Which countries drive on the left and why?

Have you ever sat inside your car and wondered why in Australia we drive on the left-hand side of the road while our friends over in North America and Europe drive on the right? You’re not alone.

Ever since the first automobiles hit the dirt roads of Aussie capital cities in the late 1800s, they have been rolling around on the left-hand side. While there are many theories floating around about how we ended up on the left and the rest of the world on the right, we have to dig deep all the way to the 1700s to see where the trend began.

Archaeological evidence has suggested that the ancient Romans may have driven their carts and chariots on the left-hand side of roads and paths with this practice being carried throughout the rest of medieval Europe. The reasons why the Romans chose the left is not entirely clear, but some believe it happened as a matter of safety. One theory suggest that because the majority of people were right handed, 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.

The same could be said for the knights of the British Empire several hundred years later. Knights would mount their horse from the left side and use their right hand to wield their sword. Hence, they would ride on the left-hand side so they could better attack their enemies.

Today, Japan also drives on the left-hand side of the road which is beleievd to be a carry over habit from the Edo period (1604 – 1868). Similar to knights in Britain, samurais would walk on the left side of footpaths, so they could better access their swords with their right hand.

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 customs. Left-hand traffic finally became the law across Britain in 1773 and 1835. The opposite tradition prevailed in France, which favoured the right-hand side of the road driving as early as the 18th century. These two countries exported their preferred driving styles across to their respective colonies, which is why today, most of the former British Empire territories such as Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and India still drive on the left.

What isn't quite clear is why although cars are driven on the left-hand side of the road in Britain yet they keep to the right-hand side of someone on an escalator...

Canada abandoned the left side of the road in the 1920s to facilitate traffic to and from the United States. Nevertheless, with the rise of the automobile, many countries have switched to the right to fit in with their neighbours.

The French Revolution of 1789 was a huge catalyst to right-hand travel in Europe. It is believed that before the Revolution, the French aristocracy travelled on the left side of the road, forcing the peasantry over to the right. After the storming of the Bastille and the subsequent revolutionary events, the aristocrats preferred to keep a low profile and joined the peasants on the right-hand side of the road. An official keep-right rule was introduced in Paris in 1794. Not all of Europe had locked in to a side of the road by the 1800s. On the 3rd of September 1967 the government of Sweden officially switched from left to right-hand side of the road driving, spending $120 million preparing its citizens for Dagen H (or H day).

In the early years of English colonisation of North America, English driving customs were followed, and the colonies drove on the left. After gaining independence from England, however, they were anxious to remove any and all remaining links to the Crown and gradually changed from left to right-hand driving.

Researchers have traced 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 herds with their right hand. As the wagons became more popular, traffic naturally moved to the right so drivers could sit closer to the centre of the road and avoid collisions with those passing in the opposite direction.

The first law requiring drivers to keep right was passed in Pennsylvania in 1792, with similar laws passed in New York in 1804 and New Jersey in 1813.

Another major influence that locked the US into right-hand driving was carmaker Henry Ford, whose mass-produced Model T came with a left-positioned steering wheel, which required it to be driven on the right side of the road.

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