Why were right-sided driving cars ever made in the first place?

[MoodyBlues]

I was watching Top Gear on BBC America yesterday, and a question struck me: WHY were right-sided driving vehicles ever made?! The VAST, overwhelming majority of people on this planet are right-handed. So who came up with the brilliant idea of shifting left-handed? And why?

 

[mikedt]

The Romans apparently....

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right-_and_left-hand_traffic

Probably because in those days chariots didn't have gear sticks. It could just have been the personal preference of Ceasar or something. I guess it might be a legacy thing and countries like the UK stuck with it, as did much of the British Empire, except for Canada most notably.

Red drives on the right.
Blue drives on the left.

Looks like most countries with driving on the left are ex-British Empire.
BTW years ago, the UK used to get many used cars imported from Japan. Although why is Japan driving on the left? - that wasn't British Empire I don't think. China used to drive on the left until 1946, Hong Kong and Macao still do.

 

[Screech]

Back in the carriage days I don't know that seating location on the carriage matter as they were so slow and I think the driver sat in the middle in most cases to keep the reins even. As far as sitting position in the car, sitting closer to the middle of the road give better visibility of on coming traffic while you are behind other vehicles and makes turning on to a road on the opposite side of the road safer.

 

[MoodyBlues]

Back in the carriage days I don't know that seating location on the carriage matter as they were so slow and I think the driver sat in the middle in most cases to keep the reins even. As far as sitting position in the car, sitting closer to the middle of the road give better visibility of on coming traffic while you are behind other vehicles and makes turning on to a road on the opposite side of the road safer.

I just don't get why left-handed shifting seemed like a good idea...to anyone!

 

[SiempreTuna]

WHY were right-sided driving vehicles ever made?!

Because driving a left hand drive car in a right hand drive country is a PITA

Like when you go to a car park and have to shuffle across the passenger seat to get a ticket

I just don't get why left-handed shifting seemed like a good idea...to anyone!

.. well, you could argue that because most people are right handed, when they're changing gear with the left they're steering with the right and not hitting things could be considered a tad more important than not fluffing the odd gear change

Probably because in those days chariots didn't have gear sticks. It could just have been the personal preference of Ceasar or something

It was because most people are right handed and when you approach a potential threat, you want it on the side where you have your sword / spear - plus

 

[Hadron]

I just don't get why left-handed shifting seemed like a good idea...to anyone!

I guess I don't understand this extreme lateralisation

Changing gears hardly seems a precise task, so I can't see why it would bother anyone which hand was used. I swap regularly as I travel, and never found that bit to be an issue.

 

[dibblebill]

MOre importantly, ther'es a US Top Gear? I didn't know it existed, and still insist that it doesn't.

 

[SiempreTuna]

I think Moody was watching the UK version on BBC America

But I do seem to remember there being an attempt to set up a US version - I'm sure they played a clip of it and it was just .. wrong. The presenter were way too .. nice.

 

[Mehta23]

The explanation I've heard is that because most people are right handed, most people would pass a enemy so that they are on the left. And I think it was Napoleon who was left handed and demanded that everyone else passed on the right.

I found this on the Internet so it's completely possible that this is wrong.

 

[dibblebill]

I think Moody was watching the UK version on BBC America

But I do seem to remember there being an attempt to set up a US version - I'm sure they played a clip of it and it was just .. wrong. The presenter were way too .. nice.

I see that now, I misread the OP. I still insist there is no US Top Gear.

 

[SiempreTuna]

And I think it was Napoleon who was left handed and demanded that everyone else passed on the right

Yeah, I'd always thought it was Napoleon who switched the sides - or at least, it was changed during the French Revolution and Napoleon rolled it out when he went on his european 'tour' - but I tried checking some time back and couldn't find anything about that anywhere.

Also, the theory doesn't really stack up, given Napoleon never got to many of the countries (e.g. China) that now drive on the wrong side of the road - or wasn't there long enough to change anything (e.g. Russia).

The US you could explain by the fact it was essentially the French wot kicked the Brits out of there in 1776 .. with a little help from a couple of locals, I heard

 

[Harry2]

My guess: The reason for right-sided driving cars extends far into the history A knight has to go (sit) at a lady's right side because he would need the space at his right side for to draw and use its sword if he has to fight off any danger for the lady.

Edit: His left hand holds his gear (-> gearbox??), pardon his shield for the lady's protection.

 

[Slug]

The "knight-in-shining-armour" explanation is the one usually accepted for the reason the UK drive on the lhs; passing occurs on the right, most commonly the side weapons were wielded. Similarly Napoleon's southpaw nature is upheld for continental Europe's preference for the rhs.

As to left-handed gear shifting....

(a) it puts the gearchange on the centreline of a rhd vehicle, making linkage to the gearbox more straightforward.
(b) it's a piece of cake when that's what you learn.

 

[MoodyBlues]

Thanks for all the great comments!

Personally--and I'm right-handed--I steer left-handed way more than I do right-handed. (When I'm driving fast I actually have both hands on the wheel! ) And, of course, I shift right-handed since I'm in the US and everything, and have never bought a right-sided vehicle.

The thing is, when I resumed driving after breaking my right wrist (which had made my right hand unusable for many months), my hand and arm were weak and it was hard for me to shift. I remember at the time thinking, or wondering, I guess, if that was anything like shifting with your non-dominant hand. I specifically recall having a lot of problems getting into reverse...to such a degree that I started parking in spaces where I could pull through to the space in front, so I wouldn't have to go into reverse when I was leaving.

The whole 'right-sided driver for right-sided driving' thing doesn't really do the trick, because if the vehicles had been designed for right-handed people, i.e., with the driver on the left, then it would've followed that driving would've been on the right, for the very reasons some of you have given. So that's a moot point.

And, yes, I was watching the British Top Gear, but I do seem to recall that there was an American version. Oh...I just looked it up. There *IS* a US version! I don't watch it.

 

[Gmash]

The US Top Gear isn't THAT bad. Granted, it can't compare to the original, but it's still entertaining car porn.

 

[MoodyBlues]

As to left-handed gear shifting....

(a) it puts the gearchange on the centreline of a rhd vehicle, making linkage to the gearbox more straightforward.

I don't understand. The gearbox is located in the same place regardless of which side the driver is on, isn't it? I mean if I go outside and take a picture right now inside my Toyota RAV4, its gearshift is right smack in the middle, with identical seats on its left and right. I could [theoretically] move the steering wheel [and its related mechanisms] over to the passenger

side and the gearbox/gearshift would still be where it was originally. Or is there more to it than that? (Keep in mind I haven't exactly spent a lot of time working on cars. I can use the "I'm a girl!" excuse, but really, working on cars is just not my thing.)

(b) it's a piece of cake when that's what you learn.

That I can absolutely see. ​

 

[MoodyBlues]

MOre importantly, ther'es a US Top Gear? I didn't know it existed, and still insist that it doesn't.

It does.

 

[mikedt]

I don't understand. The gearbox is located in the same place regardless of which side the driver is on, isn't it? I mean if I go outside and take a picture right now inside my Toyota RAV4, its gearshift is right smack in the middle, with identical seats on its left and right. I could [theoretically] move the steering wheel [and its related mechanisms] over to the passenger

side and the gearbox/gearshift would still be where it was originally. Or is there more to it than that? (Keep in mind I haven't exactly spent a lot of time working on cars. I can use the "I'm a girl!" excuse, but really, working on cars is just not my thing.)​

​

I do believe it can be done, probably very expensive though, probably need a complete new dashboard a least, and would have to move the pedals as well, not just the steering wheel and column. Although in some countries, like Hong Kong, owning and driving a wrong-side drive vehicle is actually illegal, unless you're just visiting and touring. Because you're sat on the near-side rather than the off-side, and so will have restricted visibility when trying to overtake, i.e. you might have to pull-out further to see if it's clear to overtake a slower vehicle.​

 

[mikedt]

Some vehicles the gear shift is on the dash or even the steering column. I'm sure the Toyota Hiace was one with a column gear change, I know it took some getting used to when I borrowed one once.

Having spent most of my life in the UK and coming to China, took me a bit of getting used to things being on the opposite side.

 

[MoodyBlues]

Some vehicles the gear shift is on the dash or even the steering column. I'm sure the Toyota Hiace was one with a column gear change, I know it took some getting used to when I borrowed one once.

Do you mean for manual transmissions? I've driven automatics [many...many years ago] that had steering column gearshifts, but not manuals.

Having spent most of my life in the UK and coming to China, took me a bit of getting used to things being on the opposite side.

I'll bet! When my daughter lived in the UK after college, she had to get used to looking right-left-right, after always doing it left-right-left. Took some getting used to! (BTW, this is the same daughter who moaned and groaned that "all my friends are learning on automatics!" in high school, and I said, "well, your father and I both have manuals...and if you want to drive them, you'll have to learn how!" After living in and visiting many foreign countries since then, she's uber-appreciative that we 'made' her learn on stick shift vehicles. )

 

[SiempreTuna]

And, of course, I shift right-handed since I'm in the US

I thought all cars in the US were automatic

Do you mean for manual transmissions? I've driven automatics [many...many years ago] that had steering column gearshifts, but not manuals

They had 'em back in the day. I had a Renault in the early 80s with a manual shirt that came out the dashboard.

I'll bet! When my daughter lived in the UK after college, she had to get used to looking right-left-right, after always doing it left-right-left. Took some getting used to!

I had my first couple of cars in Holland during my gap year so got used to driving LHD cars. When I went home to the UK and drove my dad's car he could not understand why I kept hitting the door every time I went to change gear

After living in and visiting many foreign countries since then, she's uber-appreciative that we 'made' her learn on stick shift vehicles. )

I'd have thought she'd be uber-appreciative after the first time she drove an automatic - they're horrific! You put your foot down and all that happens is the volume increases. It feels like 5 minutes before the car finally realises it's supposed to do something. Seems all you get to do is make suggestions and hope the car deems to follow them

Might be the autos I've driven, of course - I think the last one was an Audi A4 loaner.

And don't get me started on those flappy paddle things OK, they fix the whole left side / right side thing but that's the ONLY good thing about them. Otherwise, they're the all the disadvantages of auto combined with all the disadvantages of manual.

Give me a proper gear lever, in the middle where the gods of engineering intended.

I wouldn't want the gear lever on the door side - I had a Porsche years ago that had the handbrake between the seat and the door - that was awkward enough to make you avoid using it apart from when parking - which would be a fail in a UK driving test as you're supposed to use it whenever stationary, like at traffic lights (at least, used to be that way .. of course, in my day they'd only just changed from the entire test consisting of "giddy up" and "whoa").

 

[MoodyBlues]

I thought all cars in the US were automatic

Not MY cars!

I learned how to drive on an automatic, so you'd think there'd be that "whatever you learn on is what you're comfortable with [or like better, etc.]" thing. But not for me. Once I started driving stick shifts, I never wanted to go back.

They had 'em back in the day. I had a Renault in the early 80s with a manual shirt that came out the dashboard.

Weird. I'm not sure I'd like that.

I had my first couple of cars in Holland during my gap year so got used to driving LHD cars. When I went home to the UK and drove my dad's car he could not understand why I kept hitting the door every time I went to change gear

:laugh:

I'd have thought she'd be uber-appreciative after the first time she drove an automatic - they're horrific! You put your foot down and all that happens is the volume increases. It feels like 5 minutes before the car finally realises it's supposed to do something. It's like all you get to do is make suggestions and hope car deems to follow them

Exactly! In my opinion, you're not really DRIVING if you're using an automatic transmission. Much like my computers' operating systems, *I* want to be in control of what my car does and when and why. I don't want a vehicle 'thinking' for me and doing things on its own. If I want to downshift, by golly I'm going to downshift. Or upshift. Or brake. Or whatever! I don't want or need any hand-holding.

And don't get me started on those flappy paddle things

You and me both.

As for the position of the gear lever, it kinda has to be in the middle.

But that's part of my confusion on the whole left-sided/right-sided thing. I don't see how the driver's position, either on the left or right, affects anything when it comes to the gears. But according to some of the comments here, right-sided driving has some advantage...and I don't get it.

I had a Porsche years ago that had the handbrake between the seat and the door. That was awkward enough ..

I can only imagine. Between the seat and the door?! Strange. I started driving manuals exclusively somewhere in the early '80s, and every vehicle I've owned since then has had its handbrake in the center (between the driver's and passenger's seats), right behind the gearshift.

 

[SiempreTuna]

But that's part of my confusion on the whole left-sided/right-sided thing. I don't see how the driver's position, either on the left or right, affects anything when it comes to the gears

I guess it's because the gear box used to be located in the centre so it was easier to engineer with the gear lever in the centre, too. Not sure that's true of modern, front wheel drive cars but I guess it's now expected to be in the centre.

Certainly, you could put the gear lever on the side. I once drove a Formula Ford monocoque on a track day which had an actual gear lever (rather than paddles) on the side, between the driver and the outer skin of the car (it was on the left, as it happens). It was actually pretty awkward and only worked because the degree of movement in the stick was tiny.

I can only imagine. Between the seat and the door?! Strange

Tell me .. I think I've also seen that in a Ferrari .. but I could be wrong. I was only in the Ferrari for 2 laps and, even at my pathetically slow speed, there wasn't much call for a handbrake

 

[dibblebill]

It does.

That's not Top Gear. It's Top Wanker.


Fiat 500's in the US have a gearshift in the entertainment console, even the manual ones.

 

[Slug]

it puts the gearchange on the centreline of a rhd vehicle, making linkage to the gearbox more straightforward

I don't understand. The gearbox is located in the same place regardless of which side the driver is on, isn't it?

Yes, but in a rhd car having the gearshift on the driver's right would make it torturous to connect to the 'box. Plus it would be cramped and difficult to use, squeezed between seat and door. Exactly the same as having a lhd 'shift in US cars.

That's the traditional approach. Electronic clutches and 'fly-by-wire' tech more or less eliminate such issues.