Time to drive on the RHS

[OwlHoot]

Britain should start driving on the RHS of the road like everyone else.

Firstly, safety : you try flitting back and forth between US/EU and UK and you'll find yourself looking the wrong way too.

The biggest reason why the idea of changing _now_ is as daft as a brush is that in twenty or thirty years, or not much longer, all vehicles on public highways will (probably by law) be driven entirely by robots. So, apart from pedestrian signs, it will therefore be possible to switch driving sides at the drop of hat and with a minimum of cost and fuss.

Exactly the same argument applies to identity cards BTW - On a similar timescale, security cameras (or image processing systems behind them) will be able to recognize anyone by face or gait etc, and tie up multiple sightings sufficiently to allow easy identification in practice, even if many peoples' identities aren't formally on file.

A perfect analogy of Labour's Identity Card scheme, embarked on now, would have been the Government deciding in 1900 to spend a billion pounds on a vast network of sluices and drains specifically to remove horse dung from the streets of London - when the first cars were already chugging around.

[AtW]

A stupidly expensive proposal with very limited benefits.

I used to be in favour of changing but after having looked at arguement came to conclusion that its a non starter because of so many cars on the road that will have to be converted.

If this country was not on an island, then maybe, but currently UK is more or less separated from the rest of the world insofar as driving is concerned -- most people fly in or out for travel purposes.

Conclusion -- waste of money.

[DimPrawn]

It would be cheaper to give everyone a Maclaren F1 with its central driving position.

[threaded]

They ought to do the change over in stages: buses and lorries first.

[wendigo100]

They ought to do the change over in stages: buses and lorries first.

Or everybody moving to the middle first.

[threaded]

No, no, the middle should have the armco ripped up and be turned into cycle paths.

[wendigo100]

No, no, the middle should have the armco ripped up and be turned into cycle paths.

John Prescott might prefer it to be used for continental-style bars and cafes, for drivers in the fast lane.

[datestamp]

A full changeover to the other side of the road would be too radical.

They should start with RH driving at the weekends, and then if that works well they could slip in Wednesday afternoon too.

[wendigo100]

A full changeover to the other side of the road would be too radical.

Yes, that was threaded's point too.

What about staying on the same side of the road for a bit, but all driving backwards? Then we are still facing all the existing traffic lights, albeit after we have reversed past them.

[GiGo]

Get the frogs, krauts and yanks to drive on our side of the road is a much better idea

I'm sure Tony could convince them that left is right