My fiancé recently got his license and has just started learning to drive here, but we are also moving to the US (my country) in a few months. At some point he will need to be able to drive there too. Wondering what the experience will be like for him to learn how to switch from left side driving here to right side over there. In theory it sounds scary. Like he would need to be super focused every time he drove. Can you learn to compartmentalize the two?
I would love to hear if anyone has any similar experiences!
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Mildly disorienting at first but no big deal, millions of people deal with it all the time. It can be tricky when no other cars are around like a country road early in the morning, etc. I’d be extra careful the first couple days after arriving in regards being tired/jet lagged, as that can add to those moments when you are a bit discombobulated.
I’m pretty used to it. I remember how disoriented I felt whenever I visited the UK when I was younger (Mom is British), but when I moved there for uni I got used to it after a few months. Now I can usually go back and forth between driving in Japan and the US without trouble.
The places to be careful are when exiting parking lots or driveways, and turning onto a two-way street from a one-way street. It’s easy to accidentally pull into the wrong lane and be on the wrong side of the road.
Also mixing up the turn signal and windshield wipers. 🤣
I have done it many times and it`s not a problem…. since everyone`s on the same side….
never really gotten confused about it…..
Ride a bike for a few weeks, you’ll adjust immediately.
For me I’ll occasionally mix up the wipers and turn signal, but I learned to just rest my hand on the transmission and the opposite will always be for the indicators.
It was a non-issue for me. Drive away from Lax on the right and leave from NRT on the left. No big deal. Some people seem to adjust easier than others though. It’s kind of like switching between English and Japanese.
If he’s used to driving in general it’s honestly not that bad. Just he should remind himself to stay to the right and he will probably accidentally turn on the windshield wipers instead of the turn signal several times. I’d say just practice driving in general a lot until you go so he’s more comfortable.
For a new driver it might be a bit daunting, but otherwise you get used to it surprisingly quickly
No problems, I just keep turning on the window wiper instead of the turn signal
The first time I had to switch, I put a sticky note over the speedometer (not so big that I couldn’t read my speed) with an arrow pointing to the side I was supposed to now be on. There were a few times on empty roads I looked down and was like “oh shit!” and switched to the correct side.
Now, when I go back and forth, I just focus on keeping the steering wheel towards the center. If I’m distracted (rainy nights usually) I find myself wanting to wander on the wrong side when taking a turn the opposite side I’m on (so if I’m driving on the left, a right hand turn and vice versa).
The middle line is always at the driver side, that does it for me.
For me there are only two minor things.
1. Pulling out or turning at an intersection into what I initially perceive to be the “wrong lane” feels awkward.
2. I hit the wipers instead of the turn signal constantly.
It’s not a big issue. Just make sure that when you turn, you look on the left side first (you still need to look on both sides anyway). My wife and I have used the wipers instead of the blinkers countless times when we changed, but that happens. Just stay focused, it’ll be easy enough.
Also, in the US, on horizontal traffic lights, green is on the right side, while in Japan green is on the left. That shouldn’t be an issue, either.
Have fun driving!
I moved to Japan after I just got my license and it was easy to change since I didn’t have such ingrained habits.
When my parents moved to Australia at the age of like 50, they taped an arrow to their dashboard to remind them.
The hardest part is actually that the driver’s side changes. In Japan, you make wider left turns because the driver’s side is on the right. In America, the opposite. People who aren’t ready for this will sometimes turn into poles or ditches.
Unless you’re really stupid it’s not hard, I’m from the US and drove in japan as well. It really isn’t hard.
I was rather scared of driving on the left after I moved here at the start of the year.
Turns out it’s really no issue as long as the car is made for left hand drive. Your brain gets used to it real quick.
If you wanna be safe, practice with a bicycle first. That’s by far the safest way to get used to stuff like how to scan crossing lanes and who gets right of way.
I switched from right to left. I had to be super attentive and always second guess myself
My first several switches required a few days of intense focus to be in the correct lane, especially when taking corners.
Now regardless of which country I’m in, I position the car so I, the driver’s seat, am nearest the center line. That mental shortcut keeps me safe until I am accustomed again.
It’s very easy. Takes some time to get used to checking your mirrors, but afterwards no problem.
The “pro-tip” I received in the past was “always keep your passenger (seat) by the kerb” (it allows them to embark/disembark from the vehicle safely).
In countries that drive on the left, the driver’s seat is always(*) on the right side, and the front passenger seat on the left. Similarly, in countries that drive on the right, the driver’s seat is always(*) on the left side, and the front passenger seat on the right.
Anytime I need to make a turn, I keep the above in mind, and it’s quite seamless to transition between countries.
(*) Unless the vehicle was specially imported, which you would normally not encounter when renting, or buying a vehicle of your own.
It’s not too bad. Just remember, the driver is always on the inside of the lane, not the outside. As mentioned, a few days on a bicycle before getting behind a wheel helps. I did it for a couple weeks since I didn’t have access to a car. When switching now, I just take the first day off when possible to get my bearings straight.
Side of the road wasn’t too hard for me. But I kept confusing the wiper stick with blinker stick for a while hahaha
I recently went to America and drove on the right for the first time (after 12 years of driving on the left). It was scary at first but you soon get used to it after driving around for a bit. Just got to remember how things are opposite, like looking the opposite way when turning onto a road, for example. Having the steering wheel on the other side helps you ease into it.
I’ve only had a couple of small hiccoughs when switching back and forth. It’s not really that hard. All you have to do is think “I have to stay on the right side”. Eventually it becomes second nature. You’re flowing with the traffic anyway. One problem might be the turning on red thing. In some places you’re allowed to turn right at an intersection if the stoplight is red, but in others you can’t. You have to stop, but then you can turn, depending where you are. In Japan, if it’s red, you have to stop and can’t make a turn any direction until the light is green.
Remind him that he can turn right on red. If you don’t surely the car behind you will let him know in about 3 seconds.
As others have said–not difficult, but it can be weird at first.
Surprisingly, if you go back and forth often enough it actually gets easier to switch.
As a person who will likely be riding with him, my advice to you is to be particularly attentive to not distract him when he’s turning at intersections, pulling out, changing lanes, etc. This is especially true if he happens to be low on situational awareness in general. Also if you see him going into the wrong lane, be prepared to tell him quickly and clearly how to correct. Shouting “No! Wrong! NO!” will disorient and freak him out, while “Wrong lane, get to the right,” will communicate more effectively. But yeah, mistakes are way more likely if he’s tired or distracted, so finish that deep conversation *before* you get on the road.
It takes like five minutes to get used to it. The weird parts are roundabouts (luckily not an issue in Japan or the US!) and constantly turning on the windscreen wipers when you go to indicate
It’s fine, but even after years I still randomly hit the wipers and can’t reverse park for shit. Looking back over the left shoulder feels wrong and my brain is not having it.
I’ve learned driving in Germany, and it took me one or two weeks to get used to driving on the other side in Japan.
It isn’t a big deal, really, just needs a little getting used to.
Driver sits in the center of the road, passenger is on the side of the road. It is exactly the same from that perspective.
Left and right hand turns are a bigger issue than the side of the road you drive on imo.
As long as there are other cars around, it’s fine, you just follow the flow. The tricky part is when you make a turn on a road where there’s nobody around, and you go on the wrong side of the road. It happened to me quite a few times.
NBD!
One thing that really helped me was playing video games like GTA.
When I first started driving in a country that drives on the right, I instantly switched my brain over thanks to hours of experience in games. Seriously. Now, I switch back and forth instantly with no problems.
Get him to drive around a video game for a few hours to introduce his brain to right-hand driving.
It’s not that bad. Being seated in the right side helps your brain adjust. I don’t know how some people import their car and sit on the left side, that’s just asking for trouble
If you’re worried about it, get a road bike and ride off the sidewalk during off hours so you get used to the flow of traffic around your neighborhood
I drove in the US for 20+ years and got my Japanese license not too long ago. It’s not a huge deal. Mixing up the wiper and turn signal was by far the hardest thing for me.