Shipping auto to St. Thomas

As odd as it sounds, most cars here are left hand drive, despite the fact that we also drive on the left. I'm not sure if right hand drive vehicles are allowed or not. I would say unless you are used to right hand drive, and you find out it's legal, to just do what everyone else does and get a left hand drive vehicle.

As someone who grew up in the states, I find it easier to drive here, because at least one variable is the same, than to drive on the left with a right hand drive car.

Historically speaking I believe we drive on the left here because that's what the Danish did, and of course that is a hard custom to change when the island changed hands. I'm guessing the reason we drive left hand drive cars is because of our close ties to the U.S. and the relative ease of importing left hand drive cars compared to right hand.

Thank you so much for the insight. I will choose the standard left hand drive vehicle for shipping to STT and leave the right hand drive jeeps to the US Postal Service. Thanks again, Nancy

Over the years I think I have seen maybe 3-4 folks with right hand steering vehicle on St. Thomas.

Carib - I actually several months ago was trying to research the root of the left hand driving... I haven't continued with persuing it though... however I did see that the Danes drive on the right??? Someone then suggested to me that perhaps it was the Bristish that influenced the driving here... and then there is always the line the taxi drivers give about following the way the donkeys were used to walking - which actually holds some merit - as when I was looking up different information - I found that in some cases the use of horses (which had their rules - left side or right side...) had later influenced the side of the road that future modes of transportation took. Anyone else have any information on this - Ronnie???

--Islander

Hmmm, if it wasn't the Danes driving on the left then I'm not sure who it was. From reading my Lonely Planet guidebook to the VI it looks like what is now the USVI was last under British control around 1815. It was still the Danish Virgin Islands then but Britain occupied it for about a decade. But back then they didn't even have cars of course, just horse and carriage I guess, so maybe it was the horses' preference that started the whole thing.

Which side do they drive on in the BVI? I've only been to Jost Van Dyke and I didn't actually see any cars in motion so I couldn't say. But I thought I heard it was the same combination as we have here.

Bringing one of those Jeeps in should be no problem. I once was going to buy about 15 of them to bring in for resale. They are hardy little Jeeps. There are a few here as well, also a few cars with right hand drive. If you can adjust, it should be no problem, actually it's safer!
The driving on the left has to go back to the tradition of the horses and donkeys hugging the left, and the driver being able to look at the cliff he was driving by, since he sat on the left, that's the story I am sticking with. Saw a picture of downtown CA with all sorts of carraiges and they were all on the left going in both directions!
The dealers could order cars with right hand drive, they would cost more and I doubt that our drivers would be able to adjust, some can hardly drive with the steering wheel where it is! I was told that Sweden went from left to right at midnight one night after all the lights were installed and the streets marked. The next day all went well. I tried to envision that here and laughed! Although, when we were mandated to wear seat belts one day, I looked at all cars I passed on the road that morning and to my surprise everyone had theirs on! So, maybe it can be done.
Ronnie