Driving on the left was a tradition passed on from Rome. The Irish hold Killian's beer with their right hand. Happy St. Patrick's Day
Because the Bible. To make your pilgramge, you must travel on the left side of the road, and let those pass on the right. Everyone did it... Then the split happened in continental Europe as waggon trains got longer, the person at the reigns steering and whipping had difficulties sitting on the right so traveled on the right but sat on the left, but the UK being a smaller area didn't need long wagon trains so never switched.
Where I like to drive- out in the country- you can pick whichever side you want most of the time because most of the time ur the only one driving
Two one way divided hwys bisect my town, the damn yankees can't grasp that concept. You ain't lived until a damn rv is coming your way in your lane
I've driven in the US after I've driven in the UK, and I've got to say, I guess I don't think about it after a couple of minutes when it's LHD on the right. Just know in Pennsylvania you can turn right on a red light and turning left is scary to me because Pennsylvania put you at a junction that's 3 lanes wide and out opposite in front of you faced to face with somebody who's going somewhere, but in the UK, that **** looks like on coming traffic to me when you turn left in Pennsylvania (I swear to God) that used to unnerve me all the time, and in New Jersey, there is no left, only jug handles, you've gotta go right to go left - but then in New Jersey, they don't trust you enough to pump your own gas. Coming from London! Stop start stop start manual transmission London, in the UK congested maneuver conditions on our own 3 laned roundabouts and one way streets and road works and cyclists and bus lanes, I am master of the the left, because when I can take it, driving on the left, and it's not a no entry or closed off and I need it, I take it. T Junction, traffic lights, pulling into my road... In the UK, even if it's 2 lanes, you got to pretty much park in the middle and signal and wait to turn right, and I've got traffic and London buses (so like Trucks with people on them and their own lanes) to negotiate because of my local bus stops).
The only thing that worried me first time I drove on the wrong side of the road was roundabouts. The urge to drive clockwise is strong. Nowadays it doesn't phase me at all. One major advantage to driving on the correct side of the road is you don't have to take your right hand off the wheel to change gears.
Since I'm from London, riding in a car on country lanes in Purley and beyond and even this one time I decided to run from Thornton Heath to Banstead and came across this tunnel I had to use, scares the F' out of me. I'm British but I'm so used to London, there are roads in New Addington and Purley that scare the F' out of me because they're country lanes...
The Irish had a plan to change from driving on the left to driving on the right: they would phase it in, with cars changing on Monday, and buses and lorries on Tuesday....
lol, this also is in reverse in the US, at least in my experience. Our 'country lanes' tend to be wider and straighter and easier to drive on while our city streets tend to be more narrow and winding.
