Our indicator stalks are on the wrong side

TripleT · 21 Apr 2015 at 14:03

Redgie said:
I never even realised this was one of the benefits, but come to think of it now you've said it I do remember my left arm near enough falling asleep on a long journey along the West coast of Australia after a few hours in an automatic with cruise control and an arm wrest

I've actually been known to turn them on with my right hand if I'm being especially lazy!

(Althought this probably means more effort!)

Antony101 · 21 Apr 2015 at 14:18

Speaking of stalks, took me ages to get used to having two stalks on the left and kept flashing people whenever I tried to put the cruise control on.

Redgie · 21 Apr 2015 at 14:25

TripleT said:
I've actually been known to turn them on with my right hand if I'm being especially lazy!

(Althought this probably means more effort!)

I also do this sometimes

Seems to only ever be when the girlfriend is in the car with me though, which leads to lots of "tut"s and the shaking of her head

pepsilol · 21 Apr 2015 at 14:28

Pfft, if I'm that lazy, I use my third leg.

Six6siX · 21 Apr 2015 at 14:32

Conscript said:
I've owned three Japanese cars, and the indicator has always been on the left

Or are you specifically referring to imports?

My UK Spec Supra had it on the right. Depends on the car.

Clarkey · 21 Apr 2015 at 14:34

acemastr said:
Imports have them on the right, an ex gf had an MR2 and a WRX and both were on the right, they also didn't auto cancel lol

They must have had bodged on aftermarket wheel hubs then, because that is not a JDM 'thing'. I had to modify the cheap hub I got to make the self cancel work again in the nissan.

Evo8 · 21 Apr 2015 at 14:35

My MR2 has it on the left and my Evo has it on the right so Japanese cars aren't all the same.

Conscript · 21 Apr 2015 at 15:05

Six6siX said:
My UK Spec Supra had it on the right. Depends on the car.

Evo8 said:
My MR2 has it on the left and my Evo has it on the right so Japanese cars aren't all the same.

Mental.
Only time I've driven an LHD car was a hire VW Polo in Spain. I don't remember getting indicators/wipers mixed up, so I guess it was the same as the UK.

Changing gear with the left hand felt weird though, and I spent all week trying to pull a seatbelt out of the passenger seat.

markweatherill · 21 Apr 2015 at 15:13

squerble said:
Am I wrong, or should I buy an automatic which renders my point completely useless?

Buy a car with automatic indicators.

Alternatively, remove the bulbs from the indicators on one side of the car, then you can use the hazard light switch instead of the offending indicator stalk. As long as you adjust your route so as only to make left, or right, turns, of course.

Or, like, what do you mean indicate? I know where I'm going!

adam cool dude · 21 Apr 2015 at 22:32

Six6siX said:
My UK Spec Supra had it on the right. Depends on the car.

Your Uk spec was built on the same Japanese assembly line with the UK specs put on after. General rule is cars built in Japan will be on the right and Japanese cars built in Europe will be on the left. The Uk spec gen 6 Celica infact had both variations between face lifts.

My other halfs Suzuki Ignis Sport has it on the right as well but was built in Japan for the Uk market.

Me personally I prefer it on the right as you can have one hand on the gear stick while indicating.

ianh · 21 Apr 2015 at 23:18

It's worse when you try and flash your mainbeams at someone (at a junction etc) and squirt your windscreen washers instead, that took more time to get right than the indicators for me!

BigglesPiP · 21 Apr 2015 at 23:31

If you want to indicate with your wipers on holiday, maybe.

In truth, we drive on the wrong side of the road, if we drove on the right side of the road (in both meanings of the word "right"), our cars would be cheaper, make more sense* and in some cases even be safer**.

*Everything from your indicator conundrum to things like Alfa 156 sun visors that you can't pull down with your right hand, unless you're sitting on the left of the car.

**Cars with front transverse mounted engines have a better crumple zone for the driver if the driver is on the side of the car with the smaller gearbox, not the larger block. It's conceivable that a 5 Star EURO NCAP car may not be 5 Star in RHD form. Real cars with front longitudinal or rear mounted engines are immune to this.

Lashout_UK · 22 Apr 2015 at 01:48

BigglesPiP said:
**Cars with front transverse mounted engines have a better crumple zone for the driver if the driver is on the side of the car with the smaller gearbox, not the larger block. It's conceivable that a 5 Star EURO NCAP car may not be 5 Star in RHD form. Real cars with front longitudinal or rear mounted engines are immune to this.

I believe manufacturers have to submit evidence that there is no real difference, when it comes to safety, between RHD and LHD cars - so I wouldn't worry too much about it.

Conscript · 22 Apr 2015 at 07:35

BigglesPiP said:
If you want to indicate with your wipers on holiday, maybe.

In truth, we drive on the wrong side of the road, if we drove on the right side of the road (in both meanings of the word "right"), our cars would be cheaper, make more sense* and in some cases even be safer**.

*Everything from your indicator conundrum to things like Alfa 156 sun visors that you can't pull down with your right hand, unless you're sitting on the left of the car.

**Cars with front transverse mounted engines have a better crumple zone for the driver if the driver is on the side of the car with the smaller gearbox, not the larger block. It's conceivable that a 5 Star EURO NCAP car may not be 5 Star in RHD form. Real cars with front longitudinal or rear mounted engines are immune to this.

Rubbish. I need my sword hand on the outside so that I may more easily defend myself from ruffians whilst traveling on the Queens highway.

mccarf · 22 Apr 2015 at 08:30

A Kia Rio I drove recently had them the wrong way around. I found it quite awkward

Lima · 22 Apr 2015 at 08:48

ianh said:
It's worse when you try and flash your mainbeams at someone (at a junction etc) and squirt your windscreen washers instead, that took more time to get right than the indicators for me!

Lol I would crack up if I saw someone do this.

My indicators are on the left. Never felt it was a problem at all.

Redgie · 22 Apr 2015 at 10:40

Conscript said:
Rubbish. I need my sword hand on the outside so that I may more easily defend myself from ruffians whilst traveling on the Queens highway.

I was going to respond with the same thing but place it in context. Now however I feel your approach is better

Outcast · 22 Apr 2015 at 10:47

It was even more interesting in a Reliant Regal where the indicator stalk is somewhere over there !!

lemonade · 22 Apr 2015 at 11:30

Never ever effected me in anyway. Usually indicate befoe maneuvering or downshifting.

adam cool dude · 22 Apr 2015 at 14:17

Lima said:
Lol I would crack up if I saw someone do this.

My indicators are on the left. Never felt it was a problem at all.

It is even worse when you go to wash your windscreen and you flash the car in front of you. You got nowhere to hide and they think you're being annoying!