Eli5: If we drive on the right, the driver sits on the left; if we drive on the left, the driver sits on the right. Is there a reason/advantage for this?

Question

Recently back to Canada from Dublin, and driving here after taking a week to get used to opposite-land got me wondering.

In: 4

Answer 1

It makes it easier to overtake.

If you are driving on the left, you typically overtake another vehicle moving in the same direction from the right ( and from the left if you are driving on the right…i will continue the rest of explanation from left hand driving country perspective ).

Having the driver situated on the side of the incoming traffic makes it easier for the driver to pull slightly to the right, assess what is the situation in front of the vehicle she wants to overtake and decide. Especially important in smaller roads which don’t have road dividers or multiple lanes for traffic.