HISTORY OF THE LEFT HAND RULE OF ROAD

Chronicle (Levin), 18 June 1947, Page 7

HISTORY OF THE LEFT HAND RULE OF ROAD

"Keeping to the left was probably the natural thing to do when man was governed by instinct and was not ord ered by.law," stated the secretary oi the Automobile Association of Great , Britain, Mr. Edward Fryer, in.a lettei to the N.I.M.U. which was reeeived by A.A. Manawatu last night. "Going back a long way, priinitive man became right-handed and tha.1 settled the hold on his stone club. His wife would have carried tlie baby on her left arrrr to leave the other free for her duties in the cave. Later; nxan carried a sward and .it is a reasonable conjecture that he kept over to the left, with" his ladye f air e on his left, with sword arm free to engage On the right. The cavalier mounted his horse from the left and doubtless rode on that side when .faced with- eombat. "The horse-driver has always sat on the right of the box with free play for whip. That's where the British steering wheel is today and it's a bet they would iind it mord convenient to keep left when encountering other vehicles. Finally,. even in America, where they drive on the right, raeehorses and athletes run aroiind on the left." ' ' A rough suromary. showed that 65 territories and 1, 145.81. millions of population, adhere to the) left rule, and 66 territories wdth 835.29 nillio'ns adhere to the right," he concluded.