Here's why Americans drive on the right and the UK drives on the left

I drove out to rural Amish country in Pennsylvania to answer a question I’ve had since 2015 when I was in London. I wondered why I was driving on the ‘wrong’ side of the road in the UK. The UK isn’t the only country that drives on the left, around 30% of the world does. The Conestoga wagon in Pennsylvania played a key role in the history of driving. Developed in the early 1700s, it had controls on the left side, which positioned the driver in the middle of the road. Eventually, the Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike Road was created in 1795, requiring traffic to stay on the right. In 1804, New York became the first state in the US to mandate right-side driving. Henry Ford is often credited for standardizing right-side driving in the US, but this practice was established long before. The French revolution government influenced the switch to driving on the right in France, which was spread by Napoleon Bonaparte as his armies marched through Europe. The left side of the road was traditionally reserved for the wealthy classes, and forcing everyone to drive on the right side eliminated class distinctions. Britain went the opposite way from France due to differing types of conveyance used. There have been consequences and crashes when countries switched sides. Drivers should take extra precautions when driving on the opposite side, such as keeping the radio off and having a passenger for assistance. Rental agencies in the UK provide reminders for driving on the left.