Why Do Americans & Brits Drive On Different Sides Of The Road

WLH · Post by **WLH** » Tue May 09, 2017 9:31 pm

http://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/smar ... li=BBnb7Kz

ronk · Post by **ronk** » Thu May 11, 2017 1:19 pm

I read that article but I cast my mind back to watching Well Fargo on the TV etc.,Wasn't the driver of the stage coach on the right hand side and "shotgun" on the left?

Bumpy · Post by **Bumpy** » Thu May 11, 2017 5:32 pm

There is the "right side" of the road to drive on.
From that you can assume everyone else is driving on the "wrong side".
Not to worry wrong siders.
Donald Trump has promised to make you drive rightly.
Using kits made in the USA by American Workers too !
But you have to pay for it.
Actually none of this makes any difference when you learn to "think American"
and have a 1911 Colt 45 in one pocket and a quart of Old No. 7 in the other.
Road ?
What road ?

Steve84N · Post by **Steve84N** » Thu May 11, 2017 7:10 pm

Makes no difference to me other than I much prefer my dominant hand to stay on the wheel with left hand changing gears, therefore right hand drive is best imo but for that reason alone.

WLH · Post by **WLH** » Thu May 11, 2017 8:54 pm

ronk wrote: ↑Thu May 11, 2017 1:19 pm I read that article but I cast my mind back to watching Well Fargo on the TV etc.,Wasn't the driver of the stage coach on the right hand side and "shotgun" on the left?

Correct but the reason was the brake for the stage coach was on the right hand side to be operated with the usually stronger right hand. It did take quite a bit of strength to stop a fully loaded coach.

Steve84N wrote: ↑Thu May 11, 2017 7:10 pm Makes no difference to me other than I much prefer my dominant hand to stay on the wheel with left hand changing gears, therefore right hand drive is best imo but for that reason alone.

This is the reason I was given many years ago and for me it seems the most reasonable .

markeg · Post by **markeg** » Thu May 11, 2017 9:00 pm

Of course, in Malta they drive in the shade...

D4dawg · Post by **D4dawg** » Sat May 13, 2017 12:33 am

It in .uk came from when we road on horse back
As your sword hand would predominantly be the right hand
So it was custom to pass on the left with sword hand facing other coming towards you

Boats Posh
Port out starboard home

Where posh came from

ronk · Post by **ronk** » Sat May 13, 2017 10:29 am

Even if driving on the right hand side, they still get off horses and bikes on the left just as they did before the change.

A German fella told me that it was napoleon who changed it??

GuidoK · Post by **GuidoK** » Sat May 13, 2017 10:45 am

WLH wrote: ↑Thu May 11, 2017 8:54 pm
Steve84N wrote: ↑Thu May 11, 2017 7:10 pm Makes no difference to me other than I much prefer my dominant hand to stay on the wheel with left hand changing gears, therefore right hand drive is best imo but for that reason alone.
This is the reason I was given many years ago and for me it seems the most reasonable .

Still this is probably technically not right. Its obviously a preference, but if you look at say formula one, where the driver has always been centered, there was a time that they didnt have flappy pedals but a gearstick.
And as f1 cars are taylor made, they still all had the gearstick on the right, so their dominant hand was shifting (I'm assuming most f1 drivers are right handed just like the rest of humanity), whereas they could make it either way.
Imho makes sense, as shifting requires more precise coordination.
Even british drivers in british cars (like when mansell drove for lotus) had the gearstick on the right.
And this goes back a long long way.
This is a vid of Sterling Moss, driving a cooper climax in the early 60's
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7pQANngPhM
So I think from a performance pov, shifting with your right hand (if you're right handed) gives you the edge.

I think there have only been a very few center position racecars where the gearstick was on the left.

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