Important Things to Know about Right Hand Drive Vehicles
It is a known fact that most of the world’s countries drive on the right hand side of traffic as opposed to the left. Out of all the world’s countries, only 74 drive on the left-hand side of the road. In the US, driving on the right hand side is perfectly legal however, it comes with some caveats. There are numerous right-hand cars that are both available and legal including sedans and coupes. After all, almost every postal vehicle is a right-hand drive car, and most people are able to buy them as soon as they retire from service. People that drive vehicles with opposite side drive positions to the road should clearly understand the dynamics involved. There are plenty of reasons why people may wish to have a right-hand drive vehicle. For instance, some cars only come as right-hand drive like the Nissan Skyline. To get one in the US, you would have to import it. Other reasons people may wish to own right-hand drive cars include the aspect of exclusivity in the “tuner” market i.e. the need to be unique and stand out from everyone, and finally owning a right-hand drive car for business reasons purely.
To get a right-hand drive car, you could either imported or perform a conversion. Conversions are of two types i.e. DIY and professional conversions. In DIY conversions, a left-hand drive car built for the US roads is taken and converted by non-professionals. Under this option, people often prefer buying a conversion kit for a few hundred dollars and doing it themselves. Additionally, even though time-consuming, people can do a proper conversion by purchasing all the necessary parts second hand, dismantling their cars and taking their time to properly convert it. For people with the necessary tools, time and skills, this option leads to very decent results however, it is worth noting that it is very easy to mess things up. With regard to professional conversion, there are some companies that can handle the entire conversion process for you, if you are willing to pay for it. While this option may cost you extra money, it is usually the much safer and more guaranteed way to go. The costs involved for the whole conversion often also include the cost of transporting the vehicle and is usually done exclusively on specific cars.
For people that opt not to convert their vehicles, the next best option is importing a right-hand vehicle. This is a very good option however, it is worth noting a few important points. First, it is necessary to factor in that the US NHTSA and EPA are very strict on emission and safety standards. Typically, they are stricter than most other countries, which explains why there are more models available in Europe compared to the US. Therefore, unless a vehicle happens to be a grey market import e.g. like the Nissan Skyline, you may have to handle the importation by yourself. To attain this legally, the vehicle will either have to be considered a show vehicle or have already passed all the required NHTSA standards. This implies that the vehicle has to be already sold in the US with left-hand drive.