| Oilersguy |
| Hi all, just wondering who here that owns a right hand drive vehicle uses it as their daily driver. I really want to get a right hand drive vehicle, but am afraid that it won't be usefull as a daily driver. Anyone can answer this thread, please respond with whether it is a hobby car/weekend cruiser, or if you use your right hand drive car as an actual daily driver. Also, if there is anyone who commutes on a daily basis to work and travels on the highway I'd also be interested in hearing from you to see what the pros and cons of driving these cars every day on the highway is like. Thanks. |
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| JoeBlow |
| I have been using mine as a daily driver since i got it. I have had no problems with it I think that it too me about 30 mins to get use to RHD other than hitting wipers instead of turn signals that took a couple days. I still haven't had a chance to get any hiway drving but i think that will be where there will be some problems. so it pretty much depends on how long it will take for you to get use to RHD some ppl seem to take a bit longer. |
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| Braden |
| I had a blast using my old Silvia as a daily driver, never had a problem, drove it to work everyday from august until december, Then parked it and started driving my winter car. As for the hiway, I picked my car up in Vancouver and drove it back to calgary w/o any problems. I took it to red Deer and Edmonton quite a few times, and Leftbridge once. They are fun cars, it isn't that different. |
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| baker_jeff |
| Get a Honda. :thumbup: Mine is my daily driver, reliable as hell, fast, gets lots of attention!:) |
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| TyPhOOnSliPPerY |
| every car I have owned rhd has been very easy to drive on the street and only something such as a stiff clutch or aftermarket lsd can be something to get used to ... otherwise sitting on the right side and shifting with your left hand doesnt make it any less useful and since I got my first car from japan I have been using a rhd car everyday for summer and winter |
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| baker_jeff |
| Oh, and it is very easy to drive and get used to... |
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| FCUK_HONDA |
how about the left hand turns, how akward is that?
oh and heres a hypothetical situation, say you get into an accident can they blame you for it, just based on the fact that maybe your vision was obsured from being on the RH side? |
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| Braden |
quote:
Originally posted by FCUK_HONDA
how about the left hand turns, how akward is that?
oh and heres a hypothetical situation, say you get into an Collision can they blame you for it, just based on the fact that maybe your vision was obsured from being on the RH side?
That would not be a accident, I hate that word, they are collisions, and there is no reason for them! Keep your eyes on the road ahead and you shouldn't have any problems.
Not if your vision wasn't obsured.
It's a bit harder, but put if this way, if you aren't confident you can make the turn safe and sound, don't turn. The only reason that you could see if there was enough space to make the turn would be if there was anouther vehical in the way, and if thats the case, just wait. Also if you have a passenger that you trust, they can help too. |
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| FCUK_HONDA |
| Ok, now can the "Collision" still be blamed on you just because you're driving a RHD? you know how insurance companys will do anything to get out of paying out. |
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| Oilersguy |
| So, from what I understand, it would be wise for me to drive the car around my neighbourhood for awhile til I got used to driving the RHD and then start taking it out on the highway and stuff. Have any of you ever had people get mad at you for taking your time turning left? |
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| Braden |
quote:
Originally posted by Oilersguy
So, from what I understand, it would be wise for me to drive the car around my neighbourhood for awhile til I got used to driving the RHD and then start taking it out on the highway and stuff. Have any of you ever had people get mad at you for taking your time turning left?
Do you ever get mad at the [insert your own driver group] That takes forever to make left turns or don't merge poperly, drive to slow...ect ect. RHD really has nothing to do with it, if someone ever says so, fight it to the death! |
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| Bad Egg |
I imported a mostly stock AWD turbo car that has an equivalent North American version, so most parts are not a problem. I commute with it daily from Spruce Grove into Edmonton and have had no problems so far. Here are my thoughts on your question:
1. RHD imports are not hard to drive and are not inherently more dangerous than LHD cars if driven properly.
2. There is a bit of a vision restriction when turning left and the opposing turning lane is occupied. You will face the same problem in most LHD cars, so it is a minor issue to me.
3. My biggest concern is seeing oncoming traffic when attempting to pass on a two lane highway. That obstacle rarely comes into play since I drive more in urban areas where highways are divided. If I had to drive on two lane highways where I was passing constantly I would take this into account. To balance this out, my car has enough power to make this pass pretty quickly.
4. Your most important consideration when deciding on a daily driver is more related to what kind of car it is and what kind of modifications have been done to it. A high HP rear wheel drive car that you have to import parts for is not what I would consider ideal for a daily driver. That is true for any highly modified car - if it is driven the way it is built for, things will break. A more stock import would likely be more suitable for a reliable daily driver. |
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| midnite |
i found RHD to be no more difficult than LHD. if you are unsure about a left hand turn, don't turn. it's the same as if your view were blocked by a wide vehicle and you were in a left hand drive car.
if you cause an accident because you turned in front of another car, that is your fault as a driver, not your car. |
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| reeskm |
Anybody ever put a small B/W security or web cam on the LHS of their RHD car? I was thinking that putting a camera maybe by drilling a hole in the LHS mirror or valence could help viewing oncoming traffic for left turns or lane passes. I think if you scavenged the parts it could be cheap...
Thoughts? |
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| SilverNeonRacer |
quote:
Originally posted by reeskm
Anybody ever put a small B/W security or web cam on the LHS of their RHD car? I was thinking that putting a camera maybe by drilling a hole in the LHS mirror or valence could help viewing oncoming traffic for left turns or lane passes. I think if you scavenged the parts it could be cheap...
Thoughts?
I just throught of that... it wold have to be a pretty hi quality camera and a good enough screen to give you an accurat perception of how far on coming vehicles are.
Fot the highway, in a RHD, you' prollyhave to do whgat I do in my LHD sometimes, ride the should and look past the vehicle in front of you on the rhs.
I've had to do it when jack asses qare riding the center line, pop in to the shoulder for a quick traffic check, then blast by... on the lhs |
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| reeskm |
| Checking for traffic in your RHD car by checking around the car on the rhs is probably the best tip I've heard. The best part of Canada is that we have nice wide shoulders and really large lanes! It pays to live in a place with so much space! |
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