Why do cars have steering wheel on the Right in India and on the left in America? The answer may surprise you

Why do cars have steering wheel on the Right in India and on the left in America?

If you've ever sat in a car from a different country, this difference hits you immediately. In India, the steering wheel is on the right side. In America, it's on the left. Why does this happen? It actually goes back centuries, long before cars even existed.

It all starts with which side of the road each country drives on. India drives on the left side of the road. America drives on the right. And the position of the steering wheel follows directly from that.

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Here's the logic. When you drive on the left side of the road, you need to watch oncoming traffic on your right. So sitting on the right side of the car gives the driver a better view of the road ahead and the centre line. It makes overtaking safer and easier. That's why countries like India, the UK, Australia, and Japan all have right-hand drive cars.

In countries like America, France, and Germany, traffic moves on the right side of the road. So the driver sits on the left to get a clear view of oncoming traffic and the road's centre line. Simple logic, same principle.

Now, why does India drive on the left in the first place? That goes back to British colonial rule. Britain has driven on the left for centuries, and the habit likely started with horse riders who carried swords on their left hip. Riding on the left kept them ready to defend against oncoming threats on their right. 

When the British colonised India, they brought their road rules with them. India kept those rules even after independence in 1947. America, on the other hand, moved to right-hand traffic after breaking away from British rule.