Home › Frequently Asked Questions

Why are right hand wheel drive vehicles allowed on our roads?

Sun, 2008-05-04 13:29 — DriveSmartBC

There is currently no prohibition against importing or operating a right hand drive vehicle on British Columbia highways. ICBC is studying the crash potential of these vehicles and reports do indicate that there is a higher crash risk. References:

The Safety of Right Hand Drive Vehicles in British Columbia
Vehicle Inspection and Standards Bulletin
Mechanical or Electrical Signal Devices Required on Right Hand Drive Vehicles - Section 172(2) MVA

Comments

Sat, 2011-08-20 20:56 — carguy

It this an issue in Europe?

Cars in the UK have right hand drive, yet drivers there often take ferries to the continent.  I think the trickiest issue is switching headlight aim, since low beams (or "dipped" beams as they say) are aimed to the left.

The thing that would concern me most about RHD is passing on a two-lane roadway, and maybe the challenge of learning to shift gears with my left hand!

I wonder if RHD is really the root cause of the higher crash risk, or if it's the nature of the imported cars and their owners.  For example, Nissan Skylines are very desirable high-performance cars (despite their modest appearance) that were never sold here by Nissan, and are typically imported as +15 year old cars and sold to young and enthusiastic owners.