Why Does America Drive on the Right Side?
Sixty-six percent of the world's drivers operate their automobiles on the right-hand side of the road. In the United States, the first law mandating this came about in the late 1700s, though its roots go much further back.
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Early Days
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The left-hand side of paths was used in ancient and medieval societies, allegedly due to predominantly right-handed knights wanting to use their swords on horseback against other mounted warriors.
First U.S. Law
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The first law mandating use of the right-hand side of the road in the United States was applied to the Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike in 1792.
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Larger Carts
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The most likely impetus for right-hand side laws came from larger horse carts. Drivers needed a team of horses and had to sit on a horse in the back left so they could control the others with reins in their right hands.
Alternative Theory
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After 1789, the French began to discard using the left-hand side because of its tradition associated with the privilege of knighthood. This may have been a factor in the transition in the U.S., where a similar break from European traditions of nobility was under way.
Modern Exceptions
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The only U.S. jurisdiction that uses the left-hand side of the road is the U.S. Virgin Islands. This is probably because of the influence of the nearby British Virgin Islands which, like most of the British Commonwealth, also uses the left-hand side.
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