Donie Cassidy, the leader of Ireland's upper chamber Senate, said Ireland should consider the switch because of the tens of thousands of workers, especially from central and eastern European countries, that are currently flooding the country. It is also a popular tourist destination for visitors from the United States. "We have all of these people coming in from Europe and from America and (because of) the roads that they are used to driving on in their own countries it is a huge difficulty when they start driving here," Cassidy told public broadcaster RTE.
Such a move is not unheard of. Back in 1967, Sweden switched from driving on the left to driving on the right to come into line with the rest of Europe. However, motoring bodies have deemed the proposal as “completely impractical.” Another solution put forward by Cassidy is to limit the maximum speed of visitors to 80km/h, while Irish residents could travel at up to 120km/h.
Reader Comments
Mon Feb 11 2008 10:44 AM
chris says
wow... variable speed limits? thats even more stupid. I'd like to see the isles change over to left hand drive. i suppose there are a few more large countries such as south africa and australia that would have to switch as well, but it would be nice to see development costs reduced if the remaining 20% of the world just switched over.
Mon Feb 11 2008 1:02 PM
NaBUru38 says
I guess thousands of motorway intersections will have to be rebuilt.
Mon Feb 11 2008 1:38 PM
Roy says
This lunacy will not ever get made into law. If it does, it will be designed as a snub against the UK, not for safety. I have switched sides of the road many times over the last decade and it is not problematic as long as the steering wheels are correctly placed. In that case, the driver must just position himself or herself closest to the center of the street. End of problem.
As for switching the UK, Japan, Australia, South Africa (and India?), I don't think it's feasible anymore. Moreover, the car manufacturers get to charge their customers in those countries more money for having to "re-engineer" cars for the opposite side of the road, which increases their profits.
Mon Feb 11 2008 3:24 PM
chris says
roy im sure they arent profiting from reversing the steering wheel. u have to redesign a lot of parts, and the assembly line too. its not exactly a simple matter. and yes, india is also on the wrong side of the road :D
i dont see how thousands of motorway intersections would need to be rebuilt. normal traffic lights and motorways (highways) would just have to change directions. the standard cloverloaf intersection would still work... so long as EVERY road is changed over.
now.. i've never seen it so i wont know.. but at the boarder for countries such as england and france (you can drive in the chunnel right?) how do the roads change sides? thats just about the only concern.
and you'd have to repost all of your signs... which should be a fairly simple matter of just turning them 180 degrees.
Mon Feb 11 2008 7:08 PM
Jim says
....the changing process seems painful...
Mon Feb 11 2008 8:22 PM
MARK says
Chris you must be a typical american idiot who thinks there system is the only system.
I have driven left hand and right hand drive cars and to me RHD is the better option.
Mon Feb 11 2008 9:55 PM
admin says
Mark - no need to make the comment personal. If you think RHD is better please explain your reasons.
Thanks.
Tue Feb 12 2008 1:43 AM
Alan says
This will be a pain to change, i really don't see the point though, i've driven on either side of the road and found both sides easy to drive on without much problem
Tue Feb 12 2008 10:04 AM
Tina says
That seems silly. I drove on the left hand side of the road when I was over there, and it doesn't take that long to get used to it. Anyway, aside from the conversion being expensive (with all of the cars having steering wheels on the wrong side then), did they ever think that then all of the Irish people who actually LIVE in the country would have to get used to driving on the wrong side of the road? Couldn't that have the potential of causing accidents as well?
Wed Feb 13 2008 12:35 AM
RB says
thought this was an april 1st joke but its only feb!
Chris - in the UK and Ireland we generally do not have the cloverleaf exit system used in the states - we simply have not got the room!. Crossing the channel you drive your car onto a train, park up and drive off the other side!
In the sixties when Sweden switched I wonder how many cars were on the road then!! - Even though it would be a good idea if the world all drove on the same side I can't see this ever happening within the UK and Ireland-
The argument given in the text suggesting it safer for the visitors - what a but the locals who considerably out number the visitors and happen to live there all the time!
Just thought Anyone know why some drive on the left and some drive on the right??
Thu Jun 12 2008 2:17 PM
Bill Dryden says
In Scotland and Wales we also drive on the left,so it's not just England.
Tue Jun 17 2008 2:30 PM
Andy says
RB hit it on the head. Traffic levels in 65 were probably 25% of what they are today. (happy to be corrected on that figure, it's ust a guess)
Sweden had good reason to change to driving on the rightr in 65.
She has land borders, thousands of km long, with Norway and Finland that drive on the right.
An island, like Irleand, or UK for that matter, has no real need. To use the argument of making easier for visitors, is quite frankly preposterous.
I wonder if anyone asked the Irish people what they thought, before this crackpot idea was mooted.
Someone asked why some contries drive left, and some right.
Most of the world kept to the left until the 17th/18th century. Something to do with right handed people having their swords on the left, finding it easier to mount their horses from the left. Also passing other horsemen on the left so that their sword scabbards didn't clash.
Around 35% of the world drives left, (Large part of Asia, East and Southern Arica, many Carribean Islands, + 4 counties in Europe) ,65% right, irerspective of whether you count contries or population.
Mon Aug 11 2008 3:22 PM
DM says
Why should we switch??Why don't the rest of Europe change to the left??
Sun Aug 24 2008 7:37 AM
Art says
First of all, sorry to say Bill, but when the rest of the world speak about England, they generally mean the UK, which includes Wales, Scotland and probably Northern Ireland.
I'm from the Netherlands (Holland for the rest of the world), I've migrated to Australia a few years ago and am used to driving on either side of the road. To me driving on the right side of the road has one practical benefit: most people are right handed and it's a little easier to operate the gear stick with your right hand. In Australia that doesn't really make a big difference as 99% of the people drive automatic anyway (and I guess you get used to changing gears left handed anyway)...
Thu Oct 16 2008 10:55 AM
Scott says
When Malta joined the EU it was suggested that they change to the right. They answered by stating that they prefered to drive in the shade.
Changing sides would mean a completely new bus fleet, and I suspect Ireland like the UK has spent a great deal of money already buying low floor buses which would be out of date if such a change were to come about. As for foreign visitors, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. I have seen many articulated lorries in Britain with a UK number plates over their country of origin plates, meaning they swapped the tractor unit at the port to suit the left hand drive. Sensible solution.
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