Right & Left Hand Traffic Rules In Usa

By Author: Augustine Joseph
Total Articles: 16
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United States is home to the largest passenger vehicle market of any country in the world. Overall, estimation of 254.4 million registered passenger vehicles are in United States according to a 2007 DOT study. United States is also the home of three large vehicle manufacturers:
*General Motors,
*Ford Motor Company
*Chrysler.
This has been historically referred to as the Big Three. However Chrysler is no longer among the top three; but is number five, behind Toyota and Honda. The motor cars though have clearly become an integral part of American’s life, with vehicles outnumbering licensed drivers.
Age of vehicles in operation:
In the year 2001, the National Automobile Dealers Association conducted a study revealing the average age of vehicles in operation in the US. The study found that vehicles in operation in US are
*38.3% older than ten years,
*22.3% between seven and ten years old,
*25.8% between three and six years old and
*13.5% less than two years old.
Also according to this study the majority of vehicles, 60.6%, of vehicles were older than seven years ...
... in 2001. Many Americans own three or more vehicles. The low marginal cost of registering and insuring additional older vehicles means many vehicles that are rarely used are still given full weight in the statistics.
Road traffics:
The terms right-hand traffic and left-hand traffic refer to regulations requiring all bidirectional traffic to keep either to the right or the left side of the road, respectively. This is so fundamental to traffic flow that it is sometimes referred to as the rule of the road. This basic rule eases traffic flow and reduces the risk of head-on collisions.
Universally each & every country specifies a uniform road traffic flow:
*Left-hand traffic (LHT) in which traffic keeps to the left side of the road, or
*Right-hand traffic (RHT) in which traffic keeps to the right.
Usually vehicles are manufactured in left-hand drive (LHD) and right-hand drive (RHD) configurations, referring to the placement of the driving seat and controls within the vehicle. Typically, the placement of the steering wheel is opposite to the rule of the road:
*LHT countries use RHD vehicles, and
*RHT countries use LHD vehicles.
This is so that the driver’s line of sight is as long as possible down the road past leading vehicles, an important consideration for overtaking (passing) maneuvers.
On the other hand, while steering a heavy vehicle on a narrow road, the more advantageous position for the driver is on the curbside. So that he can closely monitor the position of the vehicle and its wheels relative to an abyss or an escarpment. For heavy vehicles driving on difficult roads RHD is preferable under RHT rule and vice versa.
Right-hand traffic:
All traffic is generally required to keep right unless overtaking.
*When oncoming traffic is seen coming from the left.
*Left-turning traffic must cross oncoming traffic.
*Most traffic signs facing motorists are on the right side of the road.
*Traffic on roundabouts goes counterclockwise.
*Pedestrians crossing a two-way road look first for traffic from their left.
*The lane designated for normal driving and turning right is on the right.
*Most dual carriageway exits are on the right.
*Other vehicles are generally overtaken on the left, though in some circumstances overtaking on the right is permitted.
*Most vehicles have the driving seat on the left.
*A right turn at a red light may be allowed after stopping.
*On roads without a footpath pedestrians may be advised to walk on the left.
Left-hand traffic:
A sign on Australia’s Great Ocean Road reminding foreign motorists to keep left.
*All traffic is generally required to keep left unless overtaking.
*Oncoming traffic is seen coming from the right.
*Right-turning traffic must cross oncoming traffic.
*Most traffic signs facing motorists are on the left side of the road.
*Traffic on roundabouts goes clockwise.
*Pedestrians crossing a two-way road look first for traffic from their right.
*The lane designated for normal driving and turning left is on the left.
*Most dual carriageway exits are on the left.
*Other vehicles are overtaken on the right, though in some circumstances overtaking on the left is permitted.
*Most vehicles have the driving seat on the right.
*A left turn at a red light may be allowed after stopping.
*On roads without a footpath pedestrians may be advised to walk on the right.