CADA Seeking federal ban on RHD imports in Canada!

RHD-related issues ONLY please (NOT for general political ads!)
User avatar
glenn
Posts: 661
Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2008 10:18 pm
Vehicle: 93 L300/97 L400 Jasper
Location: coquitlam
Location: coquitlam
Contact:

Re: CADA Seeking federal ban on RHD imports in Canada!

Post by glenn »

Weird that the teenage male comment struck such a nerve. The point I am trying to make is that in the bigger scheme of things, the side of the car you are driving on is relatively minor with regard to safety. The biggest problem with the safety of cars today is the nut behind the wheel. It's behavioral. The question is not whether you should buy a hilux, or a 4runner, but how do you keep your kids from texting, using a phone, drinking and driving and generally not taking driving seriously? Because it's been shown that no matter how hard you try, once they are on their own in their car, all these behaviors emerge.

I am not advocating any kind of a driving ban, but the statistics are quite clear - teenage males are much more likely die in motor vehicle accidents - despite any anecdotal evidence to the contrary.
Glenn
http://www.vurv.ca

L400 and L300 consoles
Image
User avatar
nxski
Posts: 3268
Joined: Tue Aug 31, 2010 6:27 pm
Member's Photo Album: http://www.delica.ca/Photos/
Vehicle: 1991 Delica L300 Super Exceed
Location: Coquitlam
Location: BC, Canada
Contact:

Re: CADA Seeking federal ban on RHD imports in Canada!

Post by nxski »

glenn wrote:Weird that the teenage male comment struck such a nerve. The point I am trying to make is that in the bigger scheme of things, the side of the car you are driving on is relatively minor with regard to safety. The biggest problem with the safety of cars today is the nut behind the wheel. It's behavioral. The question is not whether you should buy a hilux, or a 4runner, but how do you keep your kids from texting, using a phone, drinking and driving and generally not taking driving seriously? Because it's been shown that no matter how hard you try, once they are on their own in their car, all these behaviors emerge.

I am not advocating any kind of a driving ban, but the statistics are quite clear - teenage males are much more likely die in motor vehicle accidents - despite any anecdotal evidence to the contrary.
Point taken and agreed with! I think what struck a nerve was singling out people based on a stereotype. Not all teenage boys are dangerous behind the wheel just like not all middle aged women are saints behind the wheel.
glenn wrote:The point I am trying to make is that in the bigger scheme of things, the side of the car you are driving on is relatively minor with regard to safety. The biggest problem with the safety of cars today is the nut behind the wheel.
Sums it up perfectly!
Live the life you love, love the life you live...

Had: 1991 Mitsubishi Delica L300 SuperExceed, heavily modified (totalled by a drunk driver)
Have: 2011 Acura CSX manual, lightly modified
Want: Mitsubishi Pajero Evo

http://nes-design-construction.com
http://ca.linkedin.com/pub/nicolas-spurling/46/b48/924

Nicola Spurling
User avatar
CREGAN
Posts: 1094
Joined: Thu Sep 24, 2009 8:05 am
Member's Photo Album: http://www.delica.ca/Photos/
Vehicle: 94 L400 SpaceGear Super Exceed
Location: Leduc, Alberta

Re: CADA Seeking federal ban on RHD imports in Canada!

Post by CREGAN »

Glenn- it didn't so much stike a nerve, it's like Nick said that it is an annoying stereotype. I agree with you and your comments, I just wanted to point out that not all teenage males are the problems on the road. It may be that there are just more of them on the road, could that not skew the results? Or maybe the fact that we, as men and formerly teenagers, don't just screw up but we screw up bad. Many factors to consider in the arguement, but I do like having the arguement :-)

Craig
User avatar
thedjjack
Posts: 2025
Joined: Wed Jan 27, 2010 12:13 am
Member's Photo Album: http://www.delica.ca/forum/ucp.php?i=164
Vehicle: 1989 L300 HITOP!!
Location: Port McNeill
Location: Port McNeill
Contact:

Re: CADA Seeking federal ban on RHD imports in Canada!

Post by thedjjack »

If a driver is properly trained the side of the car makes no difference......it is only 4 feet.

Personally I think the cabforward design makes up for difference and than some. Drive the new Toyota FJ if you want to talk about blinds spots... I have been off roading lots for work in a full size and wish I could use the delica...so much view..
Last edited by thedjjack on Sat Dec 01, 2012 4:17 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
glenn
Posts: 661
Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2008 10:18 pm
Vehicle: 93 L300/97 L400 Jasper
Location: coquitlam
Location: coquitlam
Contact:

Re: CADA Seeking federal ban on RHD imports in Canada!

Post by glenn »

I think we are all kind of in agreement - and yes, teenage boys do get a bad rap when it comes to driving. Having said that, I did some really stupid things as a teen that I would never do now.

And about the FJ - I've never understood the new ones. They are totally not in the same spirit as the the original 70's era land cruisers. They are much more akin to the H2 - full of testosterone, but not really practical for anything - and way to big for what they are. It figures that they are a product of Toyota America - and mostly for the American market. Oh, am I off topic?
Glenn
http://www.vurv.ca

L400 and L300 consoles
Image
mapleridge818
Posts: 49
Joined: Tue Aug 28, 2012 9:28 pm
Member's Photo Album: http://www.delica.ca/Photos/
Vehicle: Nissan D21
Location: Abbotsford

Re: CADA Seeking federal ban on RHD imports in Canada!

Post by mapleridge818 »

Young drivers, male or female, are far more likely to get in an accident. Not saying all are bad drivers, but I work at a bodyshop, and we get a lot of cars with the "N" in the back window. A much higher percentage than you see on the road. I think the girls are distracted, and the guys don't fully understand consequences. Not sure how I made it out of my teen years, all I know is that headlight doors on a Pontiac Fiero pop up due to wind pressure at about 200kph, and a Nissan 240sx is electronically governed to 190kph, unless you install a ECU from an automatic.
When my son turns 16, he's getting a 3 cylinder geo metro, with one cylinder disconnected :?
That being said, kids make dumb choices, a lot of them spur of the moment. I know I did. So when at an intersection, when they can't see around an oncoming car, because they are "only 4 feet over", and the person behind them honks because they are impatient, the kid might be dumb enough to try his luck. Will the same kid be more likely to crash by bouncing his car off the speed limiter on the freeway? Yes. Will they be more likely to crash due to having bald tires from doing burnouts? Yes. Will they be more likely to crash from drinking and driving, texting, being distracted by friends in the car, or having too much horse power? Yes, but I still think that driving a RHD vehicle is one more thing added to the list of things that make bad drivers worse. I would rather my kid drive a RHD anything rather than a motorcycle, a high HP RWD car, or a poorly maintained vehicle. But I'd still rather see him in a LHD vehicle instead of a comparable model in a RHD. When I was young, I found all the weakness and draw backs of my vehicles. I realized quickly that turbo RWD cars tend to go sideways rather quickly in the rain. I learned by backing into another car, that Fieros have bad blind spots. I learned mid engine cars tend to plow straight into ditches, if you turn the front wheels too quickly. I learned, through my friend, that cars with high centers of gravity tend to roll over when you lose control on gravel roads. I'm sure, I would have found out. the hard way, that RHD vehicles have blind spots when making left hand turns and when passing. I'm not a dumb kid now, and driving a RHD isn't a problem for me, but when you are young, you tend to learn stuff the hard way.
Again, I am pro RHD. There are many vehicles that are far more dangerous, that would never be band, like high HP cars and motorcycles etc. I sure 300hp RWD cars are 3 times more likely to be involved in an accident, and you'll never see a ban on that type of cars, even though statistics can prove them to be a hazard. We have a right to choose what we drive, otherwise, we all just get 4wd Volvos. All I'm trying to say is, there is a small percentage of truth to the fact that a RHD vehicle can be slightly more hazardous if driven by the wrong person. I know the CADA etc claim that for all the wrong reasons, and should focus on supplying us with the vehicles we want instead of banning them, but I'd still much rather have a LHD Delica if I could have one, for the same price as a RHD. Even if it's just for going through the drive through :-D
User avatar
thedjjack
Posts: 2025
Joined: Wed Jan 27, 2010 12:13 am
Member's Photo Album: http://www.delica.ca/forum/ucp.php?i=164
Vehicle: 1989 L300 HITOP!!
Location: Port McNeill
Location: Port McNeill
Contact:

Re: CADA Seeking federal ban on RHD imports in Canada!

Post by thedjjack »

Have you driven a L300?

Passing WTF is that? Maybe the odd tractor on a side road (if it is an older tractor) :-D

What the L300 losses sitting 4 feet over it makes up being way higher and looking over. It is not a simple RHD vs LHD, is a LHD delica safer on our roads...not in my mind (I would have swapped it over already if I thought so).

Also RHD has advantages in other situations like left hand corners, being able to see the ditch side on narrow FSR ect..

Personally everyone should have to drive a motorcycle first or at least take the courses.

L300 top out at about 120km/h (I am a 5 speed) 0-60 that makes the firefly look like a Porsche....bald tire from burnouts not going to happen even if you bleach the tires first (my 79 Capri with the 68 289 could smoke tires of in 5 minutes)...and my friends firebird was hard to see out of with the front wheels 2 feet of the ground...

Honestly I thought I was going to swap the Delica to LHD when I bought it drove it around the block and never thought about it again...

I think what we need is drivers who know how to drive
.... sure we went in the ditch or through a fence or two...but we learned how to pull out and recover.... ABS, traction control, airbags, etc do not make up for skill...

Personally cell phones should be locked in the trunk... (sorry to anyone who is replying to this thread as they are going down HWY1)
User avatar
Delicia
Posts: 20
Joined: Sat Aug 18, 2012 11:51 pm
Member's Photo Album: http://www.delica.ca/Photos/
Vehicle: 1995 L400 Super Exceed
Location: Vancouver Island

Re: CADA Seeking federal ban on RHD imports in Canada!

Post by Delicia »

Guns don’t kill people, people kill people. The same thing applies to drivers; a bad driver could hurt someone while driving a golf cart.

I come from a history of small cars, all of which I have paid for myself. My first car as a teenager was Tercedes, a 16yr-old Tercel. That car taught me to take care of my vehicle, and the value of oil :? . My second car was a second hand lemon. That car taught me a lesson about getting screwed over. The third and my first car love was my brand new Yaris. That car showed me the freedom of road trips. Yaris met her end earlier this year when I displayed a moment of Western driving and made a very bad left turn during rush hour traffic. That was the biggest reality check in the world and my heart broke a bit that day.

Some might say getting into a HUGE (by my standard) RHD vehicle wasn’t the best choice, I say stuff them! Everyone asks how difficult it is to drive RH and the answer is that it isn’t as long as you are aware of your surroundings and what you are doing. I feel that driving my Deli has made me a safer and more consciences driver.

That being said, I did have a really sketchy moment on a logging road this summer that probably wouldn’t have been so bad if I was on the left side and could see the extra four feet around the bend.

We are the opposable thumbs that start the engine and direct the course of a vehicle. Many modes of transportation available in Canada could be dangerous if driven by the wrong hands. Westerners do not take driving seriously enough; being so high up gives you a good perspective of what people are really doing while driving.

Ban the man, not the van :M
- T
User avatar
Firesong
Posts: 1363
Joined: Tue Feb 03, 2009 9:03 am
Member's Photo Album: http://www.delica.ca/Photos/
Vehicle: 1998 L400 Delica Chamonix
Location: Saskatoon
Location: Saskatoon, SK. Canada

CADA Seeking federal ban on RHD imports in Canada!

Post by Firesong »

Honestly I would rather my kids have an accident in a newer vehicle with a higher safety rating.

Morons are morons

Guns don't kill people but like all tools they sure make the job easier.

My 14 yr old daughter drove my Delica just fine. - learners license

Teach your own kids to drive properly. Don't worry about all the others. Defensive driving courses are great and help to avoid the idiots on the road. A first aid and CPR course are nice too

It's funny reading posts here and then comparing to the people who complain about speeding tickets and other offences.

Not to mention people who actually want to do more than 110 km per hr in a Delica.

Drive safe.
drrod
Posts: 167
Joined: Thu Jun 19, 2008 9:19 pm
Member's Photo Album: http://www.delica.ca/Photos/
Vehicle: 93 Exceed
Location: Calgary, Alberta

Re: CADA Seeking federal ban on RHD imports in Canada!

Post by drrod »

"...everyone should have to drive a motorcycle first..."

Very good point! Nothing teaches you to be a defensive driver better than a motorcycle.

While we are on the subject of making the roads safer.......how come there isn't a howling of outrage from the safety Nazis regarding all the gizmos in newer cars that are so distracting? For the life of me, I cannot figure out how being able to check your Facebook account, text, send and receive emails, etc, etc, etc, ever made it past the powers that be that determine the safety aspects of car design. If the car companies are simply responding to consumer demand, then I wish they would have responded sooner to the demand for increased quality and efficiency. If they had, maybe we wouldn't feel the need to buy 15+ yr old vehicles from off shore.
Rod
User avatar
konadog
Posts: 1815
Joined: Tue Feb 26, 2008 9:25 pm
Vehicle: 1992 GLX L-300
Location: Campbell River, BC

Re: CADA Seeking federal ban on RHD imports in Canada!

Post by konadog »

mapleridge818 wrote:All I'm trying to say is, there is a small percentage of truth to the fact that a RHD vehicle can be slightly more hazardous if driven by the wrong person...
This is just not true - 0 percentage. Same "wrong person" in a left hand drive will be just as hazardous. You're spreading misinformation here - just the kind of lies that ICBC was spreading before they gave up trying to ban us...
mapleridge818 wrote:I'd still much rather have a LHD Delica if I could have one, for the same price as a RHD. Even if it's just for going through the drive through :-D
Not me. I like driving on the right side of the car with a factory built machine. I wouldn't go near a delica that had been changed over.

And what's all this about "4 feet?!" Metric people! - it's only about 1 meter between the seats on either side. I get that when you haven't driven one it seems odd and scary, but it's not in reality. A safe, careful driver is just that, regardless of the side of the car they are piloting from. After nearly 5 years on the right I have little patience for those telling me I'm a road hazard because I drive a RHD...
Image
Happy Day!
mapleridge818
Posts: 49
Joined: Tue Aug 28, 2012 9:28 pm
Member's Photo Album: http://www.delica.ca/Photos/
Vehicle: Nissan D21
Location: Abbotsford

Re: CADA Seeking federal ban on RHD imports in Canada!

Post by mapleridge818 »

konadog wrote:
mapleridge818 wrote:All I'm trying to say is, there is a small percentage of truth to the fact that a RHD vehicle can be slightly more hazardous if driven by the wrong person...
This is just not true - 0 percentage. Same "wrong person" in a left hand drive will be just as hazardous. You're spreading misinformation here - just the kind of lies that ICBC was spreading before they gave up trying to ban us...
So you think that no one has ever been involved in an accident due to the fact that their visibility was restricted due to being on the right side of the vehicle? Sometimes it's hard to see around a car while making a left hand turn in a LHD, tall vehicle. Make it a low car, like a Supra and it's worse, sit on the right side of the vehicle and the problem is amplified further. A good, smart, observant driver would wait until they could see that the intersection was clear for sure, before proceeding, but we are not all good, smart, observant drivers.
mapleridge818 wrote:I'd still much rather have a LHD Delica if I could have one, for the same price as a RHD. Even if it's just for going through the drive through :-D
konadog wrote:Not me. I like driving on the right side of the car with a factory built machine. I wouldn't go near a delica that had been changed over.

It was a hypothetical. I didn't say I'd convert one. You can buy them factory LHD, but they aren't from Japan and tend to be high km beaters.
konadog wrote:And what's all this about "4 feet?!" Metric people! - it's only about 1 meter between the seats on either side. I get that when you haven't driven one it seems odd and scary, but it's not in reality. A safe, careful driver is just that, regardless of the side of the car they are piloting from. After nearly 5 years on the right I have little patience for those telling me I'm a road hazard because I drive a RHD...
I'm not saying you are a road hazard. As you stated, a safe and careful driver is just that, but some people are not that at all. A RHD vehicle is no more of a hazard than a LHD, if you are that safe, careful driver, the same way a 500 hp mustang is not a hazard when driven by the same safe, careful driver. Give that mustang to a 16 year old guy, that is out with his buddies, in the rain, and trying to show off for some chicks and you have a hazard.
thedjjack wrote:What the L300 losses sitting 4 feet over it makes up being way higher and looking over. It is not a simple RHD vs LHD, is a LHD delica safer on our roads...not in my mind (I would have swapped it over already if I thought so)
I agree. In a lot of cases I feel I have better visibility in my Delica than a lowered LHD car, that being said, I'm talking about RHD in general. I've driven 3 skylines, and I found it sketchy. All you can do in an intersection, when turning left, is wait for the light to change, wait for the car across from you to clear the intersection to make sure no one on coming is going to try to run the light, and then go. By then, the light has sometimes been red for quite a few seconds. That to me is a hazard.
psilosin
Posts: 1045
Joined: Mon Mar 05, 2007 4:31 pm
Member's Photo Album: http://www.delica.ca/Photos/
Vehicle: L400
Location: BC

Re: CADA Seeking federal ban on RHD imports in Canada!

Post by psilosin »

This discussion played out in 2006. Move on. If you have convinced yourself that sittjng 24 to 36 inches to the right is the greatest safety hazard on the road then you are a dullard. Learn physics and do some calculations yourself...
Post Reply

Return to “RHD Political and Legal Matters”