Why do we drive on the left hand side of the road?

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Why do we drive on the left hand side of the road? Thanks for asking.
According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, the United States alone sees as many as 430 deaths per year due to wrong way crashes. That might be hard to believe as for most of us, driving on the right side of the road is as automatic as brushing our teeth. But there is of course a divide between countries that drive on the left and those that drive on the right. How far back does the tradition of driving on the left go?
In ancient times, driving wasn't really regulated, but it was nevertheless the norm to drive on the left. And it's down in no small part to the fact that the majority of people are right handed. In ancient Greece, Rome and Egypt, soldiers and cavalrymen carried their swords and shields on the left to draw more easily with their right hands when needed.
That meant they naturally ended up walking on the left hand side of the road. Similarly, during the Middle Ages, horsemen rode on the left side of the road while holding the reins on the same side so they could draw their swords or salute with their right hands. It also meant that they wouldn't touch swords with other riders passing by, which could be interpreted as a challenge to a duel.
When did that change in some parts of the world? In the 18th century, the Conestoga wagon became popular for transporting wheat in the United States. First appearing in Pennsylvania, it had four large wheels and was pulled by six to eight mules harnessed in pairs. The Conestoga didn't have a driver's seat, so the driver would sit on the left horse of the last pair. That was most convenient because it allowed them to hold their whip with their right hand and thus better control the horses. People began driving on the right hand side to prevent collisions between passing wagons or inadvertent whippings of other road users. In 1792, Pennsylvania officially adopted driving on the right hand side and the other US states followed suit. The Conestoga wagon quickly spread to Europe, but not to England, where a smaller model with only one pair of horses was more popular. To avoid bothering passengers when whipping, drivers sat on the right hand side with the whip in their right hand. That explains why we still drive on the left hand side of the road in the United Kingdom to this day. What about in other countries? A third of countries in the world still drive on the left. Most of them are former British colonies such as India, Australia, Jamaica and countries in Southern Africa. In 2009, Samoa actually switched from right hand driving, which had been inherited from German colonisation, to left hand driving. That was in order to buy cheaper second hand cars from Japan, New Zealand and Australia, which are manufactured with right hand steering. Of course, Japan isn't a former British colony, but they also drive on the left. Japan maintained this tradition as it was closed off from the outside world until 1854 Upon opening up, it developed close ties with the English, who brought them industrial expertise, in particular in the automotive sector. There you have it.
Now you know why we drive on the left hand side of the road. In under three minutes, we answer your questions and help you understand the true meaning behind the trends, concepts, and acronyms that are making headlines. Listen along and you will really know for sure.