Left steering wheel: advantages and disadvantages. Right-hand and left-hand traffic

Disputes about the advantages and disadvantages of the right orthe left rudder in the car continues not even for years but decades. Let's see how they really differ from each other, and what are their features.

History

There are many theories why a certainthe variant of movement is chosen in this or that country. The most plausible of them seems to be the assumption that where there were many horses, initially the movement was right-sided (that is, suitable for modern cars with left-hand drive).

In Japan, England and Australia, itthe opposite. And in other countries of the world have long been traveling in a different way. Even if once we went on the left lane, then almost everything changed the rules. The remaining countries belong to the island, that is, there is no need to make special road junctions, because any transport here is still delivered only by sea (or is collected on the spot).

Right-hand traffic in Russia, according to somedata, originated in very ancient times. Since it was more convenient for the horse to drive the horse with the right hand, and the roads did not impress the imagination with their width, people subconsciously tried to move so as to meet with the traveling to the other side independently, and not through the horse. Officially, all this was approved only in the USSR. Since then, nothing has changed radically in this direction.

Overtaking problem

If we consider the situation of overtaking with the use of a right-hand drive car in our country, then the first thing to consider is precisely this feature.

In the classic complete set of auto driver sitsso that when overtaking can literally look out for the car ahead and see if it will cut into someone further along the road. With the right wheel this will not work.

Of course, in some cases the passenger helpsfront or special equipment (such as configured DVRs that show roughly the same as the one sitting on the left). But all this does not give a complete picture of the situation on the road. So, the left steering wheel in this case is much preferable. With him, the driver is always aware of possible obstacles and can react to them in a timely manner. Most of the accidents with right-hand drive vehicles are mainly due to the fact that the situation on the road was assessed incorrectly.

Security

But in terms of security can bedifferent variants. So, according to statistics, the right front end of any car, the review of which was conducted, is subject to greater threat. The driver always tries to avoid a collision and even unconsciously substitutes any parts of the car, except for the one in which he sits.

In the case of the right-hand drive,substitute the opposite side, and, in theory, he himself will be more secure. However, all this is not too important, since at a speed of up to 65 km / h, the car body must keep its shape when collided. And if you go faster, then there's already a person's body can not withstand acceleration. And so in this case, if the right-hand advantage is, then it is insignificant.

Domestic drivers in most casesignore safety techniques, do not buckle up and generally behave on the road blithely. Of course, in such a situation the position of the rudder will not play any role, and the likelihood of serious injuries, which can even lead to a fatal outcome, increases equally.

Refueling, landing and disembarkation

Now let's talk about basic conveniences. If used, for example, "Toyota" with the left rudder, then to get out of it on the sidewalk to the driver is much easier. You can even make purchases in the shops located in close proximity to the road. In addition, at gas stations, this helps to avoid queues due to the other location of the fuel tank. This is a significant plus in the side of cars with a right-hand drive.

But it should be noted that most of theinfrastructure is sharpened just for more classic cars, and in some cases this advantage can become a serious drawback. For example, when you need to pay for travel on toll roads or other analogues. By the way, catering enterprises that offer motorists to make purchases without leaving the car are also sharpened on left-hand drive vehicles.

Headlamps

Now consider another problem of the right wheelat the car. Overview of most models shows that they are all oriented to an unusual version of the movement. As a consequence, the headlights are directed in the opposite direction and very qualitatively blind to the driver traveling to meet.

Of course, this is unacceptable, and inspectionit will not work. At best, this element can be manually adjusted without any problems on its own. But at worst you have to spend a lot of money and redo the lights on a suitable option on our roads.

Spare parts

In all regions located in theclose to Japan, to fix a car with a right-hand drive is quite simple. There are enough spare parts, and the price for them is much less than for any other analogs. And a completely different situation in the rest of Russia. There, the same "Nissan" with the left rudder, even second-hand, will cost much less than the car, oriented to the left-hand traffic. Find spare parts for the latter will be extremely difficult, not to mention their cost. As a result, the attempt to save money on the machine will lead to the fact that the costs of its maintenance will "eat up" all the benefits.

Parking and business habits

But cuddle to the side of the car with the rightthe steering wheel is a pleasure. The driver gets the opportunity to look out the window and thus not be afraid to crash into something unnoticed. With a left-hand drive, this number does not work.

On the other hand, if the driverwall, fence or other such obstacle, which does not allow opening the door, will have to climb over to the other side, which is extremely inconvenient. In addition, if a person has never sat behind the wheel, located on the right, it will take some time to adjust and get used to. And when you change the car to a more classic version, you will again have to go through such a peculiar "period of adaptation".

Price

The main reason for buying carswith the right wheel, is their cost. A few years ago the difference was so significant that even in the central or western regions of Russia there were a lot of Japanese cars. Now a normal car with a left steering wheel will not be much more expensive, and the advantages of using it, however, are much greater. In this situation, Japanese technology remains relevant in the Far East, where there are no analogues and simply there is not much to choose from.

Outcomes

The car with the left steering wheel in the vast majoritycountries of the world will be much more convenient. The alternative option is suitable only for those regions where we still have an unusual version of the movement. The use of the left-hand cars in the conditions of our traffic rules will be extremely difficult and suitable only for those people who are accustomed to traveling that way.

Practically in all cases there is an opportunitychange the position of the steering wheel, rearranging it to the other side, but this is a very expensive procedure, which not everyone agrees. Some types of equipment, mainly military, in their design in advance provide for this problem. They allow you to move the steering wheel from one side of the car to another almost instantly. Thanks to this, the driver can always be optimally prepared for the upcoming battle.