There are more than 50 countries that drive on the left hand side of the road, while others are on the road. Regardless of where their origins are, it can be quite confusing for people to drive at the “wrong” side of the road. Problems could happen. When drivers rent the car, all the controls could be at the opposite side and they would need to re-learn it, despite years of experience in their own country. The problem is more prominent in Europe. As an example, when people pass through the English Channel, they would find that they need to drive on the opposite side of the road. This could make overtaking and other similar maneuvers more problematic. It is important for drivers to make the proper transition to the other side of the road. In roundabouts, we should drive slowly and go with the flow. It can be quite confusing for newcomers to deal with roundabouts in a foreign country and in fact, it is better to circle the roundabout for a few times to observe how local drivers properly behave.
Another problem is when we join the main road from a side road. This can be quite problematic when the road is nearly deserted and we don’t know where we are going. In this case, we may need to pull over and observe. We should look in both directions to see how cars are driven. It is a bad thing if we end up driving towards other oncoming drivers. Traffic lights could also be problematic for newcomers. Sometimes, drivers are allowed to filter to the left or right, although the traffic lights are red. Watch for instructions or flashing lights whether it is allowable. When driving it is recommended to stay in the inside lane and we should know whether inside lane is. On left-side driving countries, it should be on the left and the other way around. Overtaking can be risky for newcomers, especially if they can’t peek easily, because they don’t have the proper car for the country. If the neighboring country drives at the opposite side of the road, we may consider renting a car instead. If the oncoming traffic on the other side of the road is fast and heavy, it could be quite risky to overtake a slow lumbering truck.
The last thing to newcomers should do is to ask locals to accompany them during first few driving trips. They can guide the newcomers about the local road habits. It’s the time to swallow our pride and prioritize on safety first. This simple thing could really save our lives.