# Why drive on the right hand side?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-drive-on-the-right-hand-side/135341>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 5, 2002, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-drive-on-the-right-hand-side/135341 "2002-11-05T09:29:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Bromley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4da419/32.png) [@Bromley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bromley)\
**Post date:** [November 5, 2002, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-drive-on-the-right-hand-side/135341/1 "2002-11-05T09:29:20Z")

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Okay, let’s get the obvious one out of the way - because everyone else is doing it 🙂 . I did some searching on this, but haven’t come up with anything.

I know (or think I know) why we drive on the left. The majority of people passing will have their sword hands on the side of the stranger. Antiquated (if true), but at least it’s a reason that explains why the convention started.

So what’s the US’s (and pretty much the rest of the world’s) excuse?

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**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\
**Post date:** [November 5, 2002, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-drive-on-the-right-hand-side/135341/2 "2002-11-05T10:22:22Z")

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I think this has been covered in many threads here before, but I don’t feel like taxing the hamsters with a search just now. However, you might find [this site](http://www.amphicars.com/acleft.htm) useful.

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**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\
**Post date:** [November 5, 2002, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-drive-on-the-right-hand-side/135341/3 "2002-11-05T11:26:54Z")

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[Why do the British drive on the left?](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_021b.html) (which also discusses why others don’t).

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**Author:** ![Bromley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4da419/32.png) [@Bromley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bromley)\
**Post date:** [November 5, 2002, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-drive-on-the-right-hand-side/135341/4 "2002-11-05T11:43:16Z")

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lol. I swear I searched before, but having read **TLD’s** post I thought I’d try again. I found another post [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=100623&highlight=road+right+left+driving+side) which discusses it and which also links to your Cecil article.

Thanks and apologies all. Close this thread if you want to.

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**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\
**Post date:** [November 5, 2002, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-drive-on-the-right-hand-side/135341/5 "2002-11-05T12:05:04Z")

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I’m sorry to say this, but reading Cecil’s answer made me realise that even the sun has its spots and the master isn’t infallible.

> [@](#):
>
> The last holdouts in mainland Europe, the Swedes, finally switched to the right in 1967 because most of the countries they sold Saabs and Volvos to were righties and they got tired of having to make different versions for domestic use and export.

For some reason Swedish, pre-switch-to-right cars, had their steering wheels on the left side (wich made the change very smooth). The only Swedish made cars with the steering wheel on the right side were made for export to other leftside driving countries.