Re: The article ‘Going against the grain' in The Weekend Sun, January 20, page 3, regarding vehicles parked on the 'wrong” side of the street. It was disappointing to note that there didn't appear to be a murmur of discontent or support for the article in the letters to the editor considering the significance of this wrongdoing. Good on you Sun Media for raising the issue. I have observed many times this blatant disregard for the third principle of driving in NZ - keep left - and other than the key point of making sure there is nothing in your way, driving on the left-hand side of the road is the basic rule we must all follow. Driving, stopping, parking or whatever other activity on the wrong side of the roadway - for example, the right hand side - is against the law and should incur an instant fine, except if it is a one-way street. Think of it in these terms: when the chips are down and you need to take quick evasive action - to avoid a head-on collision - the natural instinct is to move to the left as that would normally be off the road or away from oncoming traffic. If there are vehicles parked facing the wrong way because of their position on the road - for example, on their right - the evading driver could easily be more confused and incur more damage to vehicle and, or, body as a result. In addition have you not noticed that some TV adverts for motor vehicles drive on the right? The usual lame excuse is 'filmed overseas'. So what? What relevance is that? We drive on the left and the extra cost of producing the ads for NZ conditions is minuscule compared to the considerable anguish and hand wringing that happens when there is a head-on crash because one driver is driving on, or strayed to, the right hand side of the road. These acts of subliminal conditioning must be a contributor to these types of crashes and we all have a role to play – even the simple indiscretion of parking on the right in an innocuous suburban street, let alone on the open highway at night.

B Jacob, Omokoroa.