few problems. I learned, early on, to try to avoid situations that required me to drive US military vehicles, off base, in those countries. Also had some slight difficulty in becoming accustomed to changing gears with my left hand in those vehicles with floor-mounted shifting levers. You'll be fine, Mal, after the first few careful hours.

Thanks for the photos, John.

And Mal - have enjoyed the photos from Australia that have shown up on this site in the past and hope that you'll provide us more upon your return home. Good luck with your new acquisition.