Minor British Institutions: Driving on the left
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Traffic round this island has kept to the left for 2,000 years. Although the scything techniques of the Ancient British charioteers do not suggest lane discipline, there is good evidence for it in the contrasting ruts left by Roman carts at a quarry near Swindon.
You should, however, approach the reasons for its continuing sway with caution. Most popular is that it best suited right-handed self-defence.
Continental contrariness is hard to explain, particularly as leftism is safer (dominant right eye, etc). Apparently, Napoleon insisted that people drive on the right in the countries he conquered.
The Dutch, victims of this dirigisme, call the British, a touch enviously, "linksrijers", left-hand drivers.
The anti-colonial Americans did for left supremacy: the ratio now favours the right-siders by about 4:1. The minority comprises the British-connected, including Japan.
Consistency would urge standing on the left on escalators, and a change-over would certainly enliven things for a while.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments