Where people drive on the left side of the road

People drive on the left in roughly 75 countries and territories, concentrated in the United Kingdom and Ireland; South and Southeast Asia (including India, Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand); Oceania (Australia, New Zealand, and Pacific islands); much of Southern and East Africa; and many Caribbean nations, plus places such as Hong Kong, Macau, Guyana, Suriname, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. These jurisdictions follow left-hand traffic, where vehicles keep left and most driver seats are on the right.

Europe and nearby

The following European countries and nearby jurisdictions maintain left-hand traffic, a legacy shaped largely by British legal and transport standards and their continuity over time. This includes sovereign states and crown dependencies.

• United Kingdom
• Ireland
• Malta
• Cyprus
• Isle of Man (Crown dependency)
• Channel Islands: Jersey and Guernsey (Crown dependencies)
• Akrotiri and Dhekelia (UK Sovereign Base Areas on Cyprus)

These are the principal left-driving areas in Europe; notably, Gibraltar follows right-hand traffic due to its land connection with Spain.

Asia

Asia includes some of the most populous left-driving countries. The list below covers sovereign states and special administrative regions where left-hand traffic is standard.

• Bangladesh
• Bhutan
• Brunei
• Hong Kong (China SAR)
• India
• Indonesia
• Japan
• Malaysia
• Maldives
• Macau (China SAR)
• Nepal
• Pakistan
• Singapore
• Sri Lanka
• Thailand
• Timor-Leste (East Timor)

Mainland China, South Korea, North Korea, the Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Taiwan all drive on the right; the Hong Kong–Shenzhen and Macau–Zhuhai crossings include engineered changeover systems between left- and right-hand traffic.

Africa and the Indian Ocean

Left-hand traffic in Africa is concentrated in Southern Africa and parts of East Africa, as well as Indian Ocean island nations. The following countries keep left.

• Botswana
• Eswatini
• Lesotho
• Namibia
• South Africa
• Zambia
• Zimbabwe
• Malawi
• Mozambique
• Kenya
• Tanzania
• Uganda
• Mauritius
• Seychelles

Most of West and North Africa drive on the right. Rwanda and Burundi, despite regional discussions about harmonization, currently drive on the right; border crossings with Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda handle the side difference operationally.

Oceania and the Pacific

Oceania is predominantly left-driving, including Australia and New Zealand and many Pacific island nations and territories. The jurisdictions below follow left-hand traffic.

• Australia (including external territories such as Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, and Norfolk Island)
• New Zealand (including Cook Islands, Niue, and Tokelau)
• Papua New Guinea
• Solomon Islands
• Fiji
• Samoa
• Tonga
• Tuvalu
• Kiribati
• Nauru
• Pitcairn Islands (UK)

French Pacific territories (such as New Caledonia, French Polynesia, and Wallis and Futuna), as well as U.S.-affiliated territories like Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa, drive on the right.

Americas and the Caribbean

While the Americas are largely right-driving, there are notable left-driving countries and territories in the Caribbean and along the northern edge of South America. Below are the main jurisdictions that keep left.

• Guyana
• Suriname
• Jamaica
• Trinidad and Tobago
• Barbados
• Bahamas
• Antigua and Barbuda
• Saint Kitts and Nevis
• Dominica
• Saint Lucia
• Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
• Grenada
• British Virgin Islands (UK)
• Anguilla (UK)
• Montserrat (UK)
• Cayman Islands (UK)
• Turks and Caicos Islands (UK)
• Bermuda (UK)
• U.S. Virgin Islands (USA)
• Falkland Islands (UK)
• Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha (UK)

Most nearby neighbors drive on the right, so several crossings involve dedicated side-change infrastructure—for example, Guyana (left) to Brazil (right) at the Takutu River Bridge. Elsewhere in the Caribbean and the Americas (e.g., the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and mainland United States), traffic keeps to the right.

What “left-hand traffic” means in practice

Left-hand traffic (LHT) means vehicles keep to the left side of the roadway; most vehicles are right-hand-drive (steering wheel on the right) to give drivers better sightlines to oncoming traffic. Around two-thirds of the world’s countries use right-hand traffic, but LHT jurisdictions account for roughly a third of the global population due to the size of India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Japan, and the United Kingdom.

Border changeovers and notable quirks

Where left-driving and right-driving systems meet, authorities use grade-separated crossovers, signalized switch points, or terminal/port procedures to flip sides safely. Well-known examples include the Channel Tunnel and ferry ports between the UK and France, the Hong Kong–Shenzhen and Macau–Zhuhai checkpoints with mainland China, Thailand–Laos “Friendship Bridges,” and Guyana–Brazil. One curiosity: the U.S. Virgin Islands drive on the left even though many vehicles there have left-hand steering wheels.

Summary

People drive on the left in a broad arc from the British Isles through South and Southeast Asia to Oceania, across much of Southern and East Africa, and throughout many Caribbean islands—plus Hong Kong, Macau, Guyana, Suriname, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. In total, that’s about 75 jurisdictions, home to roughly one-third of the world’s population.

Do any US territories drive on the left?

Other countries in the Americas
In the West Indies, colonies and territories drive on the same side as their parent countries, except for the United States Virgin Islands.

What countries drive on the left side road?

These include India, Australia, New Zealand and former British colonies in Africa and the Caribbean. Very few countries drive on the left in Europe like we do in the UK. The Channel Islands, Ireland, The Isle of Man, Cyprus, and Malta are the only European countries that also drive on the left.

Why does Japan drive on the left?

Japan drives on the left due to its history with samurai, who kept their swords on their left hip, necessitating left-side passage to avoid collisions. This tradition was reinforced when British companies helped build Japan’s first railways in the 1870s, adopting British left-hand track practice, a system eventually codified into law for all vehicles by 1924.
 
Historical Roots

• Samurai Culture: Opens in new tabIn feudal Japan, most samurai were right-handed and carried their swords on their left hip. Walking on the left allowed them to pass others without their scabbards clashing, which was a serious provocation. 
• Public Adoption: Opens in new tabThis custom of left-side passage became a norm in society, and people would get out of a samurai’s way to avoid conflict. 

Influence of Railways 

• British Technical Aid: Opens in new tabWhen Japan began modernizing in the late 19th century, British engineers were instrumental in constructing the nation’s first railway system.
• Left-Side Trains: Opens in new tabThese railways adopted the British practice of left-hand traffic for trains and, later, electric trolleys.

Formalization into Law 

• Codification: The tradition of left-side driving, rooted in samurai custom and reinforced by the railway system, was officially codified into national law in 1924.

In summary, Japan’s driving on the left is a direct result of pre-modern samurai customs and the early adoption of British railway practices, which were later formalized into nationwide traffic law.

Why does Europe drive on the left?

Europe doesn’t have a single side of the road for driving; countries like the United Kingdom, Ireland, Cyprus, and Malta still drive on the left, while most continental European countries drive on the right. The tradition of driving on the left was a widespread practice in the Middle Ages, particularly for right-handed people to keep their dominant hand free for weapons. However, Napoleon’s conquests spread the practice of driving on the right across much of continental Europe, as he was left-handed and attacked from the right, and wanted to establish a new order.
 
The History of Driving on the Left in Europe

• Ancient Origins: The practice of keeping left may have been common in the Roman Empire, with archaeological evidence in places like Pompeii suggesting left-hand traffic. 
• Medieval Tradition: In a feudal and often violent society, people kept to the left to keep their dominant (right) hand free with a sword or weapon for protection when encountering strangers. 
• Official Law in Britain: The first official law for left-hand traffic was established in Britain with the passage of government measures in 1773 and 1835. 

The Shift to Driving on the Right

• French Revolution and Napoleon: Opens in new tabThe French Revolution led to a social shift where the rich and powerful, who previously “drove” on the left, began to blend in by moving to the right side of the road. Napoleon then formalized and spread the practice of right-hand traffic across his conquered territories, establishing it as a rule of law. 
• Spread to Mainland Europe: Opens in new tabThis change was propagated throughout the continent, leading to a split between Britain and its former colonies (who kept left) and the rest of Europe (who switched to the right). 
• Examples in Europe: Opens in new tabCountries like France, Germany, Italy, and Spain moved to the right, while the United Kingdom, Ireland, Malta, and Cyprus maintained the left. 

The Present Day 

• Today, the majority of the world drives on the right, while countries that maintain left-hand traffic are largely those that were formerly part of the British Empire, such as Australia, New Zealand, and India.