Also, I remember just tailing the slowest car I could find until I got my confidence.
I am not sure how I would cope if I had to drive a UK car over here.
I found that as long as you are driving a "swiss" car, it seems to feel a bit more natural to drive on the right - I.E the mirror is in the right place and you are sitting with the centre lane on your left. After a couple of hours with a little voice in your head saying "KEEP TO THE RIGHT" and remembering roundabouts are anti clockwise, it is not as bad as you think.
you gotta be real smart when changing gears at an intersection.
you gotta look up right to your rear view mirror,
reach down on da right, with your right hand..
look right behind you for cyclists
look to left for cars coming who have right of way
the rest you gotta work out yerself, coz its too much for me this early in the morning...
I find driving on the right pretty simple. The more you drive, the easier it gets and the more used to it you become. Of course you have to be more alert and remind yourself that you're on the opposite side of the road, but it gets easier.
The only thing that does tick me off is the Zebra / pedestrian crossings and the way people use them. Over here the people seem to think they can cross at anytime they please, even if a car is coming at maximum legal speed and it'd be better to wait for the car to pass befor crossing the road. They just step on to the road and expect the car to stop immediately. Be careful of each zebra crossing that you cross.
The first rule of a Zebra crossing for a pedestrian is to ensure that traffic has stopped before proceeding. It is not the case here. I feel children cross the roads much better than grown ups here.
"Pedestrians must also clearly indicate they wish to cross - children here are taught to face the oncoming traffic, then hold their arm out from their shoulder at right angles to the road direction indicating they wish to cross. Pedestrians can be fined for enforcing their right of way."
looks like you haven't quite grasped driving on the right side of the road sir
at intersections, roads that join together into one road, and unmarked roads, it's always right before left... so you gotta look to your right to make sure you don't hit any vehicles coming from that directions who have the right of way.... and the ones on your left will look out for you, and if they do crash into you, it's right before left so it's their fault...
cheers
TLD
Some tips here:
http://www.englishforum.ch/transport...de-street.html
You'll find other stickys at the bottom of your thread. Good Luck! It's not really that hard to adjust.
I can only give you the opposite advice. I drove a LHD car once from Southampton to Portsmouth (not such a journey) after my entire life of driving on the right side of the road. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Just follow the cars in front of you and you'll have it figured out in no time.
Sort of related random question: I've never driven a RHD car. Is the pedal configuration the same as a LHD (gas on the right, clutch on the left)? What about the shifting order? 1st gear closer to the driver?
the switch is relatively easy - just remember slow into danger and fast out.
The pedals and gears are exactly in the same order.
the crux for me of driving on the wrong side (not that it matters anymore) is to look at road markings and signs and (up to a point) follow other drivers.
after a while, you'll switch LHD/RHD and left-side, right-side of the road seamlessly like the rest of us
Everything else stays exactly the same.
Clutch=Left
Brake=Middle
Acelerator=Right.
1st gear=top left.
5th gear=top right.
I've driven pretty much every configuration and TBH the only place where I've had to really think regardless of what side the steering wheel is on, is coming out of one way streets. The rest just happens naturally.
get your husband to drive, it'll be safer.
For me driving on the other side of the road wasn't tricky, it was learning the different rules. There aren't many of them but enough. I had to do a driving test as 'the roads are wider' in Australia, or so the examiner informed me. My Japanese friend who comes from a country where they also drive on the left didn't need a test before getting her Swiss licence.
What about this thread?!
what about this?? http://www.drive-right.eu/
At least you're coming from the UK... people from Australia and South Africa for example have to take a mini-test! You can just change your licence.
Anyway, there's two things you need to consider:
1. driving on the wrong side of the road & wrong side of the car
2. different rules & different signage in a foreign country like here.
1. The first one isn't so bad. Just get used to doing things opposite... with my tip being when sitting on the wrong side of the car, get used to looking at the centre line and line the car up appropriately with that line--your passenger will thank you!
2. Be careful of the give way/priority to the right rule here and in many parts of Europe. I'm not going into detail now, but lookout for the yellow diamond sign and markings on roads which come from the right. With regards to signage, apart from distance/direction signs, signs are standardised throughout Europe (with the exception of Ireland), so no probs there. Here in Switzerland, motorways are green instead of blue and national roads are blue instead of green :-) There's also some parking rules (colour of boxes, etc.) that you'll need to know.
Finally if all else fails then apply these three simple rules (especially when driving in Italy):
1. Don't hit anything;
2. Don't let anything hit you;
3. and whatever happens, don't get caught
3. Trams.
They usually have the right of way and if you argue they open your car like a tin opener.
I am from Denmark, moved to UK, and now Switzerland, so I have done the change from both Right to left, and back again.
When I arrived in the UK, I bought a car after 1 month, so I had become used to the left side driving from driving as a passenger with others. When I got my first rhd car, I knocked my door every time i wanted to change gear, and that stopped after ca. 2 weeks. As long as you stay on the main roads, there is enough cars in front of you, or coming towards you, that you will stay in the right lane. It is when driving on small roads, where you dont see other cars, you may turn left/right, and position yourself in the wrong side of the road, where it could become dangerous, when another car comes.
When I moved to Switzerland, I brought my UK car over, and driving from Belgium to Switzerland on the Motorways was not an Issue. All cars go the same direction anyway, and when i came to Zürich, I just had to be aware, that I did not stay too close to the middle of the road, but too many cars, that you get in the wrong lane here.
Doc.
I would recommend having a few driving lessons when you arrive here, also don`t forget to ALWAYS stop to let people cross over the street were there is yellow stripes painted on the road, we don`t want you getting a fine .
Please don't cross your fingers, OP. It makes changing gears on the 'wrong' side and steering much more difficult.
You'll be fine. If you think you'll feel more confident driving after a few lessons, by all means, engage an instructor when you get here and he/she will also tell you about Swiss road 'peculiarities' that might be different from Australian ones.
I've been driving a LHD car on Swiss roads for about a year now, and I still don't feel as comfortable as I do in a RHD car. A few weeks ago I was back in Blighty tearing around town in a hired Fiat Punto Turbo and I had such a blast. It just feels so natural and intuitive to steer with your dominant hand and shift with your left.
There is actually a good reason Brits starting driving on the left hand side of the road. It goes back to the days of horse drawn carriages where a free right hand would be extended to a friend or a sword to a foe.
do look in your rear-view mirror, though, when doing this - the person behind you will not be expecting that you stop.
the yellow stripes are often accidents blackspots.
Oops, didn't read the OPs post correctly--you're coming from Australia!
You're allowed to drive on your foreign licence for one year. Before that year has elapsed, you have'll to swap your licence for a Swiss one. I'm from the UK and could just change it however a friend of mine from NSW had to take a mini test and so does a friend from S. Africa.
Contrary to what I said then, pretty much all the road signs here are different compared to Australia. But anyway, you have a year to get used to them and comfortable. There's plenty of Aussies here, so discuss with them and find out how they did it. You'll also find plenty of threads on this site around this.
I wouldn't let it bother you though. This'll be the lesser of your worries compared to making the big move from Australia. Good luck!