Why do We Drive on the Right?

My brother and I were discussing the other day why in the United States we drive on the right side of the road and not on the left where we originated. We wondered if perhaps we choose to drive on the opposite side of the road and sit on the opposite side of our cars in retaliation from breaking away from England. However, in two semesters of history, I hadn't heard anything about it. So, I looked around on the Internet, and here's what I found.

Taken from the Hamilton Spectator, September 18, 1999 Question: Why do we drive on the right side of the road, and other countries drive on the left? Krystal Gibson Answer: It's a long story of swords, a pope, whips and wagons. Staying to the left came first, long ago. Most men are right-handed, so they kept their swords at their left sides. They stayed to the left when passing a stranger, because that way it was easier to get out their sword. In 1300, Pope Boniface VII declared that pilgrims going to Rome should stay to the left. That remained the custom in Europe into the 1700s. Then wagons came into play. In England, wagons had a driver's seat, and the driver sat on the right, that way his right hand was free to whip the horses, if needed. He also needed to be close to the middle of the road, to make sure he could fit past oncoming traffic. So, the wagons kept riding on the left. But, in France and North America, wagons had no driver's seat. The driver sat on the back left horse, which worked will with whipping right-handed. Or, the person walked alongside on the left. So, in France and North America, it made sense to have wagons travel on the right. In 1792, Pennsylvania was the first state to pass a stay-right law. About the same time, France had a revolution, and staying right was a way to show independence from the Catholic church. When France's Napoleon conquered other countries, he made them stay right. But England had power around the world, too, and that's why some Asian countries started staying left. Cars followed in the footsteps - er, tracks - of wagons. Peter Mucha, Knight Rider Newspapers

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