AUTHOR Robert Gillespie

Right or Left? Which Countries Drive On Which Side Of The Road

When arriving in a foreign country there a lot of important factors to consider before getting behind the wheel. Driving on the wrong side of the car is a challenge for some, Speed limits in kilometres and not miles per hour and rules of the road are all important ones. But, first and foremost you should know which side of the road to drive on.

Growing up in the UK means I have driven on the left-hand side for much of my driving life, it’s nations that were once British colonies that make up the large proportion of countries that drive on the left. These include Australia, India and South Africa.

More than two thirds of the countries in the world drive on the right-hand side, including China and the USA. Canadians used to drive on the left but changed to the right in the 1920’s to make travel between Canada and the USA easier.

why Do We Drive On Different Sides?

For a very long time, it didn’t really matter which side of the road was used. There weren’t that many people travelling and the roads they used weren’t paved and didn’t use any kind of traffic signals. The public were free to travel around however they pleased.

It’s said that a preference of driving sides goes back to horse riding when most societies preferred left-hand (riding) driving. This offered certain advantages for a right-handed rider. Riding on the left allowed for a weapon to be held in their dominant hand as they pass a potential enemy. They also mount the horse from the left meaning they would be mounting from the path side rather than going into the road.

In 1773, the British Government created the General Highways Act, which advised the public to drive on the left. The Highways Act some 60 or so years later in 1835 later reinforced this, making it the law. Britain went on to introduce the left-hand side driving convention in all colonised countries.

so Why Do The Majority Drive On The Right?

At the turn on the 20th century, the majority of countries around the world still had no rules or laws in place for what the preferred riding/driving side was. Until Henry Ford mass-produced his Model T. An automobile with left hand drive, helped make the idea of right side driving popular. As automobiles became more and more popular worldwide, more and more nations began to adopt official laws about driving. The most popular combination being on the right-hand side of the road in a left-hand drive car.

It has been said many times that we should all drive on the same side, the only answer to this is practicality. Much like the Americans choosing to stick with imperial over metric, changing a city like London to drive on the other side would be a mammoth task and cause everyone involved a lot of upheaval.

which Countries Drive On The Left?

Below is a list we have compiled of which countries drive on the left hand side and which countries drive on the right hand side. This is not an exhaustive list, but includes countries popular with our customers.

Having worked in the car rental industry for over 15 years, he really knows his stuff. Rob heads up our marketing department and as a keen traveller, always has a new location to talk about. Particularly if there is a golf course nearby.

Robert Gillespie

Traveller