Non - What Makes Some Countries Drive On The Left - Others On The Right?

billythekid

billythekid

UTC Legend
Been watching a very good Swedish series called the Restaurant, it takes place as peace is declared after the Second World War.

In the programme the cars in Sweden are driven on the left as in the UK.

Knowing they switch in later years I wondered why and also why the difference in the World. It would have been so much easier if every country drove on the left. :grinning:

Very interesting reading and in one part quite funny re Pakistan and the camels.

I didn’t know, but in Spain at one time, in some parts they drove on the right (Barcelona), while other parts on the left (Madrid).

If by now you are not falling asleep and want to read the whole story, link below.

https://www.worldstandards.eu/cars/driving-on-the-left/
 
Back in the eighties I spent a couple of summers in Sardinia. Chatting to a cousin of a cousin I happened to mention that, in England, we drive on the left. He looked really puzzled by this. “In the countryside perhaps” he said “but not in the cities surely?”.
 
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The Sweden thing is one of my favourite stories from history. They advertised the change, redesigned sections of road, changed road signs, switched traffic lights. It took years. Then on 3rd Sept. 1967 at 4.50am all traffic halted. Everyone carefully switched lanes. At 5.00am , after a radio countdown, driving resumed on the right. Not one accident. In fact, accident figures dropped for 2 years as drivers were being more careful. Hats off to Sweden. Epic achievement.
 
beds cherry said:
Seems weird. I mean you read from the left - just why drive on the right?
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Some nations like Arabic ones read and write from the right.I used to work in retail and used to get lots of students from that area(some insanely generous)but to see a cheque signed right to left was a surprise first time,and was still intriguing after because it just seems unnatural writing towards the body instead of away.Pretty sure left handed folks find it just as difficult.
 
What made some people dark skinned, others light.

What made some animals walk and others flight?

What made you you and what made me me?

Time may tell, or let it be?
 
Malta drive on the left IIRC. A legacy of becoming a British protectorate after the Napoleonic wars, on into the 20th century as cars were introduced.
 
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