Driving, in its most traditional form, is young. Even with a lifespan of over 200 years, dating back to the very first Benz Patent Motorwagen from 1885, driving is barely a blip in the history of the whole human species. It has aided in only a handful of wars, helped in overthrowing exactly zero empires, and, despite all advancement in technology, has not been successful in staging a single land to sea battle. And yet – the rules of road have been around for a very long time.
It is a strange thought, to all those living in the modern world, that a unified national driving standard is not inherent. Of course, one would think, it makes all the imaginable sense that cars should stay to a single, consistent side of road in order to avoid all manner of accident, explosion or excessive road rage. But, despite this seemingly basic concept, standardized driving is barely even a century old. Cars predating the early 1900s were steered from the center, and there were so few of them on the road, and they were so god awfully slow, that the very need for driving regulation was seen as absurd.
But somewhere along the way, and far more recently than one would imagine, those regulations became commonplace. Stop at traffic lights and stop signs, do not exceed speed limits, keep to one side of the road. It all made sense, except for one tiny question – which side?
Dagen H Day, when Sweden switched from right hand to left hand drive.
As of right now 60 percent of the countries in the world, 90 percent of the driving population, subscribe to left hand drive – meaning the steering wheel and mechanisms are on the left of the car, which drives on the right side of the street. It is the right side, not only because of the automobile’s physical positioning, but also because in today’s modern world, where functioning human beings can avoid chariot races and sword fights on their daily commutes to work, the right side of the street really is the right side.
Because even though we no longer adhere to the rules of the Roman Empire and the Crusades, it is from times of chariots races, jousting, and ambushed sword fights that our modern road system has evolved. Chariot racers were known to hold their horses reins in their right hand, the pervasively more dominant one, while holding the horses whip with the left. In times of jousting and sword fighting the rider would, again, take advantage of the strength of their right hand, and ride at their opponent full force on the left side. There are dozens examples through the ages of why horsemen and ‘drivers’ of the time would bear to the left, and let their dominant hand be the one to strike.
But what is the reasoning behind that now? With no impeding duels and no javelin spikes to fend off, what reason does the average driver have for sitting on the right side of the car? None. Absolutely none. But there is reason for them to be on the left side.
Map of World’s Driving Regulation – Left Hand Drive in Red, Right Hand Drive in Blue
It may not be a sword or any sort of wild horse, who reins must be held tight, but the shifter for a manual transmission car is the modern equivalent of today’s dominant hand challenge. And, unlike America, where stick shift is seen as far more effort than its worth, the majority of countries that are stuck on the left side of the road, are the ones with their hands wrapped tightly around the shifters. In many ways, the current map of right hand driver countries is similar to the imperialistic map of England’s conquests, (see, India, Australia, ect.) Perhaps they have since mastered the left hand shifting, but all with their right hands hanging out the window, and totally slacking in this modern-day battle.
There are reasons for these countries gripping tightly to their way of driving, stubbornness for one, and pride, for another. In all reality, London is a city laid out for the right hand drive car, and changing it now would be silly. But let’s be honest, not as silly as pretending you’re still part of the Roman Empire.