Left- and right-hand traffic

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Countries by direction of road traffic, c. 2020
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| Left-hand traffic
[?] Right-hand traffic Countries driving on the left or right.svg
Countries by direction of road traffic, c. 2020
  ⇅ Left-hand traffic
  ⇵ Right-hand traffic

Left-hand traffic (LHT) and right-hand traffic (RHT) are the practices, in bidirectional traffic, of keeping to the left side and to the right side of the road, respectively. They are fundamental to traffic flow, and are sometimes called the rule of the road . [1] The terms right- and left-hand drive refer to the position of the driver and the steering wheel in the vehicle and are, in automobiles, the reverse of the terms right- and left-hand traffic. The rule also includes where on the road a vehicle is to be driven, if there is room for more than one vehicle in the one direction, and the side on which the vehicle in the rear overtakes the one in the front. For example, a driver in an LHT country would typically overtake on the right of the vehicle being overtaken.

Contents

RHT is used in 165 countries and territories, mainly in the Americas, Continental Europe, northern Africa and mainland Asia (except South Asia), while 75 countries use LHT, [2] which account for about a sixth of the world's land area, a quarter of its roads, and about a third of its population. [3] In 1919, 104 of the world's territories were LHT and an equal number were RHT. Between 1919 and 1986, 34 of the LHT territories switched to RHT. [4]

Many of the countries using LHT were part of the British Empire, while others, including Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, Bhutan, Macao, Thailand, Mozambique, Suriname, United States Virgin Islands, Sweden and Iceland (which use RHT since September 1967 and late May 1968 respectively), were not. Most of the countries that were part of the French colonial empire adopted RHT.

Historical switches of traffic handedness have often been motivated by factors such as changes in political administration, a desire for uniformity within a country or with neighboring states, or availability and affordability of vehicles.

In LHT, traffic keeps left and cars usually have the steering wheel on the right (RHD: right-hand drive) and roundabouts circulate clockwise. RHT is the opposite: traffic keeps right, the driver usually sits on the left side of the car (LHD: left-hand drive), and roundabouts circulate counterclockwise.

In most countries, rail traffic follows the handedness of the roads; but many of the countries that switched road traffic from LHT to RHT did not switch their trains. Boat traffic on rivers is RHT, regardless of location. Boats are traditionally piloted from the starboard side to facilitate priority to the right.

Background

Countries with left- and right-hand traffic, currently and formerly. Changes since 1858 when Finland changed to the right are taken into account.

Drives on the right
Formerly drove on the left, now drives on the right
Drives on the left
Formerly drove on the right, now drives on the left
Formerly a mix of left and right in various parts of the country, now drives on the right Driving standards historic.svg
Countries with left- and right-hand traffic, currently and formerly. Changes since 1858 when Finland changed to the right are taken into account.
  Drives on the right
  Formerly drove on the left, now drives on the right
  Drives on the left
  Formerly drove on the right, now drives on the left
  Formerly a mix of left and right in various parts of the country, now drives on the right

Historically, many places kept left, while many others kept right, often within the same country. There are many myths that attempt to explain why one or the other is preferred. [5] About 90 percent of people are right-handed, [6] and many explanations reference this. Horses are traditionally mounted from the left, and led from the left, with the reins in the right hand. So people walking horses might use RHT, to keep the animals separated. Also referenced is the need for pedestrians to keep their swords in the right hand and pass on the left as in LHT, for self-defence. It has been suggested that wagon-drivers whipped their horses with their right hand, and thus sat on the left-hand side of the wagon, as in RHT. Academic Chris McManus notes that writers have stated that in the year 1300, Pope Boniface VIII directed pilgrims to keep left; however, others suggest that he directed them to keep to the right, and there is no documented evidence to back either claim. [5]

Africa

SADC road sign R137.svg
LHT roundabout
SADC road sign R137-RHT.svg
RHT roundabout
Roundabout signs used in Southern African Development Community

The UK introduced LHT in the East Africa Protectorate (present-day Kenya), the Protectorate of Uganda, Tanganyika (formerly part of German East Africa; present-day Tanzania), Rhodesia (present-day Zambia/Zimbabwe), Eswatini and the Cape Colony (present-day South Africa and Lesotho), as well as in British West Africa (present-day Ghana, Gambia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria); [7] former British West Africa, however, has now switched to RHT, as all its neighbours, which are former French colonies, use RHT. South Africa, formerly the Cape Colony, introduced LHT in former German South West Africa, present-day Namibia, after the end of World War I.

Sudan, formerly part of Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, switched to RHT in 1973. Most of its neighbours were RHT countries, with the exception of Uganda and Kenya, but since the independence of South Sudan in 2011, all of its neighbours drive on the right (including South Sudan, despite its land borders with two LHT countries). [8]

Although Portugal switched to RHT in 1928, its colony of Mozambique remained LHT because it has land borders with former British colonies (with LHT).

France introduced RHT in French West Africa and the Maghreb,[ citation needed ] where it is still used. Countries in these areas include Mali, Mauritania, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Benin, Niger, Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. Other French former colonies that are RHT include Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Djibouti, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo.

Rwanda and Burundi are RHT but are considering switching to LHT (see "Potential future shifts" section below).

Americas

United States

In the late 18th century, right-hand traffic started to be introduced in the United States of America based on teamsters' use of large freight wagons pulled by several pairs of horses and without a driver's seat; the (typically right-handed) postilion held his whip in his right hand and thus sat on the left rear horse, and therefore preferred other wagons passing on the left so that he would have a clear view of other vehicles. [9] [ better source needed ] The first keep-right law for driving in the United States was passed in 1792 and applied to the Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike. [10] Massachusetts formalized RHT in 1821. [11] However, the National Road was LHT until 1850, "long after the rest of the country had settled on the keep-right convention". [12] Today the United States is RHT except the United States Virgin Islands, [13] which is LHT like many neighbouring islands.

Some special-purpose vehicles in the United States, like certain postal service trucks, garbage trucks, and parking-enforcement vehicles, are built with the driver's seat on the right for safer and easier access to the curb. A common example is the Grumman LLV, which is used nationwide by the US Postal Service and by Canada Post.

Other countries in the Americas

Parts of Canada were LHT until the 1920s, shown here in Saint John, New Brunswick, 1898. Nb-stj-1899.jpg
Parts of Canada were LHT until the 1920s, shown here in Saint John, New Brunswick, 1898.

In Canada, the provinces of Quebec and Ontario were always RHT because they were created out of the former French colony of New France. [14] The province of British Columbia changed to RHT in stages from 1920 to 1923, [15] [16] New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island in 1922, 1923, and 1924 respectively, [17] and the British colony of Newfoundland (part of Canada since 1949) [18] in 1947, in order to allow traffic (without side switch) to or from the United States. [19]

In the West Indies, colonies and territories drive on the same side as their parent countries, except for the United States Virgin Islands. Many of the island nations are former British colonies and drive on the left, including Jamaica, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and The Bahamas. However, most vehicles in The Bahamas, [20] Cayman Islands, [21] Turks and Caicos Islands [22] and both the British Virgin Islands, [23] and the United States Virgin Islands are LHD due to their being imported from the United States. [23]

Crossover bridge near the Takutu River Bridge between Guyana (LHT) and Brazil (RHT) International bridge - Letham, Guyana (23025487324).jpg
Crossover bridge near the Takutu River Bridge between Guyana (LHT) and Brazil (RHT)

Brazil, a Portuguese colony until the early 19th century, had in the 19th and the early 20th century mixed rules, with some regions still on LHT, switching these remaining regions to RHT in 1928, the same year Portugal switched sides. [24] Other Central and South American countries that later switched from LHT to RHT include Argentina, Chile, Panama, [25] Paraguay, [26] and Uruguay.

Suriname, along with neighbouring Guyana, are the only two remaining LHT countries in South America. [27]

Asia

The Lotus Bridge exchanges between LHT in Macau and RHT in mainland China. Lotus-bridge-macau.jpg
The Lotus Bridge exchanges between LHT in Macau and RHT in mainland China.

LHT was introduced by the U.K. in British India (now India, Pakistan, Myanmar, and Bangladesh), British Malaya and British Borneo (now Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore), and British Hong Kong. All are still LHT, as well as neighbour countries Bhutan and Nepal, except Myanmar, which switched to RHT in 1970, [28] although much of its infrastructure is still geared to LHT and its neighbours India, Bangladesh and Thailand use LHT. Most cars are used RHD vehicles imported from Japan. [29] Afghanistan was LHT until the 1950s, in line with Pakistan (former part of British India). [30]

Although Portuguese Timor (present-day East Timor), which shares the island Timor with Indonesia with LHT, switched to RHT as Portugal in 1928, [1] it switched back to LHT in 1976 during the Indonesian occupation of East Timor.

In the 1930s, parts of China like the Shanghai International Settlement, Canton and Japanese-occupied northeast China used LHT. However, in 1946 the Republic of China made RHT mandatory in China (including Taiwan, which used LHT under Japanese colonization 1895–1945), although Portuguese Macau (present-day Macau) remained LHT, as well as British Hong Kong, despite becoming transferred to China in 1999 and 1997 respectively.

Both North Korea and South Korea use RHT since 1946, after liberation from Japanese colonial power. [31]

The Philippines was mostly LHT during its Spanish [32] and American colonial periods, [33] [34] as well as during the Commonwealth era. [35] During the Japanese occupation, the Philippines remained LHT, [36] also because LHT had been required by the Japanese; [37] but during the Battle of Manila, the liberating American forces drove their tanks to the right for easier facilitation of movement. RHT was formalized in 1945 through a decree by then-president Sergio Osmeña. [38] Even though RHT was formalized, RHD vehicles such as public buses were still imported in the Philippines until a law was passed that banned the importation of RHD vehicles except for special cases. These RHD vehicles are required to be converted to LHD [39]

Japan was never part of the British Empire, but its traffic also drives on the left. Although the origin of this habit goes back to the Edo period (1603–1868), it was not until 1872 – the year Japan's first railway was introduced, built with technical aid from the British – that this unwritten rule received official acknowledgment. Gradually, a massive network of railways and tram tracks was built, with all railway vehicles driven on the left-hand side. However, it took another half-century, until 1924, until left-hand traffic was legally mandated. Post-World War II Okinawa was ruled by the United States Civil Administration of the Ryukyu Islands until 1972, and was RHT until 6 a.m. the morning of 30 July 1978, when it switched back to LHT. [40] The conversion operation was known as 730 (Nana-San-Maru, which refers to the date of the changeover). Okinawa is one of few places to have changed from RHT to LHT in the late 20th century. While Japan drives on the left and most Japanese vehicles are RHD, imported vehicles (e.g. BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche) are generally bought as LHD as LHD cars are considered to be status symbols. [41]

Vietnam became RHT as part of French Indochina, as did Laos and Cambodia. In Cambodia, RHD cars, many of which were smuggled from Thailand, were banned in 2001, even though they accounted for 80% of vehicles in the country. [42]

Europe

In a study of the ancient traffic system of Pompeii, Eric Poehler was able to show that drivers of carts drove in the middle of the road whenever possible. This was the case even on roads wide enough for two lanes. [43] :136 The wear marks on the kerbstones, however, prove that when there were two lanes of traffic, and the volume of traffic made it necessary to divide the lanes, the drivers always drove on the right-hand side. [43] :150–155 These considerations can also be demonstrated in the archaeological findings of other cities in the Roman Empire. [43] :218–219

One of the first references in England to requiring traffic direction was an order by the London Court of Aldermen in 1669, requiring a man to be posted on London Bridge to ensure that "all cartes going to keep on the one side and all cartes coming to keep on the other side". [44] It was later legislated as the London Bridge Act 1756 (29 Geo. 2 c. 40), which required that "all carriages passing over the said bridge from London shall go on the east side thereof" – those going south to remain on the east, i.e. the left-hand side by direction of travel. [45] This may represent the first statutory requirement for LHT. [46]

In the Kingdom of Ireland, a law of 1793 (33 Geo. 3 c. 56 (Ir)) provided a ten-shilling fine to anyone not driving or riding on the left side of the road within the county of the city of Dublin, and required the local road overseers to erect written or printed notices informing road users of the law. [47] The Road in Down and Antrim Act 1798 (38 Geo. 3 c. 28 (Ir)) required drivers on the road from Dublin to Donadea to keep to the left. This time, the punishment was ten shillings if the offender was not the owner of the vehicle, or one Irish pound (twenty shillings) if he/she was. [48] The Grand Juries (Ireland) Act 1836 (6 & 7 Will. 4 c. 116) mandated LHT for the whole country, violators to be fined up to five shillings and imprisoned in default for up to one month. [49]

An oft-repeated story is that Napoleon changed the custom from LHT to RHT in France and the countries he conquered after the French Revolution. Scholars who have looked for documentary evidence of this story have found none, and contemporary sources have not surfaced, as of 1999. [4] In 1827, long after Napoleon's reign, Edward Planta wrote that, in Paris, "The coachmen have no established rule by which they drive on the right or left of the road, but they cross and jostle one another without ceremony." [50]

Rotterdam had no fixed rules until 1917, [51] although the rest of the Netherlands was RHT. In May 1917 the police in Rotterdam ended traffic chaos by enforcing right hand traffic.

In Russia, in 1709, the Danish envoy under Tsar Peter the Great noted the widespread custom for traffic in Russia to pass on the right, but it was only in 1752 that Empress Elizabeth officially issued an edict for traffic to keep to the right. [52]

Left-hand traffic in Vienna, Austria, circa 1930 Ecke Karntnerstrasse Annagasse mit Werbetafel Tabarin und Chapeau Rouge ca 1930.jpg
Left-hand traffic in Vienna, Austria, circa 1930
Traffic converts from left to right in Stockholm, Sweden, on 3 September 1967 Kungsgatan 1967.jpg
Traffic converts from left to right in Stockholm, Sweden, on 3 September 1967
Border sign showing change of traffic direction between Sweden and Norway in 1934 Danish motorcyclists about to cross the border between Sweden and Norway in 1934.png
Border sign showing change of traffic direction between Sweden and Norway in 1934

After the Austro-Hungarian Empire broke up, the resulting countries gradually changed to RHT. In Austria, Vorarlberg switched in 1921, [53] North Tyrol in 1930, Carinthia and East Tyrol in 1935, and the rest of the country in 1938. [54] In Romania, Transylvania, the Banat and Bukovina were LHT until 1919, while Wallachia and Moldavia were already RHT. Partitions of Poland belonging to the German Empire and the Russian Empire were RHT, while the former Austrian Partition changed in the 1920s. [55] Croatia-Slavonia switched on joining the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in 1918, although Istria and Dalmatia were already RHT. [56] The switch in Czechoslovakia from LHT to RHT had been planned for 1939, but was accelerated by the start of the German occupation of Czechoslovakia that year. [57] Similarly, Hungary switched in 1941. West Ukraine was LHT, but the rest of Ukraine, having been part of the Russian Empire, was RHT.[ citation needed ]

In Italy, it had been decreed in 1901 that each province define its own traffic code, including the handedness of traffic, [58] and the 1903 Baedeker guide reported that the rule of the road varied by region. [5] For example, in Northern Italy, the provinces of Brescia, Como, Vicenza, and Ravenna were RHT while nearby provinces of Lecco, Verona, and Varese were LHT, [58] as were the cities Milan, Turin, and Florence. [5] In 1915, allied forces of World War I imposed LHT in areas of military operation, but this was revoked in 1918. Rome was reported by Goethe as LHT in the 1780s. Naples was also LHT although surrounding areas were often RHT. In cities, LHT was considered safer since pedestrians, accustomed to keeping right, could better see oncoming vehicular traffic. [58] Finally, in 1923 Benito Mussolini decreed that all LHT areas would gradually transition to RHT. [58] In spite of this, some Italian heavy commercial vehicles were right-hand drive until the traffic code was changed in 1959.[ citation needed ]

Portugal switched to RHT in 1928. [1]

Finland, formerly part of LHT Sweden, switched to RHT in 1858 as the Grand Duchy of Finland by Russian decree. [59]

Spain switched to RHT in 1918, but not in the entire country. In Madrid people continued to drive on the left until 1924 when a national law forced drivers in Madrid switch to RHT. [60] Madrid Metro still uses LHT.

Sweden switched to RHT in 1967, having been LHT from about 1734 [61] despite having land borders with RHT countries Norway and Finland, and approximately 90% of cars being left-hand drive (LHD). [62] A referendum in 1955 overwhelmingly rejected a change to RHT, but, a few years later, the government ordered it and it occurred on Sunday, 3 September 1967 [63] at 5 am. The accident rate then dropped sharply, [64] but soon rose to near its original level. [65] The day was known as Högertrafikomläggningen, or Dagen H for short.

When Iceland switched to RHT the following year, it was known as Hægri dagurinn or H-dagurinn ("The H-Day"). [66] Most passenger cars in Iceland were already LHD.

The United Kingdom is LHT, but two of its overseas territories, Gibraltar and the British Indian Ocean Territory, are RHT. In the late 1960s, the British Department for Transport considered switching to RHT, but declared it unsafe and too costly for such a built-up nation. [67] Road building standards, for motorways in particular, allow asymmetrically designed road junctions, where merge and diverge lanes differ in length. [68]

Today, four countries in Europe continue to use LHT, all island nations: the United Kingdom, Ireland (formerly part of the UK), Cyprus and Malta (both former British colonies).

Oceania

A sign on the Great Ocean Road, heavily visited by international tourists, reminding motorists to keep left in Australia Drive on left in australia.jpg
A sign on the Great Ocean Road, heavily visited by international tourists, reminding motorists to keep left in Australia

Many former British colonies in the region have always been LHT, including Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Kiribati, Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Tuvalu; and nations that were previously administered by Australia: Nauru and Papua New Guinea.

New Zealand

Multilingual sign at Waiotapu to remind tourists to drive on the left in New Zealand. Drive on the left in NZ 20171228.jpg
Multilingual sign at Waiotapu to remind tourists to drive on the left in New Zealand.

Initially traffic was slow and very sparse, but, as early as 1856, a newspaper said, "The cart was near to the right hand kerb. According to the rules of the road, it should have been on the left side. In turning sharp round a right-hand corner, a driver should keep away to the opposite side." That rule was codified when the first Highway Code was written in 1936. [69]

Samoa

Samoa, a former German colony, had been RHT for more than a century, but switched to LHT in 2009, [70] making it the first territory in almost 30 years to change sides. [71] The move was legislated in 2008 to allow Samoans to use cheaper vehicles imported from Australia, New Zealand, or Japan, and to harmonise with other South Pacific nations. A political party, The People's Party, was formed by the group People Against Switching Sides (PASS) to protest against the change, with PASS launching a legal challenge; [72] in April 2008 an estimated 18,000 people attended demonstrations against switching. [73] The motor industry was also opposed, as 14,000 of Samoa's 18,000 vehicles were designed for RHT and the government refused to meet the cost of conversion. [71] After months of preparation, the switch from right to left happened in an atmosphere of national celebration. There were no reported incidents. [3] At 05:50 local time, Monday 7 September, a radio announcement halted traffic, and an announcement at 6:00 ordered traffic to switch to LHT. [70] The change coincided with more restrictive enforcement of speeding and seat-belt laws. [74] That day and the following were declared public holidays, to reduce traffic. [75] The change included a three-day ban on alcohol sales, while police mounted dozens of checkpoints, warning drivers to drive slowly. [3]

Potential future shifts

Rwanda and Burundi, former Belgian colonies in Central Africa, are RHT but are considering switching to LHT [76] [77] like neighbouring members of the East African Community (EAC). [78] A survey in 2009 found that 54% of Rwandans favoured the switch. Reasons cited were the perceived lower costs of RHD vehicles, easier maintenance and the political benefit of harmonising traffic regulations with other EAC countries. The survey indicated that RHD cars were 16% to 49% cheaper than their LHD counterparts. [79] In 2014, an internal report by consultants to the Ministry of Infrastructure recommended a switch to LHT. [80] In 2015, the ban on RHD vehicles was lifted; RHD trucks from neighbouring countries cost $1,000 less than LHD models imported from Europe. [81] [82]

Changing sides at borders

Traffic Switchover sign at the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge Laos - Traffic Switchover Point.svg
Traffic Switchover sign at the Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge
The Lotus Bridge, linking Macau with mainland China, showing the switchover necessary for traffic crossing the border between Macau (left-hand traffic) and China (right-hand traffic). Lotus-bridge-macau.jpg
The Lotus Bridge, linking Macau with mainland China, showing the switchover necessary for traffic crossing the border between Macau (left-hand traffic) and China (right-hand traffic).

Although many LHT jurisdictions are on islands, there are cases where vehicles may be driven from LHT across a border into a RHT area. Such borders are mostly located in Africa and southern Asia. The Vienna Convention on Road Traffic regulates the use of foreign registered vehicles in the 78 countries that have ratified it.

LHT Thailand has three RHT neighbours: Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar. Most of its borders use a simple traffic light to do the switch, but there are also interchanges that enable the switch while keeping up a continuous flow of traffic. [83]

There are four road border crossing points between Hong Kong and mainland China. In 2006, the daily average number of vehicle trips recorded at Lok Ma Chau was 31,100. [84] The next largest is Man Kam To, where there is no changeover system and the border roads on the mainland side Wenjindu intersect as one-way streets with a main road.

The Takutu River Bridge (which links LHT Guyana and RHT Brazil [85] ) is the only border in the Americas where traffic changes sides.

Although the United Kingdom is separated from Continental Europe by the English Channel, the level of cross-Channel traffic is very high; the Channel Tunnel alone carries 3.5 million vehicles per year by the Eurotunnel Shuttle between the UK and France.

Road vehicle configurations

Legality of wrong-hand-drive vehicles by country
Usage illegal
Usage legal, but registration illegal or unknown; registration illegal, but usage legal or unknown
Registration illegal for normal vehicles, with exceptions for special (e.g. diplomatic) vehicles
Registration and usage legal
No data Legality of wrong-hand-drive vehicles.svg
Legality of wrong-hand-drive vehicles by country
  Usage illegal
  Usage legal, but registration illegal or unknown; registration illegal, but usage legal or unknown
  Registration illegal for normal vehicles, with exceptions for special (e.g. diplomatic) vehicles
  Registration and usage legal
  No data

Steering wheel position

In RHT jurisdictions, vehicles are typically configured as left hand drive (LHD), with the steering wheel on the left side of the passenger compartment. In LHT jurisdictions, the reverse is true as the right hand drive (RHD) configuration. In most jurisdictions, the position of the steering wheel is not regulated, or explicitly permitted to be anywhere. [86] The driver's side, the side closer to the centre of the road, is sometimes called the offside, while the passenger side, the side closer to the side of the road, is sometimes called the nearside. [87]

Most windscreen wipers are preferentially designed to better clean the driver's side of the windscreen and thus have a longer wiper blade on the driver's side and wipe up from the passenger side to the driver's side. Thus on LHD configurations, they wipe up from right to left, viewed from inside the vehicle, and do the opposite on RHD vehicles.[ citation needed ]

Historically there was less consistency in the relationship of the position of the driver to the handedness of traffic. Most American cars produced before 1910 were RHD. [10] In 1908 Henry Ford standardised the Model T as LHD in RHT America, [10] arguing that with RHD and RHT, the passenger was obliged to "get out on the street side and walk around the car" and that with steering from the left, the driver "is able to see even the wheels of the other car and easily avoids danger." [88] By 1915 other manufacturers followed Ford's lead, due to the popularity of the Model T. [10]

In specialised cases, the driver will sit on the nearside, or curbside. Examples include:

Generally, the convention is to mount a motorcycle on the left, [90] and kickstands are usually on the left [91] which makes it more convenient to mount on the safer kerbside [91] as is the case in LHT. Some jurisdictions prohibit fitting a sidecar to a motorcycle's offside. [92] [93]

In 2020, there were 160 LHD heavy goods vehicles in the UK involved in accidents (5%) for a total of 3,175 accidents, killing 215 people (5%) for a total of 4271. [94]

It has been suggested that right-hand drive vehicles, and hence the left-hand traffic direction, are associated with greater safety. As most drivers are right-handed, the dominant right hand remains controlled on the steering wheel while the non-dominant left hand can manipulate gears. [95] The right field of vision may also be more dominant, thereby permitting a superior view of oncoming traffic.

Dashboard configuration

Some manufacturers primarily produce left-hand drive vehicles, due to the larger or nearer market for such vehicles. For such models supplied to left-hand traffic markets, in the right-hand drive configuration, the manufacturer may reuse the same dashboard configuration as is used in the left-hand drive models, with the steering column and pedals moved to the right-hand side. Oft-used controls (such as audio volume and climate controls) that were placed near the left-hand driver for ease of access, are now situated on the far side of the center console for the right-hand driver. This may make them more difficult to reach quickly or without looking away from the road ahead.

In some cases, the manufacturer's dashboard design incorporates blanks and modular components, which permits the controls and underlying electronics to be rearranged to suit the right-hand drive model. This may be done in the factory, after import, or as an after-market modification.

Headlamps and other lighting equipment

Bird's-eye view of low beam light pattern for RH traffic, with long seeing range on the right and short cutoff on the left so oncoming drivers are not dazzled Low beam light pattern for right-hand traffic.svg
Bird's-eye view of low beam light pattern for RH traffic, with long seeing range on the right and short cutoff on the left so oncoming drivers are not dazzled

Most low-beam headlamps produce an asymmetrical light suitable for use on only one side of the road. Low beam headlamps in LHT jurisdictions throw most of their light forward-leftward; those for RHT throw most of their light forward-rightward, thus illuminating obstacles and road signs while minimising glare for oncoming traffic.

In Europe, headlamps approved for use on one side of the road must be adaptable to produce adequate illumination with controlled glare for temporarily driving on the other side of the road, [96] :p.13 ¶5.8. This may be achieved by affixing masking strips or prismatic lenses to a part of the lens or by moving all or part of the headlamp optic so all or part of the beam is shifted or the asymmetrical portion is occluded. [96] :p.13 ¶5.8.1 Some varieties of the projector-type headlamp can be fully adjusted to produce a proper LHT or RHT beam by shifting a lever or other movable element in or on the lamp assembly. [96] :p.12 ¶5.4 Some vehicles adjust the headlamps automatically when the car's GPS detects that the vehicle has moved from LHT to RHT and vice versa.[ citation needed ]

Rear fog lamps

In Europe since early 1980s, [97] cars must be equipped with one or two red rear fog lamps. A single rear fog lamp must be located between the vehicle's longitudinal centreline and the outer extent of the driver's side of the vehicle. [98]

Crash testing differences

ANCAP reports that some RHD cars imported to Australia did not perform as well on crash tests as the LHD versions, although the cause is unknown, and may be due to differences in testing methodology. [99]

Rail traffic

National rail

Handedness of rail traffic worldwide Handedness of rail traffic worldwide.png
Handedness of rail traffic worldwide

In most countries rail traffic travels on the same side as road traffic. However, there are many instances of railways built using LHT British technology which remained LHT despite their nations' road traffic becoming RHT. Examples include: Argentina, Belgium, Bolivia, Cambodia, China, Egypt, France, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Laos, Monaco, Morocco, Myanmar, Nigeria, Peru, Portugal, Senegal, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tunisia, Uruguay and Venezuela. France is mainly LHT for trains except for the classic lines in Alsace–Lorraine, [100] which were converted from LHT to RHT under German administration from 1870 to 1918. In North America, multi-track rail lines with centralized traffic control are typically signaled to allow operation on any track in both directions, and the side of operation will vary based on the railroad's specific operational requirements. [101] In practice however, rail traffic is more often RHT. Indonesia is the only country in the world which has RHT for rails (even for newer rail systems such as the LRT and the MRT systems) and LHT for roads.

Metro/Tram/Light rail

Metro and light rail sides of operation vary and might not match railways or roads in their country. Some systems where the metro matches the side of the national rail network but not the roads include those in Bilbao, Buenos Aires, Cairo, Catania, Jakarta, Lisbon, Lyon, Naples, and Rome. A small number of cities, including Madrid and Stockholm, originally ran on the same side as road traffic when the systems opened in 1919 and 1950 respectively, but had road traffic change in 1924 and 1967 respectively. Conversely, metros in France (except for the aforementioned Lyon) and mainland China run on the right just like roads, while mainline trains run on the left.

A small number of systems have situational reasons to differ from the norm. On the MTR in Hong Kong, the section originally known as the Ma On Shan line (now part of the Tuen Ma line) runs on the right to make interchanging with the East Rail line easier, while the rest of the system runs on the left. On the Seoul Metropolitan Subway, lines that integrate with Korail (except Line 3, which is disconnected from the rest of the network) run on the left, while the lines that are not run on the right. In Nizhny Novgorod, Line 2 runs on the left due to the track layout when it first opened as a branch of Line 1. In Lima, Line 1 runs entirely on the left, while Line 2 runs entirely on the right.

Metro Line M1 in Budapest is the only metro line to have switched sides. It originally ran on the left but switched to right hand-running during the line's reconstruction around 1973.

Because trams frequently operate on roads, they generally operate on the same side as other road traffic.

Boat traffic

Helmsman's station on a Philippine Marine Corps patrol boat Riverine Patrol Boat Cockpit Console.jpg
Helmsman's station on a Philippine Marine Corps patrol boat

Boats are traditionally piloted from starboard (the right-hand side) to facilitate priority to the right. According to the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, water traffic is effectively RHT: a vessel proceeding along a narrow channel must keep to starboard, and when two power-driven vessels are meeting head-on both must alter course to starboard also.

Aircraft traffic

For aircraft the US Federal Aviation Regulations suggest RHT principles, both in the air and on water, and in aircraft with side-by-side cockpit seating, the pilot-in-command (or more senior flight officer) traditionally occupies the left seat. [102] However, helicopter practice tends to favour the right hand seat for the pilot-in-command, particularly when flying solo. [103]

Worldwide distribution by country

Of the 195 countries currently recognised by the United Nations, 141 use RHT and 54 use LHT on roads in general.

A country and its territories and dependencies are counted as one. Whichever directionality is listed first is the type that is used in general in the traffic category.

CountryRoad trafficDate of
switch
Notes, exceptions
Flag of the Taliban.svg  Afghanistan RHTKabul adopted RHT 1955.[ citation needed ]
Flag of Albania.svg  Albania RHT [104]
Flag of Algeria.svg  Algeria RHT [105] Part of France until 1962.
Flag of Andorra.svg  Andorra RHT [106] Landlocked between France and Spain.
Flag of Angola.svg  Angola RHT [107] 1928 Portuguese colony until 1975.
Flag of Antigua and Barbuda.svg  Antigua and Barbuda LHT [108] These Caribbean islands were a British colony until 1958.
Flag of Argentina.svg  Argentina RHT10 June 1945The anniversary on 10 June is still observed each year as Día de la Seguridad Vial (road safety day). [109]
Flag of Armenia.svg  Armenia RHT [110]
Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia LHTBritish colonies before 1901. Includes Australian external territories.
Flag of Austria.svg  Austria RHT1921–38Originally LHT, like most of Austria-Hungary, but switched sides after the annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany.
Flag of Azerbaijan.svg  Azerbaijan RHT
Flag of the Bahamas.svg  Bahamas LHT [27] British colony before 1973. Caribbean island. Most passenger vehicles are LHD due to them being imported from the United States. [20]
Flag of Bahrain.svg  Bahrain RHTNovember 1967Former British protectorate. Switched to the same side as its neighbours. [111] An island nation, linked by road to the Arabian mainland since 1986.
Flag of Bangladesh.svg  Bangladesh LHTPart of Pakistan before 1971, which was part of British India before 1947.
Flag of Barbados.svg  Barbados LHTThis Atlantic island state was a British colony before 1966.
Flag of Belarus.svg  Belarus RHT [112]
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium RHT1899 [113]
Flag of Belize.svg  Belize RHT1961 [1] British colony before 1981. Switched to same side as neighbours.
Flag of Benin.svg  Benin RHTPart of French West Africa before 1960.
Flag of Bhutan.svg  Bhutan LHTUnder British protection before 1949.
Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg  Bolivia RHT
Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina.svg  Bosnia and Herzegovina RHT1918Switched sides after the collapse of Austria-Hungary.
Flag of Botswana.svg  Botswana LHT British colony before 1966.
Flag of Brazil.svg  Brazil RHT1928 Portuguese colony before 1822.
Flag of Brunei.svg  Brunei LHTBritish protection until 1984.
Flag of Bulgaria.svg  Bulgaria RHT
Flag of Burkina Faso.svg  Burkina Faso RHTPart of French West Africa before 1958.
Flag of Burundi.svg  Burundi RHT Belgian colony before 1962. Considering switching to LHT. [76]
Flag of Cambodia.svg  Cambodia RHT French protectorate before 1953.
Flag of Cameroon.svg  Cameroon RHT1961
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada Flag of Alberta.svg  Alberta RHT
Flag of British Columbia.svg  British Columbia 1920–1922Interior changed 15 July 1920, Vancouver and the coastal area 1 January 1922
Flag of Manitoba.svg  Manitoba
Flag of New Brunswick.svg  New Brunswick 1 December 1922
Flag of Newfoundland and Labrador.svg  Newfoundland and Labrador 2 January 1947Was a British Dominion until 1949.
Flag of the Northwest Territories.svg  Northwest Territories
Flag of Nova Scotia.svg  Nova Scotia 15 April 1923
Flag of Nunavut.svg  Nunavut
Flag of Ontario.svg  Ontario
Flag of Prince Edward Island.svg  Prince Edward Island 1 May 1924
Flag of Quebec.svg  Quebec
Flag of Saskatchewan.svg  Saskatchewan
Flag of Yukon.svg  Yukon
Flag of Cape Verde.svg  Cape Verde RHT1928 Portuguese colony before 1975.
Flag of the Central African Republic.svg  Central African Republic RHTFrench colonies before 1960.
Flag of Chad.svg  Chad RHT
Flag of Chile.svg  Chile RHT1920s
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China Mainland RHT1946Parts of China were LHT in the 1930s.
Flag of Hong Kong.svg  Hong Kong LHTHong Kong was a British colony from 1841 to 1941 and from 1945 to 1997, when the dependent territory was transferred to China.
Flag of Macau.svg  Macau LHTMacau was under Portuguese rule until 1999, when the dependent territory was transferred to China.
Flag of Colombia.svg  Colombia RHT
Flag of the Comoros.svg  Comoros RHT French colony before 1975.
Flag of the Republic of the Congo.svg  Congo RHT French colony before 1960.
Flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.svg  DR Congo RHT Belgian colony before 1960. RHD vehicles are common, especially in the southeast.
Flag of Costa Rica.svg  Costa Rica RHT [114]
Flag of Cote d'Ivoire.svg  Ivory Coast
(Côte d'Ivoire)
RHTPart of French West Africa before 1960.
Flag of Croatia.svg  Croatia RHT1926Was then part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes.
Flag of Cuba.svg  Cuba RHT
Flag of Cyprus.svg  Cyprus LHTUnder UK administration before 1960. Island nation. De facto divided between the Republic of Cyprus, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, the UN buffer zone and the British base areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia. All are LHT.
Flag of the Czech Republic.svg  Czech Republic RHT1939 Switched during the German occupation of Czechoslovakia.
Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark RHTIncludes the Faroe Islands and Greenland.
Flag of Djibouti.svg  Djibouti RHT French colony before 1977.
Flag of Dominica.svg  Dominica LHTBritish colony before 1978. Caribbean island.
Flag of the Dominican Republic.svg  Dominican Republic RHT
Flag of East Timor.svg  East Timor LHT19 July 1976 Portuguese colony until 1975. Switched to RHT with Portugal in 1928; under the Indonesian annexation, it was switched back to LHT in 1976. Its LHT status remains to this day.
Flag of Ecuador.svg  Ecuador RHT
Flag of Egypt.svg  Egypt RHT
Flag of El Salvador.svg  El Salvador RHT
Flag of Equatorial Guinea.svg  Equatorial Guinea RHT Spanish colony before 1968.
Flag of Eritrea.svg  Eritrea RHT8 June 1964 Italian colony before 1942.
Flag of Estonia.svg  Estonia RHT
Flag of Eswatini.svg  Eswatini LHTBritish protectorate until 1968. Continues to drive on the same side as neighbouring countries.
Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Ethiopia RHT8 June 1964
Flag of Fiji.svg  Fiji LHTThe island nation was a British colony before 1970.
Flag of Finland.svg  Finland RHT8 June 1858
Flag of France.svg  France RHT1792Includes French Polynesia, New Caledonia, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Wallis and Futuna, French Guiana, Réunion, Saint Barthélemy, the Collectivity of Saint Martin, Guadeloupe, and Mayotte.
Flag of Gabon.svg  Gabon RHTFrench colony before 1960.
Flag of The Gambia.svg  Gambia RHT1 October 1965 British colony until 1965. Switched to RHT on 1 October 1965 being surrounded by the former French colony of Senegal. [115]
Flag of Georgia.svg  Georgia RHTAbout 40% of vehicles in Georgia are RHD due to the low cost of used cars imported from Japan.[ citation needed ]
Flag of Germany.svg  Germany RHT [116]
Flag of Ghana.svg  Ghana RHT4 August 1974 British colony until 1957. Ghana switched to RHT in 1974, [117] [118] a Twi language slogan was "Nifa, Nifa Enan" or "Right, Right, Fourth". [119] Ghana has also banned RHD vehicles - it prohibited new registrations of RHD vehicles after 1 August 1974, three days before the traffic change.
Flag of Greece.svg  Greece RHT1926Originally LHT (albeit unofficially) since independence. The establishment of the traffic code switched traffic officially to RHT traffic in 1926.
Flag of Grenada.svg  Grenada LHTBritish colony before 1974. Caribbean island.
Flag of Guatemala.svg  Guatemala RHT
Flag of Guinea.svg  Guinea RHT
Flag of Guinea-Bissau.svg  Guinea-Bissau RHT1928 Portuguese colony until 1974. Drives on the same side as its neighbours.
Flag of Guyana.svg  Guyana LHT British colony until 1966. One of the only two countries in continental America which are in LHT, the other being Suriname.
Flag of Haiti.svg  Haiti RHT French colony until 1804.
Flag of Honduras.svg  Honduras RHT
Flag of Hungary.svg  Hungary RHT1941Originally LHT, like most of Austria-Hungary, but switched sides during the Second World War.
Flag of Iceland.svg  Iceland RHT26 May 1968This Atlantic island nation changed to RHT on H-dagurinn. Most passenger cars were already LHD.
Flag of India.svg  India LHTPart of British India before 1947.
Flag of Indonesia.svg  Indonesia LHT [120] Roads and railways were built by the Dutch, with LHT for roads to conform to British and Japanese standards and RHT for railways to conform with Dutch standards. Urban railways also use RHT. Did not change sides, unlike the Netherlands, in 1906.
Flag of Iran.svg  Iran RHT
Flag of Iraq.svg  Iraq RHT
Flag of Ireland.svg  Ireland LHTWhat is now the Republic of Ireland was part of the United Kingdom before 1922. The Republic covers most of the island of Ireland; the rest of Ireland is part of Northern Ireland, which remains part of the United Kingdom, which is also LHT.
Flag of Israel.svg  Israel RHT
Flag of Italy.svg  Italy RHT1924–26
Flag of Jamaica.svg  Jamaica LHT British colony before 1962. Caribbean island. Most passenger vehicles are RHD, tractor-trailers and other heavy-duty trucks are mostly LHD due to being imported from the United States. [121] [122]
Flag of Japan.svg  Japan LHT [123] LHT was enacted in law in 1924. One of the few non-British-colony countries to use LHT. Okinawa Prefecture was RHT from 24 June 1945 to 30 July 1978 because of American rule.
Flag of Jordan.svg  Jordan RHT
Flag of Kazakhstan.svg  Kazakhstan RHT
Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya LHT [124] Part of the British East Africa Protectorate before 1963.
Flag of Kiribati.svg  Kiribati LHTThis Pacific island nation was a British colony before 1979.
Flag of Kosovo.svg  Kosovo RHT
Flag of Kuwait.svg  Kuwait RHTBritish Protectorate until 1961.
Flag of Kyrgyzstan (2023).svg  Kyrgyzstan RHTIn 2012, over 20,000 cheap used RHD cars were imported from Japan. [125]
Flag of Laos.svg  Laos RHT French protectorate until 1953. The Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge is LHT in connection to Thailand.
Flag of Latvia.svg  Latvia RHT
Flag of Lebanon.svg  Lebanon RHT French Mandate of Lebanon before 1946.
Flag of Lesotho.svg  Lesotho LHTBritish protectorate from 1885 to 1966. Enclave of LHT South Africa.
Flag of Liberia.svg  Liberia RHTWas under American control.
Flag of Libya.svg  Libya RHT Italian colony from 1911 to 1947.
Flag of Liechtenstein.svg  Liechtenstein RHTLandlocked between Switzerland and Austria.
Flag of Lithuania.svg  Lithuania RHT
Flag of Luxembourg.svg  Luxembourg RHT
Flag of Madagascar.svg  Madagascar RHTThis island nation was a French colony until 1958.
Flag of Malawi.svg  Malawi LHTBritish colony before 1964.
Flag of Malaysia.svg  Malaysia LHT British colony before 1957.
Flag of Maldives.svg  Maldives LHTThis island nation was a British colony before 1965.
Flag of Mali.svg  Mali RHTPart of French West Africa before 1960.
Flag of Malta.svg  Malta LHT British colony before 1964. Island nation.
Flag of the Marshall Islands.svg  Marshall Islands RHTWas under American control.
Flag of Mauritania.svg  Mauritania RHTPart of French West Africa before 1960. Mining roads between Fderîck and Zouérat are LHT. [126]
Flag of Mauritius.svg  Mauritius LHTThis island nation was a British colony before 1968.
Flag of Mexico.svg  Mexico RHT
Flag of the Federated States of Micronesia.svg  Micronesia RHTWas under American control.
Flag of Moldova.svg  Moldova RHT
Flag of Monaco.svg  Monaco RHTWas under French control.
Flag of Mongolia.svg  Mongolia RHT
Flag of Montenegro.svg  Montenegro RHT
Flag of Morocco.svg  Morocco RHTUnder French and Spanish protection until 1956.
Flag of Mozambique.svg  Mozambique LHT Portuguese colony until 1975. Drives on the same side as its neighbours.
Flag of Myanmar.svg  Myanmar RHT6 December 1970 [127] British colony until 1948. Switched to RHT under the orders of Ne Win. Theories emerge on the reasoning behind this switch; one claimed that he met an astrologer that recommended him to switch the country's traffic to the right in order to make the nation prosper, while another claimed that international visits caused him to notice that most countries are RHT and so decided to convert the country's handedness of traffic in order to connect Myanmar's roads with other countries' roads in the future.
Flag of Namibia.svg  Namibia LHT1920When South Africa occupied German South West Africa in the First World War, it switched to LHT. South West Africa was administered by South Africa 1920–1990.
Flag of Nauru.svg  Nauru LHT1918This island nation was administered by Australia until 1968.
Flag of Nepal.svg    Nepal LHTShares open land border with LHT India.
Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands RHT1 January 1906 [128] Includes Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten.
Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand LHT [129] These Pacific islands, including territories Niue and Cook Islands, were former British colonies.
Flag of Nicaragua.svg  Nicaragua RHT
Flag of Niger.svg  Niger RHTPart of French West Africa before 1958.
Flag of Nigeria.svg  Nigeria RHT2 April 1972 British colony until 1960. Under the military government, it switched to RHT due to being surrounded by RHT former French colonies.
Flag of North Korea.svg  North Korea RHT1946Was LHT during the period of Japanese rule. Switched to RHT after the Surrender of Japan.
Flag of North Macedonia.svg  North Macedonia RHT
Flag of Norway.svg  Norway RHT
Flag of Oman.svg  Oman RHT [130]
Flag of Pakistan.svg  Pakistan LHTPart of British India before 1947.
Flag of Palau.svg  Palau RHTMost passenger vehicles are RHD due to them being imported from Australia and Japan.[ citation needed ] Palau was under American control.
Flag of Palestine.svg  Palestine RHT
Flag of Panama.svg  Panama RHT1943
Flag of Papua New Guinea.svg  Papua New Guinea LHTAfter Australia occupied German New Guinea during World War I, it switched to LHT.
Flag of Paraguay.svg  Paraguay RHT1945
Flag of Peru.svg  Peru RHT
Flag of the Philippines.svg  Philippines RHT1946Was LHT during the Spanish and American colonial periods. Switched to RHT after the Battle of Manila in 1945. [38] RHD vehicles such as imported buses were still used up until the late 1980s. [131] Philippine National Railways switched to RHT in 2010. Nowadays RHD vehicles are illegal to register and operate for ordinary use under Republic Act 8506 of 1998 however RHD vintage vehicles made before 1960 in "showroom" condition or off-road specialized vehicles are allowed to be used only for motorsports events. [39]
Flag of Poland.svg  Poland RHTSouth-eastern Poland (former Austrian Partition) was LHT until the 1920s. [55]
Flag of Portugal.svg  Portugal RHT [120] 1928Colonies Goa, Macau and Mozambique, which had land borders with LHT countries, did not switch and continue to drive on the left. [132] The Porto Metro uses RHT.
Flag of Qatar.svg  Qatar RHTFormer British protectorate. Switched to same side as neighbours.
Flag of Romania.svg  Romania RHT1919Regions of Romania (Transylvania, Bukovina, parts of the Banat, Crișana and Maramureș) that were part of Austria-Hungary were LHT until 1919.
Flag of Russia.svg  Russia RHTIn the Russian Far East, RHD vehicles are common due to the import of used cars from nearby Japan. [133] The railway between Moscow and Ryazan, the Sormovskaya line in Nizhny Novgorod Metro and the Moskva River cable car use LHT.
Flag of Rwanda.svg  Rwanda RHT [76] Belgian colony before 1962. Considering switching to LHT. [76]
Flag of Saint Kitts and Nevis.svg  Saint Kitts and Nevis LHTThis Caribbean island nation was a British colony before 1983.
Flag of Saint Lucia.svg  Saint Lucia LHTThis Caribbean island nation was a British colony before 1979.
Flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.svg  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines LHT
Flag of Samoa.svg  Samoa LHT7 September 2009Despite New Zealand occupying German Samoa during the first World War, the country did not switch to LHT until 2009; this was for economic reasons, to allow cheaper importation of cars from Australia, New Zealand and Japan. [134]
Flag of San Marino.svg  San Marino RHTEnclaved state surrounded by Italy.
Flag of Sao Tome and Principe.svg  São Tomé and Príncipe RHT1928 Portuguese colony until 1975.
Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg  Saudi Arabia RHT1942
Flag of Senegal.svg  Senegal RHTPart of French West Africa before 1960.
Flag of Serbia.svg  Serbia RHT1926(As part of Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes). Vojvodina was LHT while part of Austria-Hungary.
Flag of Seychelles.svg  Seychelles LHTThis island nation was a British colony until 1976.
Flag of Sierra Leone.svg  Sierra Leone RHT1 March 1971 [135] British colony until 1961. Switched to RHT being surrounded by neighbouring former French colonies. Furthermore, it banned the importation of RHD vehicles in 2013. [136]
Flag of Singapore.svg  Singapore LHTThis island nation was a British colony until 1963. It was also part of Malaysia until 1965.
Flag of Slovakia.svg  Slovakia RHT1939–41 Switched during the German occupation of Czechoslovakia.
Flag of Slovenia.svg  Slovenia RHT1926(As part of Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes.) Officially LHT from 1915 as part of Austria-Hungary.
Flag of the Solomon Islands.svg  Solomon Islands LHTThis island nation was a British protectorate before 1975.
Flag of Somalia.svg  Somalia RHTThe former British Somaliland had LHT until it formed a union with the former Italian Somaliland which had RHT.
Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa LHT [137] [138] British colony before 1910.
Flag of South Korea.svg  South Korea RHT1946Was LHT during the period of Japanese rule. Switched to RHT after the Surrender of Japan.
Flag of South Sudan.svg  South Sudan RHT1973Part of Sudan until 2011.
Flag of Spain.svg  Spain RHT1924Up to the 1920s Barcelona was RHT, and Madrid was LHT until 1924. The Madrid Metro still uses LHT.
Flag of Sri Lanka.svg  Sri Lanka LHT British Ceylon from 1815 to 1948.
Flag of Sudan.svg  Sudan RHT1973Formerly Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, it switched sides 17 years later to match neighbours.
Flag of Suriname.svg  Suriname LHT1920s Dutch colony until 1975. One of the only two countries in continental America which are in LHT, the other being Guyana. Did not switch sides, unlike the Netherlands itself.
Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden RHT3 September 1967The day of the switch was known as Dagen H . Most passenger vehicles were already LHD.
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Switzerland RHT
Flag of Syria.svg  Syria RHTWas under French control.
Flag of the Republic of China.svg  Taiwan RHT1946Was LHT during the period of Japanese rule. The Republic of China (1912–1949) changed Taiwan to RHT in 1946 along with the rest of China. [139]
Flag of Tajikistan.svg  Tajikistan RHT
Flag of Tanzania.svg  Tanzania LHTWas British colony until 1961.
Flag of Thailand.svg  Thailand LHT [120] One of the few non-British-colony LHT countries. Shares a long land border with RHT Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia.
Flag of Togo.svg  Togo RHTPart of French West Africa until 1960.
Flag of Tonga.svg  Tonga LHTBritish protectorate before 1970. Polynesian island nation.
Flag of Trinidad and Tobago.svg  Trinidad and Tobago LHT [140] British colony before 1962. Caribbean island.
Flag of Tunisia.svg  Tunisia RHTRHT was enforced in the French protectorate of Tunisia from 1881 to 1956.
Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey RHTExcept Metrobus, which is usually LHT.
Flag of Turkmenistan.svg  Turkmenistan RHT
Flag of Tuvalu.svg  Tuvalu LHTFormerly a British colony. Became independent in 1978.
Flag of Uganda.svg  Uganda LHTPart of British Uganda Protectorate from 1894 until 1962.
Flag of Ukraine.svg  Ukraine RHT1922 [55] Western parts of the country had LHT under Austro-Hungarian Empire
Flag of the United Arab Emirates.svg  United Arab Emirates RHT1 September 1966 [141] Former British protectorate.
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom and territoriesUnited Kingdom proper [lower-alpha 1] LHTAn island nation with a land border with the Republic of Ireland, which is also LHT. Also LHT are the British Overseas Territories of Anguilla, Ascension Island, Bermuda, Montserrat, Saint Helena, and Tristan da Cunha.
Flag of the Commissioner of the British Indian Ocean Territory.svg  British Indian Ocean Territory RHTThe largest island, Diego Garcia, was leased to the US Navy as a military base; the United States is RHT.
Flag of the British Virgin Islands.svg  British Virgin Islands LHTMost passenger vehicles are LHD due to imports from the United States, which is RHT. [23]
Flag of the Cayman Islands.svg  Cayman Islands LHTMost passenger vehicles are LHD due to imports from the United States, which has RHT. [21]
Flag of the Falkland Islands.svg  Falkland Islands LHTBriefly switched to RHT during the Falklands War.
Flag of Gibraltar.svg  Gibraltar RHT1929 Gibraltar is RHT because of its land border with Spain. [142]
Flag of Guernsey.svg  Guernsey LHTWas RHT from 1940 to 1945 due to the German occupation. [143]
Flag of the Isle of Man.svg  Isle of Man LHT
Flag of Jersey.svg  Jersey LHTWas RHT from 1940 to 1945 due to the German occupation. [143]
Flag of the Pitcairn Islands.svg  Pitcairn Islands LHTThere is no official vehicle registration system.
Flag of the Turks and Caicos Islands.svg  Turks and Caicos Islands LHTMost passenger vehicles are LHD due to imports from the United States, which has RHT. [22]
Flag of the United States.svg  United States Contiguous U.S. RHT
Flag of Alaska.svg  Alaska RHT
Flag of Hawaii.svg  Hawaii RHT
Flag of Puerto Rico.svg  Puerto Rico RHT
Flag of the United States Virgin Islands.svg  U.S. Virgin Islands LHT U.S. Virgin Islands, like much of the Caribbean, is LHT and is the only American jurisdiction that still has LHT, because the islands drove on the left when the US purchased the former Danish West Indies in the 1917 Treaty of the Danish West Indies. Most passenger vehicles are LHD due to them being imported from the American mainland. [23]
Flag of Guam.svg  Guam RHT
Flag of the Northern Mariana Islands.svg  Northern Mariana Islands RHT
Flag of American Samoa.svg  American Samoa RHT
Flag of Uruguay.svg  Uruguay RHT9 September 1945Became LHT in 1918, but as in some other countries in South America, changed to RHT in 1945. [144] A speed limit of 30 km/h (19 mph) was observed until 30 September for safety.
Flag of Uzbekistan.svg  Uzbekistan RHT
Flag of Vanuatu.svg  Vanuatu RHT [145] Co-administered under France and the United Kingdom until 1980.
Flag of the Vatican City (2023-present).svg  Vatican City RHTEnclave of Rome.
Flag of Venezuela.svg  Venezuela RHT
Flag of Vietnam.svg  Vietnam RHT French colony until 1954. The Long Bien Bridge uses LHT.
Flag of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.svg  Western Sahara RHT Spanish colony until 1976.
Flag of Yemen.svg  Yemen RHT1977 [1] South Yemen, formerly the British colony of Aden, changed to RHT in 1977. A series of postage stamps commemorating the event was issued. [146] At that time, North Yemen was already RHT.
Flag of Zambia.svg  Zambia LHT British colony before 1964.
Flag of Zimbabwe.svg  Zimbabwe LHT British colony before 1965 (de facto) or 1980 (de jure).

Legality of wrong-hand-drive vehicles by country

Legality of wrong-hand-drive vehicles
CountryUsageRegistration
(diplomatic
vehicles)
Registration
(normal
vehicles)
Ref
Flag of the Taliban.svg  Afghanistan YesYesYes [147]
Flag of Angola.svg  Angola YesYesYes Time for a break.jpg
Flag of Argentina.svg  Argentina YesYesYes [148]
Flag of Armenia.svg  Armenia NoNoNo
Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia YesYesYes
Flag of the Bahamas.svg  Bahamas YesYesYes [20]
Flag of Bahrain.svg  Bahrain YesUn­knownYes
Flag of Bangladesh.svg  Bangladesh YesYesYes Lincoln Town car, Bangladesh. (32305973190).jpg
Flag of Belarus.svg  Belarus YesNoNo [149] [150]
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium YesYesYes
Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg  Bolivia YesYesYes
Flag of Brazil.svg  Brazil NoNoNo [151] [152]
Flag of the British Virgin Islands.svg  British Virgin Islands YesYesYes [23]
Flag of Brunei.svg  Brunei YesYesNo [153]
Flag of Bulgaria.svg  Bulgaria YesYesYes
Flag of Burundi.svg  Burundi YesYesYes
Flag of Cambodia.svg  Cambodia YesUn­knownNo
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada YesYesYes [154]
Flag of the Cayman Islands.svg  Cayman Islands YesYesYes [21]
Flag of Chile.svg  Chile YesUn­knownNo [155]
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China YesYesNo [156]
Flag of Cyprus.svg  Cyprus YesUn­knownUn­known
Flag of the Dominican Republic.svg  Dominican Republic YesYesYes
Flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.svg  DR Congo YesYesYes Ferme de l'honorable VItal kamerhe a mulume munene kabare.png
Flag of El Salvador.svg  El Salvador YesYesYes
Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Ethiopia YesUn­knownUn­known
Flag of Finland.svg  Finland YesYesYes 1998 Toyota Caldina GT-T (Forssa, Finland).jpg
Flag of France.svg  France YesYesYes Nissan Figaro (38361593055).jpg
Flag of Georgia.svg  Georgia YesYesYes [157]
Flag of Germany.svg  Germany YesYesYes [158]
Flag of Ghana.svg  Ghana Un­knownUn­knownNo
Flag of Gibraltar.svg  Gibraltar YesYesYes
Flag of Greece.svg  Greece YesNoNo
Flag of Guernsey.svg  Guernsey YesUn­knownUn­known
Flag of Guyana.svg  Guyana YesUn­knownUn­known
Flag of Honduras.svg  Honduras YesYesYes
Flag of Hong Kong.svg  Hong Kong YesYesNo [159]
Flag of Hungary.svg  Hungary YesYesYes Veszprem 2016, Nissan Figaro, Miklos utca.jpg
Flag of India.svg  India YesYesNo
Flag of Indonesia.svg  Indonesia YesYesUn­known [160]
Flag of Iran.svg  Iran YesUn­knownUn­known
Flag of Ireland.svg  Ireland YesYesYes Howth, Co. Dublin - Ireland (8706441713).jpg
Flag of Israel.svg  Israel YesUn­knownUn­known
Flag of Italy.svg  Italy YesUn­knownUn­known
Flag of Japan.svg  Japan YesYesYes
Flag of Jersey.svg  Jersey YesYesYes Jersey International Motoring Festival 2013 06.jpg
Flag of Kazakhstan.svg  Kazakhstan YesNoNo
Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya YesUn­knownUn­known
Flag of Kyrgyzstan (2023).svg  Kyrgyzstan YesYesYes [125]
Flag of Laos.svg  Laos YesUn­knownUn­known
Flag of Lithuania.svg  Lithuania YesYesYes [161]
Flag of Macau.svg  Macau YesYesYes
Flag of Malaysia.svg  Malaysia YesYesNo
Flag of Malta.svg  Malta YesYesYes Chevrolet Corvette maltaise.jpg
Flag of the Federated States of Micronesia.svg  Micronesia YesYesYes
Flag of Mongolia.svg  Mongolia YesYesYes Ulica w centrum Ulan Bator 02.JPG
Flag of Myanmar.svg  Myanmar YesUn­knownUn­known
Flag of Nepal.svg    Nepal YesUn­knownUn­known
Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands YesYesYes 1991 Nissan Figaro, Dutch licence registration 03-NBL-3 p1.JPG
Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand YesYesYes 2005 Pontiac Solstice (11664362773).jpg
Flag of Nicaragua.svg  Nicaragua YesYesYes
Flag of Nigeria.svg  Nigeria YesYesNo
Flag of North Korea.svg  North Korea YesYesYes Pyongyang Toyota Landcruiser.jpg
Flag of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.svg  Northern Cyprus YesUn­knownUn­known
Flag of Norway.svg  Norway YesYesYes
Flag of Pakistan.svg  Pakistan YesUn­knownUn­known
Flag of Palau.svg  Palau YesYesYes
Flag of Paraguay.svg  Paraguay YesYesYes
Flag of Peru.svg  Peru YesYesYes
Flag of the Philippines.svg  Philippines NoNoNo [39]
Flag of Poland.svg  Poland YesYesYes [161]
Flag of Romania.svg  Romania YesNoNo [162]
Flag of Russia.svg  Russia YesYesYes [133]
Flag of Rwanda.svg  Rwanda YesYesYes
Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg  Saudi Arabia NoNoNo
Flag of Sierra Leone.svg  Sierra Leone NoNoNo [136]
Flag of Singapore.svg  Singapore YesYesYes [163]
Flag of Slovakia.svg  Slovakia YesYesYes
Flag of Somalia.svg  Somalia YesUn­knownUn­known
Flag of Somaliland.svg  Somaliland YesYesYes HG 0330.jpg
Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa YesYesNo
Flag of South Korea.svg  South Korea YesYesYes Toyota Mark II Grande X110 Silver Mica (2).jpg
Flag of South Sudan.svg  South Sudan YesUn­knownUn­known
Flag of Spain.svg  Spain YesUn­knownUn­known
Flag of Suriname.svg  Suriname YesUn­knownUn­known
Flag of the Republic of China.svg  Taiwan YesYesNo [164]
Flag of Tanzania.svg  Tanzania YesUn­knownUn­known
Flag of Thailand.svg  Thailand YesYesNo
Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey YesUn­knownUn­known
Flag of the Turks and Caicos Islands.svg  Turks and Caicos Islands YesYesYes [22]
Flag of Uganda.svg  Uganda YesUn­knownUn­known
Flag of Ukraine.svg  Ukraine YesYesNo
Flag of the United Arab Emirates.svg  United Arab Emirates YesYesYes
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom YesYesYes
Flag of the United States.svg  United States YesYesYes 1989 Toyota TownAce Surf 4WD.jpg
Flag of the United States Virgin Islands.svg  U.S. Virgin Islands YesYesYes [23]
Flag of Vietnam.svg  Vietnam YesYesNo
Flag of Yemen.svg  Yemen YesYesYes
Flag of Zambia.svg  Zambia YesYesUn­known

According to the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, which mostly covers Europe, if having a vehicle registered and legal to drive in one of the Convention countries, it is legal to drive it in any other of the countries, for visits and first year of residence after moving. This is regardless if it does not fulfil all rules of the visitor countries. This convention does not affect rules on usage or registration of local vehicles.

See also

Explanatory notes

  1. Contains Flag of England.svg  England , Northern Ireland, Flag of Scotland.svg  Scotland , and Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Wales .

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Traffic</span> Phenomenon of movement by humans on foot or using vehicles

Traffic comprises pedestrians, vehicles, ridden or herded animals, trains, and other conveyances that use public ways (roads/sidewalks) for travel and transportation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Driving</span> Operation of a vehicle

Driving is the controlled operation and movement of a land vehicle, including cars, motorcycles, trucks, and buses. Permission to drive on public highways is granted based on a set of conditions being met and drivers are required to follow the established road and traffic laws in the location they are driving. The word driving, has etymology dating back to the 15th century and has developed as what driving has encompassed has changed from working animals in the 15th to automobiles in the 1800s. Driving skills have also developed since the 15th century with physical, mental and safety skills being required to drive. This evolution of the skills required to drive have been accompanied by the introduction of driving laws which relate to not only the driver but the driveability of a car.

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Dagen H (H-day), today usually called "Högertrafikomläggningen", was on 3 September 1967, the day in which Sweden switched from driving on the left-hand side of the road to the right. The "H" stands for "Högertrafik", the Swedish word for right-hand traffic. It was by far the largest logistical event in Sweden's history.

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LHD can mean:

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