This makes the side of the road the '1st rule of the road' and ultimately the most important rule of the road, and this is consistent across all countries. We're part of a minority of 34%, as depicted on the map in blue. He could be sure to keep clear of the wheels of oncoming wagons and avoid damaging his horses he did that by passing on the right hand side. Copyright 2008 - 2022 Confused.com. Re the question of why we drive on the left there are several answers about it being because of the Romans. It was the left-handed Napolean who changed the way France rode, and the rest they say is history. Yes, you can. We drive on the right because its the right thing to do. These staircases were built so that those defending the castle at the top of the staircase had the advantage. According to Business Insider, only 30% of the world's population drives on the left. One way to diagnose problems with refrigerant levels in a car's AC system is to hook up gauges to the high and low lines, measure the pressure, and note the temperature. You can replace the intake manifold gasket in your own vehicle if you know what steps to take. Mobile: 07825 619 664 In left-hand traffic systems, the better-perfoming right eye is used to monitor oncoming traffic and the drivers wing mirror. Return to the Home Page, Return from Left Hand Traffic to UK Driving Licence Page, 2009-2022 Antonine Driving School. shutterstock /llaszlo, shutterstock /GParker, We are no longer supporting IE (Internet Explorer), things you probably always wondered about, The 5 Most Dangerous Countries to Drive In, This Is Why Traffic Lights Are Red, Yellow, and Green, 13 potentially dangerous mistakes you make while pumping gas, When Is the Best Time to Buy a Mattress? Back in the 1960s, both Sweden and Iceland switched from driving on the left to driving on the right hand side of the road. We are no longer supporting IE (Internet Explorer) as we strive to provide site experiences for browsers that support new web standards and security practices. We take a look at the best dash cams on the market right now. Wagons had no drivers seat, so a postilion (rider) sat on the left rear horse. Therefore, the British either trust less or are smarter and experience tells us that these two qualities, trusting less and being smarter, run hand in hand. You can consent by accepting all or alternatively, manage your cookies at any time. These answers refer to the Romans carrying their swords on their left sides. It was also thought to be a positive strategy by some countries as it reduced the risk of accidents on border crossings. Vehicles with steering wheels on the left are often cheaper due to being mass produced. We recommend our users to update the browser. So perhaps the question here should be, why did people stop traveling on the left? The actual reason we drive on the left is due to the fact that most people are right handed. Riders travelled on the left to keep their sword arm free. Others suggest its origins lie in the aristocracy favouring to pass each other on the left as they found it more polite. The invention of the car had profound effects on culture, the landscape, and even fashion. Or perhaps the current arrangement was brought in to end a reign of terror by a gang of left-handed bandits? When you are walking up, your right hand is against the wall, causing you to walk on the narrower side of the step. Why do we drive on the left side of the road in the UK but most other countries drive on the right? VCARS found out. If you mount from a pavement your horse will be facing to your left and therefore on the righthand side of the road. Their position in the road would change. 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. Youre likely to see many of the same spots lit up. Of course if we drove on the right, both prospective combatants would be inconvenienced by fighting on the weak side - so maybe we Brits just like a good fight? Confused.com is a trading name of Inspop.com Limited and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. They also allow us to present you with tailored advertising on social media. Therefore, make sure you check well before the planned trip that yours will be valid. RELATED:The 5 Most Dangerous Countries to Drive In. Return from Left Hand Traffic to UK Driving Licence Page The move from left to right took place in the US due to wagons pulled by several pairs of horses. 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. Archaeologist surmised that, since carts would exit the quarry heavy, and enter it empty, that Romans drove on the left.

This content is accurate and true to the best of the authors knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional. But various pressures eventually shifted travelers to the right. Antonine Driving School , for a DSA Approved Driving Instructor. This would find it easier to draw their weapon should it be needed. In the absence of a drivers 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. Therefore, all other 'rules of the road' stem from which side of the road directs the flow of traffic. The legislation was encapsulated in the Highway Act 1835, which also specified a number of offences for which a carriage driver may be punished by a fine. I always thought Napoleon changed to the right-hand side, not only to do the opposite of the enemy (the British), but because he was left-handed himself. Canada stayed on the left until the 1920s. This seating position was to allow the rider to hold his whip in his right hand. To choose the right tint film for your car, consider the climate you live in and your personal preference. If the car is designed around the driver, then it follows that steering is logically performed by the right hand, with the left performing the less critical function of gear changing, for a right handed person. In 1988 in Swindon England archaeologists found a preserved track leading to a Roman quarry. Napoleon ordered his armies to use the right-hand side of the road in order to avoid congestion during military manoeuvres. Here are 5 great used choices | AA Cars, Green number plates: Heres what you need to know | AA Cars. This consideration for self-defense is illustrated in the way spiral staircases were built in castles. While that remained little more than a custom, the first keep left legal reference in Britain arrived in the early 18th Century. Approximately 1/3 of the world's population drive on the left. Unfortunately France vied with England when it came to colonialism at the time, and those countries now driving on the Right are those that had a greater French influence in their makeup.

In the days when carriages and carts were the vehicle of choice, the driver relied on a simple lever operated brake bearing on a wheel to slow the vehicle. You need to take your driving licence with you in order to drive abroad. Whether on foot, horseback, or in a carriage, you needed to be able to whip out your lance, sword, pitchfork, or staff in response to a threatand quickly. With no driver's seat, one of the left-side horses was regularly used to transport the driver. How to replace burned-out instrument cluster bulbs on a Camry. Why anyone would ever want to leave Thailand is beyond us. The latter consideration won out and resulted in the driver's seat being installed on the right in cars in left-side driving countries such as the UK. Commoners, it was said, would pass on the right. Because we have to drive on one side of the road, anyway, there are far more important things to be pondered over. The custom therefore originated as an essential part of self defence and simply carried over into our present convention for traffic flow. In days of old, when gallant knights fought dragons and saved maidens, they also used to fight each other, usually on horseback. Therefore, ones heart is less vulnerable when you fight right handed. The grooves on the right hand side of the road, speculated to denote travel out of the towns, have proved to be shallower.

Youll need to follow these closely so make sure you do your homework. Troops were trained to march on the left side of the road, free to draw their swords with their right hand. If so, let us know by emailing us at bigquestions@mentalfloss.com. 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. Once the rider is up on the horse the more adept right foot can find the other stirrup on its own. For us to use our non-essential cookies, we need your consent. I was told that it was all to do with getting on your horse. Around 35 percent of the world population does the same, including people in Ireland, Japan, and some Caribbean islands. There is also a theory that in late 18th century France the nobility travelled on the left hand side of the road and forced the peasantry to use the right hand side. Just why do Brits drive on the opposite side of the road from most other countries? The big exceptions to this are the USA and Canada. The nations that resisted invasion Britain, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Russia and Portugal generally kept to the left. Of course, the car also needs imported car insurance. 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. To drive (or ride, as was) on the left hand side of the road allowed free movement of the right hand. Portugal made the change from left to right in the 1920s; countries with border crossings found there was great confusion if drivers were required to change sides of the road when passing from country to country. Would increase conformity with other countries and make driving abroad easier, Cost of the change: road markings, motorway junctions, signs. SO42 7ZN, If you would like a copy of any of our images, please visit our dedicated Motoring Picture Library website. It is possible that the custom of driving on the left dates back to pre-history and may later have been used as an early road safety measure. By law, Portugal changed in 1928, Italy in the 1920s, Spain in the 1930s, and Madrid in 1924. Either way, the rule demanding people stick to the left didnt become law in Britain until the increase in traffic made it essential. Its even more challenging for UK drivers visiting countries that dont drive on the left. (Presumably, the 10 to 15 percent of left-handed knights just had to make it work.) Also, this list only includes a handful of European destinations. And the answer comes from the battlefield norms by which combat started from the left side of the army before moving to the right side. Those driving on the right changed but I fancy it's a passing phase and they will return to the fold. Napoleon changed this to destabilize his ennemies and imposed this norm on roads to mark his supremacy within conquered territories. The main argument against was that camel trains often drove through the night while their drivers dozed. It is interesting to note that in Indonesia, an ex Dutch colony, they still drive on the left. However, there are strict rules and regulations governing the importing of cars to the UK. If its a country that drives on the left then this should feel more like being at home. Because if we drove on the right we would crash. Over time, left hand traffic countries whose borders meet larger countries who drive on the right, have adopted the same 'rule' and converted to right hand traffic to make travel and trade between their countries easier. The rest of Europe followed suit later as Napoleon grew in power and influence. Now that weve demystified driving on different sides of the road, find out the 13 potentially dangerous mistakes you make while pumping gas. When Henry Ford unveiled his Model T in 1908, the drivers 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. In order that they could use a sword effectively against their opponent, they would have to pass right to right (all good knights were of course right handed!). The grooves in the road on the left were much deeper than those on the right. Beaulieu It's a Roman thing. 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! 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. The best tip is to check the governments foreign travel advice so you know exactly what to expect in particular countries especially if your trip will involve crossing several borders. I always understood that Romans carried their swords on their right side so that, with training, they could draw it without having to move their shield from in front of their body. 2022 The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers on this website. So why was this system in place? We always have, supposedly dating back to the times when, passing other riders on horse-back, we could defend ourselves with our free sword hand (the right) - or presumably offer the hand of friendship. 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. In fact an interesting further question would be what proportion of the world's population live in countries where driving is on the left. The only European countries who don't drive on the right are the UK; Ireland; Malta and Cyprus. The practice far predates cars, according to The Telegraph. Any answers? Left Hand countries deliver safer driving. Here we highlight which countries drive on the left, look into why the UK has traditionally driven on the left, and highlight the car insurancerules youll need to obey. Most cars in the UK have a manual gear change. Suddenly driving on the other side of the road for the first time can be a challenge. The first written Act in the UK to stipulate that traffic must drive on the left hand side of the road was The Highway Act of 1773, and was in reference to traffic crossing London Bridge. If youre taking your own vehicle, you also need to take your log book, also known as your V5C, along with your insurance certificate. They don't of course. So why does everyone else drive on the right? So, it seems that we've had left hand traffic in the UK for an extremely long time! After the French revolution, the previous nobility, trying not to upset the new social order, began to ride and drive on the right. In right-hand traffic, the weaker left eye takes over. Pennsylvania regulated right-side traffic on a new turnpike in 1792, and New York regulated right-hand driving on all public highways in 1804. The General Highways Act of 1773 recommended that horse traffic should keep to the left of the road and this was included in the Highway Act 1835. In 1792 a decree in France created a uniform traffic law requiring traffic to keep to the right, and Napoleon ordered the military to stay on the right. Obviously dont leave this to the last minute. If people walked/rode on the right the swords would meet in the middle. Driving would be more challenging for drivers currently owning right-hand-drive cars. AC systems remove heat and moisture from a car's passenger compartment using refrigerants such as R-134a in a closed system. So, lets take a closer look at which nations share our left-hand sided preference. It is possible to cheat an emissions test to conceal catalytic converter faults. All of these theories, more than likely, could have had some part to play in different countries. This was then passed into law as a general 'rule' in The Highway Act (1835). The right handed answer is the most popular answer. Rules and customs are always different when you go abroad and its just a case of adapting to whats required. Its a similar story around the world. Generally, a right-handed rider finds it easier to mount a horse from the left side; this would be a reason to ride on the left. We have that in common with Australians, New Zealanders, Japanese, Indians (I believe) and many others. However, there are countries where this is not the case. However, even in continental Europe, the trains still keep left. This allows the, less skilled, left foot to be put in a stirrup while the rider is still standing on the ground. Other counties switched over to right-hand driving in stages, Austria being a good example of this starting with the west in 1919 and finishing with Lower Austria in 1938. Moving forward some two hundred years, the placement of the steering wheel is conventionally opposite to the rule of the road left hand driving countries used right hand driver vehicles and vice versa. Drivers either sat on the left of their wagon or led their horses on foot on the left-hand side, so it was much easier to see oncoming traffic by traveling on the right side of the road. Because the Romans marched on the left side of the road, it being to draw a sword tethered to your left side, safely, to attack an oncoming army. Getting to grips with new road layouts in unfamiliar cars is tricky even if youre highly experienced. What happens behind the scenes will shock you. The British drive on the left because most people are right handed. As John said, the Romans did. AC systems in passenger cars use either a thermal expansion valve (TXV) or an orifice tube. For example, theres long been an enthusiastic following over here for American cars. I heard it was something to do with avoiding swords clashing. Was it worth it? This adoption of right hand traffic has occurred since the late 18th century, right into the 2oth century. For safety, it would be better to mount and dismount from the side of the road as opposed to the middle of the road. A 1969 study showed that left hand traffic countries like the UK have a lower collision rate than the right hand traffic systems. Company No. However, their mode of transport was quite different from today: Think four legs instead of four wheels. We, in the UK, are one of the countries in the world who drive on the left hand 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 cars are also likely to be built differently, depending on the countrys road rules. Vehicles were banned at certain times of the day and pilgrims were instructed by Pope Boniface VIII to keep to the left side of the road when visiting/traveling in Rome. Buses, coaches etc. However, the challenge is getting the car to the location. Let the sounds of a bad starter help you diagnose and repair your hard-to-start or no-start problem with your car. At a time when the main danger on the roads was mugging, careful travellers would pass on-coming strangers on the left with their sword arm towards the passer-by. RELATED:This Is Why Traffic Lights Are Red, Yellow, and Green.