Which countries drive on the left side of the road?
Many do: the United Kingdom drives on the left, as do Japan, Australia, India, South Africa, New Zealand, and roughly 75 countries and territories worldwide—about a third of the global population. Below is a clear, region-by-region guide to where left-hand traffic (LHT) is the rule, why it persists, and what travelers should know.
Contents
Where is left-hand traffic the rule?
Europe
In Europe, only a small group of states and territories keep left, led by the UK and Ireland and a handful of islands and territories with historic ties to Britain.
- United Kingdom
- Ireland
- Cyprus
- Malta
- Isle of Man
- Guernsey
- Jersey
- Gibraltar
This cluster represents all of Europe’s mainstream LHT jurisdictions; the rest of continental Europe drives on the right.
Asia
Asia includes several of the world’s biggest LHT nations—most notably India and Japan—along with Southeast Asian countries influenced by British colonial administration or regional standardization.
- Japan
- India
- Pakistan
- Bangladesh
- Sri Lanka
- Nepal
- Bhutan
- Maldives
- Thailand
- Malaysia
- Singapore
- Indonesia
- Brunei
- Timor-Leste
- Hong Kong
- Macau
These nations account for hundreds of millions of LHT road users, with special cross-border arrangements—such as dedicated interchange “crossover” systems—where left-driving regions meet right-driving neighbors.
Africa
Left-hand traffic in Africa is concentrated in southern and eastern regions, reflecting historical ties and cross-border consistency.
- South Africa
- Namibia
- Botswana
- Lesotho
- Eswatini
- Zimbabwe
- Zambia
- Malawi
- Mozambique
- Tanzania
- Kenya
- Uganda
- Mauritius
- Seychelles
Most neighbors in this belt align on LHT, reducing friction at borders; notable nearby exceptions like Rwanda and Burundi drive on the right.
Oceania
Pacific nations influenced by Australia and New Zealand overwhelmingly drive on the left, including several small island states and territories.
- Australia
- New Zealand
- Papua New Guinea
- Fiji
- Solomon Islands
- Tonga
- Samoa
- Kiribati
- Tuvalu
- Nauru
- Cook Islands (NZ)
- Niue (NZ)
- Tokelau (NZ)
- Pitcairn Islands (UK)
While many Pacific territories follow LHT, some nearby jurisdictions—such as Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Vanuatu, and French Polynesia—drive on the right.
The Americas and the Caribbean
LHT here appears in the Caribbean, two mainland South American countries, and a handful of Atlantic territories; many retain British legal-road traditions.
- Guyana
- Suriname
- Jamaica
- Barbados
- Trinidad and Tobago
- The Bahamas
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Grenada
- Dominica
- British Virgin Islands
- U.S. Virgin Islands
- Cayman Islands
- Bermuda
- Turks and Caicos Islands
- Anguilla
- Montserrat
- Falkland Islands
Notably, the U.S. Virgin Islands drive on the left despite being a U.S. territory—one of the Western Hemisphere’s best-known exceptions.
Why do some countries drive on the left?
Left-hand traffic endures due to a mix of history, safety rationales, and regional alignment. Here are the principal drivers behind the split between left and right.
- Historical practice: In medieval Europe and Japan, keeping left favored right-handed weapon use and reduced collision risk for mounted travelers.
- Colonial legacy: The British Empire exported left-hand rules across its territories, creating large LHT networks that persist today.
- Rail and road standardization: Early railways and motoring laws cemented local habits, making later changes costly and complex.
- Regional harmonization and trade: Neighbors align traffic rules to simplify cross-border driving and vehicle flows.
Because the costs of switching are high and cross-border consistency matters, most countries maintain their historical choice.
Traveler tips for left-driving countries
If you’re visiting an LHT country for the first time, a few practical points can make driving safer and less stressful.
- Vehicle layout: Most cars are right-hand drive (steering wheel on the right); gear shifting and controls may feel reversed.
- On-road habits: Drive on the left and overtake on the right; roundabouts typically circulate clockwise.
- Visibility and safety: Look right first when stepping off a curb; be extra cautious at intersections and multi-lane turns.
- Headlights and mirrors: Beam patterns and mirror setups are optimized for LHT; adjust if importing or renting an opposite-hand vehicle.
Give yourself time to adjust—especially in busy cities and on multi-lane roads—and consider an automatic transmission to reduce cognitive load.
Summary
Answer: There isn’t just one—dozens of countries drive on the left, notably the United Kingdom, Japan, Australia, India, South Africa, and New Zealand, along with many others across Asia, Africa, Oceania, and the Caribbean. The pattern reflects centuries of history and regional alignment, and it remains stable because switching sides is costly and complicated.
Why do Britain drive on left?
The UK drives on the left due to its origins in the Middle Ages as a safety measure, allowing right-handed individuals to keep their sword arm free when passing oncoming strangers, a practice later formalized in law. As Napoleon spread right-hand traffic across continental Europe, Britain and its former colonies retained the left-hand custom, which became entrenched with the rise of automobiles.
Historical Origins
- Medieval Safety: The tradition dates back to the era of horses and carriages. Most people were right-handed, so keeping to the left ensured their right arm was free for defense with a sword against potential attackers.
- Wagon Drivers: In the 18th century, large wagons required the driver to sit to the right of the carriage to keep the whip-hand free. This kept them on the left side of the road, as they would whip the horses to the left to stay in line.
Formalization and Influence
- Early Laws: In 1773, the General Highways Act in Britain mandated keeping to the left to prevent collisions on congested roads. The Highway Act of 1835 further solidified this into law, making left-hand driving the standard.
- Napoleon and Continental Europe: The French Revolution and subsequent conquests by Napoleon led to right-hand traffic becoming the norm on the European continent.
- British Empire: As a powerful colonial nation, Britain exported its traffic laws, leading many of its colonies to adopt left-hand driving.
- Modern Convention: By the time motor vehicles became common, the convention was already well-established and deeply ingrained in British culture and law, making it easier to maintain than to change.
Global Context
- While most countries drive on the right, about 35% of the world’s population still uses left-hand traffic, including the UK, Ireland, India, Australia, and New Zealand.
Did Canada ever drive on the left side of the road?
Driving in the left lane was the norm on the east and west coasts of Canada, until cross-country jaunts by automobile became more common and the need for standard cross-border traffic rules became more urgent. Central Canada and the prairie provinces had always followed the American practice of driving on the right.
Why did the US switch to right side driving?
for their convenience the US switched from the left to right side. so right hand driving became the norm in the US. then when the pan-american highway was being built basically all the countries in the americas who drove on the left were pressured to switch to the right in the 1920s when construction began.
How many countries drive left side?
There are 163 countries and territories that drive on the right side of the road, while 76 of them drive on the left. Many of the countries that drive on the left — making up about 30% of the world’s population — are former British colonies, including ones in Southeast Asia, Southern Africa, and Oceania.
