In a number of Russian regions, right-hand drive cars are very popular. Owners of such vehicles are believed to receive a number of unique benefits. But few people think that such cars have serious drawbacks.
Pros of the right hand drive
It is more convenient for a driver with a right-hand drive to get in and out of the car. This increases safety, because the driver's door is located on the sidewalk side, and does not overlook the roadway.
Due to the fact that the driver in such a car is located on the right, it is easier for him, if necessary, to enter into a dialogue with pedestrians - for example, if it is necessary to clarify the route.
Communication with other drivers is also simplified if they drive cars with left-hand drive. You can drive up to them from the left side and talk face to face.
In the event of a frontal collision, a right-hand drive vehicle is safer for the driver than a left-hand drive vehicle. Usually, in such accidents, the main impact is on the front left corner of the vehicle.
The bulk of right-hand drive cars were brought to Russia from Japan. For their home market, the Japanese produce a wide range of models that are not intended for export to other countries. Many models have no analogues in other markets.
Positioning the steering wheel on the right side makes it easier to park in tight parking spaces. For example, you can press your left side more tightly against the passenger door of a car with a left-hand drive, which will allow you and the owners of neighboring cars to open the driver's door.
The right hand drive gives you better control over the right side of the vehicle and the shoulder. This can be useful on narrow roads and on oncoming traffic when you need to pull to the side of the road.
Cons of the right hand drive
A significant drawback of right-hand drive cars is difficulties when overtaking on roads with one lane in each direction. The driver of an ordinary car is able to assess the road situation without leaving his lane. The owner of a car with a right-hand drive is forced to leave his lane by half a body or more, which often leads to severe accidents.
The front passenger in these vehicles is at great risk. In the event of a head-on collision, he suffers the most.
Passengers are not only at risk in a collision. They have to go out not to the sidewalk, but to the roadway. When leaving the car, passengers rarely look in the mirror and can open the door directly in front of the passing car.
Another major problem is incorrect head light. The headlights set according to the rules should direct the light beam to the road in front of the vehicle and to the right side of the road.
In cars in which the controls are located on the right, the headlights shine into the oncoming lane. This reduces visibility to the right side of the road and the side of the road, where pedestrians can walk and cars can be parked. In addition, such a light dazzles the drivers of oncoming vehicles, which can lead to an accident.
Unfortunately, on many cars, the head optics cannot be adjusted so that they shine in accordance with GOST. If the car model has a European equivalent, the headlights can be replaced with the ones corresponding to the technical regulations. But the number of such models is limited.
Often cars from Japan are equipped with multifunctional multimedia systems. They delight the driver with a built-in navigation system, TV and DVD player.
However, in Russian conditions, all this is usually useless. The radio and TV set operate at completely different frequencies, the DVD player refuses to read discs, and Russian maps cannot be found for the navigator. Firmware upgrades are often impossible or unreasonably expensive.
The closer you get to Europe, the more difficult it is to sell such a car. The liquidity of right-hand drive vehicles has been declining from year to year. More and more people are looking to buy a left-hand drive car.
