Why do the British drive on the left side of the road?
Learn why the British drive on the left side of the road.
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Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.Johannes Gutenberg invented one of the first printing presses using movable type.Media Editor: Miranda Chabot
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Public DomainWinston Churchill addressing Parliament in his first speech as prime minister, May 13, 1940.
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Transcript
Visitors to Great Britain are quick to spot things that make Britons special. These include a love of their tea, the Queen, the British pound and driving on the left. Many continental Europeans think the Brits are just quirky. But they shouldn't be so quick to judge as driving on the left is neither a quirk, nor simply an excuse to do things differently than the rest of the world. No, Britons were allegedly the first people to figure out the best and safest way to pass one another on the street.
This phenomenon dates back centuries, long before the ages of automobiles, to a time when horses and carriages were the main means of transport. There were more pedestrians, too. Back then, you could never be too sure who you might run into on the street, so people always needed to be on their guard. As the majority of people tend to be right-handed, walking on the left seemed more sensible. This way, you could more quickly draw your rapier and stab an enemy, if need be. But that's just one of many unproven tales about how left-hand traffic came to be.
Centuries ago, it was also customary for commoners to walk on the right. The aristocracy, however, apparently found it much more polite to pass one another on the left. Then came the French Revolution, and a new motto rang throughout Europe: liberty, equality, fraternity. Suddenly it became chic for the nobility to walk on the right like everyone else, not to mention imperative to their survival. Driving on the right became synonymous with democracy and Napoleon's conquests throughout Europe. The Netherlands, Switzerland, Russia, Poland and Germany have all been firm supporters of right-hand traffic ever since. Left-hand traffic only managed to keep its stronghold in the British colonies. True, the British Empire did have a quite a few of them, and when, for example, North Americans gained their independence from the Brits, they were also quick to kiss left-hand traffic goodbye.
Will the day ever come when the whole world does it the same way? The last time the topic of driving on the left seriously came under scrutiny in its motherland was during the 1960s. Completely changing traffic is an incredibly expensive undertaking, and not without its dangers. After all, people have a tough time changing their ways overnight. Indeed, no place is that truer than right here. And so, at many pedestrian crossings, tourists are politely reminded to either look left or look right as the case may be. That's the British for you. Not only do they love their tea, Queen, currency and driving on the left, they also love having guests. Thank you, Great Britain.
This phenomenon dates back centuries, long before the ages of automobiles, to a time when horses and carriages were the main means of transport. There were more pedestrians, too. Back then, you could never be too sure who you might run into on the street, so people always needed to be on their guard. As the majority of people tend to be right-handed, walking on the left seemed more sensible. This way, you could more quickly draw your rapier and stab an enemy, if need be. But that's just one of many unproven tales about how left-hand traffic came to be.
Centuries ago, it was also customary for commoners to walk on the right. The aristocracy, however, apparently found it much more polite to pass one another on the left. Then came the French Revolution, and a new motto rang throughout Europe: liberty, equality, fraternity. Suddenly it became chic for the nobility to walk on the right like everyone else, not to mention imperative to their survival. Driving on the right became synonymous with democracy and Napoleon's conquests throughout Europe. The Netherlands, Switzerland, Russia, Poland and Germany have all been firm supporters of right-hand traffic ever since. Left-hand traffic only managed to keep its stronghold in the British colonies. True, the British Empire did have a quite a few of them, and when, for example, North Americans gained their independence from the Brits, they were also quick to kiss left-hand traffic goodbye.
Will the day ever come when the whole world does it the same way? The last time the topic of driving on the left seriously came under scrutiny in its motherland was during the 1960s. Completely changing traffic is an incredibly expensive undertaking, and not without its dangers. After all, people have a tough time changing their ways overnight. Indeed, no place is that truer than right here. And so, at many pedestrian crossings, tourists are politely reminded to either look left or look right as the case may be. That's the British for you. Not only do they love their tea, Queen, currency and driving on the left, they also love having guests. Thank you, Great Britain.