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The Daily Insight

Which side do you drive on

Author

Robert Spencer

Published Mar 26, 2026

As you can see, most former British colonies, with some exceptions, drive on the left side of the road, whereas the United States of America, Latin American countries and European countries drive on the right.

Is UK left or right hand drive?

Definition of ‘right-hand drive’ It is designed to be driven in countries such as Britain, Japan, and Australia where people drive on the left side of the road.

Where do you drive on the left?

The bulk of countries that drive on the left are former British colonies including South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Only four countries in Europe still drive on the left and they are all islands. They consist of the UK, the Republic of Ireland, Malta and Cyprus.

What countries drive on the right side?

  • Right-hand drive cars are available in the United States. …
  • Australia and New Zealand use right-hand drive cars. …
  • The island nations of the Bahamas, Barbados, Cayman and the Falkland. …
  • Fiji drivers use right-hand drive. …
  • India, Japan, Cyprus, South Africa, and Malta.

Why is UK right hand drive?

There is an historical reason for this; it’s all to do with keeping your sword hand free! In the Middle Ages you never knew who you were going to meet when travelling on horseback. Most people are right-handed, so if a stranger passed by on the right of you, your right hand would be free to use your sword if required.

Does Canada drive on Left?

What side of the road does Canada drive on? Like most of the world, Canadians drive on the right-hand side of the road. If this is your first time driving on the right, spend some time getting used to it on smaller side roads.

Does China drive on left?

Country / state / territorydrive(s) on theleft / rightChina, People’s Republic ofdrives on theright

What side of the road do most countries drive on?

Why do some countries drive on the left side of the road? Most of the world drives on the right side of the road. But around 76 countries and territories use left-hand traffic. The practice is believed to date back to ancient Rome.

Is it better to drive on the left or right?

Neither side is intrinsically better or worse. Despite handedness, accident rates in countries that drive on the left or right are comparable. There is no ‘logical’ answer to this question that is separate from the facts of the matter.

How do you drive on the right side of the road?

Stay four to five seconds behind the car in front of you, just like you would do when it’s raining or snowing. Remember that roundabouts go counterclockwise. Get used to the counterclockwise rotation of roundabouts in places where you drive on the right side of the road. Remember to give the right of way to the left.

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Why do people drive on the right?

Drivers tended to sit on the right so they could ensure their buggy, wagon, or other vehicle didn’t run into a roadside ditch. … Thus, most American cars produced before 1910 were made with right-side driver seating, although intended for right-side driving.

What is the world's most populous country that drives on the left?

India. While smaller than Australia in area at 1.27 million square miles, India’s population is significantly higher at 1.37 billion, which makes it the largest left-driving country in the world by population.

Why does India drive on the right?

Left-hand driving was made mandatory in Britain in 1835. Countries which were part of the British Empire followed suit. This is why to this very day, India, Australasia and the former British colonies in Africa go left. … It wasn’t until Napoleon conquered the Netherlands that the Dutch started driving on the right.

Is Dubai left or right-hand drive?

You drive on the right-hand side of the road in Dubai and the UAE.

Can you drive a British car in America?

Since they’re non-standard, the legality of driving a right-hand drive car, or RHD, in the United States is probably the first question you have. The short answer to whether or not it’s legal to drive this type of vehicle is yes, it’s perfectly legal.

Why Japan drives on the left?

Following Japan’s defeat during World War II, the Japanese prefecture of Okinawa came under American rule, which meant that the island was required to drive on the right. In 1978 once the area was returned to Japan, the drivers also returned to the left side of the road.

Did Ontario ever drive on the left?

The Atlantic Provinces and British Columbia drove on the left, while Quebec drove on the right due to its French influence and Ontario drove on the right because it was originally part of Quebec. The Prairie Provinces decided to drive on the right, the same as Ontario, Quebec, and the United States.

Why did Sweden drive on the left?

Sweden initiated the driving change in part because its neighbors already drove on the right side of the road. Many members of the Swedish parliament also argued that the left-hand vehicles Swedes drove had caused too many head-on collisions.

Is driving on the right side hard?

As we can see, owning a right-hand-drive car in a left-hand-drive world isn’t really too hard, it just takes some getting used to. After all, mail carriers have been driving on the other side of the car for years, so we’re sure anyone else can do it, it will just take some patience and practice.

Who started driving on the right?

When cars were invented, Henry Ford was a big influence in American driving customs as he built his Model T with the driver on the left side of the car, meaning drivers would have to drive on the right side of the road so their passengers could exit the car on the curb and not into oncoming traffic.

Does India drive on the left?

Most areas of the world which were formerly British colonies still drive on the left hand side of the road including Australia, the Caribbean, India and South Africa. … Europe generally drives on the right hand side apart from Cyprus, Ireland, Malta and the United Kingdom.

Does New Zealand drive on the left side of the road?

Correct. Like the UK, Australia and Japan, New Zealanders drive right-hand drive cars on the left-hand side of the road.

Why does Thailand drive on the left?

The reason why Thailand drives on the left side of the road is that the first car in Thailand was a gift from the Royal Family of England to the King of Thailand back in the 1900s. Since the United Kingdom drives on the left side of the road, the car given was made for left-hand driving.

Does New Zealand drive on the right?

we drive on the left-hand side of the road. it’s easy to underestimate travelling times. our roads are narrower, more winding and sometimes steeper than you might expect. our roads are mostly two-way, with one lane in each direction – we have few motorways.