Right Hand Drive Vehicles in a Left Hand Drive World

I can certainly appreciate the poster of this article had the right intention, but ICBC can't be taken seriously, especially with scandal after scandal which clearly show their management is always looking out for their own interests.

You've been mislead by ICBC and have played right into their hands. They've now converted you away from an RHD car that delivers better value than local used cars, and you'll buy from their local car dealership friends, so they've already achieved their objectives with you.

The study with ICBC is flawed, did you know they even compared a 4-door family sedan to a 2-door twin turbo sports car? Some of the vehicles in the study were also not even RHD vehicles and ICBC has even said the study is not conclusive.

In this case it stems from the auto dealers association of BC being threatened by high quality used cars from Japan.

Regarding safety, there are a lot more domestic Canadian vehicles on the right now which would NEVER pass a safety inspection yet ICBC and the government never did a study on them.

I've been driving an RHD car for almost 1 year now without any problems. I've found it to be safer than LHD. During the night snow storms, I'm never blinded by oncoming traffic. At night I've avoided other pedestrians because I wasn't blinded by other cars.

I've rode in LHD cars where drivers can only see pedestrians at the last second.

There is just one disadvantage for RHD here, which is sometimes on a left turn, but I've found little difference. 9/10 times at a major intersection with an LHD car I could never see if it was safe or clear to make the turn. Just like with LHD, I wait until it is safe to turn.

ICBC interestingly enough never quoted any study from the UK, which proved their point.

Most European countries allow a mix of LHD and RHD because they have observed no difference in accident rates.

People need to see this for what it is, it's our normally lazy government taking interest in something that does not serve the interest of Canadians. Do you know at one point the Canadian government did its best to stop RIV approved vehicles from entering the country?

The bottom line is that this is more about economics and competition than it is about safety. Besides, all vehicles must meet Provincial standards and pass a safety inspection in order to be registered, and most cars from Japan are in such good condition, they pass right away (mine did and was in new condition mechanically).

If you want to hear more information from owners of these cars please visit JDMVIP

The perception of the public opinion is often left to ill considered comments of narrow minded people. In some cases, comments are posted only to create drama. The lack of exposure to RHD vehicles in Canada has lead to some individuals poorly educating the rest of the impressionable public. I remember when uni-body vehicles were considered unsafe due lack of a solid frame.

LHD and RHD vehicles exist in concert in most countries. In all countries it is the driver that dictates the overall safety of operating a vehicle. In Canada, I see some of the worst driving anywhere due to lack of driver proficiency and poor driver habits. The Quebec government has stated Quebec's poor driving habit's are ingrained into society.....

In my opinion, the lack of enforcement of minor and major vehicular infractions leads to drivers with no concern for the laws. In Ottawa, drivers are so bad for running amber and red lights, tourists are briefed to the dangers of crossing the street in downtown Ottawa!??

As for standards, at least Quebec has stood up and legislated the mandatory requirement for winter tires. How many motorists are involved in minor and major accidents during winter weather whilst driving without winter tires? A lot! Just because people refuse to slow down and equpe their vehicle properly. Personally, I cannot imagine driving in Canada in winter without winter tires. That would be unsafe. Do you have winter tires on your vehicle?

I suppose the RHD 2009 Jeep is unsafe and should be banned from Canada. There are some books that are dangerous as well. Anything is possible after seeing Harper wear warm fuzzy sweaters!

I forgot, Quebec has banned the use of cell phones whilst operating a vehicle due it is unsafe. Do you use (talk or text) whilst driving???? Where is the Canadian standard here?

"A 2007 study by the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia found that drivers of RHD vehicles used here in B.C. are more than 40% more likely to be involved in a crash than those using "normal" left hand drive (LHD)" Why did they get in a rhd car and attempt to crash it? and the result was 60% of the drivers did not crash ? A study that was done by me showed that you are 50% more likely to cause the vehicles around you to have an accident while you are on your cell phone( and there is no way that I'm going to explain myself where I got that number from). Another study that was done by me was "Why isn't ICBC releasing a study that shows the likelihood of cashing while being around drivers with pick-ups"

I mean did they use a kid with a GTR who just got his license for this study?
I drive on the right side on two lane highways all the time and a little experience seemed to prevent me from having a 40% chance of crashing...

Increase your distance if you are scared of RHD cars on the road

"If you drive smart, you wont be in an accident. Look at Barbados,Trinidad, Great Britain, and Japan... All countries where LHD and RHD coexist. Focus more on driver's education"

I fully agree with this statement. I drive a right hand drive car, and I've been driving for over 10 years, with no speeding infractions or accidents. I chalk it up to natural competence, but also proper TRAINING. I took Young Drivers when I was starting, and I DO think they helped me be a better driver. I was TRAINED to drive on the road safely. So, if you're a government and you allow RHD vehicles to be imported and insured, if you feel there is a safety issue, because you made the call, YOU MUST TRAIN PEOPLE TO USE THEM PROPERLY. Personally, I don't find it difficult to drive a RHD car. It took me all of a day to learn. But there are any concerns (which should have come up when it became legal to import cars from other countries, but clearly wasn't an issue or we wouldn't be here), you have a duty as a government to educate the people on the differences between them.

There are thousands of RHD cars in BC now, and across the country. Most people are aware that they exist, but yes, they aren't as common as LHD. So, people know they're around, but have mixed information about how they operate. "Well, ICBC says they're unsafe, so they must be right." "Right hand drive cars, aren't they illegal?" "How will I go through my Starbucks Drive-thru?" "I like that car, I would probably own one if it wasn't right hand drive. It's just too scary to me." So many of these cars have been allowed on the road in the past few years, and the government sits back and allows this cloud of doubt and mystery to grow and grow around these cars, and does NOTHING to educate the people about them.

The only semi-valid point about RHD cars being less safe than LHD cars was in this story, told to me by my friend. He was about to cross the street one day, when he made eye contact with who he thought was the driver of the car, but was the passenger, and could not tell it was RHD. Having thought he had a non-verbal agreement with the driver that it was safe to cross, the car went through the intersection as he was stepping off the curb. No injuries were incurred, but it was the confusion that caused him to almost step in front of a car.

Well, let's see here:
a) it didn't help that the government, due to lack of mass-media education did not let him consider it could be a RHD car, and
b) Personally, before stepping in front of moving vehicles, I would look for more indications than 'eye contact with the driver' that the vehicle is accelerating; for example, wheels turning, engine accelerating making noise etc

ICBC needs to do their job and educate people about these cars and not just all of a sudden make it illegal because it's too much work to make them safe on the roads. There are many more millions of drivers in Japan driving LHD and RHD cars on the roads every day without causing accidents; I doubt you would be able to pull statistics from the country indicating that one type of vehicle (RHD/LHD) causes more accidents than the other.

It doesn't help any that their are unskilled, uneducated drivers on the road in general. Slow drivers occupying the passing lane, not using turn signals....this is just an indication that the driving standards are subpar in Canada.

Not to mention the growing number of senior drivers on the road whose senses and reflexes are deteriorating, but they are still allowed to keep their licenses out of 'respect for the elderly', because it's 'such a touchy subject'.

You're worried about me not being able to have full visibility in my right hand drive car, when there's a driver behind me whose vision and hearing is failing completely?

I'm pretty sure there are more aging drivers on the road than Right Hand Drive car owners.

"Would you kindly comment on the spate of right-hand-drive (RHD) vehicles that have appeared in B.C. recently?"

Comment? Absolutely!
Kindly? We'll see about that!

"I have always been under the impression that imported vehicles had either to meet, or be modified to meet, Canadian standards before being licensed in Canada."

That's a legitimate question. I assume that you're mainly referring to Japanese imports. So yes, they do have to meet certain standards before being allowed to be insured in Canada.

"As far as I know this requirement applies to such relatively inconsequential matters as metric instrumentation, running lights and high central rear brake light."

Inconsequential? Maybe. Safer? Maybe. A pain in the neck for anyone who wants to import a well built, low mileage, well cared after car? Yes. There are a few more modifications than the ones you have listed that are required to insure an imported vehicle in B.C., such as DOT approved headlights, side marker lights, reflectors on the rear quarter panels. Some places require the car to meet emission standards. Also, any cracked or cracking bushings must be replaced.

"Surely the fact that a vehicle has its controls on the side opposite what is standard in Canada cannot be considered less consequential than these other matters."

You're kidding right? How did you come across this conclusion? Right hand drive cars are already meeting every other Canadian standard there is! Plus, since the import requirements are so stringent, they run cleaner, are more economical and cheaper than a sizable percentage of rust buckets allowed on Canadian roads. Do me a favour next time you are out "driving" and see how many pre-1985 cars you see on the road that burn oil / have rusted out wheel wells / have bald tyres. Do you still honestly believe that these cars are better than right hand drive cars which are modified and inspected?

- Now here's a great answer:

"A 2007 study by the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia found that drivers of RHD vehicles used here in B.C. are more than 40% more likely to be involved in a crash than those using "normal" left hand drive (LHD) vehicles."

I love facts. I love percentages too. Did you know that 75% of my body is made of anger? And my car runs on the tears of children (FACT).

"The risk appears to extend for the long term rather than being reduced by the driver becoming more familiar with using a right hand drive vehicle in a left hand drive environment."

So my car is still 40% more likely to be involved in a crash for how much longer? I personally have avoided more potential accidents from careless drivers in the 2 years I have owned my right hand drive car than I have eaten cupcakes (FACT).

"Similar studies conducted in Britain where LHD vehicles regularly mix with RHD vehicles from the continent showed the same indications."

Have you seen Italian rush hour traffic? The Italians drive RHD vehicles. If I follow your path of logic then an Argentinean driving a RHD car in Canada is 5000% more likely to crash into me! Bloody hell!

"Collisions appeared to be most common in turning, passing and lane changing situations. It is surmised that the increased risk of collision is a consequence of the reduced direct field of view for drivers to the side and rear that is more easily viewed by the majority."

Please tell me you mean to the left, and forward of the RHD vehicle. The exact same problem is posed to LHD vehicle drivers when trying to merge with a lane to the right of them.

"Fortunately, the crash protection properties of RHD vehicles is the same as their LHD counterparts."

Yes, I have no argument with you there, except would like to point out your grammatical mistake: it should read “Fortunately, the crash protection properties of RHD vehicles are the same as their LHD counterparts."

"The federal Motor Vehicle Safety Act exempts imported vehicles more than 15 years old from the Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards."

This is because vehicles less than 15 years old are considered less safe? This way of thinking is so backwards to me I can't even attempt to fathom their explanation.

"In view of the fact that about 200 of these RHD vehicles are imported into B.C. each month there is increased risk for all road users."

In view of the FACT that secondary infections are prevalent in hospitals, there is an increased risk to all hospital users.

"Transport Canada has been requested by the provinces and territories to review this exemption although it does not seem that a decision in either favour is being made. If you wish to comment, you may submit e-mail to 15YearRule@tc.gc.ca."

Well that's good news. I vote to allow imported RHD cars on the roads. (I will however swing my vote if car manufacturers kick me my due bribe!)

On March 31, 2009, an article that I wrote about intersection driving was printed in the Red Deer Advocate. (Article is no longer freely available on the Advocate's web site.) Readers may be interested in three further comments regarding statements made in the feedback to my article. First, I have no say in the layout of the website page nor what advertisements are placed on them. Second, the publisher typically changes the title of the article prior to printing it in the newspaper. The title that I provided was "Intersection driving can have surprises and rewards". I had no say in the title chosen by the publisher "Be wary of right hand drive vehicles". I completely support that caution and equally so its counterpart "Be wary of left hand drive vehicles". Third, many of the reader comments encourage downloading the IVOAC website. The following is a directive to association members that recently appeared on that website: start of quote from IVOAC website... "rockcrete Administrator Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Maple Ridge, BC Posts: 2,952 Lobby your province now!!! ________________________________________ It is time for IVOAC member to begin applying stron pressure to the provinces to derail the CCMTA's intentions with respect to RHD vehicles. Here is the CCMTA committee that is positioning themselves against us. QC - H. Blaney (Chair) BC - M. Francis MB - B. Rapinchuk/V. Stoyko NB - S. McCracken ON - S. Erry/R. Covello QC - R. Desaulniers SK - B. McIntyre/B. Kline YT - M. Bowers TC - C. Roy AAMVA - K. Kiser CCMTA - I. Tomlinson These are various people from within each provinces departments that oversee vehicles and licencing. All of you need to figure out who the people in your province are and take loud complaints straight to their bosses. EVERYBODY needs to send an email, whan you figure out who the person in your province is, post it up and the details of who their boss is and where to email them. Don't pull any punches abou the ICBC report being "apparently fraudulent" and "in the interests of new car dealers who appear to wield a remarkable degree of influence within ICBC". Notice how I have worded my statements - do not state things in absolutes, leave yourself an out in case lawyers get involved - you are conveying YOUR opinion of how things APPEAR to you from looking at them - you are not claiming them to be absolute facts, merely appearances that demand public scrutiny and investigation. We need to make it plain and clear to all these people that any change is not supported and will not be accepted - if they support it, we will pursue every endeavour to have each and every one of them terminated from their positions of employment. A couple of hundred complaints to their ministers about them should do exactly that. " ...end of quote from IVOAC website

I own a wood flooring shop and have been looking for a real commercial rated minivan that gets decent fuel economy. The domestic producers have stopped producing Aerostars and Safaris several years ago. Ford just introduced the North American version of the Transit Connect but has mis-stepped again by not offering the diesel powerplant that is used for the rest of the world. At $30,000.00 and only getting 20 MPG city on a 2 litre 4-cylinder, I am once again looking at HiAce and Delica vans.

One of my installers already bought a Delica and loves it, granted he is Australian so the car probably doesn't feel too strange. These are trucks capable of carrying substantial loads and as a bonus are AWD which helps driving in the snow. Try that in a Caravan, Sienna, or Entourage. The new minivans are just oversize station wagons.

BTW I have a 2005 AWD Toyota Sienna which replaced our AWD 1993 Aerostar as the family vehicle, the Aerostar is now my work vehicle replacing a 2007 Ford Ranger which proved completely useless for my needs. The Ranger is now resting comfortably back at the dealer since the lease milage was reached. Since the Aerostar has 333,000 Km on it I'm sure I will need a replacement sooner rather than later. With my example it's not hard to see why there are people looking for alternatives some of which happen to be RHD.

As things look right now I will probably be another one of those people driving a RHD vehicle. I'm quite sure that the domestic dealers are hoping to stop the flow of import vehicles by supporting the scare tactics shown in the ICBC report. God forbid too many people realize exactly how bad our domestic choices really are. I mean how many SUVs can you produce?

I for one find this whole idea totally ridiculous. I have many friends that drive right hand drive imports, they are almost always more careful than anyone else i know on the road. As a matter of fact they are the only people i know that care enough to keep proper tires on their car's and maintain them properly ext. Two of my best friends recently died in a single vehicle accident, in a left hand drive, a dodge stealth R/T twin turbo. Now I'm not blaming their deaths on the fact they were in a left hand drive at all I just feel it is totally ridiculous to say that the right hand drive car is to blame. That's as good as a carpenter saying I'm sorry my cut wasn't square, my skill saw's blade wasn't good. Don't blame the tool or vehicle. It all falls back to driver skill and training simple as that.

They banned the RH drive in Quebec. It is stupid becuase one could install a camera with a 4 inch monitor in dash to see the LH forward view when changing lanes on two way single lanes. Buses and some City trucks are RH drive. Everyone should try to submit this camera idea because these days you can have pin hole cameras with good resolution.

The petition so that RH drive ban can be reversed and not spread thru canada has been closed.

I live in NS but have a friend who is attempting to get a RHD Toyota safetied in BC. The garage proprietor advised him that he will have to order a LHD lighting system to be suitable. This sounds like complete BS to me as i'm all but certain there should be enough adjustability in the factory set up regardless of which configuration it was originally built. Has anyone else had an experience with this.

Wow, did this ever ignite a free-for-all.

Has anyone ever considered the Brits or Europeans who drive through the "Chunnel" and automatically switch to the other side?  Many two-seat race cars are RHD but no one considers that a factor in crash probability.

I've driven both (RHD in the UK and a few race cars) and never found it to be a problem. Is that because I watch my mirrors?

I stand corrected on the "drive" through the Chunnel. Indeed, it is, I think, a 35 minute train ride which I've never done. However, I have driven in the UK as well as Europe and am familiar with RHD vehicles.

Also agreed that race tracks, unless someone is having a major problem, are all one direction. But being aware of who is around you and where, is a pretty major concern .... unless you happen to be the fastest car. I wasn't.  So yes, judicious use of mirrors saved the body-work.

What I am saying is that I've never found it to be a problem driving a vehicle, LHD or RHD on the opposite side of the roadway .... except ...... on those little narrow country lanes in the UK where there are just two ruts in the grass.  Faced with an oncoming car, I've moved right to be faced with an insructable English gentleman pointing to the other side of the road.