LHD v RHD USA

[Earl Marischal]

I was wondering, why (and when) did the USA decide to go left hand drive?

I am sure that I have seen pics of early US cars that were RHD.

steve 

[dartman]

Sorry,I got nothing......

[SfanGoch]

Google© is your friend:

Left and Right Hand Traffic

[Art Anderson]

I was wondering, why (and when) did the USA decide to go left hand drive?

I am sure that I have seen pics of early US cars that were RHD.

steve

For starters, driving vehicles on the right side of the road or street has been the standard here in the US since our beginnings.  Early automobiles here came with both left- and right-hand-drive, for one simple reason:  It was considered dangerous by some early automakers for the driver to enter his car from the left, or street-side.  However, it was Packard, followed by Ford, who pretty much standardized American cars to LHD.  The rationale there is, while a driver enters the car from the left, or traffic side, passengers can enter the car from the curb--deemed much safer.  Also, with the advent of first the large fabric tops on roadsters and touring cars, the driver of a vehicle following one is better positioned to see on-coming traffic.

Art

[Tom Geiger]

and if you really wanna have fun, go to the US Virgin Islands.... right hand drive with US left hand drive cars! 

[B_rad88]

Ive always wanted a rhd car, I think its cause we didnt want to like the british lol

 

And tom geiger, you should see burma (republic of myanmar)  they have rhd but  drive on the right side of the road.

 

Edit:

Lancia apprillia(if thats spelled right) the very first car designed in a wind tunnle was built RHD only!

Edited August 20, 2015 by B_rad88

[Tom Geiger]

 

Ive always wanted a rhd car,  

 

US Postal Service used to sell off used RHD vehicles, like the small vans and Jeeps.  I remember them actually having a booth at the Englishtown Fall Car Meet  to promote their auctions and sales.  Then suddenly they stopped selling them to the public amid issues with people having accidents due to not being able to handle the RHD!   Yea, we can just figure that somebody sued!

Edited August 20, 2015 by Tom Geiger

[dublin boy]

Sweden went LHD literally over night in 1967 as far as I remember.

 

The UK, Ireland, Australia. New Zealand, Japan and a few other countries still have right hand drive, or correct hand drive as we call it

 

 

 

 

[sjordan2]

and if you really wanna have fun, go to the US Virgin Islands.... right hand drive with US left hand drive cars! 

Been there, done that, scary. 

[Greg Myers]

So how does it work when one goes through the Chunnel to France ? 

Edited August 21, 2015 by Greg Myers

[B_rad88]

Its not that hard to drive a rhd car in the us, tuner crowd been doing for a while, I've seen a s13 k's silvia, a r32 gts-t a r33 gts and a Subaru liberty wagon all of them rhd and driving around here in Florida. And lol tom I thought bout getting one..... Lol

 

There is a place in Virginia "Japanese classic cars" that import into the USA with legal rego and papers!

 

http://www.japaneseclassicsllc.com

 

thats the website

Edited August 21, 2015 by B_rad88

[Longbox55]

Don't forget all of the US mail trucks out there.

[B_rad88]

Don't forget all of the US mail trucks out there.

lol a little late

[Longbox55]

lol a little late

Ahh, nuts. Didn't see that part in Toms post

[sjordan2]

Somehow I got back here after the reply box once again kicked me over to another site -- this time, to jeepusa. I don't know if this commonly reported problem is the responsibility of Invision or the failure of forum management to deal with it  

Anyway, eons ago in 1965, My parents lived in Hong Kong and I spent a few months there. I found RHD with manual column shifting very easy to use (essential in the mountainous terrain along with a really good parking brake lever at a 35 degree uphill stoplight) and in fact I had to get used to LHD all over again when I returned to the States. 

Edited August 21, 2015 by sjordan2

[Foxer]

Sweden went LHD literally over night in 1967 as far as I remember.

I never knew that. I drove there in 1968 and saw no one coming down my lane on "wrong" side of the road aimed at me! We left out car in Calais on out way to London so we wouldn't have to battle the "wrong side of the road".

[Art Anderson]

As a sidebar here:  In the UK, railroad trains on double track run, as standard procedure, on the left hand track.  In the US, all railroads using double tracks run, as standard procedure on the right hand track--save for one railroad:  The Chicago & Northwestern Railway was built with British capital, and that RR adopted the British running standard, held to that for over a century.

Art

[B_rad88]

Wow I didn't know that, then again I never got into trains, planes or boats, only just automobiles lol

As a sidebar here:  In the UK, railroad trains on double track run, as standard procedure, on the left hand track.  In the US, all railroads using double tracks run, as standard procedure on the right hand track--save for one railroad:  The Chicago & Northwestern Railway was built with British capital, and that RR adopted the British running standard, 

[Edsel-Dan]

There is a Postal carrier around the corner from me

her CJ 4dr is RHD!!

And Now USPS gives then Dodge/Chrysler Mini vans with LHD!!!!

NO more $$/mile on Their vehicles!!!

I will try to take Pic's in Daylight!!!

Edited August 22, 2015 by Edsel-Dan
mis-spell

[Skip]

Been driving a RHD Mini since around 2001, takes about ten minutes to get used to, the only real coordination issue was shifting left handed.  I always get the question of RHD being legal to drive on US roads, always answer with something like,  "When was the last time you saw a mail carrier pulled over?"  They always get that light bulb moment and look when they understand the goofiness of their own question. 

[martinfan5]

Been driving a RHD Mini since around 2001, takes about ten minutes to get used to, the only real coordination issue was shifting left handed.  I always get the question of RHD being legal to drive on US roads, always answer with something like,  "When was the last time you saw a mail carrier pulled over?"  They always get that light bulb moment and look when they understand the goofiness of their own question. 

Its sad, there are lot of people think certain cars are not allowed here because they are RHD, and its illegal to have a RHD car here ,   I would love to get a RHD Nissan.

Edited August 23, 2015 by martinfan5

[Skip]

Its sad, there are lot of people think certain cars are not allowed here because they are RHD, and its illegal to have a RHD car here ,   I would love to get a RHD Nissan.

you can import any car you want to as long  as it's 25 years old or older under, collector car status.  So if whatever Model Nissan you are looking at isn't rusted into the ground you're in luck!  Can't you find someone to trade dash and pedal-box with?  Most cars that are sold in RHD or LHD markets are set up so the switch is possible, with some work.

[martinfan5]

you can import any car you want to as long  as it's 25 years old or older under, collector car status.  So if whatever Model Nissan you are looking at isn't rusted into the ground you're in luck!  Can't you find someone to trade dash and pedal-box with?  Most cars that are sold in RHD or LHD markets are set up so the switch is possible, with some work.

Yes, I am well aware of that. 

I will just save the time and buy a RHD car , and save the time on the work, I want to import RHD car.

Edited August 23, 2015 by martinfan5

[Longbox55]

you can import any car you want to as long  as it's 25 years old or older under, collector car status.  So if whatever Model Nissan you are looking at isn't rusted into the ground you're in luck!  Can't you find someone to trade dash and pedal-box with?  Most cars that are sold in RHD or LHD markets are set up so the switch is possible, with some work.

That not 100% accurate. You can bring over "gray market" vehicles, but you cannot license or register them for road use until the met US emissions and safety standards., plus pay the import taxes and other fees. This includes supplying a bill of sale, motor vehicle tax forms RUT-35 or RUT-50, vehicle transaction form VSD-190, US customs form7501 "entry summary", DOT form HS-7, US EPA form 3520-1.

There are exceptions; 1, the importer or importer's agent submits documentation that the vehicle is in compliance with US emissions and safety standards; 2,A manufacturers Certificate of Origin has been issued showing the vehicle is in compliance with US EPA and DOT standards; or 3, the vehicle is 25 years old or older. This all from the Grey Market Vehicle Guidelines brochure for the State of Illinois.

[Harry P.]

However, it was Packard, followed by Ford, who pretty much standardized American cars to LHD.  The rationale there is, while a driver enters the car from the left, or traffic side, passengers can enter the car from the curb--deemed much safer.

The exact same is true in a RHD situation, only reversed.