It still works just as well in England... Things that are driver-side in the U.S. are also driver-side in England, because the layout is designed around the po

It still works just as well in England... Things that are driver-side in the U.S. are also driver-side in England, because the layout is designed around the position of the driver. "Starboard" comes from Old English "steor bord", which meant "steering side of the boat" back in the days when a steering oar was used to steer the boat. Most sailors were right-handed so this was almost always the right side. It was easier to dock with the other side of the boat facing the port, so the left side became "larboard" and then simply "port." English is the international nautical language owing to its centuries of dominance of the oceans, followed by the U.S. dominance of global politics, so the English terms became the standard nautical terms. (Note: technically the international nautical language is "Seaspeak," which is a special dialect of English created specifically for nautical use.)