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** Reply to message from "David Towle" <davidtowle@lycosmail.com> on Sat, 02
Feb 2002 02:07:34 +0400

> Do you realize that is exactly what was done in Sweden in I think 1967? They
> decided to match the rest of the civilized world ;) and one day everything just
> switched from left hand to right hand side driving.

Although Sweden drove on the left until 1967, they always used LHD cars. I've
heard 2 different explanations for this, and don't ask me which one, or both,
are correct!

1) The first cars imported into Sweden were LHD, and the domestic mfrs followed
suit.

2) Because most Swedish-built cars are built for export, mfrs have felt they
couldn't justify building a small number of RHD cars for the domestic market.

So, the reason for the switch was that driving is pretty hairy when you're
sitting on the wrong side of the car for the side of the road you're on!
Pre-'67, Swedish drivers preferred to have a passenger riding shotgun for
passing maneuvers.

As a matter of interest, I've read that the province of British Columbia,
Canada, drove on the left until 1922.

And there are so many used RHD Japanese cars in the Russian Far East that
they've proposed switching to left-hand traffic there. Given that I don't think
it's possible to drive out of the RFE, that actually makes sense.

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