Why is the traffic on the wrong side in UK?

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auhunter04

goes way back to knights of old. they wore their weapons on their left side so they could draw them across their body and carry their shields in their left ergo shield to shield fighting across body. That is the same reason european riders mount from the left as well and hold their reins in their left hand.

Fox Hunter

We are the correct side after all we owned 1/3rd of the world at one time therefore we are correct and you are wrong.

After all who would you say was the cleverest a US citizen or a UK citizen.!!!! Duh

Samantha H

The traffic is not on the wrong side just the other side, it doesnt make it wrong.

According to this page on World Standards, nearly all societies used to travel on the left side of the road. This made sense because life was a lot more violent back then. "Since most people are right-handed, swordsmen preferred to keep to the left in order to have their right arm nearer to an opponent." Again, there are others reasons (including the different types of animal-drawn wagons), but near as we can tell, this is the main one.

As for why the United States and other countries drive on the other side of the road, perhaps we should blame Napoleon. France always drove on the right side of the road and as Napoleon conquered Europe, he allegedly "required the countries he conquered to conform to French practice." Kind of a jerky thing to do, but there ya have it.

Today, many folks still drive on the left. According to World Standards, 34% of people drive on the left hand side of the road. And that means you should always follow your mother's advice and look both ways.

bryony_ash83

there are only a couple of countries that drive the same way as us but it doesnt make it wrong just different and who wants to be the same as everyone else not me

senoirpob

traffics on the right coz it goes back to times when people fought on horseback and most people are right handed , so you need your sword hand on the right

sleepwalker69

no we r right and everyone else is wrong

fen_wolf2003

well it goes back to when Knights rode horses and held their weapons in their right hands as most were right handed, and this was the accepted way of travelling along the worlds highways for hundred of years.. Then Napolean came along and as he was left handed and a right big head he made them all change in europe. Other countries have decided for themselves, For once the Americans were not involved in this, although there is a film on the way which makes it look like it was there idea

Purple

I live in the UK so why don't you tell me why you drive on the wrong side of the road?

latitude58_8

comes from the horse and carriage days and the driver opening the door for the passenger. The USA moved the driver seat to the other side for safty reasons

Charlotte C

It's not the wrong side it's just a convention which never had to be changed. A lot of Islands drive on the left-UK, Ireland, Japan etc.
I think that Sweden used to drive on the left but had to change in the end because of the inconvenience of changing at the border

Emma Chizzett

Don't come here and tell US that we drive on the wrong side of the road! Whatever next!!!

john boy -1

go to the savoy,there you will feel at home

kesmund

no were right your wrong

Seaman Staines

The historical reasons have already been pointed out, however, I have driven both and although a UK resident most of my life, I have driven extensively on the right in LHD, and I actually prefer a left hooker.

However, if we changed to left hookers we would have to change the direction of most of the race tracks to anti clockwise!!

Dark_Mushroom

I think you will find a large portion of the worlds traffic drive on the left

Alex

Prehaps we are right and you are wrong.

noTpoOdLE

That's not going to be the next change here is it?

MCP

It gives you a fighting chance of taking out a few illegals, if they look the wrong way when they are crossing the road.

del_icious_manager

It's actually on the correct (ie historical) side. Napolean changed it because he didn't have use of his right arm and wanted to greet travellers with his left. So, gradually, this spread around mainland Europe. It's not just the UK that drives on the correct left - also Japan, India, Pakistan, Cyprus, Malaysia, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa (in fact, much of Africa), Australia, New Zealand, Nepal, Thailand and most of the Caribbean islands.

Dr Dee

Because cars there are right had drives.

diana - b

Do you ever check to see if that question has been asked already? I've seen it posted so many times. We drive on the right ( left) side in the uk. Check out the history about horse riders being able to use their weapons in past centuries.

Kayleigh

It's not on the wrong side - just the other side

Spongebob

traffic is on the right side in Canada :):):)

MJane21

we in Australia also drive on the correct side on the road. not the wrong side like Europe and America

andy v

becuse the car manufactures have put the stering consoles on the wrong side in the car. lol

shoby_shoby2003

it's not "wrong", it's "left".

i think you misunderstood the meaning of the word "right"

haute_bluntafai_420

??? i guess americans try 2 b different

Joey K

Because they are on the opposite side of the world, and they sleep in the daytime too so it's the suction that holds the cars to the road- won't work on the other side.

This is also why gas is so $$ there, because of everyone driving on the wrong side.

Pretorian

It isn't. The Brits drive on the same side as the Romans did in their chariots. In fact up until the French Revolutions any / all laws relating to traffic (not that there were many) had people drive on the left. The French made a stand against all that had gone before & adopted a new road law & calendar. Other revolutionary & / or anti- Brit movements adopted the drive on the right policy. Most (all?) of Africa, Australia, NZ , India & China drive on the same side as the UK. Therefore it more common than the other side of the road

angelz

Because we like to challenge foreigners to make sure they are clever enough to enter our country!!

Powerpuffgeezer

Considering our civilise nation were driving long time, even before America was invented, Europeans were just all driving like Italians ( Sorry guys) I'd say you'm wrong.

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