NEED HELP! Documentary on the safety of RHD on the Roads

[M-SPEC]

I think the people who are worried about RHD's being more dangerous should be buying LHD car or convert the JDM to LHD and stop whining about it.... done and done

NEWS FLASH cars are dangerous folks.... people die in them every day

[MikeRWK]

anything is dangerous really, you could cut your finger off slicing cheese or **** sakes.

[GTR-Dad]

It really comes down to risk management.
If you really believe RHD is just as safe (or just as dangerous) as LHD, you're probably at higher risk because you're in denial. (That's NOT a river in Africa.) If you don't acknowledge the visibility limitations and leave wider margins for error than you would in the same situation while driving LHD, you're more likely to get pasted.
If you understand where your disadvantage lies and compensate for it, I would argue (successfully) that your risk is very similar to what you incurr while driving a LHD. One could argue that if you're MORE careful driving RHD than when you're a LHD vehicle you're actually safer. I would make fun of that person and tell him it's like arguing about driving drunk. You typically need to actually BE drunk to believe it's OK to drive that way.

Has anyone heard the government radio commercials that say in an ominous voice 'when you exceed the speed limit, you run risk of not arriving at all...'? GIVE ME A BREAK! Every time you get in the car you take that risk. Your risk increases with speed along with a whole bunch of other things including inexperience, stupidity, denial, bad weather, cell phone use, heavy traffic....

Sadly, I don't expect lawmakers to catch up with the Germans on driver education and licensing any time soon OR to apply basic logic to risk assessment.

Enjoy the ride!

Dan

[FormerVDubber]

Well put GTR-Dad

Funny that the German driver education has a rep for being so good. Once I figured out all the signs I found it super easy to drive there. In fact Rush hour in Frankfurt was way less stressful than regular Calgary driving. Not that I'm constantly nervous while driving but I see some pretty stupid sh!t that I never saw in Germany. I also liked the way people knew what a passing lane was for...what a concept. Sorry my rant took this more off topic.

I hope This documentary, if made, does show both sides of the story with well thought out and researched arguments. I hate the current trend in popular "documentaries" that show one slanted view on a given topic. It becomes more of an opinion story rather than an informative program. I alway feel like I need to do the research on the other side after watching these docs. They become less believable too.

A few examples of what I mean are:

An Inconveinient Truth
The Great Global Warming Swindle
Fahrenheit 911
Sicko (really all of Micheal Moore's stuff)
Zeitgeist 1 and 2 (a lot of conspiracy theory half truths here)

Uh oh I got into another rant here...

[seafuryfb]

I remember in the 70's that there were a lot of muscle cars or sedans with big hp available to new young drivers either their parents cars or one they bought on their own. I am sure if the insurance companies look at their stats they would see a similar trent in accidents, as we progressed in to the 80's there were less high performance cars available to younger people that were cheap to buy. Then we are allowed to bring in performance cars cheap as they 15 years old or more, now some new and young drivers can buy these cars and with no experience it can become too much to handle. But not all young drivers are irresponsable but inexperience will lead to errors in driving whether they drive LHD or RHD, I know been there done that got the T shirt. As to Rhd being more dangerous it a matter of respect that left turns, blind spots and passing on two lane highways are more of a challenge of driving skills. There are a few left turns at intersections in Calgary that you cannot see in a LHD car so what the difference? I just avoid those areas for safety as its my insurance that will be affected by poor judgement. Road safety is a two way street as you have to antisipate what other drivers actions or inactions, does this make a difference to which side the steering is on, no is does not

[christdeyoung]

There are a few left turns at intersections in Calgary that you cannot see in a LHD car so what the difference? I just avoid those areas for safety as its my insurance that will be affected by poor judgement. Road safety is a two way street as you have to antisipate what other drivers actions or inactions, does this make a difference to which side the steering is on, no is does not

I can't say I understand what is meant by this 'left turn danger'. Turning left at an intersection doesn't seem any more challenging in a RHD; Mind you I haven't driven in any big cities with fukked up intersections.

[DarkCaporaL]

I can't say I understand what is meant by this 'left turn danger'. Turning left at an intersection doesn't seem any more challenging in a RHD; Mind you I haven't driven in any big cities with fukked up intersections.

I can *maybe* only see it as an issue if you're in a left turning lane, and there is a guy on the other side also in a left turning lane, but at a light for which there is no left turning green arrow priority light. In THIS situation, you will have a hard time seeing oncoming traffic. But I dont think such lights are very common, I can't recall one around here.

But there are OBVIOUS visibility issues when merging on an access ramp.

[christdeyoung]

Yeah. theres definitely visibility issues. I usually rock myself back and fourth a few times while looking in that direction...that way you get to see at least once, that there's nothing/something in that spot. Merging with these cars isn't too bad because they have the power to make a move quickly. Pick a spot behind through your back window, then hammer the jesus out of it and squeeze in.

[cozmosland]

for left hand turns it helps to have a passenger with eyes who isnt a knob who will tell u togo or NOT to go haha.
so your not swaying back and forth in you car looking like a fool haha