Why do the British drive on the opposite side of the road why we drive on the left in the UK?
As most people are right-handed, the driver would sit to the right of the seat so his whip hand was free. 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. Today, only 35% of countries drive on the left.
Why do England and America drive on different sides of the road?
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.
Do British people drive on the other side of the road?
While traffic in almost all of the world passes on the right side, cars in Britain and many of its former colonies drive on the left. The practice far predates cars, according to The Telegraph. In fact, it goes back to the Middle Ages.
Is driving in UK left or right?
The following is a list of countries of the world whose inhabitants drive on the left- or right-hand side of the road….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 do people in the UK Drive on the left side of the road?
Just why do Brits drive on the opposite side of the road from most other countries? The practice far predates cars, according to The Telegraph. In fact, it goes back to the Middle Ages. In ye olden days, when traveling down a highway put you at risk of being attacked or robbed, traveling on the left was a matter of safety.
Why did the British drive on the left in World War 2?
The real reason for the British driving on the left is that the French drive on the right! Of course the other reason is that in 1939/1940 Britain was not invaded, Czechoslovakia and Holland drove on the left but were forced to change, they never bothered to change back in 1945.
Why did the British and French drive on the same side of the 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.
Why do former British colonies drive on opposite sides?
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.
Why did the British drive on the left side of the road?
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. This was later made law thanks to The Highway Act of 1835. Meanwhile post-revolution France, under their left-handed ruler Napoleon, embraced a permanent move to the right side of the road.
Why do people drive on the wrong side of the road?
This also “made sense” because if a bandit or scallywag was to attack on the road, a knight could draw his sword and fight them off from the right side, and not have to swing his blade over his horse’s head. As time progressed, the rule of thumb was that the aristocracy would keep left with the peasants traveling on the right.
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.
Why do the Americans drive on the left?
I believe that driving on both the right and the left were seen in the USA prior to the introduction of the Model T, but that Henry Ford decided that drivers would find it easier to cope with changing gear with their right hand, and so contributed to the general adoption of driving on the left. Because if we drove on the right we would crash.