2007-10-23 15:50:07 · 23 answers · asked by Anonymous in Entertainment & Music ➔ Polls & Surveys
It stems from the early days of the automobile. After the invention of the internal combustion engine early auto manufactures began to create different cars independently of one another. They all had the basic elements of the original car (like the Ford Model-T), but the details of their design varied.
Over time the common steering and clutch mechanisms designed in America ended up putting the steering wheel towards the left side of the vehicle, while the common mechanisms designed in Europe tended to put the steering wheel on the right side of the vehicle. This was not an intentional thing, the designs were created independently from each other and just happened to end up that way.
The location of the steering wheel was a deciding factor for which side of the road we drive on because of "Chivalrous Convenience". Since (in America) the wheel was on the left side of the vehicle "Gentlemen" would drive on the right side of the road so that their "lady" in the front seat would be closest to the curb and would not have to walk all the way around the vehicle to get out of the street.
I'm pretty sure it was the same for Europe, but since their steering wheels were on the other side that ment "European Gentlemen" needed to drive on the left so that "European Ladies" were closest to the curb and did not have to walk around the vehicle to get out of the road.
Traffic laws became more prevalent as more and more automobiles hit the roads, but humans are creatures of habit so they based those laws on the way they were used to driving. Most of Europe was used to driving on the left, so their traffic laws built on that to establish the left side of the road to be the "correct lane" while driving. America on the other hand was used to driving on the righthand side of the road so our traffic laws built on that and established the right side of the road to be the "correct" lane.
2007-10-23 16:26:45 · answer #1 · answered by Rukh 6 · 9⤊ 1⤋
I did,nt know that most European countries drove on the left, i thought it was only the UK....Has,nt it got something to do with the Commonwealth or ex-Commonwealth countries? The idea of driving on the left originated during the war against Napoleon: allied soldiers marching on the left hand side of the road would be better placed when attacking/defending the French enemy coming from the right??
2016-05-25 08:22:52 · answer #2 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I've been to Europe several times, the only two countries that I saw driving on the left side of the road were England and Ireland. In Greece and France, they drive on the right.
2007-10-24 19:12:24 · answer #3 · answered by mightymite1957 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You mean we have to drive on the right side of the road? No wonder i`ve had so many accidents.
2007-10-23 17:00:30 · answer #4 · answered by jms043 7 · 6⤊ 1⤋
Because in Europe, noticeably France, they drive on the right side of the road.
You just copied the french basically...
2007-10-23 15:55:26 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 4⤋
Awesome Johnny Awesome Answer
2007-10-23 15:54:44 · answer #6 · answered by Grotesque 1 · 1⤊ 2⤋
If ya don't like the way I drive, stay off the sidewalks!
2007-10-24 06:12:56 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Can you fault us for being right when everyone else obviously isn't?
(Of course I'm not saying that the rest of the world is wrong, just that they aren't right.)
2007-10-24 18:53:54 · answer #8 · answered by BobRoberts01 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
because us americans can't drive as good and orderly as other countries can.............. us as americans are really ignorant and won't get out of that box that we have been in for a while, we can't think ahead of our noses and stop being such pompous twits............
2007-10-24 12:26:59 · answer #9 · answered by Jay P 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋
crazy answer; The Declartion of Independence? our right to be different...
2007-10-23 18:55:00 · answer #10 · answered by ? 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋