Where do people drive on the left?

They drive on the left in about a quarter of the world’s countries and territories, notably in the UK and Ireland, Japan, India and much of South Asia, Australia and New Zealand, large parts of Southern and East Africa, and many Caribbean islands. These left-hand-traffic (LHT) jurisdictions are spread across Europe, Asia, Africa, Oceania and the Americas, with patterns largely shaped by British influence and regional history.

Europe

In Europe, left-side driving is concentrated in the British Isles and a few island jurisdictions in the Mediterranean and the Channel. The following places officially drive on the left.

• United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland)
• Isle of Man
• Channel Islands (Jersey, Guernsey, and Sark)
• Ireland
• Cyprus
• Malta

No continental European country uses left-hand traffic; Gibraltar, despite being British, drives on the right to align with neighboring Spain.

Asia and the Pacific Rim

South Asia

South Asia is predominantly left-hand traffic, reflecting British-era road rules and ongoing regional alignment.

• India
• Pakistan
• Bangladesh
• Bhutan
• Nepal
• Sri Lanka
• Maldives

These countries also commonly use right-hand-drive vehicles, with road networks geared to left-side travel across borders.

Southeast Asia

Much of mainland and maritime Southeast Asia is split, but several of its largest economies use left-hand traffic.

• Thailand
• Malaysia
• Singapore
• Brunei
• Indonesia (including Bali and most major islands)
• Timor-Leste (East Timor)

Myanmar switched from left to right in 1970, while neighboring countries above have retained left-side driving.

East Asia and Special Administrative Regions

East Asia has a few notable left-driving jurisdictions with unique cross-border arrangements.

• Japan
• Hong Kong (China)
• Macau (China)

Hong Kong and Macau drive on the left, while mainland China drives on the right, with engineered interchanges at border crossings.

Oceania (Australasia and Pacific Islands)

Oceania contains some of the world’s most prominent left-driving nations and a cluster of Pacific microstates.

• Australia
• New Zealand
• Papua New Guinea
• Fiji
• Solomon Islands
• Samoa (switched from right to left in 2009)
• Tonga
• Kiribati
• Tuvalu
• Nauru
• Cook Islands (NZ)
• Niue (NZ)
• Tokelau (NZ)
• Pitcairn Islands (UK)

Some nearby territories drive on the right, including Vanuatu, New Caledonia, French Polynesia, Wallis and Futuna, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, and American Samoa.

Africa

African left-hand traffic is concentrated in the south and east of the continent, plus a few island territories.

• South Africa
• Namibia
• Botswana
• Lesotho
• Eswatini (Swaziland)
• Zimbabwe
• Zambia
• Malawi
• Mozambique
• Tanzania
• Kenya
• Uganda
• Mauritius
• Seychelles
• Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha (UK)

Most of the rest of Africa, including North, West and Central Africa, drives on the right.

Americas and Atlantic

Caribbean and North Atlantic islands

Many English-speaking islands in the Caribbean and North Atlantic retain left-side driving, including several British Overseas Territories and one U.S. territory.

• Anguilla (UK)
• Antigua and Barbuda
• Bahamas
• Barbados
• Bermuda (UK)
• British Virgin Islands (UK)
• Cayman Islands (UK)
• Dominica
• Grenada
• Jamaica
• Montserrat (UK)
• Saint Kitts and Nevis
• Saint Lucia
• Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
• Trinidad and Tobago
• Turks and Caicos Islands (UK)
• United States Virgin Islands (US)

Most other Caribbean jurisdictions, including French and Dutch territories and the Dominican Republic, drive on the right.

Mainland Americas and the South Atlantic

Left-hand traffic on the mainland Americas is rare but does exist, with a few South American exceptions and a South Atlantic territory.

• Guyana
• Suriname
• Falkland Islands (UK)

The rest of continental North and South America—Canada, the United States, Mexico, Central America and most of South America—drives on the right.

How many and why?

Roughly 60–75 countries and territories drive on the left, home to about a quarter to a third of the world’s population. This pattern stems largely from British colonial influence and, in Japan’s case, 19th-century rail and road standards aligned with left-side traffic. While a few places have switched sides over time (e.g., Samoa in 2009), the global split has been stable for decades.

Border and vehicle notes

If you’re traveling across regions with different driving sides, it helps to know how borders and vehicles are handled in left-driving jurisdictions.

• Border crossings: Special interchanges and signage manage transitions between left and right (e.g., Hong Kong–mainland China, Thailand–Laos/Cambodia, South Africa–Namibia/Botswana–Zimbabwe corridors).
• Vehicle configuration: Left-driving countries generally use right-hand-drive (steering wheel on the right). Import rules may restrict opposite-side vehicles or require permits.
• Safety and rentals: Visitors should pay close attention at roundabouts and when turning across traffic; rental fleets typically match the local driving side.

With preparation—especially at borders and in urban junctions—drivers can adapt quickly to the left-hand system.

Summary

Left-side driving is common in the UK and Ireland, Japan, South and parts of Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand, much of Southern and East Africa, and many Caribbean islands, plus select territories worldwide. While right-hand traffic dominates globally, these left-driving regions are longstanding and well-integrated into regional travel and trade.

Do all African countries drive on the left?

No, not all African countries drive on the left; the majority of African countries drive on the right, but a notable number, primarily former British colonies, drive on the left. Countries that drive on the left include South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, and others.
 
Countries that drive on the left: 
Botswana, Eswatini (formerly Swaziland), Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Countries that drive on the right:

• Most African countries drive on the right, including Algeria, Cameroon, Cote D’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Ethiopia, Egypt, and Cape Verde. 
• Some former British colonies, like Nigeria and Ghana, switched to right-hand driving because they neighbor former French colonies that use right-hand traffic. 

Where are they driving on the left side?

Some other countries chose the left-hand side of the road. These countries include: Japan, Pakistan, India, Thailand, Nepal, Bhutan, Mozambique, Suriname, East Timor, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and more. Today, only four European countries drive on the left-hand, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Malta, and Cyprus.

In what country do they drive on the left?

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.

Where in America do they drive on the left?

No U.S. state requires left-side driving; all U.S. states drive on the right. However, the U.S. Virgin Islands, a U.S. territory, is a notable exception where driving is on the left, and Cuttyhunk Island in Massachusetts also uses left-side driving due to its unique low-vehicle traffic environment.
 
Why no U.S. state drives on the left 

• Right-hand traffic is the standard: Opens in new tabDriving on the right side of the road became the norm in the United States and was codified by the year 1804.
• Historical reasons: Opens in new tabThe shift to driving on the right was influenced by factors such as early drivers sitting on the right side of wagons to better see oncoming traffic and avoid ditches.

Where driving on the left does occur in the U.S.

• U.S. Virgin Islands: Opens in new tabThis is the only place under U.S. jurisdiction where driving on the left is the rule, influenced by previous Danish and British colonial rule. 
• Cuttyhunk Island, Massachusetts: Opens in new tabOn this small island, driving on the left is a practice because there are so few vehicles and a much higher number of pedestrians, making left-hand driving more practical for safety.