WHY do you AMERICANS drive on the wrong (right) side of the ROAD?

Question

why in america do you drive on the right side of the road, it seems weired when the right eye for most people is stronger that the opposing traffic is coming on the right side of the road not the left? also the US was a british colony and we do drive on the left, although Canada doesn't (for the USA reason probably) and Australia don't, but india does, and most of europe doesn't drive on the left, most countries driving on the right is lightly following the eexample of the USA, but i want to really know why the right all across the world, and the left in so few countrys.

Answer 1

only sometimes do I drive in the left lane but then people remind me that I need to move back over to the right lane (That's why they call it the RIGHT lane)

Answer 2

because we had to do the opposite of England<

Answer 3

Which is the correct side, I don't know and I can't say that I care that much. But for your information, the human eye tends to scan from left to right and, it seems to me, that would make driving on the right side of the road a better choice. Lol.

Only part of the US was a British colony and that was long before cars were around. Another part of the US was French and they drive on the right side.

By the way Australians drive on the left side just like you.

Here a link that may interest you. I found it very interesting even though it agrees with you as far as the eye thing is concerned. Live and learn.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Driving_on_...

Answer 4

There is no exclusively correct side.

Answer 5

Nobody is really right or wrong. You adapt to the rules of your country. Trying to get anyone to change would be nothing but chaos.

You mentioned that the right eye is stronger for most people. Yes, that's true, but it's irrelevant when it comes to driving. It only comes into play when using one eye at a time, such as looking through a camera's viewfinder, microscope, or telescope. When viewing distances, both eyes work together, so it makes no difference which is the dominant eye.

Answer 6

Half the world must be driving on the wrong side then, or maybe its just the British and places they influence.

Answer 7

Had to for my liecense. Have too if i want to keep it.

Answer 8

Thr right side is the"right" side!

Answer 9

i only drive on the wrong side when i drink alcohol

Answer 10

The papal system prevailed until the late 1700s, when teamsters in the United States and France began hauling farm products in big wagons pulled by several pairs of horses. These wagons had no driver's seat; instead the driver sat on the left rear horse, so he could keep his right arm free to lash the team. Since you were sitting on the left, naturally you wanted everybody to pass on the left so you could look down and make sure you kept clear of the other guy's wheels. Ergo, you kept to the right side of the road.

Answer 11

it's just our way of driving some is different every where  

Answer 12

When the U.S. was a British colony, there were no cars and no laws saying on which side to drive.

When driving a team of animals, one held the whip in the right hand, and therefore sat on the right.

When on foot leading an animal, one held the rope in the right hand and therefore stood to the left of the animal.

Roads were narrow and there was little traffic.  To avoid the edges of the road, one stayed in the center unless there was oncoming traffic.

There were no side mirrors and the center line was not marked, so, when there was oncoming traffic, one had to look over one's shoulder to keep the proper distance from the side of the oncoming traffic.

In the U.S. and mainland Europe, persons on foot leading animals were more common than carriages with teams of animals, so most drivers/leaders were to the left of their animals, and therefore stayed to the right when there was oncoming traffic.

In England, carriages with teams of animals were more common than persons on foot leading animals, so drivers/leaders were to the right of their animals, and therefore stayed to the left when there was oncoming traffic.

When cars were introduced, drivers of cars had to do what everyone else was doing, to avoid head-on collisions.

Answer 13

Technically, its the british that drive on the WRONG side of the road, because vehicles appeared in Europe FIRST and THEY decided which side of the road to drive.

The first gasoline powered vehicle appeared in Europe and was developed by Mercedes. The british and french(europe) dont like each other, so they went against the standard.

Additionally, this comes from the west too, from the stagecoach days.

The driver was always on the left and the person with the shotgun was on the right.

North and South America both drive on the right hand side of the road with the driver being on the left.

The USA is actually following the EXAMPLE of europe, which at the time was centralized in france, and the french and british didnt like each other.

A lot of canada is french anyways, so how could they drive on the wrong side.

Same reason there is PAL in europe, but NTSC in north america.

As you can see, nobody really follows the USA that much..

What is most audacious is that the British think that they are right even though 95% of the world says that they are wrong.

Answer 14

we don't drive on the wrong side...........you do