WE STILL DRIVE ON THE LEFT! This should explain why.
In days of old logic dictated that when people passed each other on the
road they should be in the best possible position to use their sword to
protect themselves. As most people are right handed they therefore keep
to their left. This practice was formalised in a Papal Edict by Pope
Benefice around 1300AD who told all his pilgrims to keep to the left.
Nothing much changed until 1773 when an increase in horse traffic
forced the UK Government to introduce the General Highways Act of 1773
which contained a keep left recommendation. This became a law as part
of the Highways Bill in 1835.
Reasons to travel on the right are less clear but the generally
accepted version of history is as follows: The French, being Catholics,
followed Pope Boneface's edict but in the build up to the French
Revolution in 1790 the French Aristocracy drove their carriages at
great speed on the left hand side of the road, forcing the peasantry
over to the right side for their own safety. Come the Revolution,
instincts of self preservation resulted in the remains of the
Aristocracy joining the peasants on the right hand side of the road.
The first official record of this was a keep right rule introduced in
Paris in 1794
OK, that explains the UK and France but what about the rest of the
world ?
Britain's imperial expansion (all of the pink bits on old maps) spread
the keep left rule far and wide. This included India, Australasia and
much of Africa (Although many African countries changed to the right
later when they became independent).
France also had quite an empire after the revolutionary wars and the
keep right rule spread through much of modern day Europe and to
colonies such as Egypt. The connection with the USA is thought to be
General Lafayette who recommended a keep right rule as part of the help
that he gave the Americans in the build up to the war of Independence.
The first reference to keep right in USA law is in a rule covering the
Lancaster to Philadelphia turnpike in 1792.
But what about Japan ? well in the 1850's Gunboat diplomacy forced the
Japanese to open their ports to the British and Sir Rutherford Alcock,
who was Queen Victoria's man in the Japanese court persuaded them to
adopt the keep left rule.
Enter the MOTORCAR !
Very early motorcars followed the principle of a horse driven carriage
and the chauffeur was seated in the middle. Once the owners of the
vehicles realised what fun they were to drive they wanted their
wife/companion to sit with them so the decision had to be made, which
side !
The side of the steering wheel followed the tradition in the country so
that the first cars (Benz in Germany) were left hand drive as they
drive on the right. The major exception to this was that racing cars
were almost always right hand drive because it was better suited to
circuit racing. In the USA Pierce-Arrow were an example of this and in
Europe, most pre 1950 Italian Sports cars are Right Hand Drive,
including all pre 1956 Lancia's. Remember also that every Bugatti is
Right Hand Drive.
I know of only 2 cars with a centre steering wheel. The prototype
Amphicar and the current McLaren F1 (There are one or two other
differences between these vehicles, I think top speed comes into it,
but I would summarise by saying that the F1 is not best suited to use
in a river !!)
And so to the future. Despite Euro-pressure the consensus is that
Britain, or any other Drive on Left country, will never change. Two
reasons, traffic density make the switch impractical (the last time it
was successfully done was in the 1950's with less than 10% of current
levels, and, probably the main reason, good old Sir Rutherford Alcock !
The Japanese are the worlds largest car producers, they need to produce
vehicles for their own market and need to export so will always produce
left and right hand drive vehicles thereby guaranteeing a supply for
the rest of the world.
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