Why do some countries stick to left-hand traffic?

Archaeological evidence suggests that the ancient Romans probably set up their carts and chariots on the left side of the road, and this practice seems to have spread to part of medieval Europe. The reasons for this are not entirely clear, but some historians suggest that this practice was caused by a security issue. Since most people are right-handed, one theory suggests that a person driving or riding on the left side of the road could hold a weapon with the dominant hand when he meets the enemy.

How was the road divided?

Until recently - around the 1700s - horses and carts were not heavy, so the decision on which side of the road to go was often taken in accordance with local customs. Left-hand traffic, for example, became the official norm in the UK only after government measures in 1773 and 1835. But in France, the opposite tradition prevailed, and there it was fixed officially already in the 18th century. It was these two countries that later exported their driving styles in the colonies, so many former British territories - Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India - still have left-hand traffic.

The influence of cabs and Ford

But in the United States, for example, many researchers traced the beginning of the right-hand traffic until the 18th century, when large freight cars were harnessed, in which a large number of horses were harnessed. Since such vehicles often did not have a place for the driver, the man was riding a horse that was harnessed last on the left side so that it was easy to control all the animals with his right hand. As the cars became more popular, traffic began to naturally move to the right, so that drivers could sit closer to the center of the road and avoid collisions with each other. Another big influence was the car manufacturer Henry Ford, who began to mass produce a car with the left steering wheel, which led to the need for driving on the right side of the road.

What's going on now?

Nowadays, left-hand traffic remains the norm in the UK and many of its former colonies, as well as in Japan, Indonesia, Thailand and a number of other countries. Nevertheless, with the advent of cars, many countries began to follow the example of their neighbors and switched to right-hand traffic. Canada abandoned the left side of the road in the 1920s to match the traffic in the United States. In 1967, the Swedish government spent about $ 120 million to train its citizens and move to a right-wing movement.