Why the United States Drives on the Right

Americans drive on the right largely because 18th–19th century freight-wagon practices put drivers on the wagon’s left, making it safer to keep to the right; states began codifying “keep right” rules in the 1790s (notably Pennsylvania in 1792 and New York in 1804), and the convention was later cemented by left-hand–steering automobiles and uniform traffic codes.

How freight wagons shaped the rule of the road

Long before cars, heavy freight wagons—especially Pennsylvania’s Conestoga wagons—set the pattern. Teamsters typically walked beside the left rear horse or perched on a “lazy board” sliding out from the wagon’s left side, keeping the whip in the right hand. From that position, staying to the right gave a better view of oncoming traffic and the centerline, helping avoid collisions on narrow roads. Over time, this practical custom became the default on busy turnpikes and stage routes.

From custom to law: early American statutes

As turnpikes spread, states began writing the custom into law. Pennsylvania’s 1792 charter for the Lancaster Turnpike required vehicles to keep to the right when meeting oncoming traffic. New York followed with a statewide keep-right statute in 1804. By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, every U.S. state mandated keep-right travel, creating a uniform driving side across the country (with a notable territorial exception in the U.S. Virgin Islands, which drives on the left).

European influence—and what it didn’t do

France’s post‑Revolution shift to right-side travel helped make “right” common on the European continent, and that broader norm aligned with U.S. practice. Still, the American turn to the right was principally homegrown, rooted in wagoncraft and state laws rather than a symbolic break with Britain—which codified left-side travel in the 1835 Highway Act.

Automobiles and the final lock-in

Early U.S. automobiles experimented with steering-wheel placement, but the game-changer was the 1908 Ford Model T, which popularized left-hand steering to give drivers a clearer view of oncoming traffic while keeping right. As car ownership exploded, states harmonized rules through the Uniform Vehicle Code (first issued in 1926), and road design, signage, and driver education all presupposed right-side travel—locking the convention in place nationwide.

What to remember—and what to ignore

The following points summarize common misconceptions and clarifications about why the U.S. drives on the right.

• Myth: Americans switched sides mainly to reject British norms. Fact: Practical freight-wagon driving patterns and early state laws were the primary drivers; national identity played, at most, a secondary role.
• Myth: The U.S. decided nationally, all at once. Fact: It was state-by-state—from 1790s turnpike charters to early-20th-century uniform statutes.
• Myth: Steering wheel position determines the side you drive on. Fact: It’s the other way around; left-hand steering became standard because Americans already kept right.
• Myth: Europe mandated the U.S. pattern. Fact: U.S. practice developed independently, though it coincided with the French-led continental shift to the right.

Taken together, these points show that today’s right-side driving in the U.S. is the product of practicality first, standardization second—not a single symbolic decision.

Key milestones in the shift to the right

Here is a concise chronology of events that established and reinforced right-side travel in the United States.

1. 1760s–early 1800s: Teamsters of heavy Conestoga wagons operate from the left side, encouraging keep-right road etiquette for visibility and safety.
2. 1792: Pennsylvania’s Lancaster Turnpike charter stipulates keeping to the right when vehicles meet—an early legal codification.
3. 1804: New York enacts a statewide keep-right rule, accelerating broader adoption.
4. 1835: Britain’s Highway Act codifies keep-left, cementing the U.S.–UK divergence.
5. 1908: Ford’s Model T popularizes left-hand steering, aligning car design with right-side traffic.
6. 1926 onward: The Uniform Vehicle Code spreads standardized rules; by the early 20th century, all U.S. states mandate keep-right driving.

This progression shows how a practical frontier norm evolved into a legal standard and, finally, a nationwide system reinforced by vehicle design and traffic law.

A note on exceptions and context

Nearly all U.S. jurisdictions drive on the right, but the U.S. Virgin Islands, a U.S. territory, drives on the left—a legacy of local convention. Elsewhere in the United States, including Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands, traffic keeps right. Remember, the driving side is distinct from vehicle design; many territories with left-side travel still use left‑hand‑drive imports.

Summary

The United States drives on the right because 18th–19th century wagon practices made it safer for left-positioned drivers to keep right; states began codifying that custom in the 1790s, and the rise of left-hand–steering cars plus uniform traffic laws cemented it. While European trends to the right ran in parallel, America’s rule-of-the-road grew chiefly from local practicality and state legislation.

Why is the US on the right-side of the road?

Lay agreed with Rose that the Conestoga wagon provided a “major impetus for right-hand driving in the United States”: The wagon was operated either by the postilion driver riding the left-hand near horse-called the wheel horse-or by the driver walking or sitting on a “lazy board” on the left-hand side of the vehicle.

Is America the only country that drives on the right?

RHT is used in 165 countries and territories, mainly in the Americas, Continental Europe, most of Africa and mainland Asia (except South Asia and Thailand), while 75 countries use LHT, which account for about a sixth of the world’s land area, a quarter of its roads, and about a third of its population.

Why did the US decide to drive on the right?

America drives on the right due to colonial-era transportation practices, particularly the use of Conestoga wagons where drivers sat on the left horse to control their whip-wielding, right-handed lashing of the team, naturally preferring traffic pass on the left. This habit, along with a desire to separate from British left-hand traffic customs after the American Revolution, led to right-hand travel becoming the norm, later standardized in states like New York by 1804 and eventually by Henry Ford’s left-side steering wheel placement on the popular Model T.
 
Colonial Practices and Wagon Use

• Conestoga Wagons: Opens in new tabDrivers on large freight wagons, particularly the Conestoga, would sit on the left rear horse. 
• Right-Handed Control: Opens in new tabThis position kept the driver’s right arm free to use their whip to control the team of animals, leading to a natural inclination to keep to the right side of the road. 
• Clear Passing: Opens in new tabKeeping to the right allowed the driver to see the oncoming wagon’s wheels and keep clear of them, facilitating safe passing. 

Cultural Factors

• Rejection of British Custom: The widespread adoption of right-hand travel was partly driven by a desire to establish a distinct American identity, separate from British customs. 
• The Revolution’s Influence: The American Revolution cemented this divergence from Britain, with right-hand travel evolving from a colonial habit to a symbol of national independence. 

Standardization

• Early Laws: Opens in new tabThe Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike Road, established in 1795, was the first to mandate right-hand travel. 
• State Legislation: Opens in new tabNew York formalized right-hand travel on all highways in 1804, and by the Civil War, this practice was followed in every state. 
• Henry Ford’s Role: Opens in new tabThe mass production of the left-hand-drive Ford Model T in 1908 further solidified right-hand driving as the standard in the United States, as it became easier for drivers to see and overtake other vehicles. 

Why is the British drive on left?

British drive on the left due to an age-old tradition rooted in self-defense and horse-drawn carriages, where keeping to the left kept the right (sword) arm free to defend against oncoming strangers. This practice was formalized in 1773 with a law for horse riders and carriage drivers on the London Bridge to avoid collisions, and became mandatory in Britain by 1835, eventually adopted throughout the British Empire. 
Historical Origins

• Roman Influence: There is evidence suggesting that the Romans also drove on the left, a practice that may have been the foundation for Britain’s adherence to left-hand traffic. 
• Medieval Sword-Fighting: In the Middle Ages, people traveling on horseback kept to the left side of the road. This allowed them to keep their right hand, their sword arm, free to defend themselves from passing strangers. 
• Horse-Drawn Carriages: When horse-drawn carriages became common, drivers would sit on the right side of the carriage to have their whip hand free to control the horses. 

Formalization and Standardization 

• 18th-Century London: Opens in new tabA traffic law was passed to mandate keeping left on London Bridge to reduce collisions due to increased congestion.
• The 1835 Highway Act: Opens in new tabThis law incorporated the custom of driving on the left and made it mandatory across Britain, with the practice spreading throughout the British Empire.

Why the UK Didn’t Switch

• Island Nation: As an island country, Britain faced less pressure to standardize with countries that share land borders and have a common need for consistent traffic rules. 
• Cost and Logistics: The UK government considered switching to the right in 1969 but rejected the idea due to the immense cost and logistical challenges of changing all roads, signage, and vehicles.