The controversial move comes after a European Commission directive stated that all tracked military vehicles operating on European roads must conform to standard right-hand drive orientation to improve road safety and traffic integration during multinational exercises.
Defence Secretary Sir Barnaby Haddock defended the decision, calling it a “necessary step to ensure interoperability with our European allies.” He added, “It is essential that British tanks follow the same road rules as European lorries. It would be embarrassing if a Challenger 2 held up a convoy because its commander had to lean out of the turret to see a roundabout properly.”
Under the plan, every UK tank and armoured vehicle will be refitted with a new driver’s compartment, complete with repositioned controls, mirrors, and an EU-compliant indicator system. This will also require an extensive retraining program for all British tank crews, including roundabout navigation drills and emergency braking procedures to meet EU safety standards.
Commodore Avril Fuller of the Royal Armoured Corps expressed skepticism over the initiative. “Tanks don’t tend to signal before making a turn, and I’m not sure left hand drive will change that. But rules are rules.”
Critics argue the cost is excessive, with some suggesting that simply putting “LEFT HAND DRIVE” stickers on the turrets could have achieved the same goal for a fraction of the price. However, a government spokesperson assured that this investment would “future-proof British armour for any potential European deployments.”
To ensure compliance, a new Ministry of Tank Transport Authority will be established to oversee the rollout, ensuring that every British tank operating abroad meets the new EU road standards. Failure to comply could see British armoured units subjected to road fines from European traffic enforcement agencies.
A Downing Street source suggested that if successful, this scheme could be expanded to include warships, submarines, and aircraft carriers to prevent any further alignment issues with European infrastructure.
Further details are expected later today.
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The purpose of this article, aside from our usual April Fool’s Day joke, is to make the point that reading beyond the headline should be the norm every day, not just on the 1st of April. There’s a large volume of misinformation online. Make sure you don’t add to it by sharing articles without reading them. Finally, be careful of the person sharing this article after the 1st of April as they very clearly don’t read what they share.