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Riding on the Left Side of the Road - Ireland and England
By spokesman | July 22, 2008
On my recent bike trip to Ireland, I had the unusual experience of riding on the left side of the road. I have always lived and ridden in the United States, where cars and bicyclists ride on the right side of the road. The painting scheme used for roads in Ireland is also different from the United States. In the U.S., the center line on the road is usually yellow and the shoulders at the edge of the road are marked in white. In Ireland, these colors are reversed. Much of what you do when you ride is based on habit. Riding on the opposite side with the road markings reversed was a bit confusing at times. For example on an Irish road with no passing and no marked shoulders, there would be a single solid white line down the middle. This would be a two way road with no shoulder. However, to someone from the U.S., it appeared to be a one way road with a wide should. In this post, I have included a photo of a road in Ireland to illustrate the different line painting scheme. Most of my tour was in rural areas with low traffic volume and the drivers in Ireland are very friendly to bicyclists so there were no problems. I also found that people quickly adapt to the differences.
Photograph Of A Road In Ireland
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Topics: Ireland |