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Discover the historical reasons and curiosities behind driving on the right and the impact of this choice on world traffic: Tradition or pure stubbornness?
Have you ever wondered why we drove on opposite sides depending on the country? This curious fact has its roots deep in history. The famous English hand — right-hand driving — is adopted in 76 countries, mainly former British colonies such as Australia, India and New Zealand. However, there are also notable exceptions such as Japan, which, despite never having been a colony, maintains the system to this day. Curiosity: Portugal, Italy and Argentina also adhered to the English hand for a time, switching to left-hand driving in the 20th century.
While many countries have chosen left-hand driving for reasons of traffic efficiency, others, such as the United States, adopted the opposite side to distance themselves from the United Kingdom and strengthen their independence. In addition, a practical curiosity of the time was the arrangement of the coachmen in carriages, who sat on the left to facilitate vision, while the assistant controlled the horses on the right. Yes, driving at that time also required “finesse“, according to tupifm.
Changes that marked history: H-Day in Sweden
Some countries have faced impressive transitions. The Sweden, for example, drove on the left until 1967, when the famous operation took place “Day H”(Or Day H), which completely transformed the direction of traffic in a single day. At 11:30 am on September 3rd, all vehicles stopped to change to the left side of the road, and thus, chaos was avoided! Everything had to be adjusted, from headlights to signs, to ensure that drivers could adapt without causing accidents.
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Adapting to vehicles: who said it was easy?
If you think it's just a matter of changing the steering wheel to the other side, you are wrong! The transition to cars right hand drive involves much more than simple mirroring. Things like handbrake, gear lever and even the ergonomics of the internal controls need to be completely redesigned. Vehicle manufacturers face technical challenges and high costs to adapt production to different markets. Believe, it is not just a matter of “turning” the steering wheel.
Most of the controls remain similar, such as the turn signal and the pedal layout, but the big change is the location of the gear lever, which is on the driver's left, requiring some adaptation for those who are used to the opposite side. It seems simple, but when you try it, you realize that it's not quite like that!
And at the borders? How does the change of direction work?
And what happens when one country drives on the right and the neighboring country drives on the left? As you can imagine, the logistics is crazy! In borders such as between the China and Macau, a transition structure has been developed to ensure that vehicles can change sides safely and efficiently. In more remote regions with less traffic, adaptation is simpler, but in dense urban areas, creative solutions are needed to avoid confusion.
In the end, the English hand It remains a tradition for some, a challenge for others, but above all, a fascinating curiosity that continues to divide traffic around the world. Whether you are in India, Japan or Australia, know that driving “on the wrong side” is a matter of history and culture.
Be careful next time you travel to a country with a different direction!
