Driving on the left side of the road may seem like a quirky custom, but it has a fascinating history—much like America's evolution of road rules. Here, the experts explain exactly why Brits drive on the left, while Americans stick to the right.
Why Americans and Brits Drive on Different Sides of the Road
Updated on Nov. 26, 2024
Americans and Brits have had their differences (the pronunciation of water, the usefulness of a king…), but we generally understand one another these days. And yet a trip across the pond will leave most Yanks asking the same question: Why do the British drive on the left? With three-quarters of the world’s drivers keeping to the right side of the road, you might be wondering why there are still some left-leaning holdouts. The answer is a winding journey filled with all the twists, turns and lane changes you’d expect from a tale shaped by centuries of history.
Reader’s Digest got a crash course on the “whys” of driving sides. We tapped a professor specializing in transportation history and asked, “Why do U.K. drivers drive on the left?” We also gleaned tips on mastering the switch from right to left from a safe-driving advocate and a tour guide operator with decades of on-the-ground experience.
So buckle up! In this article, we’ll steer you through the fascinating facts and theories behind why the British ended up driving on the left while Americans took to the right. We’ll also explore how other countries chose their lanes and share tips for staying safe should you find yourself behind the wheel (or crossing the street!) in a left-side country.
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Why do the British drive on the left?
You won’t find many Americans asking, “What side of the road do the Brits drive on?” Most of us know the answer—we just can’t figure out how our two countries could be so different when it comes to the rules of the road.
So why do the British drive on the left? The choice has roots that run back centuries, and there are practical reasons that kept the tradition motoring along. One theory suggests that travelers on horseback tended to keep left to allow their dominant right hand to be ready to defend against any approaching foes or threats. Over time, an unspoken “rule of the road” emerged.
Professor Peter Norton, a transportation historian at the University of Virginia, highlights another key factor: crowd control. In the bustling 18th-century streets of England, particularly in busy areas like London Bridge, keeping things flowing became essential. “You have to choose a side,” he says, underscoring what he believes was a completely arbitrary decision.
In 1756, an official “keep right” order—known as the “rule of the footpath”—was issued for walkers, while a “keep left” standard was applied to horseback riders and carriages. This duality cemented left-side driving for vehicles, and the rule grew more entrenched with the rise of motor traffic in later centuries. Keeping to one side wasn’t just a tradition or convenience; it became a crucial way to avoid serious collisions.
Why do Americans drive on the right?
So did pioneering Americans just want to take a detour into new driving habits in the New World? According to the Federal Highway Administration, the practice of Americans driving on the right stretches back to Colonial America, where right-hand driving was the norm among horseback riders and pedestrians.
Historians point to the following elements when explaining how the practice of driving on the right became commonplace—and eventually the law.
It was a matter of safety
Research by Albert C. Rose, a former unofficial historian at the U.S. Bureau of Public Roads, indicates that safety may have been a significant factor. Travelers often carried handguns under their left arms, making it easier to draw the weapons with their right hands when encountering threats.
Emerging transportation required right-sided driving
Rose also noted that the advent of the Conestoga wagon, introduced in Pennsylvania during the mid-18th century, further fueled the fire of right-sided driving. These hefty wagons lacked a traditional driver’s seat, so operators typically held the reins with their left hand and the whip with their right while riding on the rear left horse or a “lazy board” attached to the left side of the wagon. This setup not only facilitated braking but also ensured a clearer line of sight when passing vehicles.
It was easier to avoid ditches
Other historians also suggest that avoiding ditches along rough roads influenced late-18th-century drivers to sit on the left side of vehicles and keep to the right-hand side of the road.
The trend carried over from walking norms
Norton notes that this American preference for right-side driving stems from practical decisions and a dash of British tradition. In early, sparsely populated America, road rules really didn’t matter all that much. But as traffic surged in later years, the need for order became apparent.
Ties to England meant that many Americans were already somewhat accustomed to the “rule of the footpath” when traveling on foot. “Walking was the overwhelming majority’s way of getting around,” Norton notes. And unlike in Britain, this right-hand habit carried over into other modes of transport, including carriages and, eventually, automobiles.
Cars created a designated driver’s side
The automobile boom made the need for a designated driving side urgent. While many European countries varied in their practices, American roads already had established norms from streetcars that operated on the right.
The 1908 release of Henry Ford’s Model T, featuring a left-side driver’s seat, made it the norm for front and backseat passengers to exit curbside on the right. This blend of history and practicality paved the way for the uniform rule of driving on the right, which was codified and reinforced through the 1920s as car usage skyrocketed.
Where else do people drive on the left?
Today, around 75% of the world’s countries and territories drive on the right. That leaves about 76 areas that stick to the left, many of which are former British colonies. According to WorldAtlas, some include:
- Europe: United Kingdom, Ireland, Cyprus and Malta
- Asia: India, Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Sri Lanka
- Oceania: Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands
- Africa: South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Zambia, Namibia, Malawi and Lesotho
- Caribbean: Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Bahamas and Barbados
- South America: Guyana and Suriname
Why did other parts of Europe not adopt left-side driving?
According to some researchers, Napoleon played a significant role in the switch to right-hand driving in continental Europe. Prior to the French Revolution, the aristocracy and merchants were the primary travelers in the left lane, leaving the right lane for commoners. Following the revolution, the left-handed Napoleon and other leaders sought to standardize road use by mandating that all traffic must travel on the right. This new policy spread throughout Europe during the Napoleonic Wars.
Will Britain ever change the rules and drive on the left side?
The likelihood that Britain or other left-side nations will switch to the right is extremely low, due largely to logistical and economic reasons. According to Norton, though the world has seen increased standardization on right-hand driving over time—Sweden made the change in 1968—certain countries remain exceptions. “If you’re an island country, like the U.K., Ireland, Japan, Australia or New Zealand, there’s much less pressure to change because no roads cross land borders,” he explains.
Without land borders requiring road connections to neighboring countries, these nations have little incentive to switch. Changing the system in these regions now would be “fantastically difficult and expensive,” Norton points out. Adding to the bill: All roads and signage would have to be modified and vehicles reconfigured.
So while a majority of the modern world may be zipping by on the right, the rest are happily cruising along on the left, keeping a rich tradition alive.
How can you stay safe while driving in left-side-of-the-road countries?
Navigating unfamiliar roads can be challenging enough at home, but driving in a new country—especially where traffic flows in the opposite direction—requires even more attention and planning.
So don’t rush to get behind the wheel, says Nigel Tunnacliffe. Struck by a drunk driver and injured as a teenager, he has dedicated his life to advocating for safe driving. As a sports car racer and the co-founder of Coastline Academy, the largest driving school in the United States, he combines personal experience and professional expertise to offer valuable recommendations for navigating roads in countries that drive on the opposite side.
“The switch to driving on the left might feel strange at first, but if you’re an experienced driver, you should be able to adapt quickly,” explains Sean Finelli, CEO and co-founder of The Tour Guy. With nearly two decades of on-the-ground guiding experience under his belt, he knows a thing or two about safely leading tourists.
Here are some of the experts’ essential tips to help ensure your driving experience is as safe as possible for you and everyone else on the road.
- Watch and learn. Tunnacliffe advises against jumping behind the wheel immediately after arriving at the airport. “Taking a cab and observing what it is like to drive on the opposite side of the road from the passenger’s perspective can help you start to make the mental recalibrations necessary to start driving on your own,” he says. It’s essential to pay active attention to where the driver is looking and how they are managing intersections or roundabouts.
- Shift your perspective. “Your right turn onto a main road is now crossing an oncoming lane instead of left,” Finelli says. “Train yourself to look right, left, right. This rule applies whether you’re driving or walking.”
- Practice to make perfect. When driving on the left for the first time, practice on a quiet street to acclimate to sitting on the opposite side and making turns. “They will inevitably feel different from what you are used to,” Tunnacliffe notes.
- Go with the flow. “It’s actually easier to remember and follow the rules when there is more traffic than less,” Finelli notes, suggesting a little gridlock can help ground your focus. After all, the other drivers on the road serve as an example of what to do.
- Ditch the stick shift. Finelli strongly recommends choosing a car with an automatic transmission. “It’s one less thing to juggle while navigating unfamiliar roads,” he says.
- Take the scenic route. Avoid heavily populated metropolitan areas initially. “Even if you are used to the sensation of driving on the opposite side of the road, you may not be used to the behavior of pedestrians or of other drivers, nor of the unspoken expectations that govern so much of our behavior on the roads,” says Tunnacliffe.
- Talk it out. Keep an inner or outer monologue going, describing your actions as you switch lanes, turn and cross intersections. “This helps you break out of your automatic instinctive habits and become more conscious of what you are doing,” Tunnacliffe says, adding that these consistent reminders “help you avoid making sudden, split-second decisions, such as swerving in the wrong direction.”
- Don’t overdo it. Consider taking shorter drives with more frequent rest stops at the beginning of a road trip abroad. “Driving on the opposite side of the road requires you to expend more mental energy than you are used to and can therefore become tiring,” Tunnacliffe explains, noting that driving while tired is as dangerous as driving under the influence. “You want to ensure that your energy levels are high enough for you to stay fully attentive and conscious of what you are doing.”
- Enjoy life in the slow lane. “The most important thing to keep in mind is to remember to relax and take your time if needed,” Finelli says. “Let impatient locals pass if they want—you’re on vacation, after all.”
About the experts
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Reader’s Digest has published hundreds of travel stories that help readers explore the world safely, easily and affordably. We regularly cover topics such as the best places to visit (and the best times to visit them), tips and tricks to zoom through airport security, flight-attendant secrets, hotel-room hacks and more. We’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. For this piece on why the British drive on the left, Aaron Rasmussen tapped his experience as a longtime travel writer and travel guidebook editor to ensure that all information is accurate and offers the best possible advice to readers. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.
Sources:
- Peter Norton, associate professor of history in the Department of Engineering and Society at the University of Virginia; email interview, October 2024
- Nigel Tunnacliffe, CEO and co-founder of Coastline Academy; email interview, October 2024
- Sean Finelli, CEO and co-founder of The Tour Guy; email interview, October 2024
- Federal Highway Administration: “On the Right Side of the Road”
- WorldAtlas: “Countries That Drive on the Left”
