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View Poll Results: For a right hand driven car, I prefer the indicator combination switch (lever) to be
on the right side of steering 178 82.41%
on the left side of steering 38 17.59%
Voters: 216. You may not vote on this poll

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Old 28th January 2010, 14:17   #46
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Quote:
Originally Posted by clevermax View Post
Some others can't make a gearshift while overtaking because both their hands will be glued to the steering while they overtake. I am far more comfortable while driving and I can comfortably shift gears even while I am halfway through the overtaking maneuver if it is required.

For some people it is a scary thing to even shift to 5th gear - they think that once they do that, car will take control over the speed and they will be a bit worried and uncomfortable until they downshift to 4th.

For people who makes use of the gears well, makes the right shifts whenever they want, by taking into account the current speed, the need to increase decrease speed, the load in the car etc, the gear lever will be much frequently used control in the car. And for them, having the indicator switch on the right side of steering is a boon.
Believe me I've overtaken at high speed very easily on both cases (indicator lights on left as well as right). But for example try ascending the Krishnagiri-Bangalore route with slow trucks in both lanes. In this case, I found that indicators on the left side are far far more handy( Fiesta) rather than otherwise (Zen/Indica) .You probably are an exceptional driver, in which case making a case saying the right side is more convenient does not hold water.

Sticking to the same argument, let us see if you are zigzagging between lanes (as becomes necessary if you imagine ascending a steep-ish gradient) with irritating trucks slowing down everybody when trying to overtake each other, you would want to hold the steering at all times.Correct? Now you need a hand free to either shift gears/turn indicator this way and that.If your left hand is free from the steering wheel, it is now easy for you to use it for both the gears and the indicator.If your right hand is busy with the indicator and the left with the steering, what would you do when you need to do a quick shift. You would manage, of course but the delta time taken is much more and you would probably miss one lane change because you could not get into the right gear quickly enough.
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Old 28th January 2010, 14:50   #47
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Quote:
Originally Posted by clevermax View Post
I am far more comfortable while driving and I can comfortably shift gears even while I am halfway through the overtaking maneuver if it is required.
. And when I have crossed the vehicle I am overtaking, I upshift, put left indicator and come to the left. Indicator on RHS helps me do this easily. I need not take my right hand off the steering.

Quote:
Originally Posted by rpmx1000 View Post
If your right hand is busy with the indicator and the left with the steering, what would you do when you need to do a quick shift.
In Maruti, Hyundai vehicles, one need not take the right hand off entirely from steering wheel to activate indicator. I find that I can steer, and at the same time, indicate/flash.

Quote:
Originally Posted by amoghchaphalkar View Post
Left or right : it does not make any difference to me. In fact, if it was not for this thread, i would not have even thought about this issue.
Would I rather have a standard positioning of the levers on all vehicles or would I like the manufacturer decide and make me dance to their tunes? I would strongly prefer a standard guideline on this regard. Of course, I can learn/use both, but what should be the guideline?

Last edited by sbraj : 28th January 2010 at 14:52.
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Old 28th January 2010, 15:12   #48
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Premier Padmini - RHS (switches + levers)
M800 (sold) - RHS
Hyundai Getz - RHS.

When i bought the FIAT Palio i thought the indicator / hl switch will be on the LHS (my friend's Uno had it on the LHS) and i was surprized to see it on the RHS.

Fiat Palio - RHS

Last edited by planet_rocker : 28th January 2010 at 15:14.
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Old 28th January 2010, 15:15   #49
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rpmx1000 View Post
Now you need a hand free to either shift gears/turn indicator this way and that.If your left hand is free from the steering wheel, it is now easy for you to use it for both the gears and the indicator..
In such scenario, my left hand will me mostly on the gear stick. Right hand does the job of steering and indicator. Note that you don't have to release the hand from steering to operate the indicator. You'd mostly operate the indicator with your right hand on the steering at around 2:45 and the swerve either to left or right for the zig-zag. Imagine you need to swerve like that to the right, right hand turns on indicator and goes down, comes back when you straighten up, again turns on indicator if you want and goes up and comes back. It is not that the left hand is always on the gear, it can be brought up to hold the steering too.

For lane changing, I wont even fully switch on the indicator. All indicator levers has lane change option, just push it halfway to either sides and it just comes back the moment you release it.

Last edited by clevermax : 28th January 2010 at 15:18.
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Old 28th January 2010, 15:31   #50
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Personal Experience : It does not matter !

Just a matter of time where you get used to the controls of a car and feel 'home' with it. Then, you WILL manage to do everything correctly even in the most complicated scenarios of overtaking, negotiating turns, shifting etc. It will come naturally to you without even realizing.

The problem comes when you have to flip flop between two cars every other day. This is where it becomes a pain where you wanna flash but the wiper starts dancing

Case in point : Skoda Fabia & Hyundai Santro
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Old 28th January 2010, 15:48   #51
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When I first drove I did that in US in LHS Driving with indicators to the left but when driving here I found it odd to drive a Hyundai/Maruti with their RHS indicators. So I got adjusted to Fiat/Ford 's placing of indicators quickly. But either side is fine I feel. I dont find it difficult at all with driving a manual now, after driving A/T's in US, thou the indicators are to the left. That way I feel more comfortable having my right hand on the steering always (since i am right handed I guess most of us are).
Unless we are on some racing circuits how much of a difference in time would it make to shift gears and turn on indicators. And as a rule its safer to indicate well in advance and then change gears, and I am sure we will indicate either left or right at any given time to complete a maneuver

Ofcourse I feel its just a matter of getting used to. Even on my bike I have the indicators on the left side so its fine with me.
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Old 28th January 2010, 16:45   #52
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Forgot to add this to the earlier post.Sorry
IMHO in Bumper to bumper traffic, your speed is so slow that you can always indicate with a LHS indicator. Most of the time bumper to bumper traffics are in a straight line so need for indicating is far less than to change gears with your left hand. I dont buy that argument that RHS indicators would be better, we forgot one thing that while left hand is busy with gears and right hand is on steering it would be rather difficult to indicate when right hand is at far off positions like at 8 O'clock or 4 O'clock on the steering. Rather you can use your left hand quickly back and forth the gears and LHS indicators.

BTW on a lighter note, when people can still drive with just one hand doing all steering,indicating,changing gears, etc. with the other on the mobile phone. I dont think for us the more sensible BHPians be it LHS or RHS it shouldn't matter in anyway.
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Old 28th January 2010, 19:36   #53
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Men can do only one thing at a time, change gear and using indicator lever simultaneously is too complex for me . I was kidding.
But one answer from my experience, indicator lever on RHS or LHS, it does not matter.

Last edited by Matt : 28th January 2010 at 19:37.
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Old 28th January 2010, 20:15   #54
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Quote:
Originally Posted by samsan02 View Post
BTW on a lighter note, when people can still drive with just one hand doing all steering,indicating,changing gears, etc. with the other on the mobile phone.
Right hand hanging down outside the right door with a cigarette in hand is a common sight.
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Old 28th January 2010, 23:24   #55
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I prefer it to be on the RHS though in my linea it is on LHS.

Though it is just a preference , it is actually a matter of getting used to it.
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Old 28th January 2010, 23:40   #56
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the cars that i have driven are with sticks on RHS, but i opted for LHS only for a change.

it does not really matter, if anyone is careful. my brother drives an indica (RHS) & ikon (LHS) at the same time, and has no problem at all.

Last edited by amit V8 : 28th January 2010 at 23:42.
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Old 29th January 2010, 00:10   #57
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It doesnot matter at all.It is all about adjustment.Left or right both are great.
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Old 29th January 2010, 10:19   #58
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It is all about ergonomics I feel. We live in a country where vehicles employ the right hand drive system. Let us take out the AC for a moment and imagine that we have to drive with windows rolled down. In such a case, traffic rules clearly state that a hand signal is to be made for executing a turn. So right hand is the hand in use in these times. If we extend the similar ergonomics to windows rolled up scenario, ideally, indicator/head lamp stalk should be mounted on right hand side. Now different manufacturers can claim different guidelines for ergonomics but this feels the most natural thing to do IMHO.
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Old 29th January 2010, 10:59   #59
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The fact of the matter is that ideally the headlamp/indicator stalk should be on the right side of RHD cars and vice versa for LHD cars. AFAIK, all Japanese manufacturers follow this practice. Probably some bhpians who are/were in the US can confirm whether this multiple option is/was available abroad. I highly doubt it. The only reason we are having this in India is due to cost cutting from the manufacturer's side. The logic behind this is that the hand operating the gear shift should not be used for indicating turns. Normally we need to slow down beofre approaching a turn, hence a downshift will be required. So the right hand which is on the steering can be used to indicate while the left hand takes care of the downshift(s). Since we Indians are great at 'adapting' we adapt to this also. Abroad, things are different so we are not forced to 'adapt'.

Last edited by longhorn : 29th January 2010 at 11:04.
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Old 29th January 2010, 11:25   #60
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Quote:
Originally Posted by longhorn View Post
The only reason we are having this in India is due to cost cutting from the manufacturer's side.
. It is because of manufacturers sourcing the same set of components for RHD and LHD vehicles.

, but related issue is the positioning of fuel tank and the fuel lid. In Chevrolet, Skoda cars, I have seen the fuel lid to be on the right side. Shouldn't it be on the opposite side of the driver - as in, on the left side for a RHD vehicle? Isn't this compromising on the safety of the vehicle?
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