<P> Although the United Kingdom is separated from Continental Europe by the English Channel, the level of cross-Channel traffic is very high; the Channel Tunnel alone carries 3.5 million vehicles per year, by rail, between the UK and France . </P> <P> In RHT jurisdictions, vehicles are configured with LHD, with the driver sitting on the left side . In LHT jurisdictions, the reverse is true . The driver's side, the side closest to the centre of the road, is sometimes called the offside, while the passenger side, the side closest to the side of the road, is sometimes called the nearside . </P> <P> Historically there was less consistency in the relationship of the position of the driver to the handedness of traffic . Most American cars produced before 1910 were RHD . In 1908 Henry Ford standardised the Model T as LHD in RHT America, arguing that with RHD and RHT, the passenger was obliged to "get out on the street side and walk around the car" and that with steering from the left, the driver "is able to see even the wheels of the other car and easily avoids danger ." By 1915 other manufacturers followed Ford's lead, due to the popularity of the Model T . </P> <P> In specialised cases, the driver will sit on the nearside, or kerbside . Examples include: </P>

When did american cars switch to left hand drive