Why are British cars on the right side?

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 cast off all remaining links with their British colonial past and gradually changed to right-hand driving.

Why does the US drive on the right side?

Drivers tended to sit on the right so they could ensure their buggy, wagon, or other vehicle didn’t run into a roadside ditch. Thus, most American cars produced before 1910 were made with right-side driver seating, although intended for right-side driving.

Why do European cars drive on the right?

In ancient Rome, Romans would drive their chariots with their more dominant hand (right) so the whip in their less dominant hand (usually the left hand) would not whip the other horses passing by. Another heavy influence, France’s Napoleon helped spread right sided driving culture in Europe.

Are most UK cars right-hand drive?

Almost always, in countries where one drives on the right-hand side of the road, the cars are built so that the driver sits on the left-hand side of the car….List of all left- & right-driving countries around the world.

Country / state / territory	drive(s) on the	left / right
England	drives on the	left

Why are British cars backwards?

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. This rule was incorporated into the Highway Act of 1835 and was adopted throughout the British Empire.

Why does France drive on the right?

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. 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.

Is China left hand drive?

In mainland China, traffic drives on the right-hand side of the road. Various neighbors — Hong Kong, Macau, India, Nepal and Pakistan — drive on the left.

When did Canada stop driving on the left?

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.

What side of the road do you Drive on in the UK?

Cars in the UK (and in seventy-six other countries) drive on the left hand side of the road, which means you want the driver (and therefore controls) to be situated on the right hand side of the car, providing them the best possible vantage point to see all of the road.

Why do drivers sit on the left side of the road?

Instead, in order to control the horses, the driver sat on the horse at the back left, thus keeping his whip hand free. Sitting on the left however made it difficult to judge the traffic coming the other way, as anyone who has driven a left-hand drive car along the winding lanes of Britain will agree!

Why do we drive on the right in America?

In fact, Britain enforced this rule in all its colonies, which is the reason why India and most of its African colonies still use right-hand driving even today. The United States, on the other hand, wanted to escape its British roots, so went towards left-hand driving, instead.

Why did Britain and France drive on the same side of road?

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.