Why don't Australians drive on the "right" side of the road?

Question

I know, this question has already been asked a hundred times, but I still haven't read a satisfactory answer. I'm a continental European, and I just can't understand why Australia has picked up all the metric measurements, including km/h, but couldn't decide to switch road sides. There must be an historical explanation for that, shouldn't it? Or is it just that the car industry was too lazy to change their production schemes?

Answer 1

we do drive on the right side of the road.

We drive on the left, thats the right side.

Its just that here in Australia we dont care what the rest of yiz do.

Answer 2

Australia you may have noted is an island and shares no borders with any other country, so we do not care what side you drive on as you cannot drive your car to here. You will notice that Japan, Great Britain and New Zealand also drive on the left, these countries are all islands. Since Australia is capable of building most of it's own vehicles it does not give a rats @rse what the rest of the world does.



Until the just after the end of the Second World War, China drove on the left too. However Generalissimo Chiang Kai Shek, being the national leader at the time also held the Chevrolet franchise for China and decided he could make more money by changing the road rules so he could sell Chevrolets more easily. With corruption like that it is no wonder the Communists booted the Nationalists out.



er - Where was I?



Continental Europe generally drove wagons etc on the left until the Napoleonic Wars. However the French had taken up a "drive on the right" rule during or just before the Revolution based on a Paris local rule. The drive on the right rule was enforced in all the countries that Napoleon conquered and extended out from there. His empire did not stretch to Sweden, or not for long, so the Swedish kept driving on the left until the late 1960s.



Even in the USA the rule in some cities was "drive on the left" in the early 20th century. I think Cincinatti, Ohio was a "drive on the left" city as were others. But in the 1890s most of the best cars in the world were being made in France, and when the US motor industry got going it copied the European one for a while - as almost all US industries had. This included making cars for driving on the right. This eventually forced the US to adopt a "drive on the right" rule. Or at least, that is what I have been told.



Chloe is wrong about one thing, Australia is no longer a British colony. Another thing, changing does not just mean changing cars and moving a few road signs and traffic lights. Thousands of freeway on and off ramps would need changing - the cost would be in the hundreds of billions and for what? So a few drunk or stupid tourists don't get run over crossing a road?

Answer 3

Why should they? It makes sense to go to the metric/decimal system because it is the most logical, easy to use, and wide spread in the world. It affects every area of life, including weight, currency, distance, tools, manufacturing, etc. . . .

But Australia is a big continent, there is no reason for them to change the side of the road they drive on, just because others do. England would actually have more reason to change from left side of the road to right side of the road, because many tourists from continental Europe travel with their cars to the UK (especially since the Euro tunnel exists). But there is still no reason for Australia to make this move.

A better question would be why are the United States still using the antiquated system (lbs and inches or miles)? And why are they trying to teach the decimal system in the schools in a way that complicates everything (i.e., instead of comparing the meter to the yard, why not just show kids what a meter is and then divide that length in ten, hundred, thousand, so it is clear to the kids, instead of having them memorize that a meter is 1.2 or whatever yard).

By the way, if the United States were building cars under the metric system, they might have a better chance to compete in the world market with their cars (that is, as long as they would build cars that are more fuel efficient!)

Answer 4

Given that Alwin isn't American (go check his profile), I'm finding some of these answers pretty funny.



Of course, as Alwin probably knows, the original reason for Australians driving on what everyone who doesn't have a Britsh gene somewhere in their background considers the "wrong" side of the road is that it used to be a British colony.



But, as Alwin asks, why haven't they changed and caught up with the rest of the non-Brit-centric world?



I think the answer is the same as the answer to why the [expletive deleted] haven't us stupid Americans switched to metric? It is so dang hard to change something that people are used to, so the politians get cold feet and never take the risk.



Later edit: Just want to mention that people who clain that "only" North Americans drive on the right obviously have not done a lot of world traveling.

Answer 5

there are many countries that drive on the left like australia



most of the world did at one stage

does it bother you that we dont think your system is better?

http://www.starimage.co.uk/scda/reference/drive_on_the_left.htm



Anguilla

Antigua & Barbuda

Australia

Bahamas

Bangladesh

Barbados

Bermuda

Bhutan

Bophuthatswana

Botswana

British Virgin Islands

Brunei

Cayman Islands

Channel Islands

Ciskei

Cyprus

Dominica

Falkland Islands

Fiji

Grenada

Guyana

Hong Kong

India

Indonesia

Ireland

Jamaica

Japan

Kenya

Lesotho

Macau

Malawi

Malaysia

Malta

Mauritius

Montserrat

Mozambique

Namibia

Nepal

New Zealand

Pakistan

Papua New Guinea

St. Vincent & Grenadines

Seychelles

Sikkim

Singapore

Solomon Islands

Somalia

South Africa

Sri Lanka

St Kitts & Nevis

St. Helena

St. Lucia

Surinam

Swaziland

Tanzania

Thailand

Tonga

Trinidad & Tobago

Uganda

United Kingdom

US Virgin Islands

Venda

Zambia

Zimbabwe



ALL DRIVE ON TH LEFT

Answer 6

Well, yes, historically, we have always driven on the left hand side of the road. The homeland of the empire that founded/invaded Australia last, also still continues to drive on the left hand side of the road.



We will probably have to wait until all the old people die off before it is safe to swap, but there isn't any real reason to make the change.

Answer 7

Australia is was a British crown colony - and the British drive on the left. Note that the British also use Metric (though there are a lot of hold outs there - not as many in the States, obviously).

Answer 8

We DO drive on the right side of the road, its everyone else whos wrong.....



No really, we Aussies do it so when we travel hire car companies really have reason to worry....we do it so when we go to LA we drive friends cars and give people heart attacks.



We assuies have a warped sense of humor.....it makes sense, and I doubt we will 'change' for america, they make crappy cars we dont buy here anyway( except hummers)

And whats with the old system, metric is the go, everywhere as I understand it, except there. Miles / gallon sounds like history class the only people who get that here are over 60.



So to sum it up, we are already driving on the correct side of the road.(most times, when not txtx messaging or swerving to avoid a kangaroo!!!!

Answer 9

australia is a british colony.



historically, as more people are right-handed, horsemen would hold the reins with their left hands and keep their right hand free—to offer in friendship to passing riders or to defend themselves with swords, if necessary.



this would explain why the british originally drove / rode on the left. as we are colonised by the british, it's only natural that they bring their road rules here. ie, if it's not broke, why fix it?



The most common reason for countries to switch to driving on the right is for conformity with neighbours, as it increases the safety of cross-border traffic. For example, former British colonies in Africa, such as Gambia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, and Ghana, have all changed from left- to right-hand traffic, as they all share borders with former French colonies, which drive on the right. The former Portuguese colony of Mozambique has always driven on the left, as all its neighbours are former British colonies. Decisions by countries to drive on the right typically concern conformity and uniformity rather than practical reasons. There are historical exceptions, such as postilion riders in France, but such historical advantages do not apply to modern road vehicles.



australia has no border neighbours - so there is no good reason to change driving sides. it all sounds like an expensive and unwarranted change for no good practical reason.

Answer 10

Might have something to do with them being an (albeit a very big) island. The UK drives on the left aswell.



Who cares anyway (apart from you)

Answer 11

might be because of the English .. I'm British. my folks are Irish and they also drive on the same side.



just because your from Europe, don't mean they should change it for you :-p



when I drive in France I got used to it

Answer 12

haha funny maybe a 5/5

Answer 13

They think that they do drive on the right side, and it is you guys who drive on the wrong side.

Answer 14

Its from being down under. All the blood running to the top of your head from being upside down makes things a little fuzzy most of the time for Aussies. All in all for their constant conditions Aussies do quite well.

Answer 15

Chloe B...you are the only who has done your research.....my votes for you.......

Its an English thing....get over it people....

Answer 16

do you mean why dont they drive on the side of the road american way?

if you do, its because pretty much only north american countries drive on the other side of the road, almost every other country drives on the opposite side.

so really north america is the wierd ones

hehe

Answer 17

because they think we are too lazy to not stay the same

Answer 18

Because that is how they roll..

Answer 19

Cos they are at the equator and everything works in reverse lol.

Answer 20

because americans are just different in our ways

Answer 21

wh does the water in the toilet go the oppisite way when you flush?