Bird's Eye View By The Hawk
Page 40
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Left, Right or Centre?
SPECULATION as to if, when and how this country will enter the Common Market continues unabated. Meanwhile, more than a little thinking has to be done as to which side of the road, by considered and deliberate choice, our vehicles are to be subsequently driven.
Quite apart from this country being out of step with the majority of our Continental neighbours in being left-handed-at least motor-wise—a Campaign Committee for Right-hand Steering anitiativkomitee fur Rechtslenkung, if you prefer it) has been set up in Zurich to campaign for near-side driving. Experiments in Germany are claimed to have provided more evidence of the advantages of near-side steering, teat is lefthand steering in countries where the traffic keeps to the left, as in Britain, and vice versa. Where such a system already applies, namely Sweden, that country has the lowest accident rate in Europe.
Near-side Advantages
ADVANTAGE claimed for near-side steering is that the I–Xdriver is able to get in and out on the near-side and so avoid accidents resulting from the opening of off-side doors in a stream of traffic. Because of the increased visibility which the driver would have of the road and pavement in the vicinity of the kerb, there would also be advantages when driving in foggy weather and in the observation of the movement of pedestrians.
So even if our Government took the plunge either in anticipation of, or to coincide with, entry into the Common Market and decreed that we should henceforth drive on the right B6 of the road, it would now seem that it is no longer an automatic conclusion that a switch to left-hand steering would have to be made simultaneously.
The Snag
THE snag about near-side steering, of course, occurs when overtaking. But the campaigners for right-hand steering are not allowing themselves to be bowled out by that one. They contend that pulling out to overtake is as out of date as a horse and trap. On motorways with two or more traffic lanes, it is suggested that it would be preferable for the offside lane to be regarded as the slow lane and overtaking, on the near-side, would then be possible without the necessity to pull out, which under existing conditions is a prevalent cause of accidents.
That may be—but I know at least one who will be keeping his car in the garage on "changeover day."
Another Go-slow ?
THE report of a recent case in Southend magistrates' court suggests that if you see a policeman with a stop-watch he may not be at all interested in your vehicle's speed. The case concerned a van which, after a collision with a motorcycle, had its direction-indicator winkers timed by stop-watch; they blinked only 11 times a minute, compared with the statutory 60 to 120 times.
The van driver was fined £2 for his sleepy winkers; excuse me while I nip outside to time mine, just in case. . . .