What are the Countries that Drive on the Left?

How Did it All Start?

In the beginning, societies established standard rules and customs that helped organize their way of life. Sometimes, a few simple guidelines are inadequate, and ceremonial laws are required. For example, people need a strict set of traffic rules to move in large groups from one place to another....

Reason for Which Countries Have the Left-Side Drive

In countries that drive on the left, traffic approaches from the right; this is because a person riding a horse or in an early motor vehicle would not want to be passed by someone driving on their left, as whoever was giving would have an “oncoming” traffic approach. According to one theory, it comes from the idea that your dominant hand will control the sword in times of war. If a soldier is traveling with his weapon on the left side of his horse or carriage, it would be more natural to have your sword arm closer to the center of the road so that you’re not tempted to point it at people. Therefore, it makes sense for all travelers going on foot or by horse-drawn carriage to keep to the left side of the road. With time, people later adopted this practice into law, and even now, many countries use this regulation when deciding which side they should drive....

What are the Countries that Drive on the Left?

Approximately 90 countries drive on the left, including the United Kingdom, Japan, Australia, Hong Kong, Ireland, New Zealand, and most English-speaking Caribbean countries. Also, some UK overseas territories like Gibraltar are left-hand-drive. Some people from former British colonies like India, Pakistan, and Malaysia still drive on the left....

Reason for Which Countries Have the Right-Side Drive

Some rules of the road are easy to follow. For instance, if you drive on the right side of the road, you avoid colliding with cars from your left, such as motorbikes, bicycles, and horse-drawn carriages. The answer to the above question is given below. Here is a look at some likely reasons it’s become a global practice. There are several possible explanations for why countries drive on the right side of the road, but it boils down to a couple of factors: history and geography. Britain was the first country to use right-hand driving, and it is believed that this became ingrained in their culture through colonization. Before automobiles came into being, there were horses and carts, which made it easier for riders to navigate on the left side of their horse as they maintained control with their left hand/arm when riding. When self-propelled vehicles started becoming popular during the early 1800s, they began driving on the right to match those who continued depending on the left and avoid collisions....

Countries Driving on the Right

Over 70 countries drive on the right, including North and South America (except Canada and Suriname), most countries in mainland Europe and a few other English-speaking countries. Some formerly left-hand-drive countries have changed to right and vice versa, including Liberia, Myanmar, and briefly Malaya after independence from the UK. The United States is one of many countries that drive on the right; originally, it was to prevent traffic accidents in colonial America from Britain. In general, streets were designed so that important buildings were to the left of entrances while windows were to the right allowing keepers to shoot at unwanted intruders....