Would left hand cars help cyclist?

[maxcherry]

Car drivers sit on the right in the car and i was wondering does this cause a problem with judging distance from cyclist, pavements and soft humans.
If the driver side was on the left, they would be closer to the pavement and cylsit which would help them see how blooming close they are to hurting someone.

PS

Why are cars in the UK right hand drive ?

[[XAP]Bob]

So you can see down the road, and judge distance to the other lethal weapon coming the other way

[gaz]

If the driver side was on the left, they would be closer to the pavement and cylsit which would help them see how blooming close they are to hurting someone.

Or help them see how much closer they could get without hurting someone, just scaring them even more senseless.

[661-Pete]

I made a post, some weeks ago, about a car with Dutch plates passing me much too close. So - perhaps - no.

Having said that, I drive a lot in France, usually in my own (RHD) car, but sometimes in a locally-hired car which is obviously LHD. I can't say that it makes a lot of difference to the amount of clearance I allow for cyclists. But then - I'm a cyclist myself. I'd like to think, close passes are what other motorists do - not I! And if they're going to do it, they're going to do it, LHD or RHD - whatever.

[661-Pete]

Another point. Until 1968 Sweden was drive-on-the-left: but almost all cars in Sweden had LHD. Apparently one of the driving forces for the change to drive-on-the-right was to make it easier and safer to overtake - previously there had been a high accident rate due to overtaking.

[Vantage]

Just a guess but they're right hand drive so they can see around the vehicle in front when attempting an overtake. I'm sure there's other reasons too.
As far as I'm aware in every other country the driver sits on the side of the vehicle which is closest to the centre of the road.
If they can judge the distance well enough to park next to a kerb, overtake other vehicles, get around left hand bends, park in their drive/garage etc then there's no excuse for passing a cyclist or pedestrian within inches. Other drivers manage it so they should all manage it.
I bet their spacial awareness would improve 100% if the consequences were severe enough.

[maxcherry]

Thank you for explaining it.

My next idea was a small electric current going through the steering wheel when they get to close,
but i bet that idea would be knocked down as well......(just a quick 600 volts )

[eileithyia]

As said RHD is because we drive on the left.... and also as said not all LHD have sensible drivers, or at least they can see more easily how much more closely they can overtake.
I too have found Dutch can be dreadful at overtaking, but think this maybe a legacy of rarely coming into contact with cyclists cos they are off the roads on cycle routes... One reason I do not like the idea of fully segregated cycle routes.

[DaveP]

I used to drive a couple of LHD cars - in this country. Yes, you can certainly see cyclists very clearly, and being well disposed I obviously conducted myself with suitable courtesy
But in general I would be driving quite close to the kerb, specifically so that I could obtain some forward vision up the nearside of the line of cars ahead of me who were generally hugging the centre line - as they do today. If LHD vehicles became common there could be implications for the cycling community...

[661-Pete]

In some countries - Australia for example - it is actually illegal to drive a vehicle with the steering wheel on the 'wrong' side. Not a law we could easily impose here, even if we were so inclined, not with the number of Continental visitors we get in the UK.

[beardy]

In some countries - Australia for example - it is actually illegal to drive a vehicle with the steering wheel on the 'wrong' side. Not a law we could easily impose here, even if we were so inclined, not with the number of Continental visitors we get in the UK.

Not illegal, just restricted.

https://www.qld.gov.au/transport/regist ... ster/left/

I knew that I had seen LHD vehicles in Australia, so I had a check.

[The fat commuter]

PS

Why are cars in the UK right hand drive ?

Is that, why are the steering wheels on the right, OR, why do we drive on the left?

Driving on the left is to do with being right handed and holding a sword in your right hand whilst riding a horse. However, in some countries (France, apparently), they started having carts that were drawn by four horses. The driver would ride on the back, leftmost horse so that he could hold a whip in his right hand and guide either the two front horses. From the left side of the vehicle, he wanted opposing traffic to pass on his left - so traffic drove on the right. This then spread to other countries - but not the UK.

As I understand, many commonwealth countries drive on the left, but not all - I don't think Canada does.

Good explanation here.
http://www.worldstandards.eu/cars/driving-on-the-left/

That's how it was explained to me. Whether it's true or not, who knows.

[jezer]

As I understand it countries whose mototorists drive on the left are the UK, Ireland, Japan, South Africa, Austalia, NZ, possibly India. Maybe some other African countries. When cycling in France I find generally the standards are better, apart from UK registered cars.

[MikeF]

PS

Why are cars in the UK right hand drive ?

They also drive on the left (right side steering) in Japan, and some of the Japanese visitors we have had here are alarmed at how fast cars are driven in this country.

As said RHD is because we drive on the left.... and also as said not all LHD have sensible drivers, or at least they can see more easily how much more closely they can overtake.
I too have found Dutch can be dreadful at overtaking, but think this maybe a legacy of rarely coming into contact with cyclists cos they are off the roads on cycle routes... One reason I do not like the idea of fully segregated cycle routes.

I've noticed that as well - maybe they're worried about hitting oncoming vehicles if they give too much room.

No. I think LHD cars would not help cyclists; possibly the reverse.

[cjchambers]

Why are cars in the UK right hand drive ?

It dates back to medieval times - drivers of horse carts would sit on the right so that they could in could raise their whips without hitting overhanging timberframe buildings.