Just a thought, when you see how many foreigners, have sideswiped cars that they couldnt see in their blind spot, how many RHD trucks have this problem when abroad? I wonder in this day and age of flat floor trucks and the like, would it be for truck makers to incorporate a feature, where the steering wheel can be swapped from side to side? I dont think it would be that hard to do cause a lot of new trucks have the gearsticks on stalks now, and didnt Mercedes already do this with the Unimog?
So when foreigners come over here just slide the wheel over and bingo a RHD truck!
Being blunt i put it down to the standard of driving of some of our foreign friends!
Never had a problem with a right ■■■■■■ abroad before!
Well thats my opinion anyway!
i drive a lhd van to work and have done for the last two years . i also drive a lhd american rv only a tiddler at 30 foot long but i have,nt sideswiped anyone. i do put it down to bad driving. if you are planning in advance for your overtake then you should know whats coming up behind you and whats overtaking you and when it is safe to pullout. you see it all the time down here, 1 flash on the indicator and then the big swerve into the outside lane and bang.
I never had a problem driving in France in a RHD vehicle. I used to take printed matter from Cherbourg to Angers some years back, I found it a pleasant trip along the country roads
They already have steering both sides, it’s called a gulley emptier!!!, if you had to remove it from one side to the other, you would need a trained greese monkey and a mate plus heath and saftey to make sure they didn’t hurt themselves.
bugcos:
Just a thought, when you see how many foreigners, have sideswiped cars that they couldnt see in their blind spot, how many RHD trucks have this problem when abroad? I wonder in this day and age of flat floor trucks and the like, would it be for truck makers to incorporate a feature, where the steering wheel can be swapped from side to side? I dont think it would be that hard to do cause a lot of new trucks have the gearsticks on stalks now, and didnt Mercedes already do this with the Unimog?
So when foreigners come over here just slide the wheel over and bingo a RHD truck!
Ok i can see your point here bugcos,but have you ever thought that just perhaps it wasn’t the truck driver who hit the car …
Most of the problems stem from cars overtaking trucks and cutting in to soon,I would not think for one minute that the truck driver would “go” for a car delibretly,bearing in mind he is a long way from home …
As i have driven over the water i find the cars over there are a little more “truck friendly” unlike our car drivers…
In the US they park the trailer on a train, unhitch the unit and send it accross the country. Why can’t this be done in europe? Stick the trailer on a train in turkey or where ever it comes from, whip it through the tunnel, to the nearest rail port in the UK then drag it the rest of the way with a UK tractor. Ease congestion, ease accidents due to LHD’s, better for the environment and lets face it, not many loads need to be there within a week. Look at how long it takes to get a container from the US or China, companies could work around it.
You just pulled a lever, the same as when you’re adjusting the wheel on a standard truck, and the whole wheel, pedals, instrument binnacle, etc slid over to whatever side you wanted it on. Push the lever down and the wheel engages in a small hole in the floor, the wiring for the binnacle engages and hey presto! R or LHD!
Dont’ think it would work on a “proper” truck though. The floors may be flat, but the dashboards arent’!!
I worked For Post Kogeko B.V for a few months in summer 2007 driving a LHD Scania and never had any probs with not seeing anyone in the blindspot or pulling out on people. I put most of our foreign friends mishaps down to some of their shocking standards of driving.
I drive a LHD truck and have done for about 10 years and the biggest problem is our own dear car drivers who haven’t got a clue how to drive on motorways or even join them. A typical driver will sit in a blind spot mesmorised by the shiny wheels or blue lamps. Of course this theory doesn’t go down well with all the anti people who want to slate foreign drivers at every turn.
The fact that the UK is probably the only place these drivers have ever driven on the wrong side of the road, but they have managed quite well to traverse 12 countries to get to our shores is quite relevant.
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