Driving in CH in a Right Hand Drive (RHD) Car

Ladies and Gentlemen, I have a very quick question regarding driving a RHD car in CH. What are the pitfalls and does it make life difficult? My wife is quite attached to her jeep and doesn't want to give it up if she doesn't have to....your comments would be much appreciated.

I brought my RHD Jeep over here two years ago and it's been fine, no problems at all.

The only real problem is at car parks if you are alone because the ticket dispenser is on the other side of the Jeep. Other than that it's all good.

Merging onto motorways.... They are quite an acute angle and you have to concentrate on merging into the lane at a relatively fast speed whilst looking behind you stretching over the passenger seat to get a good look at what is coming up behind you, wing mirrors and rear view mirrors are too late.

I've just brought my RHD Mercedes A class from the UK and don't have too many problems driving other than the ones mentioned above: car parks and motorways. Also driving up and down steep hills can be a bit scary.

It does come at quite a cost as the engine had to be cleaned, the gas emissions tested and lights changed by a Swiss garage to get Swiss plates. Swiss plates are needed before you can get Swiss car insurance from anyone but Zurich.

There are loads of good posts on EF about importing cars, but my main bit of advice is to get an MOT from the UK just before you leave. You have 3 months insurance to drive abroad on any UK policy and it is possible to extend this but only if the MOT is valid. It is not possible to get a MOT from anywhere in the world but the UK.

I did find that I had a significant number of changes to my life moving to Switzerland. Having to buy a new LHD car for me would have been that one change too much.

I've had my RHD over here for 10 months now. Never had a problem with motorways, but yep car park ticket machines are a pain.

I find biggest issues are overtaking and the lack of visibility past the car in front. And driving on smaller/mountain roads when you have a high wall or rockface next to you around a right hand corner. You can't see much around the corner if you're pushed up against it.

These are probably less of an issue if you're not a keen driver

What Jeep do you have?

Stuart Collins will insure you for 12months but you'll need to use a UK address for the paperwork.

I have a RHD car and it's only really car parks and the occasional overtaking manoevre that cause problems. I had Stuart Collins insurance for a year before going to Swiss plates.

The benefits, other than financial (which were a big deal given the price of an equivalent car here), are that on busy Autoroutes when everyone is edging across the lane to see ahead, I can stick to the right so get a clearer view, and also the surprised look & smile I get when pedestrians and drivers wave thank you to me for being courteous, only to see a dog sitting where the driver should be.

We bought a Discovery(automatic) in the UK a year before moving - we use it here in CH now, and no problem at all. My Yaris is left-hand drive manual- you just get used to it. Keeps Alzheimers at bay.

That is new info: Does Jeep has a new model Discovery? Doesn't Land Rover have a say in that?

I think you're getting the posters beginning with the letter 'O' muddled up!!!

Yes, you got me confused now!

Our surname begins with C - so once on the phone I had to give my details and I said 'Mrs O C....' - and they replied 'I never knew you were Irish!'.

It was only after I put the phone down that I realised!

takes a split second to turn head and look and no stretching , i dont have issues using mirrors only either, they are properly adjusted.

I drive a right hand drive here. Only problem really, like people say, is car parks (although I can climb over the middle console when the roof is down).

Roundabouts can be a pain (I had a left hooker in the UK - just to be awkward - and had the same problem).

Overtaking trucks, tractors and buses can be very much guesswork, although I have a very fast car so tend to be past the obstacle before I've even changed down a gear. In a Jeep, I can see it being more of a problem, although you're higher up so maybe able to see over some cars. In saying that, when the road curves around to the right (or is it left? ), you can see around the car in front earlier than in a LHD.

Motorways are not a problem if you have your mirrors positioned right and are comfortable with your blind spot. Although that rule also applies to LHD cars anyway.

My lights are a pain at night, as I can not buy European adaptors for my car. As they face into the middle of the road, I tend to get a blind spot when taking sharp corners.

One big advantage though is at those stupid junctions where you have to give way to people coming from the right (despite them being in the blind spot for left hand drive vehicles). You can see what's coming. Same applies to mountain roads (at least where overtaking is not needed) and narrow lanes through roadworks, as you have a better understanding of how far to the right you can go.

Also, comically, I find having a passenger with their feet on the dashboard or painting their nails tends to freak out oncoming drivers.

For the parking ticket problem, buy a litter grabber....

http://www.randmh.com/litter-grabber...lection-tools/

Hi everyone

I'm interested in the reference to cleaning the engine and emissions. Does anyone know if this is about getting a certification or is tax tied to co2 as it is in Ireland?

We want to bring a 3.0 petrol Z4 RHD 2007 and it eats petrol!

love your work.

This is killing me... what model of Jeep are we talking about

Apart from what others have said, note that if you ever want to sell it.. it will worth peanuts unless its truly a very special model ( GC Trailhawk etc..)

I guess it will also have suffered some additional depreciation in the intervening 8 years since the OP opened this thread.

I had a RHD car here for 5 years. Not any problems at all, just got used to it. After 5 years we decided to sell it so we took it back to UK.

Just one advice, when you drive, keep in mind that your speed clock shows miles not kilometres (my car did) . I paid once big fine for driving in 30km zone over limit. I was actually driving 30, but didn’t realise that it was 30m/h so I was driving 50km/h in 30 zone. Ended up with huge fine.

Lol.. I sure missed that.

All the attention was on the word "Jeep “