FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - Right Hand Drive Car Rental
View Single Post
Old Sep 17, 2012 | 8:59 pm
  #5  
docbert
2M
60 Nights
50 Countries Visited
15 Years on Site
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Brisbane, Australia
Programs: UA 1K/MM, Marriott Titanium, IHG Gold, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 8,524
Originally Posted by debracey
Does anyone know if it's possible to rent a right hand drive car (steering wheel on left side of vehicle) in Australia. It looks like I'll be travelling to Oz for a long period of time coming up -- and it'd be easier to rent a car that I'm familiar with.

So, do any rental companies down under stock these types of cars? Has anyone had any luck renting one?
I seriously doubt it's possible, and it's probably not legal. There are fairly strict requirements around registering such vehicles in Australia.

However as an Australian who now lives in the US and who has driven extensively in both countries I can tell you that this would be the last thing you'd want! Although being on your 'normal' side of the car may help a little as far as lane placement goes, it will likely make turns far more difficult, and make you much more likely to turn into the wrong lane.

As wrong as sitting on the wrong side of the car might feel, that feeling of "wrongness" really help remind you that everything is backwards - from which side of the road is the fast lane, down to how to turn into another street without ending up on the wrong side of the road!
docbert is offline