One of the most common concerns amongst drivers that travel abroad is which side of the road to drive on. Although, nearly 75% of countries in the world require drivers to drive on the right side of the road, the majority of former British colonies which is nearly 35% drive on the left.
For right-side drivers, this can seem confusing, but in reality, there is a perfectly good reason for this.
Driving on the side of the road is enshrined in the Geneva Convention on Road Traffic (1949) where every signatory is required to have consistent rules, and so it’s a matter of law, as well as precedent.
Here is a guide of countries that drive on the left and some historical facts on how driving on the left came to be.
Brief History
Long ago, everyone traveled on the left side of the road, because it was the best option for feudal, violent societies. Since most swordsmen were right-handed, they preferred to be on the left side in order for them to have their right arm nearer to an opponent and their scabbard further from him.
Also, it was easier for a right-handed person to mount a horse from the left side, because it would be very difficult to do otherwise when wearing a sword which is worn on the left side.
Furthermore, it was much safer to mount and dismount towards the side of the road rather than the middle. So logically, if you mount a horse on the left, then the horse was ridden on the left side of the road.
Britain
Everyone knows that cars in the UK are driven on the left-hand side of the road while the driver’s seat is situated on the right side of the car. This includes:
- England
- Ireland
- Scotland
- Wales
- Guernsey
- Isle of Man
- Jersey
In Britain, this has been the way for thousands of years, in fact ever since Roman times.
This is because most people were right-handed and still are. When you are driving on the left and sitting on the right, you are free to use your strong hand to greet oncoming traffic.
Furthermore, most people’s right eye is stronger than the left and so by driving on the left, your right eye has a better position for spotting oncoming traffic.
Australasia
As we all know Australia and all of its neighboring countries were once British colonies. So, naturally, they drive on the left side. This includes New Zealand, Cocos Island, Christmas Island, and Norfolk Island.
Some territories like Samoa, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, and the Solomon Islands weren’t in fact British colonies. Nevertheless, they were surely influenced by their neighboring islands and also drive on the left.
Indian subcontinent
Countries that are a part of the Indian subcontinent stick to the left side of the road when driving.
These include,
- India
- Pakistan
- Bangladesh
- Nepal
- Bhutan
- Sri Lanka(sometimes it is considered a part of the subcontinent)
China and Hong Cong
There are a few things you should keep in mind when driving from China to Hong Cong.
Hong Cong used to be a British colony and so naturally they drive on the left side of the road. However, mainland China drives on the right and so you see how a road-trip can get confusing. A word of advice: Don’t forget to change sides.
Japan
Although it was never a British colony, drivers in Japan still drive on the left side. This custom dates all the way back to the Edo period. Similar to British swordsman, Samurai swordsmen also needed their strong hand to feel free when dealing with potential oncoming enemies.
Driving on the left side didn’t become official until the 1870s. British helped construct the first railway which featured left-side running tracks and so it was logical that they continue to travel by car on the left side.
An interesting fact is that Okinawa switched to right-side driving after WW2 when they were under the rule of the United States. Soon after Okinawa was returned to Japan in 1978 they switched back to left-side driving.
Malta and Cyprus
Today, all continental Europe drives on the right side of the road, except Malta and Cyprus. Again, these were once British colonies and so the driving rule stayed the same.
This is ideal for drivers that are coming on holiday from Australia or the Uk.
Europe
Today, almost all of Europe drives on the right side of the road, except the countries mentioned above ( UK, Cyprus, and Malta). This wide standardization was established in 1920 with the Paris Convention. The point of this was to make it easier to navigate between many different European countries.
Some of the last countries to switch to right-side driving were Iceland and Sweden and despite the sudden change, the number of accidents notably went down. This is probably because people started paying more attention.
Right-side driving isn’t the only thing you should be considering when visiting countries in Europe. Keep in mind that most cars in Europe have manual transmissions, so if you’re coming
Australia or the US then you should maybe take some manual driving lessons just to be ready.
Final word
It may sound overwhelming, but switching sides isn’t that terrifying. Just drive carefully and repeat to yourself which side you should be driving on, and it will come naturally in a day or two.
Keep aware of what you’re doing and go with the flow.
