Why Do Americans Drive on the Right?

I may not be a driver myself, but that hasn't stopped me pondering the age-old question: why do Americans drives on the right side of the road? Hailing from the UK, where we drive on the left, I was curious to discover if, when, and how America switch sides.

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[TheWhiteTrashPanda]

I'm from Michigan. We drive on *what's left*

[danianderin]

When my boyfriend (UK) first visited the states, we got off the highway and he literally screamed cause we were driving on the right. He was tired, half asleep, and forgot where he was for a moment

[rollinwithunclepete]

I drive down the middle (when not driving on the sidewalk)... but I use my horn with vigor.

[Marklek]

Sweden switched to the right side of the road fairly recently. 1967, if I remember correctly. It happened over a long weekend and was an all-hands-on-deck operation to switch all the road signs and such.

[builditonce]

Fun fact: there are no laws concerning which side to drive on in Grimsby. They decided they'd wait until they got a car.

[Unpainted_Huffhines]

Because we don't want to drive on the wrong.

(Rimshot)

[davohl]

Imagine the chaotic border crossing traffic if Canada had adopted left-side driving like most Commonwealth nations.

[cjpenning]

By sitting on the left, it leaves the dominant hand (mostly right) free to manipulate other controls inside the majority of the vehicle. I suppose this makes sense. Just like your horse whip explanation.

[Nzie]

I've been to Vladivostok (Far East Russia), and they have the opposite of the US Virgin Islands issue—Russia drives on the right, but many of the cars in that part of Russia seem to be imported from Japan, which drives on the left, so they drive on the right and also have the driver's side on the right. I'm sure they're all used to it in those spots but as a passenger it made me a bit nervy!

[ronclark]

The British may have to switch to the right side of the road if the EU insists on selling cars with left side steering wheels. The EU no longer desires to absorb the costs of producing right side steering wheels... This is what happens when you wade against the tide...

[melissamcqueen]

After watching the high-speed rail vid and this one, I must say that you do a fantastic job at researching and then explaining topics. Keep up the good work, my dude. 👍

[miaththered]

Because literally the vast majority of the entire fucking planet does.

[dianethoroughman]

I like driving on the right side, but I am getting old enough to hate driving in the dark.

[sirmoonslosthismind]

the japanese island of okinawa had essentially no roads to speak of when the u.s. took over near the end of world war 2. the u.s. paved the island for right-hand drive, and that continued to be the rule on the island until 1978. okinawa is now left-hand drive like the rest of japan, but there are still remnants of its right-hand drive past -- one-way roundabouts that go to the right, and weird turns that start out narrow and then widen. (if you drove the turn the way it was intended when it was paved, it would be wide-to-narrow, as is usual.)

[lcflngn]

Another non-driver here, so “not my problem” either exactly (my problem is I do have to live in a place with decent public transit) but I’m fascinated by the history, thx! I would truly have been run over in London except the city has lovingly painted “LOOK RIGHT” warnings in the crosswalks, which is so super nice of them. Very important for all the visitors from just about everywhere else.

[cylontoaster]

The argument for metric system adoption in the USA is the rest of the world uses it. Well, then everyone that drives on the left side should switch to the right, since the majority of the world drives on the right side ;)

[cjpenning]

Antarctica drives on the right? Good to know.

[borntoolate]

We drive on the right because that is the RIGHT way to do it.

[kimberlyparrish]

The first time our family flew to Bahamas from the states my dad rented a car. He almost killed us. So when we got to the hotel we pried his hands off the steering wheel; we decided that taxis were gonna be utilized.

[gmcjetpilot]

Brit imperialist spread there crap all over. I heard the Roman reason before...