Why do us brits drive on the left when most other countries drive on the right?
Answers:
Had a think and had to look it up.
Try here for some explanation !
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/left_hand_d.
It is easy to note that most parts of the world where British political influence was strong drive on the same side as us.
There may have been trade reasons for this in the early days of motoring but I think that the side of the road we drive on was decided well before modern motor cars.
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Its apparently going back to the days when men carried swords and people used horse drawn carriages to get about. By driving on the left you passed by a person's right hand too close for them to swing a sword at you or something along those lines - thats just one theory though, there are many others!
Im in Australia and we drive on the left also :)
We are not the only conuntrie to drive on the left.
The first answer is close. it's down to the days of jousting, the knights always passed each other on that side.
Thailand drives on the left as well
cos we drive on the proper side of the road every one else is driving on the wrong side
A lot of it has to do with whether you came under the influence of Britain or France.
France chose the right out of contrariness. USA empathised with fellow revolutionaries.
because your backwards?
Most other countries don't. Australia, New Zealand, India, Fiji, Vietnam all drive on the left side
Well, the obious answer relates to when people had swords and rode on horses.
However, there is a less obvious (and mildly scientific) answer about the rotation of the earth.
In the northern hemisphere, just as the water always rotates in one direction when going down the plughole, the speed of traffic passing also has an effect on the rotation of the air. Drive on the right in the northern hemisphere and you end up starting tornados as in the US!
Ruddy Napoleon was the cause of this.
Excuse the first word but it always annoys me that so many Nations have suffered this handicap.
Still thinking about it, it might be a boon to the Authorities.
Unless you are a south paw you lead with your left and punch with your right. Rifles, my sort in my time, had their bolts on the right side to use with your right hand.
Door knobs are put where they are so you can use your right hand and not pull the door into your body.
Now. We all used to walk with the left side of our bodies nearest or along side of whatever cover there was while our right hand carried the weapon.
Enter Napoleon. Conquering a country is one thing, controlling it another. Well it used to be anyway.
Clever old Nap saved a lot of controllers by making every nation he conquered go the other way.
This meant only the south paws had the advantage of face to face combat. Perhaps his troops were trained as south paws?
Anyway it was him.
A large part of the world drives on the left. It is just the Americas and the continent which make up the majority for driving on the right.
We were first as usual due to the technicality of being able to use ones sword in the right hand so requiring the safety of being on the left of any path, track or road when meeting anyone who might be a foe.
The greatest vehicle maker to be an RHD country these days is of course Japan.
Sweden was RHD until 1967.
China was RHD until 1945.
in uk we drive on the right but i been thinking why the steering wheel in not in the middle so we drive on both ot niether side
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