Why Do Some Countries Drive.........?

Question

Why do some countries drive on the left hand side of the road?
And others on the right hands side of the road?



Answers appreciated

Answer 1

There is a good explanation at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Driving_on_the_left_or_right

Answer 2

I remember reading years ago that driving on the left hand side of the road (like in England which has been around a helluva lot longer than the good old U.S. of A.) can be traced back to the days of the Knights. Knights approaching from opposite directions would instintively move to their left. Everyone in those days was "right handed" so the sword and scabbard was worn on the left hand side. (Left handed people were considered evil and burnt at the stake.) By passing on the left hand side the traveller could simply reach across his body and whip out his sword, to defend himself if he needed to. Made perfect sense to me when I thought about it.

Answer 3

Its the french. In olden times in Britain they would drive their carts on the left hand side of the road, The French hating the English couldn't be the same so started driving on the Right. For some reason most countries followed the French route rather than the British

Answer 4

This question certainly prompted some drivel!

I was always taught it dates back to horses & swords - if right handed you want to be on the left.

The wiki article cited above looks comprehensive - it supports what I was taught, as apart of the story, discusses the idea that Napoleon had something to do with it, but suggests a lack of evidence (given the number of his laws & quantity of writing the time which has survived this suggests to me that he didn't).

As for the idiot who thinks "the Americans set it up" - does he think history started when Columbus got lost on the way to India?

Answer 5

Everybody used to drive on the left since Roman times. Napolean is responsible for driving on the right on mainland Europe to display the countries he'd conquered and Henry Ford is responsible for driving on the right in the US because he put the Model T steering wheel on the left..

Answer 6

because driving on the left makes sense, driving on the right is exactly the same but england and japan the two best countries for producing cars create left hand drive cars to dis encourage nasty American imports that spoil driving.

Answer 7

Left is best.

Answer 8

because alot of countries want to be defiant of the way the USA set it up.. seriously.. those same countries all hate america. :-/