• As a Canuck living in Britain I felt it necessary to respond to the responses to Daniel Jack's recent query. Quite disappointing, really, even with the levity provided.

The most important element to be aware of 'over there' is the basic difference in philosophy of driving: here, it's to keep the traffic moving. Over there, it's to STOP movement. Indeed, after almost four years over here, I'm still processing the paucity of stop signs, while applauding the efficiency of roundabouts. This, even more than the right/left aspect is the toughest element to get accustomed to when driving in North America. I'm surprised nobody pointed this out.

Good luck to him, regardless.
Adrian Bassington

• I will paraphrase the advice given to me by a Jamaican bus driver when I first moved to the US. He commuted every week from left-side Jamaica to right-side US.

Don't worry: its easier than you think. US and Canadian roads are bigger; they drive slower; they drive pretty badly so you won't stand out. You will be driving an automatic so that will be easier too. Start off where is it busy and you have no particular place to go: that way you can follow the flow. Divided roads are a breeze, especially if the tradition is to pass on either side.

Be very careful and alert on quiet country lanes with few cars and no centre line, in car parks and at gas stations, where you will instinctively revert to pulling to the left to avoid oncoming cars.

Be prepared for your sense of right and left to be permanently impaired.

Coming home... that's a different thing altogether.
Regards
Peter Wilkinson

• Daniel Jack should use a "sideminder". I thought up the idea several years ago and I have found it invaluable.

Cut a 5mm-wide strip of adhesive paper 120mm long, then cut it into one piece 60mm long and two pieces 30mm long. Stick the long piece onto the windscreen, about 30mm below the driver's extended sun visor, horizontally, and well above the driver's line of vision. Then stick the smaller pieces on the windscreen so that the three pieces form an arrow pointing to the side of the road you will be driving on - right in Canada. If you don't have any adhesive paper use Pritt or a similar adhesive. The arrow acts like a head-up display, just inside the driver's peripheral vision. Particularly useful when starting a journey on a deserted road without traffic to remind you which side of the road you should be on. Also when turning left onto a dual-carriageway.
Stuart Tanner

• It's easy as long as you think in terms of "passenger side" and "driver side" rather than left and right. Just concentrate on keeping the passenger seat nearest to the kerb and there'll be no problems. On my first visit to the USA I used this system for a 1500-mile tour without any mishaps. It also avoids confusion when re-adjusting to driving on the left after returning home.
Elaine Roberts

• The first, and probably most important, thing to remember about driving on the right is not to try this at home! About five years ago I move here from the continent and had the same, if reversed, problem. Driving on the other side is much easier than you imagine it to be: The pedal layout is the same and therefore your feet should know what to do.

There are, however, three marked differences when you sit on the other side of the car: First, (most dangerous) is the fact that your car is now wider on the left than on the right. Mind that van parked on the curb! (I saw, hit and lost once against such a van in this country!) Secondly, when reversing, turn your head the other way. There is nothing more annoying than to see nothing else than the inside of your car. Lastly, high in annoyance but low in danger, don't wind down the driver-side window when changing gear. This still happens to me sometimes, but rarely.

Driving on the right in left hand drive cars is much easier than driving on the right in a right-hand side car, as the geometry of the road remains basically the same. You may even find that, after finally finding the driver's seat, getting used to an automatic car from a normal gear shift is much more difficult, as you are tempted to use the clutch to shift up only to go into an emergency break!
All the best,
Gerold Flikschuh

• Prior to my first visit to the USA I faced a similar problem. During the planning stage I contacted the tourist information office in the city I intended to collect the 'rental' (Denver). From a list of driving schools I obtained advise and quotations for a suitable course. From the one I chose, I received a copy of the local highway code, a classroom tutorial on this, and a one hour supervised drive (suburban, main road and Interstate). This was well worth the effort and I have subsequently driven all over the western States without any qualms.
Alan T Ashworth

• We're just back from our first driving experience in Canada. What helped us was:
1. the traffic laws vary from state to state but we downloaded a copy of the highway code equivalent from the Alberta Government website before we went.
2. if you can spend a little time just watching a busy intersection - pedestrians seem to have absolute right of way. Renting a car near the edge of a city helps unless you really want to drive downtown.
3. If you are an assertive driver, change your style. Certainly in Alberta, Canadian drivers seem the calmest and politest in the world.
John Loader

• I have driven extensively and with ease on hols in America, but recently returned to France and hired a car - whoa!! It's having the gear stick on the right that is the real flummoxer. Hire an automatic and you can cruise the country pressing "stop" and "go" with your right foot, just as you do in a right-hand drive - you will quickly feel at ease. Maybe you could practise in an automatic before you go. I would also recommend that if you have to go straight into a town when you arrive, have a good navigator (ie a calm person) in the passenger seat. Make up your mind to be a calm person yourself, so if you miss a turn, believe (as an adult who can read) that you can find your way back to the track. This will minimise other driving anxieties. Happy Trails!
R Cressy

• I faced the opposite side of the same problem when I decided to move from Belgium to the UK. What I did to prepare myself for driving on the left was using my imagination. Whenever I was driving (in Belgium) I tried to imagine what if would be like if I was driving on the other side of the road. When I got to a roundabout, a crossroad or when I turned, I would picture where I would have to look to, where I'd go and where other cars would come from. Of course, you need to resist being overwhelmed by your imagination in the preparatory phase and stick to the right side of the road... It works if you can do one thing and imagine you're doing something else at the same time.
Sandrine Deguent