+114 If horses were wider hundreds of years ago, we would have bigger roads, larger vehicles and more cargo space. amirite?

by Anonymous 2 years ago

Maybe in some places, but in salt lake city the roads were developed wide enough to turn around cart pulled by a whole team of oxen in one turn. They aren't all still that way though.

by Anonymous 2 years ago

That is awesome, I'd never heard that before

by Anonymous 2 years ago

Carriages, I think.

by Anonymous 2 years ago

Yes, but the width of the carriage was based on the combined width of two horses.

by Anonymous 2 years ago

..and much bigger hips..

by Anonymous 2 years ago

Are you outside the US? Roadways average 10'-12' lane width with 12' being the standard width. Also larger vehicles with more cargo room.. best example for vehicles I can think of is the Hilux vs Tacoma. Hilux is built with narrower roadways in mind where the Tacoma is built a wider vehicle and a larger vehicle overall

by Anonymous 2 years ago

I'm in the US, but have lived outside the US. The west coast of the US has by far the widest roads I've been on. Most roads are based on the width of a trailer, which in turn is based on the width of a train, the width of which was based on carriages, which had been standardized based on the size of horses. Now make the horse wider and fast-forward all of that. Wider carriages mean wider trains mean wider trailers mean wider roads, which mean wider passenger vehicles.

by Anonymous 2 years ago