Why do we drive on the left hand side of the road?

About this episode

According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, there are as many as 430 deaths per year due to wrong-way crashes in the United States alone. That might be hard to believe as for most of us driving on the “right” side of the road is as automatic as brushing your teeth. But there is of a course a divide between countries that drive on the left and those that drive on the right. In ancient times, driving was not really regulated, but it was nevertheless the norm to drive on the left. And it’s down in no small part to the fact that the majority of people are right-handed. In ancient Greece, Rome, and Egypt, soldiers and cavalry men carried their swords and shields on the left to draw more easily with their right hands when needed. How far back does the tradition of driving on the left go? When did that change in other parts of the world? What about in other countries? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen to the latest episodes, click here: ⁠⁠What is Sisu?⁠⁠ ⁠⁠What does Mercury in retrograde mean?⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Does the Mediterranean diet lower risks of dementia?⁠⁠ A Bababam Originals podcast, written and produced by Joseph Chance. First Broadcast: 1/4/2023 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices