Why the United States Drives on the Right

The United States drives on the right primarily because 18th-century freight-wagon practices led to a keep-right custom that early state laws formalized, and the rise of the automobile—especially the left-hand-steered Ford Model T in 1908—cemented the standard nationwide. In short, practicality on colonial roads, followed by legislation and automotive design, made right-side driving the American norm.

Colonial habits and the wagoner’s vantage point

In the late 1700s, the most influential vehicles on North American roads were heavy freight wagons, notably Pennsylvania’s Conestoga wagons. These often lacked a driver’s seat; teamsters typically rode the left-rear horse or walked on the left side to keep the whip in their right hand and maintain a clear view down the centerline. Keeping to the right made it easier to judge clearance with oncoming wagons and to avoid entanglements of wheels and teams. Although British tradition favored keeping left, the practical realities of American freight hauling nudged traffic to the right on busy turnpikes radiating from Pennsylvania.

From custom to law

As commerce expanded, customs hardened into statute. Several states codified keep-right rules in the early 19th century, helping to standardize behavior across growing networks of turnpikes and city streets. The following milestones illustrate how right-side driving became law in key jurisdictions.

1. 1792: Pennsylvania’s law governing the Philadelphia–Lancaster Turnpike required vehicles meeting on the road to keep to the right.
2. 1804: New York enacted a statewide rule directing drivers to keep to the right on public roads.
3. 1813: New Jersey followed with its own keep-right statute, reinforcing a regional standard along major trade corridors.

By the mid-19th century, much of the United States observed keep-right rules, turning a once-local freight custom into a widely accepted norm that shaped road design and etiquette well before automobiles appeared.

The automobile seals the deal

Early American cars were a mix of right- and left-hand steering, but the breakthrough came in 1908 when Ford’s mass-produced Model T put the steering wheel on the left. With traffic already moving on the right, left-hand steering improved the driver’s view of oncoming traffic and made passing safer. Ford’s scale and influence quickly pushed competitors to follow. In the 1920s, the emerging Uniform Vehicle Code and state legislation further standardized keep-right rules and driving conventions. By the interwar years, right-side driving paired with left-hand-drive vehicles was universal across U.S. states and territories that follow the mainland standard.

Was it anti-British sentiment?

Patriotic symbolism likely played a supporting role after the American Revolution, but historians point to practical freight-wagon habits and early state laws as the decisive forces. In other words, cultural differentiation from Britain aligned with, rather than drove, the material realities that favored a right-side system in the United States.

Comparisons and exceptions

Internationally, right-side driving spread across much of continental Europe in the Napoleonic era, while Britain and many of its former colonies kept left. The American path to right-side traffic developed largely independently, rooted in local commerce and law. Today, nearly all U.S. jurisdictions drive on the right, with one notable exception: the U.S. Virgin Islands drive on the left, reflecting local tradition, even though most vehicles there are imported with left-hand steering. Cross-border coordination has also reinforced the U.S. standard, aligning with neighboring Canada and Mexico, both of which drive on the right.

Key factors at a glance

The following list summarizes the main reasons the U.S. ended up—and stayed—on the right-hand side of the road.

• 18th-century freight-wagon practice: Teamsters’ left-side riding position favored keeping to the right for visibility and safety.
• Early state legislation: Laws in states such as Pennsylvania (1792), New York (1804), and New Jersey (1813) formalized the custom.
• Automobile design: Ford’s 1908 Model T popularized left-hand steering, making right-side traffic safer and more intuitive.
• 20th-century legal standardization: The Uniform Vehicle Code and state statutes unified keep-right rules nationwide.
• Limited exceptions: The U.S. Virgin Islands retain left-side driving due to local historical practice.

Taken together, these factors show how practical needs, lawmaking, and industrial design converged to make right-side driving the enduring American standard.

Legacy on the road

Right-side traffic shapes everything from road engineering to driver training in the United States. Lane markings, signage, interstate on/off-ramps, and vehicle layouts all assume right-side flow with left-hand-drive cars. The convention also simplifies cross-border travel with Canada and Mexico and influences export and import choices for vehicles designed for American roads.

Summary

The U.S. drives on the right because 18th-century freight-hauling practices favored it, early state laws mandated it, and the automobile era—especially the left-hand-steered Model T—locked it in. While national identity may have reinforced the shift away from Britain’s left-side tradition, the decisive forces were practical and legal, producing a standard that endures on American roads today.

Is America the only country that drives on the right-side?

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 do Japanese drive on left?

Japan drives on the left due to its history with samurai, who wore swords on their left hip and kept to the left to avoid clashes, a tradition that was later codified into law by the 1870s when the British helped build Japan’s railway system. The British railway’s left-hand precedent was followed for all subsequent railways, trams, and eventually cars, with left-side driving becoming official law in 1924. 
Historical Origins (Samurai Era)

• Samurai and Swords: During the Edo period (1603-1867), samurai wore their swords on their left side, allowing them to draw with their dominant right hand. 
• Avoiding Clashes: To avoid their swords clanking against those of oncoming warriors, people would keep to the left side of the road. 

Transition to Modern Infrastructure

• British Influence: After the Meiji Restoration in 1868, Japan opened up to Western influence and sought help for its modernization. 
• First Railways: In the 1870s, Britain provided technical assistance to build Japan’s first railway system, which was built with a left-hand running precedent. 
• Following the Pattern: This left-side precedent was followed for all subsequent railways and electric tram cars. 

Codification into Law

• Early Orders: The Tokyo police issued an order requiring pedestrians to keep to the left in 1902. 
• Official Law: Left-side driving was officially mandated as law across the nation in 1924. 

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 the British drive on the left and Americans 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.