Why Do British Drive On The Left?

Why did Britain decide to drive on the left?

Traffic congestion in 18th century London led to a law being passed to make all traffic on London Bridge keep to the left in order to reduce collisions.

Why does England drive on the left and Europe on the right?

Why do we drive on the left side of the road in the UK but most other countries drive on the right? The keep left rule did not become law in Britain until the increase in horse traffic made some sort of enforcement essential. Before this, the drivers of coaches leaving London for the country simply chose the firmest part of the road. The main dates for the introduction of the legal requirement to keep left are:

1756 – London Bridge 1772 – Towns in Scotland 1835 – All roads in Great Britain and Ireland

In Europe, Pope Boniface VIII instructed pilgrims to keep to the left in the year 1300. Later, class distinction in France meant that aristocrats drove their carriages on the left side of the road forcing everybody else over to the centre or to the right-hand side.

• Eeping left had really only ever applied to riding or driving.
• With the onset of the French Revolution in 1789 and the subsequent declaration of the rights of man in 1791 many aristocrats decided to keep to the ‘poor side’ of the road so as not to draw attention to themselves.
• Eeping to the right of the road was also seen as a way of defying the earlier Papal decree.

The subsequent Revolutionary wars and Napoleon’s European conquests led to the spread of driving on the right to Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, Belgium and the Netherlands. Napoleon ordered his armies to use the right-hand side of the road in order to avoid congestion during military manoeuvres.

• The nations that resisted invasion – Britain, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Russia and Portugal – generally kept to the left.
• The Netherlands changed to driving on the right in 1795, but Dutch colonies in the Far East continued the old practices.
• Denmark had not been invaded by the French but changed in 1793.

Russia did not switch until 1916. Czechoslovakia and Hungary were the last countries in mainland Europe to keep left, only changing to the right following invasion by Germany in the late 1930s. In Austria from 1805 to 1939 half the country drove on the left whilst the other half, the area that had been invaded by Napoleon, drove on the right! Most of the British Empire adopted the British custom of driving on the left although Egypt, which had been conquered by Napoleon, kept using the right after it became a British dependency.

Pakistan considered changing from left to right in the 1960s. The main argument against was that camel trains often drove through the night while their drivers dozed. The difficulty in teaching old camels new tricks was a decisive factor in Pakistan rejecting the change. Canada stayed on the left until the 1920s.

During the American War of Independence, French liberal reformer General Lafayette gave advice to the revolutionary forces and spread the idea of driving on the right. The keep right rule was applied to the Pennsylvania turnpike in 1792, New York in 1804 and New Jersey in 1813.

• Bucking the normal trend, the Pacific island of Samoa made the switch from driving on the right to driving on the left side of the road on 7 September 2009.
• The official reason given was so as to fall in line with near neighbours Australia and New Zealand which, like Britain, still drive on the left.

: Why do we drive on the left side of the road in the UK but most other countries drive on the right?

Why do Americans drive on the right?

On The Right Side of the Road by Richard F. Weingroff The Federal Highway Administration has often been asked about the American practice of driving on the right, instead of the left, as in Great Britain, our “Mother Country.” Albert C. Rose, who served as “unofficial historian” of the U.S.

1. Bureau of Public Roads during much of his long career with the agency (1919-1950) researched why.
2. Rose found that, “All available evidence seems to indicate that the RIGHT-HAND travel predominated in Colonial America from the time of the earliest settlements.” The ox-team, the horseback rider, the handler of the lead horse, and even the pedestrian all traveled to the right.

Travelers with hand guns carried their weapons in the hollows of their left arms and traveled to the right, the better to be ready if an oncoming stranger proved dangerous: When wagons came into general use, they were hauled by two, four or six horses and the driver rode the left rear (wheel) horse like the Old World position.

1. Handling the reins or jerk line with the left hand the long black-snake whip with the right, these drivers traveled to the right so as to watch more closely the clearance at the left.
2. The heavy Conestoga wagons introduced about 1750, in the vicinity of Lancaster, Pa., gave an added impetus to right-hand travel.

The drivers rode the left wheel horse, postilion fashion, or rode the “lazy board” at the left side of the wagon, or walked along the road at the left side of the horses. He also noted a “smoldering opposition to customs of the Old World.” Thus no valid reason existed for transplanting the English left-hand rule especially since the nationals of other European countries had established in America widely separated settlements in which their own customs were observed.

Australian historian M.G. Lay agreed with Rose that the Conestoga wagon provided a “major impetus for right-hand driving in the United States”: The wagon was operated either by the postilion driver riding the left-hand near horse-called the wheel horse-or by the driver walking or sitting on a “lazy board” on the left-hand side of the vehicle.

He kept to the left in both cases in order to use the right hand to manage the horses and operate the brake lever mounted on the left-hand side. Passing therefore required moving to the right to give the driver forward vision. Rose found that no formal rule of the road was adopted by the new country or any State until 1792.

• In that year, Pennsylvania adopted legislation to establish a turnpike from Lancaster to Philadelphia.
• The charter legislation provided that travel would be on the right hand side of the turnpike.
• New York, in 1804, became the first State to prescribe right hand travel on all public highways.
• By the Civil War, right hand travel was followed in every State.

Drivers tended to sit on the right so they could ensure their buggy, wagon, or other vehicle didn’t run into a roadside ditch. Lay also emphasized the ditches as an influence: With the growth of traffic, the roadside ditches also led to a growing tendency in the United States in the late nineteenth century for drivers of light horse-drawn vehicles to both drive on the right and sit on the right to avoid the greater evil of the ditch.

1. It was also common practice with bench-seated drivers of single-line horse drawn carriages, where the need to accommodate the whip in the right hand predominated.
2. When inventors began building “automobiles” in the 1890’s, they thought of them as motorized wagons.
3. As a result, many early cars had the steering mechanism-a rudder (or tiller), not a wheel-in the center position where the side of the road didn’t make any difference.

Lay points out that technical innovation created the configuration we are familiar with in the United States: However, with the introduction of the steering wheel in 1898, a central location was no longer technically possible. Car makers usually copied existing practice and placed the driver on the curbside.

Thus, most American cars produced before 1910 were made with right-side driver seating, although intended for right-side driving. Such vehicles remained in common use until 1915, and the 1908 Model T was the first of Ford’s cars to feature a left-side driving position. By 1915, the Model T had become so popular that the rest of the automakers followed Ford’s lead.

Lay traced the first regulation of one-side-or-the-other to the Chinese bureaucracy of 1100 B.C. The Book of Rites stated: “The right side of the road is for men, the left side for women and the center for carriages.” This Western Zhou dynasty rule applied only to the dynasty’s wide official roads and was “more concerned with protocol than avoiding head-on collisions.” Over 3,000 years later, Lay concluded, “there are no technical reasons for preferring driving on either the left or the right side of the road.” Reference: Ways of the World: A History of the World’s Roads and the Vehicles that Used Them (Rutger’s University Press, 1992) : On The Right Side of the Road

Why do Europeans drive on the left?

The surprising reason some countries drive on the left side of the road Some 76 countries and territories use left-hand traffic, and the practice is believed to have originated in ancient Rome to help defend against enemy attacks. Following is a transcript of the video.

Why do some countries drive on the left side of the road? Most of the world drives on the right side of the road. But around 76 countries and territories use left-hand traffic. The practice is believed to date back to ancient Rome. Romans steered their carts and chariots with the left hand, to free up the right so they could use weapons to defend against enemy attacks.

This carried over into medieval Europe and in 1773, the British government passed measures to make left-hand traffic the law. But postrevolution France favored the right. Napoleon was left-handed, and riding on the right proved to be an intimidating military tactic.

1. Britain and France brought their driving styles to their respective colonies.
2. That’s why many former British territories are among the few modern left-hand-traffic countries.
3. In the US, right-hand traffic goes back to the 18th century.
4. Freight wagons were pulled by teams of horses.
5. And the drivers rode on the left rear horse, using their right hand to more easily control the team.

Traffic shifted to the right so drivers could easily avoid collisions. Eventually, with the rise of the automobile and increase in global traffic, many countries switched to the right to fit in with neighbors — including Samoa, which just switched from the left in 2009.

Why Europe drives on the right?

Emerging European Powers (And Napoleon) Pick Sides – A map where red countries drive on the right and blue countries drive on the left. Courtesy of Wikipedia, After the Middle Ages, European countries like France and England started to make their own choice about which side of the road to prefer. England was the first nation to pass an official rule, in 1773, which made driving on the left the law.

• France, on the other hand, chose to drive on the right.
• The French journey toward this decision might surprise you, however! When horses and carriages were first cruising through France, peasants and the poor ducked to the right side of the road while the aristocrats plowed through on the left.
• This two-side-of-the-road world order continued until, well, you guessed it, the French Revolutionary War.

All of a sudden, being rich and ostentatious was asking for trouble, so the aristocrats did their best to blend in with the poor on the right side of the road. So how does Napoleon fit into all of this? Well first off, Napoleon was left-handed. He used this to his advantage by attacking from the right side of the road in a European world will it was principal to stick to the left.

Did the UK ever drive on the right?

The British custom of driving on the left side of the road isn’t a sign of eccentricity—there’s actually a very sensible reason for it. – One of the things you probably always wondered about is why we drive on a different side of the road than our British cousins.

It might seem bizarre that U.K. drivers stay on the left, but they’re not the only ones. Around 35 percent of the world population does the same, including people in Ireland, Japan, and some Caribbean islands. Originally, almost everybody traveled on the left side of the road, according to BBC America.

However, their mode of transport was quite different from today: Think four legs instead of four wheels. For Medieval swordsmen on horseback, it made sense to keep to the left to have their right arms closer to their opponents. (Presumably, the 10 to 15 percent of left-handed knights just had to make it work.) Mounting and dismounting were also easier from the left side of the horse, and safer done by the side of the road than in the center.

• So perhaps the question here should be, why did people stop traveling on the left? Things changed in the late 1700s when large wagons pulled by several pairs of horses were used to transport farm products in France and the United States.
• In the absence of a driver’s seat inside the wagon, the driver sat on the rear left horse, with his right arm free to use his whip to keep the horses moving.

Since he was sitting on the left, he wanted other wagons to pass on his left, so he kept to the right side of the road. RELATED: This Is Why Traffic Lights Are Red, Yellow, and Green The British Government refused to give up their left-hand driving ways, and in 1773 introduced the General Highways Act, which encouraged driving on the left.

1. This was later made law thanks to The Highway Act of 1835.
2. Meanwhile post-revolution France, under their left-handed ruler Napoleon, embraced a permanent move to the right side of the road.
3. Amidst all this driving confusion, the British and the French were yielding their power across the globe, and as part of their rapid colonization, they insisted that the countries they occupied drive on the same side of the road.

This explains why former British colonies such as Australia, New Zealand, and India drive on the left, while former French colonies like Algeria, Ivory Coast, and Senegal drive on the right. When Henry Ford unveiled his Model T in 1908, the driver’s seat was on the left, meaning that cars would have to drive on the right-hand side of the road to allow front and back passengers to exit the car onto the curb.

According to National Geographic, this influenced a change in many countries: Canada, Italy, and Spain changed to right-side driving in the 1920s and most of Eastern Europe followed suit in the 1930s. As recently as 1967 (and thanks to around $120 million from their government’s pocket) Swedish drivers began driving on the right.

However British drivers remain on the left, and this is highly unlikely to change. Now that we’ve demystified driving on different sides of the road, find out the 13 potentially dangerous mistakes you make while pumping gas, Sources :

BBC America : Why Do the Brits Drive on the Left? History.com : Ford Motor Company Unveils the Model T National Geographic

Did France ever drive on the left?

The “Right Side” Of History – So that leaves nearly 75 percent of the world driving on the right side of the road, and there’s a theory for how that began as well. In the 18th century, the rise of freight wagons drawn by multiple horses meant drivers had to sit behind the horses on the left, in order to use the whip with their right hand.

For safety reasons, it made more sense for them to be closer to the center of the road, and so right-hand driving was born. Stewart says this explanation isn’t foolproof: “The problem, in my view, is that this situation also existed in the U.K.” So why didn’t that have an effect on the British? The simple answer is, these theories for why certain countries drive on the right vs.

the left don’t tell the whole story. According to Stewart, there’s more to it than that. “It comes down to luck, chance, habit and custom,” Stewart says. The United States, of course, drives on the right. Canada didn’t originally but switched to match U.S.

• Traffic flow.
• Most of Europe now drives on the right as well.
• As the story goes, the aristocracy in France used to drive on the left side, forcing the peasants over to the right, but after the French Revolution, aristocrats moved to the right to blend in.
• Right-hand driving became the norm in France, and when Napoleon conquered a large portion of Europe, he brought these road rules with him.

Today, former French colonies the world over still drive on the right side of the road though some of their surrounding countries drive on the left.

Why does Europe drive on the wrong side of the road?

Why do some countries drive on the left side of the road? Archaeological evidence suggests that the ancient Romans may have driven their carts and chariots on the left, and the practice seems to have carried over into parts of medieval Europe. The reasons for this are not entirely certain, but some believe it arose as a matter of safety.

• The majority of people are right handed, one theory goes, so driving or riding on the left would have allowed them to wield a weapon with their dominant hand if they crossed paths with an enemy.
• Until as recently as the 1700s, horse and wagon traffic was so light that the decision to drive on the left or right often varied according to local custom.

Left-hand traffic finally became the law of the land in Britain after the passage of government measures in 1773 and 1835, but the opposite tradition prevailed in France, which favored the right as early as the 18th century. These two countries later exported their driving styles to their respective colonies, which is why many former British territories such as Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and India still drive on the left.

In the United States, meanwhile, many researchers trace the beginning of right-hand traffic to the 18th century and the rise of freight wagons pulled by large teams of horses. Since these vehicles often didn’t have a driver’s seat, drivers tended to ride on the left rear horse to more easily control their animal team with their right hand.

As the wagons became more popular, traffic naturally moved to the right so drivers could sit closer to the center of the road and avoid collisions with one another. Yet another major influence was carmaker Henry Ford, who mass-produced his Model T with a left-positioned steering wheel, which necessitated driving on the right side of the road.

These days, left-hand traffic remains the norm in Britain and many of its former colonies as well as in Japan, Indonesia, Thailand and several other nations. Nevertheless, with the rise of the automobile, many countries have switched to the right to fit in with their neighbors. Canada abandoned the left side of the road in the 1920s to facilitate traffic to and from the United States.

In 1967, meanwhile, the government of Sweden spent around $120 million preparing its citizens to begin driving on the right. : Why do some countries drive on the left side of the road?

Which side do Japanese drive on?

Drive on the left-hand side of the road – In Japan, vehicles usually drive on the left-hand side of the road. Be sure to obey any signs that indicate a speed limit. The legal speed limit is 60 km per hour on general roads and 100 km per hour on expressways.

What side does Dubai drive on?

Which side of the road do you drive on in Dubai? – You drive on the right-hand side of the road in Dubai and the UAE. Vehicles in Dubai have the steering wheel on the left and they drive on the right-hand side of the road.

What side does Italy drive on?

What side of the road does Italy drive on? – Italians drive on the right-hand side of the road. If you’ve never driven on the right before, or haven’t done so for a while, take your time – but don’t worry, your brain will soon switch over.

Does Germany drive on the left?

Driving in Germany FAQs –

Can I drive my car in Germany? Yes, so long as you have a valid UK licence and V5 document, along with sufficient insurance and breakdown cover for your trip. You should also familiarise yourself with the laws around driving in Germany before you set off to keep yourself and other road users safe. Getting to Germany by car is easier than you might think. Simply take the ferry from Newcastle to Amsterdam or Hull to Rotterdam, then drive around 90 miles to the German border. This should take you around two hours. What side of the road do they drive on in Germany? Unlike in the UK, motorists drive on the right-hand side of the road in Germany and overtake on the left – which can take some adjustment if you’re used to driving on the left. Can you drive in Germany with a UK licence? Yes, you can legally drive in Germany with your UK-issued driving licence without the need to apply for an International Driving Permit, regardless of the length of your stay. Do I need extra insurance to drive in Germany? Germany and the UK are both part of the Green Card System, a Europe-wide scheme allowing all countries to recognise foreign vehicle insurance policies of visiting motorists, so it’s quite possible your existing insurance will cover you. However, before setting off on your trip, you should contact your insurance provider to make sure that no additional cover is required. Is driving in Germany dangerous? Driving in Germany is generally an enjoyable experience. Road signs are clearly marked, and the road network is excellent, with the Autobahn connecting every corner of the country. As with any foreign country, though, you should always familiarise yourself with German road laws to ensure you stay safe. Be especially careful if you’re driving in the countryside as some roads can be particularly steep and narrow. Do I need a GB/UK sticker for Germany? You will need to display a UK sticker on the rear of your car. GB stickers have been discontinued. Do I need headlamp converters in Germany? Yes. This is so you don’t dazzle oncoming traffic when driving on the right side of the road at night. What age can you start driving in Germany? To legally drive in Germany, you must be 18 or older and in possession of a full valid driving licence. Do I need winter tyres in Germany? Winter or all-season tyres with the Alpine snowflake symbol are a legal requirement at certain times of the year in Germany, or when conditions require them. All motor vehicles, including passenger cars and motorcycles registered abroad, must be fitted with them. Make sure your car is fully equipped for winter if you’re visiting Germany in the colder months. Is it compulsory to carry a spare wheel in Germany? There is no legal requirement to carry a spare wheel. However, you should make sure you check all your tyres before setting off. All motor vehicles and their trailers must have tyres with a minimum tread depth of 1.6mm. Winter tyres should have a minimum tread of 4mm. How fast can I drive on the Autobahn? Many rural sections of the Autobahn have no speed limit, which is indicated by a circular white sign with five diagonal black lines. You can drive as fast as you feel safe but be aware that cars can appear behind you suddenly, so take extra care when overtaking. Some parts of the motorway network are limited to 130kph (80mph), while others have a variable speed limit, so be sure to pay close attention to the signs. Does Germany have toll roads? Although Germany currently operates a toll system for trucks, it’s one of the few countries in Europe that doesn’t charge cars to use motorways. Back in 2017, a plan to charge foreign drivers to use the Autobahn was mooted, but this has since been rejected by the European Court of Justice.

Why is driving on the left better?

Steering wheel position – In RHT jurisdictions, vehicles are typically configured as left hand drive (LHD), with the steering wheel on the left side of the passenger compartment. In LHT jurisdictions, the reverse is true as the right hand drive (RHD) configuration.

In most jurisdictions, the position of the steering wheel is not regulated, or explicitly permitted to be anywhere. The driver’s side, the side closer to the centre of the road, is sometimes called the offside, while the passenger side, the side closer to the side of the road, is sometimes called the nearside,

Most windscreen wipers are preferentially designed to better clean the driver’s side of the windscreen and thus have a longer wiper blade on the driver’s side and wipe up from the passenger side to the driver’s side. Thus on LHD configurations, they wipe up from right to left, viewed from inside the vehicle, and do the opposite on RHD vehicles.

Historically there was less consistency in the relationship of the position of the driver to the handedness of traffic. Most American cars produced before 1910 were RHD. In 1908 Henry Ford standardised the Model T as LHD in RHT America, arguing that with RHD and RHT, the passenger was obliged to “get out on the street side and walk around the car” and that with steering from the left, the driver “is able to see even the wheels of the other car and easily avoids danger.” By 1915 other manufacturers followed Ford’s lead, due to the popularity of the Model T.

In specialised cases, the driver will sit on the nearside, or curbside. Examples include:

• Where the driver needs a good view of the nearside, e.g. street sweepers, or vehicles driven along unstable road edges. Similarly in mountainous areas the driver may be seated opposite side so that they have a better view of the road edge which may fall away for very many metres into the valley below. Swiss Postbuses in mountainous areas are a well known example.
• Where it is more convenient for the driver to be on the nearside, e.g. delivery vehicles. The Grumman LLV postal delivery truck is widely used with RHD configurations in RHT North America. Some Unimogs are designed to switch between LHD and RHD to permit operators to work on the more convenient side of the truck.

Generally, the convention is to mount a motorcycle on the left, and kickstands are usually on the left which makes it more convenient to mount on the safer kerbside as is the case in LHT. Some jurisdictions prohibit fitting a sidecar to a motorcycle’s offside.

• In 2020, there were 160 LHD heavy goods vehicles in the UK involved in accidents (5%) for a total of 3175 accidents, killing 215 people (5%) for a total of 4271.
• It has been suggested that right-hand drive vehicles, and hence the left-hand traffic direction, are associated with greater safety.
• As most drivers are right-handed, the dominant right hand remains controlled on the steering wheel while the non-dominant left hand can manipulate gears.

The right field of vision may also be more dominant, thereby permitting a superior view of oncoming traffic.

Does New Zealand drive on the left?

What are the Road Rules for Driving in New Zealand? One of the most important thing for visitors to New Zealand to remember is that we drive on the left side of the road, And of course that means if you are hiring a vehicle to drive here, the steering wheel will be on the right hand side of the car, not the left, which you may be used to.

People from countries who drive on the right are a major source of traffic accidents in New Zealand, particularly in the first few days after they arrive in the country. So what else do you need to know? Can I use my driver’s licence in New Zealand? Yes, you can use an international drivers licence to rent a car or motor home and drive in New Zealand, or your licence from your home country.

If your licence is not in English, you will need to bring a translation with you. You also need to have your licence on you at all times when you are driving. Check with your rental company if you have any specific concerns about this. You need to be a confident and experienced driver, who is used to driving at open road speeds of 100km per hour (or slightly more in some cases).

1. There may be less cars on the road in New Zealand than you are used to, but the traffic often moves faster and the conditions may be very different to what you experience at home.
2. If you usually drive in a heavily populated city where traffic never moves faster than 40km per hour, it may be wise to appoint a more experienced driver in your group, or to consider other modes of transport around the country.

What are the road surfaces like? Road surfaces around New Zealand vary. Most often they are sealed bitumen which means they have plenty of grip in wet or frosty conditions. However outside of the cities we also have plenty of shingle roads, also known as gravel or metal, which you need to take particular care on.

1. Drive more slowly on gravel roads, and also be aware that in the country areas of New Zealand, the edges of sealed roads are also usually gravel and can catch you unawares if you are not prepared for a different road surface.
2. What about seat belts? It’s compulsory for everyone travelling in cars to wear seat belts, whether you are in the front seat or the back, driver or passenger.

If you are travelling with children under the age of seven years, you must have them in an approved car seat or restraint. You should be able to rent suitable car seats with your vehicle. Miles or Kilometres? New Zealand uses the metric system, which means every road speed sign you see will be in kilometres, not miles per hour,

1. Your rental vehicle will also have a speedometer that shows kilometres per hour, rather than miles.
2. As a guide, the open road limit of 100km is equal to 60 miles per hour.
3. What are the speed limits? The maximum speed limits in cities or towns is 50km per hour, and on the open road, 100km per hour,
4. Look out for speed limit signs with a red border – keep to this speed until you see anything different.

You may sometimes need to go more slowly, for roadworks or other reasons. What do the traffic lights mean? At a set of traffic lights, you will see Green – which means go, Red – which means all traffic (even left turning) must stop and Orange – which means you should stop if you can safely do so.

• Give way or stop? When you come to an intersection not controlled by traffic lights, you will see either a Give Way sign (triangular) or a Red Stop sign (octagonal).
• If there is a Give Way sign, you need to give way to approaching traffic, and if there is nothing on the road, you can continue on your way.

If there is a Red Stop sign, this is a compulsory stop, so you must stop even if there is no traffic on the road. Once you have checked all is clear, you can then proceed. What about winter conditions? If you are driving on New Zealand roads in winter, you should carry snow chains for your car, particularly if you are driving in the South Island or anywhere you are planning to visit ski areas or mountainous locations.

1. Look out for daily weather forecasts for the places you plan to travel to, and check with sites like the Automobile Association’s site, which warns of locations and roads that may be impassable due to snow or other conditions.
2. Even in four wheel drive vehicles, you will often come across situations where chains are required to prevent slipping on ice or snow.

Again, check with your car rental company about adding them to your winter booking. Visitors to New Zealand often underestimate how quickly the weather can change (four seasons in one day sometimes) and how important it is to be well prepared for all conditions.

• Parts of New Zealand are known for having high rainfall, so you also need to be careful driving in wet weather.
• Drive more slowly than the recommended speed limit, be conscious of large areas of water that might lie across the road, and avoid driving through any large puddles where you cannot gauge the depth (by seeing other cars drive through safely).

Getting water in your engine may be enough to stop your trip right there. Where can I find more information on New Zealand road rules? The best place to visit is the, where you can find the most up to date road rules for driving in New Zealand. : What are the Road Rules for Driving in New Zealand?

When did Sweden change to driving on the right?

50 years ago today, Sweden switched from driving on the left to driving on the right Konungariket Sveriges regering What great historical even lies just about halfway between the and the present day?, of course! That’s the day, September 3, 1967, that Swedes switched from driving on the left side of the road to driving on the right side. The logistics involved with making H-Day (“Högertrafikomläggningen” translates to “the right-hand traffic diversion”) happen were terrifyingly complex, involving changing and/or moving nearly every street sign in the country, swapping out or modifying buses, and endless little details.

• Just about anywhere else in the world, such a radical change would have triggered an apocalyptic tarmac slaughter for half the population during the first few hours, but Swedes tend to be good at avoiding chaos and lunacy and nobody died.
• An important factor in H-Day’s success might have been the catchy government-commissioned tune by that instructed drivers to “Håll dig till höger, Svensson” (“Keep on the Right, Svensson”).

: 50 years ago today, Sweden switched from driving on the left to driving on the right

Does Australia drive on the left?

The most important thing you need to know about driving in Australia is that we drive on the left. If you’ve grown up driving on the other side of the road, just remember that the driver should always be close to the centre of the road.

Is England the only country that drives on the left?

Home » Why Some Countries Drive On The Left And Why It’s Better I’ve spent a lot of time driving in England, which is a thing that happens when you marry an English woman. I enjoy many things about being in England but one of my favorite is driving there. English roads, especially the back roads or “B” roads as they are called, are the best.

They are narrow and almost never straight. You are always in a corner of some sort. The roads are also almost never flat. They dip and dive constantly and a good car will flow and glide smoothly over these undulations. When you find a car that does this well it’s an absolute joy. Steering also has to be precise since there is no room for error; the roads are simply too narrow.

The other aspect of driving in England I really like is driving on the left. For an American, it totally screws with your mind. You’re driving on the “wrong” side of the road. You’re sitting on the “wrong” side of the car, you’re trying to shift with your left hand, and the mirrors are all in the “wrong” places. England is certainly not the only country that drives on the left. In fact, about 35% of the world’s population drive on the left including Japan, Malta, Cyprus, Indonesia, Ireland and most of the old English empire countries: India, Australia, New Zealand, and a number of African countries.

1. The history of driving on the left goes back many centuries to the time of knights and castles.
2. Like today, most people in the time of knights were right handed so they would have held their swords in their right hand and carried them on the left side of their body.
3. When meeting another person coming towards them on the road, it was natural to be on the left side of the path since that would allow them to offer a hand in greeting or defend themselves should they get attacked.

It also kept their swords away from the passerby should they try to steal it. Since knights wore their swords on their left side, they would mount their horses from the left as well since that way the sword would not get in their way. It then made sense to place the horse against the left curb so they would be able to mount their horses from the curb, not the middle of the street. A little later, in the year 1300, Pope Boniface VIII decreed that all pilgrims traveling to Rome should keep to the left, Later still, in the mid 1700’s, traffic on London Bridge was getting so bad and chaotic that in 1756, a law was passed requiring all traffic on the bridge to keep to the left.

• This was later codified nationally in 1835 in the British National Highway Code,
• More recently, in 1969 a study showed that left driving countries had lower accident rates,
• It was suggested that this is because the right eye and the right hand are dominant in most people.
• When driving on the left, the right eye is what you use to see down the road past the car in front of you and in the rearview mirror and the right hand stays on the wheel while the left hand works the gearshift and the radio knobs.

Knowing all of this, the real question becomes “why doesn’t everyone drive on the left?” The answer to this question is a bit muddier but it seems to have started in the late 1700’s with the advent of large wagons used for hauling goods. These wagons were pulled by several pairs of horses and did not have a driver’s seat so the driver would sit on the left rear horse so that his right hand was free to use the whip.

Since he sat on the left, he would want to pass oncoming wagons on the right so he could see how close his wheels were to the oncoming traffic. There wasn’t much need for such large wagons in Britain since the roads were much smaller and distances shorter so they never became popular there. At about the same time, Napoleon was doing his marauding across much of Europe and he decreed that France would drive on the right just because he was ornery and wanted everything anti-British.

It was also because the French aristocracy drove on the left and he wanted nothing to do with those clowns. Lastly, we believe he was left handed so he probably wore his sword on the right and mounted his horse from the right. Who knows? What we do know is that he wanted everyone to drive on the right and he made it a rule in all the countries he invaded which did NOT include England. About 100 years later, as automobiles started to come on the scene, it was a bit of a free-for-all as to which side of the car the steering wheel was on. This included the US, but when Henry Ford came out with the Model T, he put the steering wheel on the left side,

Since this car was such a huge success, left hand drive took over the industry and became the norm. During the 20th century, there was a movement in Europe to standardize the rules of the road which meant everyone had to drive on the right. The last European country to make the shift was Sweden on September 3, 1967,

At 4:50 AM, after spending over $120 million on education and new road signs, all traffic in the country stopped and after 10 minutes restarted on the right side of the road. Can you imagine something like that happening today? Well, it did in Samoa in 2009,