Lakhasly

Is Right, Right?

Why must you drive on the right side of the road in some countries and on the left side of the road in other countries? Investigate the question, and you find a lot of confusion on right versus left. About a quarter of the world drives on the left, and most of those countries used to be British colonies In England people drive on the left, but on escalators they stand on the right, so that people who are in a hurry can go up on the left. In Japan, they drive on the left, too, but people usually stand on the left on escalators.

There are different explanations for the use of right versus left. Some people believe that it is a natural tendency to walk or drive on the right. This is because most people are right-handed

We can look back in history for reasons people move on the right or left of the road. Some people say that in Europe hundreds of gears ago, people rode their horses on the left. This way, their sword was between them and anyone who was coming toward them in the opposite direction. They were ready to pull out their sword and fight to defend themselves with their right arm, There is also evidence that ancient Greek, Egyptian, and Roman troops used to march on the left side. And in Rome, they made it a law in the 1300s. So when and why did the right side become popular?

One idea is that in the 1700s, people in France and in the United States started to use

wagons with several pairs of horses and to drive on the right side of the road. It was easier for the drivers to sit on the left and control the horses with a whip in the right hand, and it was safer if other vehicles passed on the left so the drivers could see the distance between vehicles. Some people say that. in England, people always drove on the left, and in France, people always drove on the

right

In any case, Napoleon, a ruler of France, ordered people to drive on the right side in the early 1800s. France conquered many countries at that time, and so these countries drove on the right. But France didn't conquer England, so England kept its custom of driving on the left.

In the twentieth century, there was a trend to the right. Many cars were made in the United States, and they were made for driving on the right side of the road. As recently as

1967, Sweden changed its laws. Now people in Sweden must drive on the right. So right or left? Just follow the customs of

the country where you are and be sure to drive carefully on that side!