I wonder who decided which side of the street to drive on?
Never mind, I found it:
Why We Drive on the Right Side of the Road
Americans drive on the right because of a mix of
historical customs, practical needs, and early transportation technology that became codified into law.
Early horseback and wagon traditions
In medieval and early modern Europe, knights and riders often kept to the left so their dominant right hand could be free for drawing a sword or pulling reins
360 On History. This carried over to horse-drawn carriages, where drivers on the left side had a better view ahead and could control reins more easily
SlashGear.
In the U.S., large wagons like the
Conestoga were pulled by multiple horses. Drivers sat on the left rear horse or used a “lazy board” on the left side, so keeping to the right gave them a better view of the road and easier access to reins
360 On History. This made right-hand travel safer and more efficient.
Colonial and legal adoption
By the late 1700s, right-hand travel was becoming the unofficial norm in the U.S. Pennsylvania passed the first law in 1795, and New York followed in 1804. By the Civil War, every state had made it law
SlashGear.
The Model T and modern cars
When Henry Ford introduced the Model T in 1908, he placed the steering wheel on the left. This reinforced the right-hand driving pattern, as passengers could more easily exit onto the curb
SlashGear+1. The industry quickly adopted this design, cementing the habit.
Why other countries drive on the left
Many countries that drive on the left (e.g., the U.K., Japan, India) inherited the practice from British colonial influence, often without needing to align with continental neighbors
Wikipedia+1. Changing traffic rules is costly and complex, so many have kept the tradition.
In short:
Americans drive on the right because of
horseback riding customs, wagon driver convenience, early road laws, and the design of the first mass-produced cars. These factors combined to make right-hand traffic the standard in the U.S. and much of the world.
