The English say they drive on the right side of the road, on the left; us too, on the right. After all, in this dispute, who leads on the right side? Who is right? Will it be the English or most of the world?
Why drive left?
THE left circulation it dates back to medieval times, when horseback riding was on the left to leave the right hand free to handle the sword. However, more than a rule, it was a custom. To put an end to the doubts, in 1300 Pope Boniface VIII determined that all pilgrims bound for Rome should keep to the left side of the road, in order to organize the flow. This system prevailed until the 18th century, when Napoleon reversed everything—and since we're in one of history, thank you General Wellington for defending us against Napoleonic advances.The bad tongues say that Napoleon took this decision because he supposedly was left-handed, however, the thesis of being to facilitate the identification of enemy troops is more consistent. The regions dominated by the Emperor of France adhered to the new traffic model, while the British Empire remained faithful to the medieval system. . It was what was most needed, the English copying the French. Never! A matter of honor.
Medieval Formula 1 drivers, which is like saying “chariot drivers”, also used the whip with the right hand to spur their horses, while holding the reins with the left hand and therefore circling to the left to avoid hurt passersby. A whole palette of stories we find repeated here and there. So don't have the unfortunate idea of asking an Englishman why he drives on the left! You run the risk of him stuffing your eardrums with “boring-historical” arguments.
Countries with circulation to the left
Well… let's not hit the UK anymore. There are other “culprits”. The fact is that currently it circulates on the left in 34% of the countries in the world . In Europe we have four: Cyprus, Ireland, Malta and the United Kingdom. Outside Europe, the “Lefters” are mostly former British colonies that are now part of the Commonwealth, although there are exceptions. We went “to the Discoveries” to present you a world list:
Australia, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Botswana, Brunei, Bhutan, Dominica, Fiji, Grenada, Guyana, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Solomon Islands, Jamaica, Japan, Macau, Malaysia, Malawi, Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, New Zealand, Kenya, Kiribati, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Lucia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, South Africa, Suriname, Thailand , Timor-Leste, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
During the 20th century, many countries that circulated on the left started to drive on the right . But there were also those who opted for the opposite path: it was going to the right and now it is going to be going to the left. This is the case in Namibia. In addition, there are still those countries with strong cultural contrasts, as in Spain, which had a normative division, until right-wing movement was definitively imposed.
What if, suddenly, they decided to change the circulation rule installed in a country?
In the middle of this bath of handwritten History and Geography, there is finally a photograph that is worth a thousand words and that remained for posterity. In 1967, the Swedish parliament introduced a change in the direction of circulation to the right, without considering the popular vote (82% voted against). The image portrays the reflection of the chaos that has been generated in Kungsgatan, one of the main streets in the center of Stockholm. In it, you can see dozens of vehicles arranged as if it were a rooster game and hundreds of mirons circulating in the middle, in such an anarchy that it is pathetic.
A year later, Iceland followed in Sweden's footsteps and took the same step. Today, as it is unthinkable for us to drive on the left again, it is equally offensive for the UK to think of abandoning its ancestral tradition.
And you, what would you do if one day you woke up and were forced to drive on the left in Portugal?