Why does the USA drive on the right side of the road?

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People in the United States drive on the right side of the road because of the way wagons were configured. The practice continued when cars came along.

All the Better to Defend Yourself

The Federal Highway Administration (FHA) notes that right-side travel was the norm in the country's early years. Even pedestrians would walk on the right, as that allowed them (with guns carried on the left) to better defend themselves should they need to.

First Official U.S. Decree

Before 1792, no states had laws requiring vehicles to travel on the right. Pennsylvania was the first to pass such a law when it decided that vehicles on the Lancaster-Philadelphia turnpike must stay to the right.

Wagon Configuration

Wagons, especially Conestoga wagons, were built so the driver could control the horses from their left. According to historian M.G. Lay, this required wagons to pass to the right in order to avoid sideswiping other wagons. As roadside ditches became more common, the FHA says, drivers eventually sat on the right side in order to have a better view and avoid heading into the ditch.

Lasting Pattern

Lay states that cars were seen as another type of wagon, so they also traveled on the right side of the road. Steering wheels originally were placed on the right side of cars. The 1908 Ford Model T was the first car to move the steering wheel to the left side.

Curbside Drivers May Be Better

While "there are no technical reasons" why the driver should be on one side or the other, Lay notes, it may be safer for the driver to be on the side of the car closest to the curb because of pedestrian safety and parking.

Source:

Federal Highway Administration: "Highway History"

"Ways of the World: A History of the World's Roads and of the Vehicles That Used Them"; M.G. Lay; 1999

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Why does the USA drive on the right side of the road?

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