Is it worth the trouble owning a right hand drive

Table of Contents

• Why it is, or isn’t worth it to get a RHD
• Getting parts for your RHD vehicle
• Servicing a RHD :
• RHD Insurance:
• Driving A RHD car
• RHD Issues with the Police
• Is it worth it to get a RHD ?

Why it is, or isn’t worth it to get a RHD

Should you jump into owning a Right Hand Drive car without thinking about the differences between your Left Hand Drive cars in your area? Probably not… but we will look at the things you should take into consideration?

Getting parts for your RHD vehicle

When deciding whether to buy a right-hand drive car, one of the main concerns is usually parts. Will it be difficult or impossible to find parts for the car? For some cars, parts are actually easier to find than for their North American counterparts. Do your research to find out whether the car you’re interested in falls into this category.

Servicing a RHD :

When I’m trying to buy simple things at Canadian Tire, like a new battery, the clerks always ask me for the make and model of my car. Every time I say “It’s not in your system”. Then they say “Try me”. I tried to save them the embarrassment and did some research online to find the bolt pattern and size of the battery I needed. The internet is a huge resource of information, although it can be dicey at times. Once you find what you need, a good strategy to handle clueless clerks is to find a car/truck/boat (yes, I’ve even used this for boats in the past) that has similar parts and just say you have that. Work the system.

RHD Insurance:

I’m glad I live in Manitoba where we have “Public Insurance”. I was worried at first that my truck wouldn’t be in their system, but it was and it was easy to insure. Right now Quebec has a hold on all right-hand drive vehicles, but I think they can be driven legally in other provinces. The insurance here is usually the same as what you’d find for other cars in its class. Look around and compare rates before you decide on a company.

Driving A RHD car

There’s no evidence that driving a right-hand-drive car is more dangerous. However, statistics show that you’re 40% more likely to have an accident. This may be because young drivers are more likely to have accidents in any kind of car. It’s different, and occasionally awkward, to drive a right-hand-drive car. Once you’re used to it, you learn to avoid putting yourself in awkward situations. Just like driving a left-hand-drive car, there are positions you want to avoid. You could say this about any car – they all have blind spots and you work around them. Every car is different, but I know that I don’t turn into a right-hand turn before I can go because my passenger becomes a blind spot. So, I just don’t do that…. Be smart. Drive safe. In the end, it’s just a car and has all the same odd things.

RHD Issues with the Police

There are horror stories about right hand drivers getting pulled over weekly, but I haven’t experienced it yet. I’ve gotten some confused looks, but my Kei truck isn’t very fast.If you’re thinking about buying a twin turbo Fairlady Z or Skyline, just know that you’re more likely to get pulled over. And if you’re driving one of these cars recklessly, you WILL get pulled over. Right hand drive cars are more noticeable to both jealous onlookers and the police. If you don’t want that kind of attention, then buy a Ford Taurus. But if you want a flashy car, you have to be prepared for the consequences.

Is it worth it to get a RHD ?

It’s not all good. There are some issues that come with owning a truck. You’ll look like an idiot when you go to a parking garage. You’ll never go through a drive through alone again. But, they’re fun. They’re low mileage. They’re different. I, for one, love my truck. And, in the end if I ever want to go through a drive through again I could buy a cheap beater LHD or (god forbid) sell my truck one day. But for now, I think it’s the greatest thing ever. If you want to find out more about RHD cars , make sure you come back and check out our blog.