Is the wheel of the car in your country on the left or right hand side?
By dodyast3
@dodyast3 (1514)
Indonesia
October 5, 2009 9:33pm CST
I live in a country that has a wheel on the right hand side of the car, but I do know driving a car in other country and it has the wheel on the left. How about your country? Is it on the left or right?
I had an experience of driving a car, which has the wheel on the left when I was traveling to USA. Luckily, I was driving a car with automatic gear, so I don't need to move the gear manually. If I have to move the gear, it might be difficult for my right hand to do so. Have you experience driving a car with the wheel on the opposite side?
3 responses
@minx267 (15526)
• Hartford, Connecticut
6 Oct 09
I am in the U.S. and here the wheel is on the left.
but I thought about the question you are posing as I watched an episode of Top Gear last week.
As they usually drive cars where the wheel is on the right.. I thought I bet it is odd for them to have to REALLY think about the gear shift when it on the other side.
I guess some people are more ambidextrous then others. But out of habit I would just want to do that with my right hand- and You obviously with your left and I can see where it must take a lot of conscious thought to go against what has become habit.
@dodyast3 (1514)
• Indonesia
6 Oct 09
Yes exactly. The same thing happen to me when I was driving a car with automatic gear. I usually drive a manual car where my left foot on the clutch and the right foot for brake and accelerator. When I drove an automatic car, I accidentally used my left foot on the brake like I was using the clutch. The car just stopped immediately. I was shocked at that time, but it was ok. It was almost midnight, so the road was empty at that time.
But it is already a habit for my left foot to be active while driving.
@jwfarrimond (4473)
•
8 Oct 09
Is'nt Top Gear a British program? Or were you watching a US version? It sounds to me like you were watching the British program.
@Gongfuboy (130)
• China
6 Oct 09
I'm from China, the wheels are whole positioned on the left hand side of the cars in my China. Anyway, I know many other countries, especially the western countries, their design is opposite from Chinese one. I think it's not the key point, if you are good at driving a car, to control at which side is just a small plate. right?
@dodyast3 (1514)
• Indonesia
6 Oct 09
Actually, it is matter whether the wheel on the left or right. For controlling the wheel may not have a problem, neither on left or right, but it usually a problem when you need to move the gear. If your wheel is on the left, then you need your right hand to move the gear. The other way around, you will use your left hand to move the gear if the wheel is on the right.
It takes awhile before your hand can move the gear smoothly.
@jwfarrimond (4473)
•
8 Oct 09
British here, so we have right hand drive cars. I see though that you are from Indonesia, so if you have right hand drive cars, you must drive on the left?
