Did New England ever drive on the left side of the road?

[Chrispi]

I was thinking about this because of the numerous rotaries found there, compared to their absence in New York, Pennsylvania and beyond.  The "yield to the right" rule would force traffic in the rotary to stop to entering carriages if traffic drove on the right, making the rotaries useless, but would allow free-flowing traffic in the rotary if New England were left-handed, as approaching vehicles would be forced to yield to the rotary traffic approaching from the right.

I hear that Nova Scotia drove on the left well into the 1920s, and it has or had a lot of rotaries too.  Am I off-base for thinking this?

[jeffandnicole]

I was thinking about this because of the numerous rotaries found there, compared to their absence in New York, Pennsylvania and beyond.  The "yield to the right" rule would force traffic in the rotary to stop to entering carriages if traffic drove on the right, making the rotaries useless, but would allow free-flowing traffic in the rotary if New England were left-handed, as approaching vehicles would be forced to yield to the rotary traffic approaching from the right.

I hear that Nova Scotia drove on the left well into the 1920s, and it has or had a lot of rotaries too.  Am I off-base for thinking this?

Yes, you're off base.  The law in most states is to yield to those on the right.  It does seem counter-intuitive, but that's how the law is often written.

It's also why yield signs are often utilized when you're already on the right, because the signage overrides the rule.

BTW, NJ drivers often followed the same policy - those within the circle yielded to those entering the circle.

[ClassicHasClass]

Well, the drunks still do. Had a near miss in Massachusetts once.

[Alps]

I was thinking about this because of the numerous rotaries found there, compared to their absence in New York, Pennsylvania and beyond.  The "yield to the right" rule would force traffic in the rotary to stop to entering carriages if traffic drove on the right, making the rotaries useless, but would allow free-flowing traffic in the rotary if New England were left-handed, as approaching vehicles would be forced to yield to the rotary traffic approaching from the right.

I hear that Nova Scotia drove on the left well into the 1920s, and it has or had a lot of rotaries too.  Am I off-base for thinking this?

Yes, you're off base.  The law in most states is to yield to those on the right.  It does seem counter-intuitive, but that's how the law is often written.

It's also why yield signs are often utilized when you're already on the right, because the signage overrides the rule.

BTW, NJ drivers often followed the same policy - those within the circle yielded to those entering the circle.

I thought NJ was "the main route has priority, and you have to figure out which one that is".

[Rothman]

MA's rotaries have had traffic yield to that in the circle as long as I've been alive (some decades).

[jeffandnicole]

I was thinking about this because of the numerous rotaries found there, compared to their absence in New York, Pennsylvania and beyond.  The "yield to the right" rule would force traffic in the rotary to stop to entering carriages if traffic drove on the right, making the rotaries useless, but would allow free-flowing traffic in the rotary if New England were left-handed, as approaching vehicles would be forced to yield to the rotary traffic approaching from the right.

I hear that Nova Scotia drove on the left well into the 1920s, and it has or had a lot of rotaries too.  Am I off-base for thinking this?

Yes, you're off base.  The law in most states is to yield to those on the right.  It does seem counter-intuitive, but that's how the law is often written.

It's also why yield signs are often utilized when you're already on the right, because the signage overrides the rule.

BTW, NJ drivers often followed the same policy - those within the circle yielded to those entering the circle.

I thought NJ was "the main route has priority, and you have to figure out which one that is".

Partially.

Per the drivers handbook....

In most cases, the circle's historically established traffic flow pattern dictates who has the right-of-way. If a major highway flows into and through the circle, it usually dominates the traffic flow pattern and commands the right-of-way.

But then...

Whenever a motorist is in doubt concerning who has the right-of-way in a circle, he/she should exercise extreme caution and remember the basic rule governing any uncontrolled intersection: The vehicle to the left yields the right-of-way to the vehicle approaching from the right.

[froggie]

MA's rotaries have had traffic yield to that in the circle as long as I've been alive (some decades).

And is codified as such in state law.