May be I was lucky, but I did not find switching from a left hand drive car
to a right hand drive one a problem at all- even having to drive on the
"wrong side of the road" was not bad. When I left France to live in England,
it took me less than a week to really get used to driving a British car...
My only real problem was that if I stopped for petrol at a service station
on the right side of the road, I tended to start off driving on the right
side of the road again!... "Roundabouts" (traffic circles in the US) could
be a problem too... Shifting gears with the "wrong hand" was no problem.
And when after 20 years in England, I came to the States, I don't think it
took me more than a couple of days to get used to the change... By the way,
I find it much easier to drive here than in Great Britain. Passing the
driving test here was also very easy. I have had driving licenses from Iowa,
California, England and France- the most difficult test by far (both written
and driving) was my first one- in France. That was more difficult than
getting my driving instructor's license in California!
Another thing- I drove a left-hand drive car in England from time to time,
and my insurance always went up, just because the car had the steering wheel
on the "wrong side" (they think you may take more risks when overtaking,
etc.)
Jacques Le Clainche
VARA 1960 Austin-Healey Sprite #4, F Production
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