Columnist
The nation of Samoa sounds like a nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to be there right now. Just a week ago, the little Pacific islands ordered their drivers to switch from the right-hand lane to the left.
What if we did that? After driving all our lives on the right side of the road, we would suddenly find ourselves in unfamiliar territory -- unless we were reformed Brits.
In the vast majority of nations, motorists drive on the right side. Many of the left-side nations are former British possessions.
Several countries have switched from left to right in recent decades -- Sweden in 1967, Iceland in 1968, and Ghana, Nigeria and Yemen in the 1970s -- but according to the World Standards Web site, users.telenet.be/worldstandards, Samoa is the first country to change from right to left.
The purpose of changing over, The Associated Press reported, was to bring the islands "in line with Australia and New Zealand to encourage some of the 170,000 expatriate Samoans there to ship used cars -- with steering wheels on the right side -- home to relatives."
That is cheaper than importing cars from Europe, it seems.
From all indications, what could have been a bloody mess went well, mainly because all traffic was halted, then allowed to proceed at a slow pace. Oh, and the sale of alcoholic beverages was suspended for three days.
Moreover, the prime minister, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, made a radio appeal to reassure drivers. According to several newspapers, he said: "Don't drive if you are sleepy, drunk or just had a fight with your wife."
I can't think of better advice for us who still drive on the right side of the road.
In a way, though, I think the prime minister -- who sounds like a card -- missed his chance. The changeover would have been much more exciting had he announced to his people instead:
"OK, your government has ruled, so here's what we're going to do, folks. I want all trucks to begin driving on the left side of the road today, and then I want the cars to follow suit in two weeks. Oh, and let's be careful out there!"
That would have made everyone a much better driver. Or else a late driver.
Reading about Samoa started me to wondering whether someone needs to reassess the laws governing the way we drive in this country.
I see a lot of people driving in the wrong lane, going way too fast, weaving in and out, in a great hurry to be somewhere other than where they are at the moment.
Could Samoa, even in the wake of its major change, be any more confusing?
MOORE ON CARS: We all read last week about the 90-year-old gentleman from Saluda, S.C., who got his wish to be buried in his car. I wouldn't mind doing that.
I'm afraid, though, that just before the dirt was shoveled in, somebody might lean in the window and turn the radio to a talk station. I would never be able to rest in peace.
Reach Glynn Moore at (706) 8723-3419 or glynn.moore@augustachronicle.com.
