Ever noticed that in India and the UK, cars stick to the left side of the road — but in the US or France, they drive on the right? It’s not a driving mistake — it’s all about history!Long ago, when people travelled on horseback, they usually rode on the left. Why? Because most were right-handed and wanted to keep their sword arm free in case of danger. So staying left meant being ready for any surprise attack. Makes sense, right?But in places like the US and France, things changed. As wagons got bigger, drivers sat on the left-side horse and needed their right hand to control the team. To see better and avoid crashes, they began driving on the right side of the road.When the British came to India, they brought their left-side driving rule with them. Even after independence, India (like Australia, South Africa, and Japan) kept that system. That’s why today, we still drive on the left!So it’s not about who’s doing it wrong — it’s just different traditions and clever old logic. About one-third of the world drives on the left, and two-thirds on the right.Next time you’re watching Paddington, James Bond, or Cars 2, look closely — you might be able to guess where the scene is set just by watching the traffic!The Romans did it firstArchaeologists found that Roman carts wore down the left side of roads more than the right, showing that left-side travel is truly ancient.Samurais shaped Japan’s trafficJapanese warriors wore swords on their left hip and passed each other on the left to avoid bumping weapons.Cars decided Thailand’s rulesThailand imported its earliest cars from Britain, so it followed the British system of left-side driving.Sweden flipped — in one day!On "H Day" in 1967, Sweden switched from left to right driving overnight. Traffic was chaotic, but the plan worked.Why Indian cars have right-side steeringIn left-driving countries like India, the steering wheel is on the right so drivers can better see the road’s centre.Napoleon may be to blameMany countries that drive on the right today — like France and the USA — were influenced by Napoleon, who insisted on right-side marching and riding.One country, two systemsIn China, people drive on the right — but in Hong Kong and Macau, they drive on the left. So the same country has different rules depending on the region!
