Why Do Americans Drive on the Right-Hand Side of the Road?
Most of the world drives on the right-hand side of the world today, although that wasn't always true. In the United States, traveling on the right side of the road was made popular by teamsters in the late 18th century and became standard by the early 20th century.
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Left Lane The Historic Norm
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Through most of recorded history, people, whether walking, riding animals or driving vehicles, have traveled on the left side of the road. Much of the lore behind that fact is sketchy, but the practice dates back to the ancient Roman Empire. In 1300 AD, Pope Boniface VIII codified the rule by declaring that pilgrims traveling to Rome use the left side of the road.
Shift to Traveling on The Right
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The reasons for the cultural shift to the right side of the road are murky, but French dictator Napoleon Bonaparte had some influence during the late 18th century. He instituted right-side travel on the roads of the countries he conquered, such as Germany and Switzerland. During World War II, Germany forced right-handed travel onto other countries it controlled, such as Austria. Countries that avoided being conquered, such as the United Kingdom, held onto their left-side traveling traditions.
Teamster Influence in The Early Days
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Americans apparently started traveling on the right at about the same time that Napoleon was forcing it on conquered European countries. According to the Sept. 5, 2009, issue of Time magazine, the switch was pioneered by teamsters who drove large wagons pulled by teams of horses to and from farms in the late 1700s. Those large wagons had no drivers' seats, so a teamster would sit on the left rear horse so that he could use his whip on the entire team of horses with his right hand, because most people are right-handed. Riding on the left horse and driving on the right side of the road also allowed the drivers to see oncoming wagons better.
Mass Production of Cars
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When Henry Ford and his Ford Motor Co. started mass producing cars in the early 20th century, all the cars had the steering wheel on the left side of the car. With the driver on the left side, it was better to have oncoming traffic to the left so that the driver could better judge the distance between his car and those traveling in the opposite direction. That solidified the practice of driving on the right side of the road, as hundreds of thousands of cars were built that way.
Most of the World Follows
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Today, only a few countries still drive on the left side of the road. That includes the United Kingdom and many of its former imperial possessions, such as Ireland, South Africa, India, Australia and New Zealand. Japan, Indonesia and several other Pacific island nations also drive on the left.
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