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Drive on the left or right

The curious phenomenon of left-hand traffic has intrigued people around the world.

Let’s delve into the historical reasons behind this intriguing quirk:

  1. Ancient Origins:

    • Archaeological evidence suggests that ancient Romans may have driven their carts and chariots on the left side of the road. This practice carried over into parts of medieval Europe.
    • While the exact reasons are not entirely certain, one theory proposes that safety played a role. Since most people are right-handed, driving or riding on the left allowed them to wield a weapon with their dominant hand if they encountered an enemy.

  2. Feudal Societies and Swordsmen:

    • In the past, almost everyone travelled on the left side of the road. Feudal societies found this sensible due to safety concerns.
    • Right-handed swordsmen preferred to keep to the left, ensuring their right arm was closer to an opponent and their scabbard (worn on the left) didn’t hit others.

  3. Mounting Horses and Wagons:

    • Mounting a horse from the left side was easier for right-handed individuals (who wore swords on the left).
    • In the late 1700s, teamsters in France and the United States drove wagons pulled by horses. These wagons lacked a driver’s seat, so drivers sat on the left rear horse. They wanted others to pass on the left to avoid collisions.

  4. France vs. Britain:

    • France favoured right-hand travel as early as the 18th century, while Britain adopted left-hand traffic.
    • These driving styles were exported to their respective colonies. Former British territories like Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and India still drive on the left.

  5. The Rise of Automobiles:

    • Car manufacturer Henry Ford mass-produced the Model T with a left-positioned steering wheel, leading to right-hand traffic in the United States.
    • Left-hand traffic remains the norm in Britain, its former colonies, Japan, Indonesia, Thailand, and other nations.
    • However, many countries switched to the right to align with neighbour’s, including Canada in the 1920s and Sweden in 1967.

So, whether you’re driving on the left or the right, it’s all rooted in fascinating historical contexts.

About a 35% of the world population 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. Click here for a world map and a full list of all countries of the world and the side of the road on which they drive. Right-handed knights preferred to keep to the left in order to have their right arm nearer to an opponent Right-handed knights preferred to keep to the left in order to have their right arm nearer to an opponent 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 Russia, in 1709, the Danish envoy under Tsar Peter the Great noted the widespread custom for traffic in Russia to pass on the right, but it was only in 1752 that Empress Elizabeth (Elizaveta Petrovna) officially issued an edict for traffic to keep to the right. 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. French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte (1812)French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte (1812) Later, Napoleon’s conquests spread the new rightism to the Low Countries (Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg), Switzerland, Germany, Poland and many parts of Spain and Italy. The states that had resisted Napoleon kept left – Britain, the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Portugal. This European division, between the left- and right-hand nations would remain fixed for more than 100 years, until after the First World War.