Answer:
Well, some do. Like the McLaren F1, picture above. The BAC Mono. The
Messerschmitt KR200. But these are hardly mass-market cars. Nearly every
vehicle designed, assembled, and sold since the automobile’s
introduction over a century ago positioned the driver on either the left
or the right side.
Why are those positions the default, and why haven’t more vehicles been developed with center positioning in mind?
Right-
or left-hand drive vehicles weren’t always the dominant strain on the
road. In the beginning of the automobile’s life, a number of vehicles,
such as the 1888 Benz Patent Motor Car, 1900 Oldsmobile Curved Dash, and
1904 Elmore Runabout, the driver did sit in the center. Other vehicles,
like the 1905 Peerless 9, would place the driver either toward the curb
to prevent bumps and scrapes. Finally, models like the 1907 Brush
Runabout would position the driver next to the center of the road so
they would have the best line of sight of traffic possible.
It was this center-of-the-road bias which ultimately won out, and has been standard since, though manufacturers have revisited the center-drive position one way or another over the decades, from oddities such as the Peel 150 and Nissan BladeGlider, to more conventional experiments like the Land Rover Centre Steer and the aforementioned McLaren F1.
It was this center-of-the-road bias which ultimately won out, and has been standard since, though manufacturers have revisited the center-drive position one way or another over the decades, from oddities such as the Peel 150 and Nissan BladeGlider, to more conventional experiments like the Land Rover Centre Steer and the aforementioned McLaren F1.
Yet,
the center-drive arrangement could be seen as the best of both worlds,
as the driver would be able to see both oncoming traffic and the
shoulder of the road equally. On the other hand, the arrangement would
leave some visual information on the table, minimizing the benefits
within the confines of a standard road car when compared to a track-day
or more specialized vehicle.
Aside
from possible engineering and safety challenges on a mass scale – along
with their associated costs – why did center-position driving wither on
the vine? Blame your right eye, for starters. Two-thirds of humans are right-eye dominant,
proving beneficial in left-hand traffic since the stronger eye can
better monitor oncoming traffic and the driver’s side mirror. In
right-hand situations, the same eye can keep track of potential hazards,
such as pedestrians, bicycles, and accidents.
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