What is the traffic in England. Road traffic

Anyone who has been to countries with left-hand traffic and got behind the wheel will certainly experience an extreme degree of confusion. The question surely arose - why do they drive like that? Why is humanity divided into "left-sided" and "right-sided"?

In the days of the Roman Empire, horsemen traditionally kept their way on the left side, because they always held a weapon in their right hand and were ready to meet the enemy at any moment. In 1998, in England, near the town of Swindon, during excavations of a Roman stone quarry, archaeologists discovered that the left path was broken more than the right - it was used more often. In addition, there were found Roman coins depicting riders driving around on the left side.

In the Middle Ages, left-hand traffic continued to dominate - during such a trip, the sword did not interfere with the rider. Later, when travel became less dangerous and people no longer took weapons with them on the road, traffic began to gradually change to right-hand traffic. After all, most people are right-handed, and many things while driving are more comfortable to do if you move on the right side. For example, driving around a narrow road is easier if you steer the carriage with your strongest right hand. If a person does not have a sword, sword or other cold weapon, which must be held in his right hand, and he leads a horse by the bridle or leads a horse harnessed to a cart, it is more convenient for him to keep to the right side.

However, left-hand traffic was convenient in cities - a right-handed coachman who sat on the box did not hurt passers-by on the sidewalk with a whip.

In Russia, right-hand movement became the norm even under Peter I, and in 1752 his daughter, Empress Elizabeth, with the highest will, consolidated the rule of the "right hand" that had taken root in the vastness of Russia.

In 1789, Napoleon ordered the military to switch to right-hand traffic, and then politics intervened. Countries - allies of Napoleon (Holland, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Poland) became "right-sided", and the enemy countries (Great Britain, Portugal, Austria-Hungary) - "left-sided". Czechoslovakia switched to left-hand drive in 1938. South Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in 1946 (they had left-hand traffic imposed by the Japanese invaders), Sweden in 1963.

In the United States, transport initially moved on the left side, but the desire to contradict England in everything forced the Americans to take the right side. It is believed that the French general Marie Joseph Lafayette, a fighter for independence from Great Britain, was one of the ideologues of the transition to the right-hand drive in the States. Canada became "right-handed" only in the 1920s.

In England, left-hand traffic was legalized long before Napoleon, in 1756. A special bill ascribed to carriages, horsemen and pedestrians to move along London Bridge only on the left side. The penalty is a pound of silver. And 20 years later, the British adopted the "Road Act", thanks to which left-hand traffic became mandatory on all roads in the country. The old English maritime rule played its role in the recognition of the "left" side - ships should enter the harbor from the left side, sail - from the right. In 1830, the first Manchester-Liverpool railway line was launched traditionally - on the "left side".

Today in Europe only England, Ireland and Cyprus are left-hand traffic. However, all over the world there are many countries, especially the former colonies of Great Britain, where the "English" left is adhered to. Among them are Australia, Hong Kong, India, Pakistan, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Kenya, Japan ... ... The list goes on.

Is car traffic in Russia left-sided or right-sided? The answer to this question is quite simple. But what about other states? How do they drive on the roads of Africa, Britain or distant Australia?

Geography of the phenomenon: countries with left-hand traffic

The origin of a particular geographic phenomenon (incident) can be explained based on historical characteristics, features of national mentality, or random factors. So, all countries of the world are divided into two groups: states in which they drive on the right side, and those in which left-hand traffic is accepted. The first is much more, since right-handers predominate among the world's population. For such people, right-hand traffic is much more natural. But not all countries and peoples went "with the flow", adopting left-hand traffic.

In which countries of the planet is it widespread? On the left side, vehicles drive in 47 states of our planet (or about 34% of the world's population). Basically, these countries are concentrated in Oceania, Southeast Asia and South Africa.

The most famous example of a state where left-hand traffic is accepted is Great Britain. In this country, it was officially legalized back in 1756. Other notable examples are Australia, India, Jamaica, Indonesia, Japan, Thailand, South Africa. Most of these states are in Asia (17). In Europe, only three countries drive on the left side of the road: the UK, neighboring Ireland, and Malta.

All countries where left-hand traffic is accepted are marked in green on the map below.

Why is that? Hypotheses of the occurrence of left-sided movement

Left-hand traffic originated in Britain. There are two main versions of why the British decided to drive on the left side:

• marine;
• knightly.

Everyone knows that Britain is a maritime power. The traditions and rules of the open ocean have become very firmly established in the everyday life of the British. According to old rules, British ships had to go around each other exclusively on the left. It is assumed that later this rule also migrated to land.

The second hypothesis can be considered rather legendary. The knights of medieval England preferred to ride on the left side of the road: this way it was supposedly more convenient for them to greet other riders passing by, or to meet the enemy with a weapon in hand.

In the 18th-19th centuries, the tradition of left-hand traffic also spread to other countries of the world. Almost all of them were somehow connected with Britain: they were its colonies (like Australia), or were friends with it (like, for example, Japan).

States that changed the movement

There are many examples of countries changing their traffic patterns. This happened for various reasons: political, geographic, or quite pragmatic.

The most significant example of the transition to the opposite system of movement in Europe can be considered Sweden, which decided to take this step in 1967. This day (September 3) went down in the history of the state under the name N. Day. The reason was purely geographical: all countries neighboring Sweden were right-handed, which created a lot of problems when crossing the border. By the way, special and impressive road junctions are being built on the borders of countries with different directions of traffic. Such exist between Thailand and Laos, Brazil and Gaiana, China and Hong Kong.

Some states switched to a different scheme of movement solely on the principle of "annoy yesterday's occupants." This is what Korea did in 1946 when it freed itself from Japanese occupation. Also did the USA in 1776, declaring its independence from Britain.

There are examples in the world when countries switched from right-hand traffic to left-hand traffic. This is the island state of Samoa. The reason for this move is quite pragmatic: the country was oversaturated with used cars from Australia, in which the steering wheel was on the right side. The decision to switch to left-hand traffic in Samoa was made in 2009.

As for Russia, right-hand traffic has taken root here from the very beginning. True, in the Far East, in many cars, the steering wheel is located on the right side. The thing is that there are a lot of used cars here that came from Japan (where, as you know, the left-hand traffic scheme is adopted).

Finally

Researchers still cannot unequivocally answer the question of how left-hand traffic originated.

In which countries of the world is it distributed? Everything is simple here. First of all, this is Great Britain, as well as 46 other states. Almost all of them, to a greater or lesser extent, were connected with the former empire historically, and therefore introduced this unusual "habit" into their lives.

I travel a lot, including across Europe and have a category B driver's license. Once, in one of the countries with left-hand traffic, I had to rent a car. At first, it was a living hell - it was impossible to get used to the fact that you can calmly and even brazenly turn left, but on the other hand, when you turn right, you can skip everyone. Having hardly reached the hotel, I wondered where did this "fashion" for left-hand traffic come from?

Why is left-hand traffic in England

It all started with Romans... Since ancient times, Roman wars have been accustomed to holding their weapons in their right hand, which is why, in the event of an unexpected meeting with the enemy, the most advantageous position for them was on the left side of the street. The enemy in such a position immediately ran into a sharp spear, pilum or gladius.

After the Romans conquered the British Isles, movement on the left side became common. But? legislatively consolidated this order in England is only in 1756.

Which countries still have left-hand traffic

As everyone knows from history, England has always been a powerful empire with many colonies scattered around the world. But even after the countries gained independence, the order remained the same.

There are only three "left-handed" countries in Europe:

Concerning Asia, then the list of adherents of this type of movement includes 17 countries, in Asia there are 14, in South America - 3, in North - 4, in Oceania - 8.

Therefore, do not forget about this important detail for drivers when going on vacation to countries such as:

• Mozambique;

Countries that have changed the type of traffic

Answering the question why left-hand traffic in England, one cannot but tell that there are states that once abandoned left side... So they did USA, immediately after gaining independence from Great Britain. She behaved in the same way and Korea after World War II, liberated from the occupation of Japan. Several African countries changed traffic to the right-hand side because of the neighbors - the former French colonies, who were accustomed to the right-hand side. A special story was with Sweden. One fine day - day "N" - all the cars went the other way for economic reasons: they produced cars in this country, mostly left-hand drive.

Notes to the driver

Two days later, my distress over the inconvenience of what was happening suddenly resolved - I was just used to it. But, having returned home, having guided the car along the left lane, I started having problems. Now our usual right-hand traffic seemed terribly uncomfortable to me. In the first few minutes, I generally drove in the oncoming lane, parked on the left and even nearly got into an accident, remembering in time that when turning left, I had to skip oncoming traffic. That's why be vigilant and rebuild gradually without losing your head!

Historically, in most countries of the world the rule of right-hand traffic is adopted... But, there are a number of countries in which there is left-hand traffic. The most ardent representatives are UK, Australia, Japan, Singapore, South Africa and India. There is no exact data on why this happened, but there are many prerequisites that answer this question.

So, it is assumed that the first country in which left-hand traffic was adopted is England, since shipping was developed here and ships moved exclusively in a left-hand order. But first things first. In this article we will try to understand the rules of right-hand and left-hand traffic, describe their advantages and disadvantages, as well as the history of their origin.

1. History of the steering wheel location

The history of traffic rules, and as a result, the history of the location of the steering wheel goes back to antiquity. Historians suggest that the Romans faced the first rules. Presumably that in 50 BC Guy Julius Caesar created a number of rules, which had to obey the cabbies, the so-called carriage drivers.

Also, presumably in Rome there was a rule of left-hand traffic. This is evidenced by one of the found Roman denarius, which depicts two horsemen, who are dispersed on the left side. This is most likely due to the fact that most of the population is right-handed, including the riders and they were forced to hold a weapon in their right hand.

When the times of knights, horsemen and carriages have sunk into the past, the question arose again about the rules of the road, and, accordingly, which side should the steering wheel be located on. At the beginning of the 20th century, the first cars began to fill the streets en masse. At that time, right-hand traffic was adopted in most European countries, in England, Sweden and partly in Austria-Hungary- left-sided. In Italy, the movement was mixed. All this did not pose a danger, since there were not many cars, and their speed was minimal.

In countries with right-hand traffic, it is logical that the steering wheel was located on the right. It was believed that this makes it easier for the driver to overtake. Moreover, the right-hand drive is reflected in the layout of the engine components. In order to shorten the length of the rods, both magneto were located on the right side of the engine. Over the years, cars became more and more, and the question arose about safety during overtaking. The first to produce a left-hand drive car was the world-famous Ford corporation. In 1908, the legendary model "T".

After that, Europeans, who produced public cars, also switched to "left-hand drive", but manufacturers of high-speed brands retained the "right-hand drive" rule. According to another assumption, it follows that the location of the steering wheel on the left side is convenient because the driver does not go out onto the carriageway, but safely gets on the sidewalk.

An interesting situation has developed in Sweden. Until 1967, left-hand traffic operated in this country, despite the fact that the steering wheel of cars was on the right side. But on September 3, 1967, all cars stopped overnight and smoothly switched to right-hand traffic. To do this, the Swedes in the capital had to suspend traffic for a day in order to change the road signs.

2. The situation in Europe, Asia, Africa, America, Australia

The situation with right-hand and left-hand traffic in different countries of the world evolved in different ways. It is worth considering the most prominent representatives who, over the years, have established the rules of the road, based not only on the location of the steering wheel, but also on the physiological characteristics of a person.

So, after the appearance of cars in Europe, there was a complete mess, which was associated precisely with right-hand and left-hand traffic. Most countries adhered to the right-hand traffic, which has been adopted since the reign of Napoleon. At the same time, countries such as Great Britain, Sweden and partially Austria-Hungary adhered to the left-hand traffic. As mentioned above, in Italy, each city had its own rules. Today, left-hand traffic is present in such European countries as the United Kingdom, Ireland, Malta, as well as Cyprus (if it is considered Europe).

In Asia there are many more countries that adhere to left-hand traffic, in particular Japan, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Indonesia, Thailand, Nepal, Malaysia, Singapore, Bangladesh, Macau, Brunei, Bhutan, East Timor and the Maldives.

As for Africa, there are also several countries with left-hand traffic, namely: South Africa, Botswana, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Namibia, Mozambique, Mauritius, as well as Swaziland and Lesotho.

The United States stuck to left-hand traffic until the late 18th century, when there was a smooth transition to right-hand traffic. It is believed that this change was facilitated by a French-born general who fought for the independence of the "states" from the British crown. As for Canada, here until the 20s of the 20th century they adhered to the left-hand traffic. But in such Latin American countries as Jamaica, Barbados, Guyana, Suriname, as well as Antigua, Barbuda and the Bahamas, they still drive on the left.

Supports the rules of left-hand traffic and Australia, which is the second country in the world in the number of cars per capita. Countries such as New Guinea, New Zealand, Fiji, Samoa, and Nauru and Tonga.

While Britain is seen as the main culprit in left-hand traffic, France has largely contributed to right-hand traffic. So, in 1789, during the Great French Revolution, a decree was issued in Paris, which clearly indicated all vehicles to move on the right side, that is, along the common side. Also, Napoleon played a significant role, who at one time ordered the army to keep to the right side. All this had an impact on many countries in Europe.

3. The main differences between right and left-hand traffic

Right-hand and left-hand traffic implies differences in vehicle designs. As a rule, the driver's seat and steering wheel are located on the left in cars that are designed for right-hand traffic, respectively, in cars for left-hand traffic, the driver's seat and steering wheel are on the right. There are also cars in which the driver's seat is located in the center, for example, the McLaren F1. Also have differences (left and right). But the arrangement of the pedals is in order, the brake, gas was originally inherent in left-hand drive cars, and today it has become the standard for right-hand drive cars.

In general, the main rule of right-hand traffic is to keep to the right, and left-hand traffic is to the left. Of course, for right-handers it is initially quite difficult to switch to left-hand traffic, but it is enough to try several times and everything will fall into place quickly enough.

4. Disadvantages and advantages of left-hand traffic

Speaking about the advantages and disadvantages of left-hand traffic, the design of the car cannot be ruled out, since the safety of the driver and his passengers depends on it. Although right-hand drive cars are intended for left-hand traffic, they are also operated on the right-hand side. Moreover, it is considered safe because in a collision, the impact falls on the left side and the likelihood that the driver will not be injured is much higher.

RHD cars are much less likely to be stolen (in countries with right-hand traffic), as many people find them inconvenient and not functional. Also, the location of the steering wheel on the right side allows the driver to get out of the car not onto the roadway, but onto the sidewalk, which is also much safer.

The driver's unaccustomed gaze from the right side allows you to assess the situation on the road from a different angle, which can lead to a reduction in unforeseen situations. At the same time, there are a number of disadvantages that play an important role not only in left-hand traffic, but also in the right-hand drive. So, overtaking on a right-hand drive car is quite inconvenient. The problem can be solved by installing a well thought out mirror system.

In general, the only drawback of left-hand traffic is that it is not widespread. Today, more than 66% of the population adhere to the right-hand drive, and the transition to the left-hand drive creates a number of inconveniences. Moreover, only 28% of the world's roads are left-handed... There is also no difference between left-hand traffic and right-hand traffic, just everything happens with a mirror image, which makes drivers who are accustomed to right-hand traffic confused.

There are also exceptions to the rule. So, in Odessa and St. Petersburg there are streets with left-hand traffic, which are designed to unload the streets from a large number of cars. Also, in Paris on the Avenue General Lemonnier (the only street in Europe), they adhere to the left-hand traffic.

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If there were no England, there would be no "right" rudder. The validity of this statement in automotive circles has been arguing for more than a dozen years.

The AIF tried to figure out why the left-hand traffic pattern took root in the UK and how this affected other countries of the world.

Why is it customary in England to drive on the left side of the road?

The British authorities legislated the norm to drive on the left side of the road in 1756. Violation of the bill provided for an impressive fine - a pound of silver.

There are two main versions that explain why England made a choice in favor of left-hand traffic in the middle of the 18th century.

Roman version

In ancient Rome, they adhered to the left-hand traffic. This approach was explained by the fact that the legionnaires held a weapon in their right hand. And therefore, in the event of an unexpected meeting with the enemy, it was more profitable for them to be on the left side of the road. The enemy thus fell directly on the chopping hand. After the Romans conquered the British Isles in 45 AD, Leftism could spread to England. This version is supported by the results of archaeological expeditions. In 1998, a Roman quarry was excavated in Wiltshire in the southwest of England, near which the left track was broken more than the right.

Marine version

Previously, the British could only get to Europe by waterway. Therefore, maritime traditions have firmly entered the culture of this people. In the old days, English ships had to bypass the oncoming vessel on the left side. Subsequently, this custom could spread to the roads.

Right-hand traffic is enshrined in modern international shipping rules.

How did English "leftism" spread all over the world?

Most left-sided countries have chosen this particular traffic pattern due to the following circumstances:

Colonial factor.

Back in the middle of the last century, Great Britain was an empire over which the sun never set. Most of the former colonies scattered around the world, after gaining independence, decided to keep their usual left-hand traffic.

The political factor.

During the Great French Revolution, a decree was issued, which ordered all residents of the republic to move along the "common" right side of the road. When Napoleon Bonaparte came to power, the scheme of the movement turned into a political argument. In those states that supported Napoleon - Holland, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain - right-hand traffic was established. On the other hand, those who opposed France - Great Britain, Austria-Hungary, Portugal - turned out to be "leftists". Subsequently, left-hand traffic in these three countries was preserved only in the United Kingdom.

Political friendship with Great Britain contributed to the introduction of "leftism" on the roads in Japan: in 1859, Queen Victoria's ambassador, Sir Rutherford Alcock, convinced the authorities of the island nation to accept left-hand traffic.

When was right-hand traffic established in Russia?

In Russia, the norms of right-hand traffic were formed back in the Middle Ages. The Danish envoy under Peter I, Yust Yul, wrote in 1709 that "in the Russian Empire it is everywhere in the custom that carts and sledges, meeting each other, disperse, keeping to the right side." In 1752, Empress Elizaveta Petrovna consolidated this norm by law, issuing a decree on the introduction of right-hand traffic for carriages and cabbies on the streets of the cities of the empire.
Countries that have changed the movement

History knows many examples when countries switched from one traffic pattern to another. States did this for the following reasons:

"In spite of yesterday's occupants"

The United States switched to driving on the right side of the road after independence from Britain in 1776.

Korea switched to right-hand traffic after the end of the Japanese occupation in 1946.

Geographic feasibility

Many former British colonies in Africa switched to right-hand traffic in the mid-1960s and early 1970s. Sierra Leone, Gambia, Nigeria and Ghana did this for convenience: around them were the "right-handed" former French colonies.

Sweden is the last to change direction in Europe. In 1967, the so-called "H" Day * took place there, when all the cars of the kingdom changed to another lane. The reason for the transition to the "right" lay not only in geography, but also in the economy. Most of the countries where the cars made in Sweden went to use the left-hand drive.

In 2009, Samoa switched to left-hand traffic. This was due to the large number of used right-hand drive vehicles supplied to the country from Australia and New Zealand.
"Left" exceptions

In right-handed countries there is room for left-handed exceptions. So, on a small street of General Lemonnier (350 meters long) in Paris, move on the left side. There are small areas with left-hand traffic in Odessa (Vysoky lane), in Moscow (passing to Leskova street), in St. on the street.Mordovtseva).
Which traffic is safer?

According to experts, which side you are driving on does not affect the degree of traffic safety - it is just a matter of habit.

Countries with left-hand traffic

The global ratio of right-hand to left-hand roads is 72% and 28%, with 66% of the world's drivers driving on the right side and 34% on the left.