Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-28
Conflict On Right and Left Driving
In Various Countries Traced Down

Automobile drivers in the United
States keep to the right.
Automobile drivers in England, Aus
tria, Sweden, Argentina and Angola
keep to the left.
How did these opposite customs arise?
For the world divides roughly half
and half on the rule of the motoring
road" says a bulletin from the Ma
tional Geographic Society.
THE present score Is: Sixty OF the
nations and colonies favor the right
side drive; 43 cling to the left. Iraq
added one TO the right-side score when
she decided to reverse the English rule
of left-side driving, which has been in
use there since the World War, and re-
turn to her former rule Of keeping to
the right.
Need Of Uniform Rule.
"The need Of a uniform rule Is not so
apparent in North America as in Eu-
rope. Consider the problem OF motor
ist who tries to drive from Norway to
Italy through the Dolomites. He starts
bravely out from Oslo, keeping to the
right until he reaches the Swedish bor-
der. Thereupon he keeps to the left.
Let him have his wits about him, be-
cause when he ferries over to Denmark
he must again move over to the right
of the road. Germany the same, he
thanks Heaven. Back again to the left
in Czechoslovakia. And just as the
bewildered autoist gets used to left
driving in Austria he must steel his
nerves to switch back to the right rule
of the road in Yugoslavia and Italy.
Probably our custom had its origin
because it was natural to grasp weapons
with the right hand while the left hand
carried the shield over the heart on the
left side of the body, From this 1t
follows that armed men passed each
other shield to shield, left hand to left
hand.
Rule for Pedestrians.
"That fact accounts for the pedes-
TRAN custom of keeping to the right.
Even in England the rule of the
sidewalk or pathway is keep to the
right. How, then, did England acquire
the custom of keeping to the left on
highways?
zone student Of the problem finds the
origin OF the practice In the habit OF
the English coachman of sitting on the
right side of the coach drivers seat.
He grasped the whip in his right hand.
In passing another coach he wanted to
be In a position where he could best
prevent q collision. So he passed an
oncoming coach on that coach's right
From his seat on the right Of his coach
he could see how near his wheels came
to those of the other vehicle.
THE English rule Of the road was
made law In 1885, but before that date
this poem appeared In an English
journal:
" The law OF the road is a paradox
quite
AS you're driving your carriage
along;
II you go to the left, you're sure to go
right:
If you go to the right, you 60
wrong
Custom on Continent.
ION the Continent 1t was more fire.
uuently the custom for position to
guide the horses than coachman. The
position took his place at the left OF
the lead team in order to have his right
hand free to grasp the nearest bride
He also wanted to avoid collisions, but
being on the left 1t was better for him
to turn his horses to the right. Thus
France and other European countries
have the same rule of the road as the
United States.
ut has been suggested that automo-
biles in America keep to the right be-
cause oxen did in the old days. Oxen
were the draft animals most used in the
colonies. The OK driver directed them
by voice and whip. He held his whip
in his right hand and trudged along on
the left of the oxen, and therefore
turned to the right.
cd L. -
keep to the right except British Hon.
duras, Panama, Paraguay, Argentina
Uruguay and Prince Edward Island, In
Canada. The Far East follows the
British, or left-turning, custom almost
unanimously; China, Japan, Siam and
even the Philippines. That the Philip
pines should reverse the American Gus
tom is surprising Generally as coun-
try drives so drives the colony or pro-