Which Side Of The Road?

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29869, 9 July 1962, Page 10

Which Side Of The Road?

The prospect that membership of the Common Market will cause Britain to change from driving on the lefthand side of the road to driving on the right-hand side has prompted the president of the Automobile Association (Wellington) to say “ serious thought ” would have to be given to following the British lead There would in fact be little freedom for thought The decision would virtually be forced upon New Zealand, which receives most of its motor-vehicles from Britain, and is likely to continue to do so. It may not even be necessary for Britain to join the Common Market for the change to come—an English Channel tunnel or bridge would probably be just as compelling. Of course, there would be disruption and confusion for a time while people were changing the habits and practices of years; and a good deal of new road engineering and signposting would be necessary. But it would be logical to change to a practice used by the bulk of the motoring world, and in the long run economical. Indeed, it is

remarkable that conflicting sets of road rules that must have their origins in times when there were no roads have persisted for so many years. The conflict mattered very little until motoring really began 50 years ago. The conflict in the rules has come to matter very much, as motor manufacturers have been compelled to provide right-hand and lefthand drive cars for different markets. If British manufacturers are to compete freely in the Common Market it will be to their advantage to make one style. The same advantage, it' is true, will accrue also to Continental manufacturers; but the larger British manufacturers with established markets in many overseas countries with the right-hand rule should have the better of it. As world prosperity increases and more and more people drive in other countries, the need for uniform traffic rules will become pressing. If the Common Market does cause the change, it will surely do no more than precipitate an event that is bound to occur at some time.