USVI-On-Line

Since the Danish have been driving on the right since the 1700's, I was curious why the U.S. Virgin Islands (which were once Danish) still drive on the left. Why did the Danish not drive on the right on the islands during the 1700's and on? Where did this driving custom originate for St. John and St. Thomas? I understand why the BVIs drive on the left due to the long time influence. Did that nearby influence from the British cause the driving rules of today throughout all the Virgin Islands?

The United States didn't want to do the same things as our past enemy (England) and made allies with France (they drove on the right). In fact, anywhere Napoleon had influence he made sure they drove on the right, but of course England escaped his clutch. Most of Europe drives on the right.
General Lafayette (French) recommended a keep right rule as part of the help that he gave the Americans in the build up to the war of Independence.

I like the reason we learned from Captain Brandi. That originally, before cars were brought to the island, everyone rode or transported items via donkey. The donkeys naturally passed each other on the left. So once the cars came, that was all anyone knew.... True story! Love that one....

I've heard the donkey story before, but this is the story that I've been able to find...

Narrow roads with big drop offs if you fall off. If the driver is close to the shoulder of the road they have better sight and can tell house close they can get to the edge of the road before they fall off. This makes sense to me. I watch people in the often crowded, double parked, parking lot of Wharfside Village trying to navigate their cars through the lot and they are always WAY closer to whatever is on their left than they are on the right, hard to see the edge of your car over there.

The U.S. Virgin Islands are the only United States territory which drives on the left. This was inherited from what was then-current Danish practice at the time of annexation, to limit losses of livestock.

Don't know if that is true, but it was on the inter-webs so I believe it

Driving vehicles on the left makes since for a place where livestock might be moved to the right due to them being slower so that the faster modern transportation can pass on the left. That was also common in France before Napoleon when the fast carriages of the aristocrats would pass the slow peasants that were walking on the right. That practice was stopped after the revolution.

Thanks for your answers.

Well, I don't know why they do it. All I know is that everybody else does it, so I do too.

Smart man, JT!

Hey, let's just start a new trend for the fun of it and drive on the right!

I seem to recall reading somewhere that the Danes lost control of St. John to the British for a relatively brief period of time and that is when driving on the left was introduced. For some reason, when the Danes regained control this British custom was retained. I can't recall where I read this, but the timeline in Off the Beaten Path does confirm that there was British reoccupation of St. John for several months in 1801 and from 1807 to 1815.

"This strange quirk perplexes the rest of the world; however, there is a perfectly good reason.

Up to the late 1700's, everybody travelled on the left side of the road because it's the sensible option for feudal, violent societies of mostly right-handed people.

Jousting knights with their lances under their right arm naturally passed on each other's right, and if you passed a stranger on the road you walked on the left to ensure that your protective sword arm was between yourself and him.

Revolutionary France, however, overturned this practice as part of its sweeping social rethink. A change was carried out all over continental Europe by Napoleon.The reason it changed under Napoleon was because he was left handed his armies had to march on the right so he could keep his sword arm between him and any opponent.

From then on, any part of the world which was at some time part of the British Empire was thus left hand and any part colonised by the French was right hand.

In America, the French colonised the southern states (Louisiana for instance) and the Canadian east coast (Quebec). The Dutch colonised New York (or New Amsterdam). The Spanish and Portugese colonised the southern Americas. So The British were a minority in shaping the 'traffic'.

The drive-on-the-right policy was adopted by the USA, which was anxious to cast off all remaining links with its British colonial past."

Not sure Why we drive on the left - it does make me feel safer than sitting out by the yellow line as a driver though - and I would Certainly take a long off island trip -- year minimum - if they ever decide to try to change to driving on the 'other side'

Exit Zero wrote:Not sure Why we drive on the left - it does make me feel safer than sitting out by the yellow line as a driver though - and I would Certainly take a long off island trip -- year minimum - if they ever decide to try to change to driving on the 'other side'

Can you imagine a video camera on the roundabout?

stjohnjulie wrote:I've heard the donkey story before, but this is the story that I've been able to find...

Narrow roads with big drop offs if you fall off. If the driver is close to the shoulder of the road they have better sight and can tell house close they can get to the edge of the road before they fall off. This makes sense to me. I watch people in the often crowded, double parked, parking lot of Wharfside Village trying to navigate their cars through the lot and they are always WAY closer to whatever is on their left than they are on the right, hard to see the edge of your car over there.

This definitely seems the most logical reason. I'm still terrified of some of those switchbacks. Serious driving anxiety.