why we have right hand drive in some countries,when some have left drive?

Answer 1

No specific reason.It is only by tradition

Answer 2

It is said that a Brit and an American looked at the new cars they had made and said, yes, lets put the steering wheel on the left, only the Brit was talking about the idea from the outside of the car and the American was picturing it from the inside of the car.

I have driven in the US for many years, on the right side of the road. I have driven in Japan and Hong Kong on the left side of the road, with cars that had the steering wheel on the right, so you, the driver, were still in the center side of the road. I had a postal jeep with right hand drive and drove it in NY and that was a different experience. Parking was easier. What was funny was when my large Labrador rode in the passenger seat on the left and smiled at people who thought she was driving.

Answer 3

Early car inventors made both on the left side, the right side and in the middle. They decided in North America to drive on the right In England, on the left. In Italy, Egypt anywhere.

Answer 4

Lack of communication between countries, back then...

also not a big deal back then.. only few ppl had car back then, mostly made by themselves...

So some made right hand some made left.. the car thingi grew so countries made the road and stuff accordingly..

and thus we have that.....

weird...

nice question though

Answer 5

coz we drive on the other side of the road and it helps a lot to see on both sides of the raod if u have a right hand drive car

Answer 6

Because we, Ruled by BRITISH

History and origin

About a quarter of the world drives on the left, and the countries that do are mostly old British colonies. This strange quirk perplexes the rest of the world; but there is a perfectly good reason.

In the past, almost everybody travelled on the left side of the road because that was the most sensible option for feudal, violent societies. Since most people are right-handed, swordsmen preferred to keep to the left in order to have their right arm nearer to an opponent and their scabbard further from him. Moreover, it reduced the chance of the scabbard (worn on the left) hitting other people.

Furthermore, a right-handed person finds it easier to mount a horse from the left side of the horse, and it would be very difficult to do otherwise if wearing a sword (which would be worn on the left). It is safer to mount and dismount towards the side of the road, rather than in the middle of traffic, so if one mounts on the left, then the horse should be ridden on the left side of the road.

In the late 1700s, however, teamsters in France and the United States began hauling farm products in big wagons pulled by several pairs of horses. These wagons had no driver's seat; instead the driver sat on the left rear horse, so he could keep his right arm free to lash the team. Since he was sitting on the left, he naturally wanted everybody to pass on the left so he could look down and make sure he kept clear of the oncoming wagon’s wheels. Therefore he kept to the right side of the road.

In addition, the French Revolution of 1789 gave a huge impetus to right-hand travel in Europe. The fact is, before the Revolution, the aristocracy travelled on the left of the road, forcing the peasantry over to the right, but after the storming of the Bastille and the subsequent events, aristocrats preferred to keep a low profile and joined the peasants on the right. An official keep-right rule was introduced in Paris in 1794, more or less parallel to Denmark, where driving on the right had been made compulsory in 1793.

Balance you can see at
http://users.pandora.be/worldstandards/driving%20on%20the%20left.htm#history

Archaeologists have unearthed a clue about ancient driving habits. In 1998 they found a well-preserved track leading to a Roman quarry near Swindon, England. The ruts in the road on one side are much deeper than those on the other side, as would be the case with carts going in empty and coming out laden with stone. The ruts suggest that, at least at this location, the Romans drove on the left.

In fact, some believe that ancient travelers on horseback generally rode on the left side of the road. As more people are right-handed, horsemen would thus be able to hold the reins with their left hands and keep their right hand free—to offer in friendship to passing riders or to defend themselves with swords, if necessary. This also explains why men's jackets and shirts have the buttons on the right. It was important to be able to reach a weapon inside a cloak, so for a right-handed person, the cloak had the left flap over the right flap and the right hand could easily reach in and grab the weapon.

In the late 1700’s, a shift from left to right took place in countries such as the United States, when teamsters started using large freight wagons pulled by several pairs of horses. The wagons had no driver’s seat, so the driver sat on the left rear horse and held his whip in his right hand. Seated on the left, the driver naturally preferred that other wagons pass him on the left so that he could be sure to keep clear of the wheels of oncoming wagons. He did that by driving on the right side of the road.

The British, however, kept to the left. They had smaller wagons, and the driver sat on the wagon, usually on the right side of the front seat. From there he could use his long whip in his right hand without entangling it in the cargo behind him. In that position, on the right side of the wagon, the driver could judge the safety margin of passing traffic by keeping to the left side of the road. Countries that became part of the British Empire adopted the keep-left rule too, although there were some exceptions. Canada, for example, eventually changed to the right in order to make border crossings to and from the United States easier.

On most early motor vehicles, the driving seat was positioned centrally. Some car manufacturers later chose to place it near the centre of the road to help drivers see oncoming traffic, while others chose to put the driver's seat on the kerb side so that the drivers could avoid damage from walls, hedges, gutters and other obstacles. Eventually the former idea prevailed.

Political events in France had a big effect on driving habits. Before the Revolution of 1789, the aristocracy drove its carriages along the left side of the roads, forcing the peasants to the other side. But once the Revolution started, these nobles desperately tried to hide their identity by joining the peasant travelers on the right. By 1794 the French government had introduced a keep-right rule in Paris, which later spread to other regions as the conquering armies of Napoléon I marched through much of continental Europe. It is not surprising that Napoléon favored keeping to the right. One reference work explains that because he was left-handed, “his armies had to march on the right so he could keep his sword arm between him and any opponent.”

In Europe, countries that resisted Napoléon kept to the left. Russia and Portugal switched to the right early in the 20th century. Austria and Czechoslovakia changed to the right when occupied by Nazi Germany at the end of the 1930’s, and Hungary followed suit. Today just four European countries still drive on the left: Britain, Ireland, Cyprus, and Malta. Interestingly, although Japan, Indonesia and Thailand never were British colonies, they too drive on the left.

Answer 7

Hi, heres an informative answer to an interesting question....

Keeping to either the left or the right prevents vehicles moving in opposite directions from colliding with each other. This is so fundamental that it is sometimes known simply as the rule of the road. About 34% of the world by population drives on the left, and 66% keeps right. By roadway distances, about 28% drive on the left, and 72% on the right,[1] even though originally most traffic drove on the left worldwide.[2]

In more sophisticated systems such as large cities, this concept is further extended: some streets are marked as being one-way, and on those streets all traffic must flow in only one direction. A driver wishing to reach a destination already passed must use other streets in order to return.

Archaeologists have unearthed a clue about ancient driving habits. In 1998 they found a well-preserved track leading to a Roman quarry near Swindon, England. The ruts in the road on one side are much deeper than those on the other side, as would be the case with carts going in empty and coming out laden with stone. The ruts suggest that, at least at this location, the Romans drove on the left.

In fact, some believe that ancient travelers on horseback generally rode on the left side of the road. As more people are right-handed, horsemen would thus be able to hold the reins with their left hands and keep their right hand free—to offer in friendship to passing riders or to defend themselves with swords, if necessary. This also explains why men's jackets and shirts have the buttons on the right. It was important to be able to reach a weapon inside a cloak, so for a right-handed person, the cloak had the left flap over the right flap and the right hand could easily reach in and grab the weapon.

In the late 1700’s, a shift from left to right took place in countries such as the United States, when teamsters started using large freight wagons pulled by several pairs of horses. The wagons had no driver’s seat, so the driver sat on the left rear horse and held his whip in his right hand. Seated on the left, the driver naturally preferred that other wagons pass him on the left so that he could be sure to keep clear of the wheels of oncoming wagons. He did that by driving on the right side of the road.

The British, however, kept to the left. They had smaller wagons, and the driver sat on the wagon, usually on the right side of the front seat. From there he could use his long whip in his right hand without entangling it in the cargo behind him. In that position, on the right side of the wagon, the driver could judge the safety margin of passing traffic by keeping to the left side of the road. Countries that became part of the British Empire adopted the keep-left rule too, although there were some exceptions. Canada, for example, eventually changed to the right in order to make border crossings to and from the United States easier.

On most early motor vehicles, the driving seat was positioned centrally. Some car manufacturers later chose to place it near the centre of the road to help drivers see oncoming traffic, while others chose to put the driver's seat on the kerb side so that the drivers could avoid damage from walls, hedges, gutters and other obstacles. Eventually the former idea prevailed.

Political events in France had a big effect on driving habits. Before the Revolution of 1789, the aristocracy drove its carriages along the left side of the roads, forcing the peasants to the other side. But once the Revolution started, these nobles desperately tried to hide their identity by joining the peasant travelers on the right. By 1794 the French government had introduced a keep-right rule in Paris, which later spread to other regions as the conquering armies of Napoléon I marched through much of continental Europe. It is not surprising that Napoléon favored keeping to the right. One reference work explains that because he was left-handed, “his armies had to march on the right so he could keep his sword arm between him and any opponent.”

In Europe, countries that resisted Napoléon kept to the left. Russia and Portugal switched to the right early in the 20th century. Austria and Czechoslovakia changed to the right when occupied by Nazi Germany at the end of the 1930’s, and Hungary followed suit. Today just four European countries still drive on the left: Britain, Ireland, Cyprus, and Malta. Interestingly, although Japan, Indonesia and Thailand never were British colonies, they too drive on the left.

Right-hand traffic

* Oncoming traffic is seen coming from the left.
* Left-turning traffic must cross oncoming traffic.
* Most traffic signs facing motorists are on the right-hand side of the road.
* Traffic on roundabouts (traffic circles or rotaries) goes anticlockwise (counter-clockwise).
* Pedestrians crossing a two-way road should first look for traffic from their left.

[edit] Left-hand traffic

* Oncoming traffic when driving on the left is seen on the right side.
* Right-turning traffic must cross oncoming traffic.
* Most traffic signs facing motorists are on the left side of the road.
* Traffic on roundabouts (traffic circles or rotaries) goes clockwise.
* Pedestrians crossing a two-way road should first look for traffic from their right.

....for more information just mail me mate...answers doesnt permit me to post longer answers...

Answer 8

cos the rules is different in some countries and u should overtake from left not from right, it is like opp to what it is in india.....

Answer 9

http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_021b.html