Why do some countries drive on the left side of the road and we drive on the right side of the road?

Question

That would drive me crazy if i had to drive on the left hand side.

In know that the steering wheel is on the other side thats obvious, im just askng whats the reason we drive on the right and they on the left.

Answer 1

here ya go darlin.. was not satisfied with some of the answers you got so i did some research for ya. here is some extract of what i read and the site to follow


Did Napoleon make Europe change sides of the road?
Yes. France probably always drove on the right, and Napoleon required the countries he conquered to conform to French practice. Many other conquerors have done the same.

Did the United States ever drive on the left?
Yes. The evidence we have been able to collect is mostly indirect, but it seems almost certain that in the early years of English colonization of North America, English driving customs were followed and the colonies drove on the left, gradually changing to right-hand driving after independence. Kincaid quotes an English author writing in 1806 as saying, "in some parts of the United States, it is a custom among the people to drive on the right side of the road," implying that in other parts, people still drove on the left. We also know for certain that the colonies farther north along the coast drove on the left well into the 20th century (see the question about Canada below). I have read that the first law requiring drivers to keep right was passed in Pennsylvania in 1792, and that similar laws were passed in New York in 1804 and New Jersey in 1813, but I don't yet have primary sources for this information so it is possible that these states weren't changing sides, but only codifying existing practices in law. Other anecdotes from various sources also support the conclusion that most states drove on the left until some time in the early 1800s. American cars had their steering wheels on the right (the best arrangement for driving on the left-hand side of the road) until the early 1900s (see the discussion of this below).

However, Kincaid is not convinced that left-hand driving was ever widespread in the American colonies. He points out that the colonists were not exclusively English (for example, the Dutch settlers of New Amsterdam, which later became New York, would have been accustomed to driving on the right), and says that the first vehicles used by the colonists were carts and postilion-control wagons such as the Conestoga, which are best driven on the right. Wagons like the stagecoach (best driven on the left) were not introduced until much later -- too late to change the established practice.

Did Canada ever drive on the left?
Yes, until the 1920s in some areas, but never in Ontario or Quebec.

Ontario and Quebec have always driven on the right because the first European settlements in these areas were French. (There were of course plenty of native people living there before the French arrived, but in this as in other things, Europeans made the rules.) In the early European conquest of North America, the French controlled the interior from Quebec all the way to Louisiana, and drove on the right. The English occupied the coast and drove on the left in Atlantic Canada and probably in New England. When the English won control of Quebec from France, the French people living there were permitted to retain many customs, including their language, religion, civil law, and evidently the custom of driving on the right. Settlement continued to spread inland across the continent, remaining on the right-hand side of the road.

Answer 2

NO, it is not. Don't forget the Commonwealth countries! India, Pakistan, New Zealand, Australia, and Ireland, Malta, Falklands, Hong Kong, Japan and probably a few more. (Samoa, Fiji?) Obviously for the majority of European visitors, it is the "wrong" side, and for most right handed people, operating a manual shift with the left hand seems awkward. The reason for driving on the left hand side of the road goes right back to the days of horse transport, when a solo rider, seeing another horse and rider approaching, had to be prepared to defend himself against a possible robber. The practice was to move towards the left hand side of the track and draw a sword with the right hand (as most people were right handed). The other rider would have the same concerns about his safety, and would do the same. The two riders would then pass each other, sword arm to sword arm, thus, well placed to defend themselves against any threat. When cars came into use (contemporaneous with horse traffic) the car drivers simply followed the same practice, although there was probably, no longer a need to carry a sword.

Answer 3

Well, in America, where driving on the right started, we wanted to be closer to the middle of the road, but the Europeans felt if you hit each other accidently, going opposite directions, you'd have a better chance of not getting hurt if both drivers were on the outside of each other. The controller of the vehicle was much more important than the passengers, for vehicle control purposes. It makes sense if you think about it, but I would not be able to drive that way. Thats because I was born and raised in America. I hope this was of some help.

Answer 4

Actually the first cars were driven on european roads. And they decided it to be on the left side, for no apparent reason. Just like the hand of clock moved clockwise rather than anti clockwise. But then came American and American cars. And American have to have everything their way, so they decided to drive it on the right, just to make a distinction that these are American roads!!!

And Just so that you know, most of the countries in the world drives on the left.

Answer 5

i choose this one, some of my co-workers recommend this site to me.

Answer 6

Well it drives people crazy to drive on the right side of the road when they visit America. It seams like America is always doing things a little bit differently.

Answer 7

http://www.jerseyforsale.us

If you are a careful driver, haven't had a ticket in years and are now facing a two point ticket, it might make sense to simply pay the fine. If the two points bother you, you might consider taking a Defensive Driver course, offered by AAA and other agencies, where a successful completion of the Course can result in a two point reduction once submitted to DMV. The course is affordable, often less than $100.00.

Answer 8

i hope this is a help for you!
wikipedia.org/wiki/Linksverke h r im from austria and we had the same question here days ago about our trains ! and as i could see some are driving on the left side ! is a left over from the past! hitler changed it in germany and austria before and after the war! have a nice day

Answer 9

Being English born, it is my understanding that cars are driven on the left just as carriages were before them, and horses before that. Men on horseback passed each other on the right so that they could greet each other with their right hands. I am told this even goes back to the days of the knights, who would pass each other on the right as they jousted with lances in their right hands.

So, driving on the left goes way back in many countries, mostly due to the majority of people being right handed. It took me a while to adjust to driving on the right when I first came to the US; now it is difficult for me to drive on the left in the UK.

Answer 10

There was 'traffic' long before there were cars ... and we actually drive on the 'right' side of the road BECAUSE they drive on the left side in England ... we had 'rebelled' and that was just another way to 'rub it in' that we are now INDEPENDENT from our English 'fore-country.'