Why Drive on the Right Side?
2 Answers
During the Anti-Japanese War, most of China's automobiles were imported from the United States. The U.S. traffic rules require driving on the right side, so American vehicles imported to China had to undergo modifications to the steering wheel and lights, which incurred substantial modification costs, amounting to about 12% of the vehicle's price. The nationwide expense for these modifications was enormous, and to save on these costs became one of the reasons for switching to right-side driving. Additional information is as follows: 1. Definition: A vehicle powered by an engine, with four or more wheels not running on tracks, primarily used for: transporting people and/or goods; towing vehicles carrying people and/or goods; and for special purposes. 2. Classification: Passenger vehicles are primarily designed and technically characterized for carrying passengers and their personal belongings and/or temporary items, including the driver's seat, with a maximum of nine seats. Passenger vehicles are divided into the following 11 types, mainly including: standard passenger cars, convertible cars, luxury cars, compact cars, roadsters, hatchbacks, station wagons, multi-purpose vehicles (MPVs), forward-control passenger cars, off-road vehicles, and special-purpose passenger cars.
I think driving on the right side of the road has historical roots. When I was a kid, my grandpa told me that in the horse-drawn carriage era, drivers used to sit on the left and wield the whip with their right hand, so it made sense to drive on the right side to avoid collisions with other vehicles. Later, when cars were invented, most countries followed this tradition, especially nations like the U.S. and China, where laws gradually standardized it to bring order to traffic. Now that I’m used to it, it feels logical—everyone moving in the same direction reduces the risk of head-on collisions when overtaking or turning. Places like the U.K. that drive on the left trace it back to knights wielding swords with their right hands for combat, but right-side driving is the global norm, practiced in 80% of the world—probably because it’s more cost-effective for manufacturers to standardize left-hand drive cars. I’ve tried switching sides while traveling, and it’s confusing! Having a unified rule makes driving much easier.
