Which country has the steering wheel on the right side of the car?
2 Answers
In the UK, the steering wheel is on the right side of the car. The origin of the right-hand steering wheel: The right-hand steering wheel and left-hand driving originated in the horseback era in the UK. Since people were accustomed to mounting horses from the left side, mounting stones were built on the left side of the road, which formed the tradition of left-hand driving, hence the right-hand steering wheel. The steering wheel is the wheel-shaped device used to control the direction of cars, ships, airplanes, etc. The function of the steering wheel is to convert the force applied by the driver to the edge of the steering wheel into torque and then transmit it to the steering shaft. It mainly consists of a frame, foam, and corresponding installation clips or screw holes for the driver's airbag (DAB).
Hey, I get asked about this a lot. There are quite a few countries with right-hand drive vehicles, mainly because they follow left-hand traffic rules. Take the UK for example - if you drive in London, you'll notice the steering wheel is on the right side, completely opposite to what we're used to in China. Japan, Australia, and New Zealand all have right-hand drive cars too. In Asia, countries like India, Malaysia, Singapore, and even Hong Kong SAR also use right-hand drive designs. Ireland and South Africa have maintained this tradition as well. Historically speaking, this dates back to when knights kept to the left for easier sword drawing, which gradually evolved into traffic rules that influence modern vehicle layouts. Some places like Thailand and parts of Indonesia use both left and right-hand drive vehicles, but overall right-hand drive remains quite common in specific regions.
