Home » Articles
Car Articles
Read articles on cars and car industry. Get fully updated on all information related to cars. Read exciting happening in the Indian and Global Car industry, tips to help you and more...
Old Articles
Origin of Right-Hand and Left-Hand Side Drives
You must have wondered why in India, we drive on the left hand side and almost the whole world drives on the right hand side of the road. This driving habit perplexes the world, but there is a reason behind it.
Since most people are right-handed, swordsmen carried their sword on the right and the scabbard on the left. They preferred to travel on the left hand side so that in case of an encounter they have their right arm nearer to the opponent. Hence, in the past, almost everybody travelled on the left side of the road because that was the most sensible option for feudal societies. Furthermore, a right-handed person finds it easier to mount and dismount a horse from the left side of the horse. So if one mounts on the left, then the horse should be ridden on the left side of the road.
However, in the late 1700s, France and United States took to right hand side. Wagons carrying farm products were pulled by several pairs of horses. These wagons had no driver's seat and the driver sat on the left rear horse, so he could keep his right arm free to whip the horses. Moreover, he kept to the right side of the road so that he has a clue of the oncoming vehicle's wheels.
Besides, the French Revolution of 1789 had a huge impact to right-hand travel in Europe. Before the Revolution, the aristocrats travelled on the left of the road, forcing common men to take right. But after the storming of the Bastille, aristocrats joined the peasants on the right. An official keep-right rule was introduced in Paris in 1794 and Denmark made compulsory in 1793.
Later, Napoleon's conquests spread the new 'rightism' to the other European countries except for countries that had resisted Napoleon. Hence Britain, the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Portugal continued to drive on the left hand side of the road.
Although left-driving Sweden ceded Finland to right-driving Russia after the Russo-Swedish War (1808-1809), Swedish law - including traffic regulations - remained valid in Finland for another 50 years. It wasn't until 1858 that an Imperial Russian decree made Finland swap sides.
The trend among nations over the years has been toward driving on the right hand side, but Britain has done its best to stave off global homogenisation. With the expansion of travel and road building in the 1800s, traffic regulations were made in every country. Left-hand driving was made mandatory in Britain in 1835. Countries which were part of the British Empire followed suit. This is why to this very day, India, Australasia and the former British colonies in Africa go left. An exception to the rule, however, is Egypt.
Although Japan was never part of the British Empire, its traffic also goes to the left. Although the origin of this habit goes back to the Edo period (1603-1867), it wasn't until 1872 that this unwritten rule became more or less official. That was the year when Japan's first railway was introduced, built with technical aid from the British. Gradually, a massive network of railways and tram tracks was built and of course all trains and trams drove on the left-hand side. Still, it took another half century till in 1924 left-side driving was clearly written in a law.
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 wanted to change to right-hand driving. The first law requiring drivers to keep right was passed in Pennsylvania in 1792 and similar laws were passed in New York in 1804 and New Jersey in 1813.
Since most people are right-handed, swordsmen carried their sword on the right and the scabbard on the left. They preferred to travel on the left hand side so that in case of an encounter they have their right arm nearer to the opponent. Hence, in the past, almost everybody travelled on the left side of the road because that was the most sensible option for feudal societies. Furthermore, a right-handed person finds it easier to mount and dismount a horse from the left side of the horse. So if one mounts on the left, then the horse should be ridden on the left side of the road.
However, in the late 1700s, France and United States took to right hand side. Wagons carrying farm products were pulled by several pairs of horses. These wagons had no driver's seat and the driver sat on the left rear horse, so he could keep his right arm free to whip the horses. Moreover, he kept to the right side of the road so that he has a clue of the oncoming vehicle's wheels.
Besides, the French Revolution of 1789 had a huge impact to right-hand travel in Europe. Before the Revolution, the aristocrats travelled on the left of the road, forcing common men to take right. But after the storming of the Bastille, aristocrats joined the peasants on the right. An official keep-right rule was introduced in Paris in 1794 and Denmark made compulsory in 1793.
Later, Napoleon's conquests spread the new 'rightism' to the other European countries except for countries that had resisted Napoleon. Hence Britain, the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Portugal continued to drive on the left hand side of the road.
Although left-driving Sweden ceded Finland to right-driving Russia after the Russo-Swedish War (1808-1809), Swedish law - including traffic regulations - remained valid in Finland for another 50 years. It wasn't until 1858 that an Imperial Russian decree made Finland swap sides.
The trend among nations over the years has been toward driving on the right hand side, but Britain has done its best to stave off global homogenisation. With the expansion of travel and road building in the 1800s, traffic regulations were made in every country. Left-hand driving was made mandatory in Britain in 1835. Countries which were part of the British Empire followed suit. This is why to this very day, India, Australasia and the former British colonies in Africa go left. An exception to the rule, however, is Egypt.
Although Japan was never part of the British Empire, its traffic also goes to the left. Although the origin of this habit goes back to the Edo period (1603-1867), it wasn't until 1872 that this unwritten rule became more or less official. That was the year when Japan's first railway was introduced, built with technical aid from the British. Gradually, a massive network of railways and tram tracks was built and of course all trains and trams drove on the left-hand side. Still, it took another half century till in 1924 left-side driving was clearly written in a law.
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 wanted to change to right-hand driving. The first law requiring drivers to keep right was passed in Pennsylvania in 1792 and similar laws were passed in New York in 1804 and New Jersey in 1813.
Some parts of Canada continued to drive on the left until shortly after the Second World War. The territory controlled by the French drove on the right, but the territory occupied by the English kept left. British Columbia and the Atlantic provinces switched to the right in the 1920s in order to conform to the rest of Canada and the USA.
In Europe, the remaining left-driving countries switched one by one to driving on the right. Portugal changed in 1920s. In Italy the practice of driving on the right first began in the late 1890s. The first Italian Highway Code, issued on the 30th of June 1912, stated that all vehicles had to drive on the right. By the mid-1920s, right-hand driving became finally standard throughout the country.
Spain lacked national traffic regulations till 1930. The break-up of the Austro-Hungarian Empire caused no change: Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia and Hungary continued to drive on the left. Half of Austria drove on the left and half on the right. The dividing line was precisely the area affected by Napoleon's conquests in 1805. When Germany annexed Austria in 1938, Hitler ordered that the traffic rule should change from the left to the right side of the road, overnight. Czechoslovakia and Hungary changed to the right after being invaded by Germany in 1939.
Meanwhile, the power of the right kept growing steadily. American cars were designed to be driven on the right by locating the drivers' controls on the vehicle's left side. With the mass production of reliable and economical cars in the United States, initial exports used the same car design and out of necessity many countries changed their rule of the road.
China changed to right-hand traffic in 1946. Korea now drives right, but only because it passed directly from Japanese colonial rule to American and Russian influence at the end of the Second World War. Pakistan also considered changing to the right in the 1960s, but ultimately decided not to do it. Nigeria, a former British colony, had traditionally been driving on the left with British imported right-hand-drive cars, but after it gained independence, it shifted the steering wheel to the left.
After the Second World War, left-driving Sweden, the odd one out in mainland Europe, felt increasing pressure to change sides in order to conform with the rest of the continent and in 1967 the country switched to right-hand driving. Iceland changed in 1968 and Ghana swapped sides in 1974.
In the 1960s, Great Britain also considered changing, but dropped the idea as it would cost billions of pounds to change everything round. Today, only four European countries still drive on the left: the United Kingdom, Ireland, Cyprus and Malta.
On 7 September 2009, Samoa became the first country ever to change from right- to left-hand driving as its Prime Minister wanted to swap sides to make it easier to import cheap cars from left-hand driving countries.
In Europe, the remaining left-driving countries switched one by one to driving on the right. Portugal changed in 1920s. In Italy the practice of driving on the right first began in the late 1890s. The first Italian Highway Code, issued on the 30th of June 1912, stated that all vehicles had to drive on the right. By the mid-1920s, right-hand driving became finally standard throughout the country.
Spain lacked national traffic regulations till 1930. The break-up of the Austro-Hungarian Empire caused no change: Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia and Hungary continued to drive on the left. Half of Austria drove on the left and half on the right. The dividing line was precisely the area affected by Napoleon's conquests in 1805. When Germany annexed Austria in 1938, Hitler ordered that the traffic rule should change from the left to the right side of the road, overnight. Czechoslovakia and Hungary changed to the right after being invaded by Germany in 1939.
Meanwhile, the power of the right kept growing steadily. American cars were designed to be driven on the right by locating the drivers' controls on the vehicle's left side. With the mass production of reliable and economical cars in the United States, initial exports used the same car design and out of necessity many countries changed their rule of the road.
China changed to right-hand traffic in 1946. Korea now drives right, but only because it passed directly from Japanese colonial rule to American and Russian influence at the end of the Second World War. Pakistan also considered changing to the right in the 1960s, but ultimately decided not to do it. Nigeria, a former British colony, had traditionally been driving on the left with British imported right-hand-drive cars, but after it gained independence, it shifted the steering wheel to the left.
After the Second World War, left-driving Sweden, the odd one out in mainland Europe, felt increasing pressure to change sides in order to conform with the rest of the continent and in 1967 the country switched to right-hand driving. Iceland changed in 1968 and Ghana swapped sides in 1974.
In the 1960s, Great Britain also considered changing, but dropped the idea as it would cost billions of pounds to change everything round. Today, only four European countries still drive on the left: the United Kingdom, Ireland, Cyprus and Malta.
On 7 September 2009, Samoa became the first country ever to change from right- to left-hand driving as its Prime Minister wanted to swap sides to make it easier to import cheap cars from left-hand driving countries.
