Why England Drives on the Left

England drives on the left because historical customs from horseback travel favored keeping left, the practice was formalized nationwide in the Highway Act of 1835, and it persisted—then spread—through the British Empire, unlike much of continental Europe, which adopted right-side driving under French influence. The choice reflects centuries of practical habit, legal codification, and geopolitical legacy rather than a single modern decision.

Medieval Habits Shaped the Early Norm

Before cars, most travelers rode horses. Because the majority of people are right-handed, riders preferred to keep oncoming traffic to their left so their dominant hand (holding a sword or whip) faced potential threats. Mounting a horse from the left, another common right-handed habit, also made it safer to stand at the roadside’s left edge. These small, practical choices created a durable convention of keeping left in England long before motor traffic.

From Local Custom to National Law

By the early 18th century, “keep left” rules began appearing in crowded urban spaces. In 1722, London’s Lord Mayor ordered traffic on London Bridge to keep left to ease congestion and reduce collisions. Over time, the practice spread beyond the capital. Parliament ultimately standardized it with the Highway Act of 1835, which mandated left-side travel on public roads across Great Britain. That statute cemented a long-standing custom into law—well before the automobile era—and set a template for British-administered territories.

Why Much of Europe Went Right Instead

Continental Europe’s trajectory diverged during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Revolutionary France adopted right-side travel, and Napoleon’s armies exported that rule across much of the continent. Practicalities also mattered: drivers of large freight wagons in parts of Europe and the United States often sat on the left-rear horse of a team; keeping to the right helped them judge oncoming traffic and roadside clearance. Over time, these norms hardened into national laws, and right-side driving became the dominant global standard.

The Empire Effect: How Britain Exported Left-Side Driving

As Britain expanded overseas, it took its road rules with it. Railways—engineered and signaled by British companies in many regions—reinforced left-hand operation, which later aligned with road norms. While not every territory retained the practice, many did, creating today’s map of left-driving countries that stretches from the British Isles to southern Africa and the Asia-Pacific.

Below is a non-exhaustive list highlighting some places that drive on the left today.

• United Kingdom and Ireland
• Australia and New Zealand
• India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka
• South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, and several other southern/eastern African nations
• Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia
• Japan (which adopted left-hand traffic via rail standards and later road law)
• Hong Kong and Macao
• Cyprus and Malta

Altogether, roughly a quarter of the world’s countries—and about a third of its people—drive on the left, a pattern explained largely by British influence and Japan’s independent alignment with left-hand operation.

Switching Sides: Why the UK Didn’t Change

Some countries have switched sides to align with neighbors or vehicle markets. Sweden famously moved from left to right in 1967 (Dagen H), and Samoa switched from right to left in 2009 to tap into the supply of right-hand-drive vehicles from Australia and New Zealand. For Britain, however, switching would impose enormous costs: reconfiguring road layouts and signage, retraining drivers, managing a risky transition, and replacing or adapting vast fleets and infrastructure. As an island with left-driving neighbors in Ireland and vehicle markets that support right-hand-drive cars, the UK has had little practical incentive to change.

Today’s Practicalities: Vehicles, Safety, and Travel

Modern British roads and vehicles are optimized for left-side traffic. Cars are right-hand drive, giving drivers a clear view toward the centerline for overtaking. Signage, lane merges, roundabouts, and pedestrian crossings are designed accordingly. Visitors from right-driving countries are reminded to “Look Right” at crossings—small signals of how deeply the rule permeates everyday life. While cross-border standardization is a global goal for many systems, side-of-road conventions remain regionally entrenched and safe when consistently applied.

Key Milestones and Moments

The following timeline highlights pivotal events that shaped left- and right-side driving rules in England and beyond.

1. 1722: London’s Lord Mayor orders left-side traffic on London Bridge to reduce congestion and accidents.
2. 1835: The Highway Act makes left-side driving the law across Great Britain.
3. Late 18th–early 19th centuries: Revolutionary and Napoleonic France spreads right-side rules across much of continental Europe.
4. 1967: Sweden switches from left to right (Dagen H), showcasing a large-scale, carefully managed conversion.
5. 1978: Okinawa (Japan) returns to left-side driving after a period of right-side rules under U.S. administration.
6. 2009: Samoa switches from right to left to align with regional vehicle markets.

Taken together, these moments explain how historical practice hardened into law in Britain, why many neighbors went a different way, and how a few modern states have managed the complex logistics of switching sides.

Summary

England drives on the left because centuries-old right-handed riding habits favored it, Parliament locked it in with the Highway Act of 1835, and the British Empire spread the norm. Continental Europe, influenced by France and Napoleon, mostly went right. With infrastructure and vehicles deeply tailored to left-side travel—and no compelling economic or safety case to change—the UK’s choice endures, shaping how millions drive every day.

Why does England drive on the left and America on the right?

England (and the UK) drives on the left due to a long-standing tradition rooted in the need for right-handed riders and drivers to keep their sword or whip hands free for defense and control, which also made it safer to mount horses from the left. The United States adopted driving on the right because its dominant 18th-century transport involved large, heavy wagons and teams of horses, where the driver would sit on the left horse to control the team and avoid collisions, leading to a tradition of right-hand driving that predated Britain’s formal left-hand law.
 
Driving on the Left (England/UK)

• Pre-Automotive Era: Historically, most people are right-handed. For riders and knights, keeping to the left side of the road allowed their right hand, their dominant and sword hand, to be free to defend against potential attackers. 
• Mounting/Dismounting: It was safer to mount and dismount a horse from the left side of the road, which was the left-hand traffic side, rather than the middle of the road. 
• Official Adoption: Britain formalized this practice, making left-hand traffic the law in the 18th century, which was later reinforced by the Highway Act of 1835. 

Driving on the Right (United States)

• Post-Colonial Transition: After gaining independence, the US had a growing opposition to Old World customs and the British system of left-hand traffic. 
• Wagon and Horse Teams: The dominant form of long-distance transport in the US involved large, multi-horse wagons. Drivers would sit on the left-hand horse, often the rearmost of a team, to keep their right whip hand free to control the animals. 
• Safety and Practicality: Driving on the right allowed drivers to better judge the clearance between passing wagons, as they were seated to the left of the team, near the center of the road. 
• Dominant Practice: This practical shift in the US, driven by large freight wagons, established a tradition of right-hand driving that was distinct from Britain’s. 

Why doesn’t the US drive on the left?

The United States drives on the right because right-hand travel was the norm in Colonial America due to the use of large wagons and practical reasons like ditch avoidance. This custom was codified into law, with New York making it mandatory for public highways in 1804, and it predates the American Revolution, not being an act of rebellion against Britain. 
Early American Practices

• Wagon Drivers: . Opens in new tabIn the 18th century, large, heavy freight wagons became popular in the U.S. Drivers often sat on the left rear horse to better manage the team with their right hand and used their right arm to whip the horses, requiring them to keep to the right to avoid ditches and manage the whip more effectively. 
• Right-Handedness: . Opens in new tabAs most people are right-handed, keeping to the right also allowed pedestrians and horseback riders to keep their dominant sword arm free for defense against potential threats on the road. 

Legal Standardization 

• Pennsylvania: . Opens in new tabThe state of Pennsylvania was an early adopter of right-hand travel, legislating it for its turnpikes in 1792.
• New York: . Opens in new tabNew York was the first state to prescribe right-hand travel on all public highways in 1804, establishing a standard that other states soon followed.

Distinction from British and Ancient Traditions

• Colonial Opposition: Right-hand travel in America was not an opposition to British rule but rather a separate path of development. Britain’s left-hand driving law was established in 1773, while right-hand travel had already become the norm in the American colonies. 
• Ancient Origins: While ancient Romans drove on the left, often to keep their sword arm free, early American practices diverged from this due to different transportation methods and societal needs, such as the need to manage large, four-horse teams with a driver seated on the left side of the wagon. 

Why do British people drive in the left side of the road?

It Was Written into British Law
In 1773, as British roads became more developed and congested, the government brought in the General Highways Act, which stated that all horse riders, farmers, coachmen and lawless highwaymen must remain on the left side to avoid any nasty collisions, even before cars had been invented.

Why do Japan and England drive on the left?

The railway construction was led by British engineers, and because British railways followed left-side traffic, Japan adopted the same practice. As automobiles became more common, Japan maintained left-hand traffic to align with railway systems and avoid confusion.