Why is Japan a right-hand drive country?
1 Answers
This stems from samurai traditions. Historically, samurai wore their swords on the left side, so they naturally walked on the less protected left side to facilitate drawing their swords with the right hand for combat. Here are the differences between left-hand and right-hand drive vehicles: 1. Road planning: In China, road design gives right turns higher priority than left turns. Since drivers sit on the left, their viewing angle is relatively narrow. To prevent accidents, right turns have higher priority, while for right-hand drive vehicles, left turns have higher priority. 2. Different habits: In domestic manual transmission vehicles, the gearshift is on the right side, whereas in right-hand drive vehicles it's on the left. Even with automatic transmissions, this can feel awkward to use. 3. Manufacturing perspective: The steering mechanism, control system, hydraulic circuits, electrical layouts all require redesign. Additionally, considering driver safety, body support panels and airbag positions will also differ.