Why do we drive on the right side of the road?
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01.02.25 – 38 97216:26Опубликовано 19 февраля 2026, 16:58
Cars have been a part of our world for over 130 years. So why can’t we agree on one of the most basic things: which side of the road should we drive on? And who’s got it right? The answers run deeper than you know.
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Today, two-thirds of the world’s countries drive on the right, and one-third drive on the left. While we’ve managed to develop global standards for other forms of transportation over the last century, the simple act of driving still looks very different depending on where you live. Neighboring nations building mirrored infrastructure, automakers building two versions of their cars with the steering wheel on the left or right side, and American tourists stepping into oncoming traffic in London. Frankly, it’s ridiculous.
The reasons why this global split happened and still persists go back centuries, from the Roman Empire, to medieval knights, to American pioneers, and all the way through the very first cars in the late 19th century. It’s a story of war, class conflict, technological development, bitter rivalries, and cross-border trade. But when you get down to it, strangely enough, a lot of it comes down to how people used to carry their weapons. And the fact that France and the UK hated each other.
The first cars were designed for the driver to sit in the middle, but two things quickly solidified the left vs right divide. Most people are right-handed, and it was easier to use their dominant hand to shift gears in early transmissions. Then as traffic increased, the biggest risk for drivers wasn’t roadside ditches anymore—it was oncoming cars, and sitting opposite whatever side you were driving on afforded the best view of the dangers ahead.
But there was one more big factor: the influence of the old British Empire. The tradition of driving on the left filtered out from the UK to its global subjects, and today, most of the countries that still do it are former British colonies. It’s also no coincidence that like the UK, most of them are island nations, which means they don’t have to worry as much about confused drivers crossing their borders and causing chaos today.
Scientific studies suggest that right-hand dominance makes it a bit easier for novices to drive on the right side of the road with the steering wheel on the left, but it’s far from conclusive. And at this point we’re too far down the path to ever agree on a global standard. But that hasn’t stopped countries from switching sides in recent years. It is possible—just very, very hard to do.
Produced by → instagram.com/joeyrassool
Hosted by → instagram.com/kylecheromcha
Previous episode → youtube.com/watch?v=5vZJsVeBAr...
The Drive is the chronicle of car culture. We write stories you actually want to read → thedrive.com
Check out our weekly podcast → open.spotify.com/show/7uifpLcF...
FOLLOW US!
Instagram → instagram.com/thedrive
Facebook → facebook.com/thedrive
TikTok → tiktok.com/@thedrive_official
WORK WITH US → youtube@thedrive.com
Go to buyraycon.com/thedrivebc to get 15% off! Thanks to Raycon for sponsoring!
Today, two-thirds of the world’s countries drive on the right, and one-third drive on the left. While we’ve managed to develop global standards for other forms of transportation over the last century, the simple act of driving still looks very different depending on where you live. Neighboring nations building mirrored infrastructure, automakers building two versions of their cars with the steering wheel on the left or right side, and American tourists stepping into oncoming traffic in London. Frankly, it’s ridiculous.
The reasons why this global split happened and still persists go back centuries, from the Roman Empire, to medieval knights, to American pioneers, and all the way through the very first cars in the late 19th century. It’s a story of war, class conflict, technological development, bitter rivalries, and cross-border trade. But when you get down to it, strangely enough, a lot of it comes down to how people used to carry their weapons. And the fact that France and the UK hated each other.
The first cars were designed for the driver to sit in the middle, but two things quickly solidified the left vs right divide. Most people are right-handed, and it was easier to use their dominant hand to shift gears in early transmissions. Then as traffic increased, the biggest risk for drivers wasn’t roadside ditches anymore—it was oncoming cars, and sitting opposite whatever side you were driving on afforded the best view of the dangers ahead.
But there was one more big factor: the influence of the old British Empire. The tradition of driving on the left filtered out from the UK to its global subjects, and today, most of the countries that still do it are former British colonies. It’s also no coincidence that like the UK, most of them are island nations, which means they don’t have to worry as much about confused drivers crossing their borders and causing chaos today.
Scientific studies suggest that right-hand dominance makes it a bit easier for novices to drive on the right side of the road with the steering wheel on the left, but it’s far from conclusive. And at this point we’re too far down the path to ever agree on a global standard. But that hasn’t stopped countries from switching sides in recent years. It is possible—just very, very hard to do.
Produced by → instagram.com/joeyrassool
Hosted by → instagram.com/kylecheromcha
Previous episode → youtube.com/watch?v=5vZJsVeBAr...
The Drive is the chronicle of car culture. We write stories you actually want to read → thedrive.com
Check out our weekly podcast → open.spotify.com/show/7uifpLcF...
FOLLOW US!
Instagram → instagram.com/thedrive
Facebook → facebook.com/thedrive
TikTok → tiktok.com/@thedrive_official
WORK WITH US → youtube@thedrive.com
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