Can you take test in LHD vehicle?

Americans are not allowed to "exchange", unfortunately.  

Only those with a license from the following places can exchange: Any EC/EEA country, Australia, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Canada, Falkland Islands, Faroe Islands, Gibralter, Hong Kong, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland and Zimbabwe.

There is a little Q&A thing here to determine if you can exchange: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Diol1/MotoringDecisionTrees/HowToImportorExportaVehicle/exchange_driving_licence.dsb

xposted w/ Weby

I've never driven a LHD car in the UK or a RHD car in the US or Europe, but in general I'd say it is a bad idea .. the driver's view of the road is very restricted, very hard to pass, etc.  In the UK, where many two-lane roads are quite narrow and twisty, how would you know how much clearance to give to a car travelling in the opposite direction (and, you could have a closing speed of 120 mph or more.)  Sounds dangerous to me...

As someone who regularly drives a LHD car in Yorkshire, I beg that people with no experience please stop perpetuating this myth.  In the past 18 months I have driven my LHD car as well as occasional RHD rentals (including a regular 60 mile round trip commute to Uni) and, in my experience, there have been more occasions where I have been happier in my LHD car - in particular on the two-lane, high speed roads cited here - because I can drive closer to the side of the road with confidence.  To my knowledge I have never accidentally started driving in the wrong lane or gone around a roundabout in the wrong direction, etc because there are certainly plenty of other reminders and visual cues that keep me where I'm supposed to be.

Yes, it's a bummer that I can't see as easily around the farm equipment to pass on occasion, but overall other than custom I don't have any experience that would make me state unequivocally that RHD is absolutely better.

Also, I shipped my car here from the States, and I recommend doing the math before coming to a blanket conclusion that it's far more expensive to ship than buy here.   In some cases it may be, but in my experience it was far cheaper to ship. YMMV.  No pun intended. 

As someone who regularly drives a LHD car in Yorkshire, I beg that people with no experience please stop perpetuating this myth.  In the past 18 months I have driven my LHD car as well as occasional RHD rentals (including a regular 60 mile round trip commute to Uni) and, in my experience, there have been more occasions where I have been happier in my LHD car - in particular on the two-lane, high speed roads cited here - because I can drive closer to the side of the road with confidence.  To my knowledge I have never accidentally started driving in the wrong lane or gone around a roundabout in the wrong direction, etc because there are certainly plenty of other reminders and visual cues that keep me where I'm supposed to be.

Yes, it's a bummer that I can't see as easily around the farm equipment to pass on occasion, but overall other than custom I don't have any experience that would make me state unequivocally that RHD is absolutely better.

Also, I shipped my car here from the States, and I recommend doing the math before coming to a blanket conclusion that it's far more expensive to ship than buy here.   In some cases it may be, but in my experience it was far cheaper to ship. YMMV.  No pun intended. 

Just giving my opinion, which I believe is acceptable behaviour here....

Hiya

NightDragon - yep, you are entitled to your opinion no worries at all ! however I'd also urge you to try it out becuase there's no evidence linking driving a LHD car in the UK is any more dangerous than a RHD car. The number of LHD vehicles in the UK is quite large and I've never read a report that suggests they shouldn't be allowed becuase of them being more dangerous. You may then revise your opinion !

ExJerseyGirl - Nice to see that your Bug is still around ! and yep, in your case you loved the car to an extent to bring it over. Generally speaking, LHD beetles are worth X% less here due to the same car being around in RHD. It's that level which makes bringing over a 'normal' car (I don't mean that to offend you!) much less of a good idea than an 'interesting' American car.

To those reading the thread - Exjerseygirl does make a good point though, if you do love your 'normal' car enough, don't just dismiss selling it off in the US without checking into how much shipping and associated taxes may be. I've just recently enquired about shipping vehicles and it's approx :

£900 inc VAT for a UK port and and East Coast US port (probably NYC) with a 9 day sailing time

£1500 inc VAT for a UK port and West Coast US port (probably LA or SF) with a 22 day sailing time.


Both options are on a below deck vessel and includes all the insurances etc. These prices may have varied a little since abotu a month ago when I enquired.

Cheers, DtM! West London & Slough UK!

Back in the 1970s loads of British hippie types imported used LHD VW Beetles, Microbuses and Citroën 2CVs & Dyanes from the Continent because over there they were dirt cheap. You could go over with a couple of hundred quid, find one, and drive it back. You could even get ex-Belgian Post Office RHD Citroën 2CV vans. The driver sat on the right to allow easy access to post boxes on the pavement. The LHD thing is no biggie. You can always lean over a bit to the right, especially if you don't have a passenger.

ExJerseyGirl - Nice to see that your Bug is still around ! and yep, in your case you loved the car to an extent to bring it over. Generally speaking, LHD beetles are worth X% less here due to the same car being around in RHD. It's that level which makes bringing over a 'normal' car (I don't mean that to offend you!) much less of a good idea than an 'interesting' American car.

£900 inc VAT for a UK port and and East Coast US port (probably NYC) with a 9 day sailing time

£1500 inc VAT for a UK port and West Coast US port (probably LA or SF) with a 22 day sailing time.


Both options are on a below deck vessel and includes all the insurances etc. These prices may have varied a little since abotu a month ago when I enquired.

Cheers, DtM! West London & Slough UK!

I think that the relative value of LHD to RHD only comes into play if you intend to sell before it's driven into the ground, too, though.  That was never my situation, so I never considered it. And yes, I am still utterly and completely in love with my Bug.... although if the US DOT would let me bring one home, I'd be so tempted to pick up one of the new Fiat 500s.  Also, there are quite a few folks in the community here (where I live) that were upside down on their car notes, and their shipping costs were less than the $$ they would lose by selling (a whole different dynamic, I acknowledge).   So many variables to consider!

In any case, thanks for dropping those basic shipping quotes, as my Bug and I are planning on heading back home this summer!!!!  DtM - would you mind PMing me the company(ies) you used?  I'm going to contact the shippers who brought my car over, but of course comparison quotes are always desirable!!  TIA!

In any case, thanks for dropping those basic shipping quotes, as my Bug and I are planning on heading back home this summer!!!!  DtM - would you mind PMing me the company(ies) you used?  I'm going to contact the shippers who brought my car over, but of course comparison quotes are always desirable!!  TIA!

Aye, you can't leave yet because you just got here