Just got back from a week in the US VI and had absolutely no problem switching to driving on the other side. I realized I don’t drive on ‘automatic’, I am always thinking about every little thing of the road and traffic and what could happen, so there was never a time I took my mind off of what I was doing.
Me too Lanzy; that’s probably a side effect of my extensive time on racing simulators. As long as I concentrated on where I was supposed to be I was alright-my one little almost- mistake above was during an absent minded moment and I was halfway to completing the turn before I straightened her out and went straight across the street (to eventually make a uturn).
Grew up and learned to drive in Australia, and since then i’ve lived in the UK, Canada, and the US.
I’m now almost equally comfortable on either side of the road, and on either side of the car. If i’m driving a manual transmission and am trying to zip quickly through the gears, i’m still not quite as fast and fluid changing gears with my right hand, but the difference isn’t noticeable in everyday driving situations.
I don’t have any real problem going back and forth between the States and Japan. I sometimes have to think for a second on which side I should be on, but it’s not bad.
The first time I came back from Japan, though, I picked my sister up from work on a Sunday morning and made a left out of the parking lot on to major street with no traffic, and look off on the left side of the road. :smack: Freaked my sister out.
The only problem I have is when I first go back I find myself turning the windshild wipers on when I intend to signal since they are reversed.
I’ve driven all 4 possible steering wheel/road side combinations at one point or another. I grew up and learned to drive in the US before moving to the UK about 12 years ago. At first I had my LHD American car and had no problem driving on the left. My next car was ‘normal’ UK RHD and that took a little time to get used to. I kept getting too close to things on the left. I’ve also driven RHD in France. Being left handed the shifting was easy. I’m now back in an early LHD Smart, and have no problems switching types.