Maybe someone doesn't know yet.

It is difficult to find a car forum in which the debate about right-hand drive and left-hand drive has not flared up. This is due to the increase in the number of right-hand drive cars brought to Russia and the peculiarity of their operation in right-hand traffic.

The division into the right and left sides of the movement began even before the appearance of the first car. Historians still argue among themselves which movement in Europe was the original. During the existence of the Roman Empire, horsemen rode on the left so that the right hand in which they held the weapon was ready to instantly strike the enemy riding towards them. Evidence was found that the Romans drove on the left: in 1998, a Roman quarry was excavated in the UK near Swindon, near which the left track was broken stronger than the right, as well as on a Roman denarius (dated 50 BC - 50 AD) two horsemen were depicted riding along the left side.

In the Middle Ages, it was more convenient to mount a horse when driving on the left, since the sword did not interfere with the landing. However, there is an argument against this argument - the convenience of riding in the left or right lane when riding on horseback varies depending on the riding method, and there were not so many warriors compared to the rest of the population. After people stopped taking weapons with them on the road, traffic gradually began to change to the right. This was explained by the fact that most people are right-handed, and with the advantage of the right hand in strength and dexterity, it is more comfortable to do many things while moving on the right side of the road.

When walking on foot (without weapons), when driving a horse and cart, it is more convenient to stay on the right side. From this side, it is more convenient for a person to be close to oncoming traffic in order to stop to talk with oncoming traffic, and it is easier to hold the reins with his right hand. Knights in tournaments also rode on the right - they held a shield in their left hand, and placed a spear on the back of the horse, but there is an argument against this argument - tournaments were just an indicative “show” and had nothing to do with real life.

Depending on the type of horse-drawn carriage, the convenience of right- and left-hand traffic varies: for single-seat carriages with a seat for the coachman in the front, it is preferable to ride on the right side, since when traveling with another carriage, the coachman needs to pull the reins harder with his right hand. Crews with a postilion (a coachman who drives the team while sitting on one of the horses) also stuck to the right side - the postilion always sits on the left horse to make it easier for himself to mount and control with his right hand. Multi-seat and open carriages drove on the left side of the road - so the driver could not accidentally hit a passenger or passerby walking along the sidewalk with his whip.

In Russia, even under Peter I, right-hand traffic was accepted as the norm; carts and sleighs passed, as a rule, keeping to the right, and in 1752, Empress Elizabeth Petrovna issued an official decree introducing right-hand traffic for carriages and cabs on the streets of Russian cities. Among Western countries, the first law on the direction of movement was issued in England - it was a bill of 1756, according to which traffic on London Bridge should be on the left side, and in case of “driving into oncoming traffic” a fine of 1 pound of silver was levied. And only after 20 years, the English government issued the historical “Road Act”, which prescribed the introduction of left-hand traffic. By the way, the same movement was adopted on the Manchester-Liverpool railway line that opened in 1830. According to one of the assumptions, England took this from maritime rules, since it was an island state, and the only connection with other countries was navigation - through them the ship passed another ship that was approaching it from the right.

It is Great Britain that is considered the “parent” of left-hand traffic; this example was adopted by its colonies (India, Pakistan, Australia) and other countries of the world. During the French Revolution in 1789, Napoleon issued an order for the military to move on the right side of the road, and subsequently the direction of movement of transport and military columns was determined by the political views of the country: the countries - allies of Napoleon (Holland, Germany, Switzerland, Poland, Italy, Spain) established the right-hand drive movement, and the opposing countries (Britain, Portugal, Austria-Hungary) are left-handed. In Austria, in different cities, the movement went in different directions, and then this country also pulled to the right. In Japan, the second largest left-hand drive country, it was adopted in 1859 under the influence of Queen Victoria's ambassador, Sir Rutherford Alcock.

After the end of the Japanese occupation in 1946, South Korea and the DPRK switched from driving on the left to driving on the right. Czechoslovakia, formerly part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, switched to right-hand traffic in 1938. Sweden became one of the last countries to change the direction of traffic; for this purpose, in 1963, the State Commission for the Transition to Right-Hand Driving was created. Its tasks included development and implementation, and right-hand traffic was officially established in 1967. On this special day, September 3, at exactly 4:50 am, all cars and other vehicles had to stop, change lanes to the opposite lane and resume driving at 5:00. To ensure safety during this change, authorities briefly introduced a speed limit.

In the United States, traffic initially moved on the left side, but, according to historians, England's love of freedom and contradiction forced them to move to the right side. According to one version, the founder of the right-wing movement in America was the French general Marie Joseph Lafayette, one of the most ardent fighters for independence from the British crown. Canada continued to drive on the left until the 20s of the 20th century.

And in the future, the formation of left or right directions of traffic was determined by the neighborhood with certain countries - former British colonies in Africa (Sierra Leone, Gambia, Nigeria, Ghana) changed left-hand traffic to right-hand traffic, as they were located next to former French colonies. And the former Portuguese colony of Mozambique changed the right-hand drive to the opposite due to its proximity to former British colonies.

As for the location of the steering wheel, on the first cars in most cases it was on the “wrong” right side for us. Moreover, regardless of which side the cars were driving on. This was done so that the driver could better see the car being overtaken. In addition, with this steering wheel arrangement, the driver could get out of the car directly onto the sidewalk, and not onto the roadway. By the way, the first mass-produced car with a “correct” steering wheel was the Ford T.

In some countries, controversial issues arise due to the location of the steering wheel - for example, in the Bahamas, people mainly drive left-hand drive cars, since they are convenient to import from the USA, and in the east of our country, on the contrary, most cars are right-hand drive due to proximity with Japan. Among the countries with left-hand traffic are Australia, England, the Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Bermuda, Cyprus, India, Ireland, Japan, Kenya, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, New Zealand, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Holy Island Helena, South Africa, British Virgin Islands, US Virgin Islands, Zimbabwe and many others.