RHD vs. LHD: Which Steering Side Is Better?

The better choice is the one that matches the side of the road where you drive: use a left-hand-drive (LHD) vehicle in countries that drive on the right, and a right-hand-drive (RHD) vehicle in countries that drive on the left. Mismatching the steering side to local traffic norms typically increases risk, reduces convenience, can add costs, and may run into regulatory hurdles.

How Steering-Side Aligns With Road Rules

“RHD” means the steering wheel is on the right; it’s intended for countries with left-hand traffic (drive on the left). “LHD” means the wheel is on the left; it’s intended for countries with right-hand traffic (drive on the right). Roughly three-quarters of the world’s population drives on the right (LHD vehicles), including most of continental Europe, the United States, and China. Left-hand traffic (RHD vehicles) dominates in the UK, Ireland, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, much of Southern Africa, and several South and Southeast Asian countries.

Safety and Visibility Considerations

Drivers sitting on the “inside” of the roadway (nearest the centerline) have better sightlines for overtaking and judging oncoming traffic. Using the opposite-hand configuration can complicate passing on two-lane roads, increase blind spots, and misalign headlight beams designed for the native traffic pattern. Transport agencies and insurers commonly advise against mismatched configurations for daily driving, noting higher risk in overtaking maneuvers and reduced convenience at tolls, drive‑throughs, and roadside interactions.

Practical Factors That Often Decide the Issue

Costs and Availability

Buying a vehicle that matches your market generally lowers costs and simplifies maintenance. Parts, service expertise, and headlights/mirrors will be standardized. Importing the opposite-hand version can require lighting and mirror changes, speedometer labeling modifications, and sometimes steering conversions—all of which add expense.

Resale and Insurance

Resale values for mismatched vehicles can be weaker because the buyer pool is smaller. Insurers in some markets may quote higher premiums or impose special conditions on opposite-hand-drive vehicles due to perceived risk and parts availability.

Ergonomics and Equipment

Cabin layouts, controls, and camera placements are optimized for the intended market. Everything from indicator and wiper stalks to infotainment menus and driver-assist calibration tends to work best when the car’s steering side matches local driving norms.

Legality and Exceptions

Rules vary. Some countries freely allow opposite-hand-drive vehicles with minor modifications (e.g., the UK and Japan). Others restrict or ban registering them for general use, or allow exemptions only for classics, diplomatic use, or specialized fleets (e.g., certain Australian states, India for most new registrations, and some African countries). Always verify your local regulations before buying or importing.

When Each Configuration Makes Sense

The following points outline typical scenarios in which one configuration may be preferable over the other, helping you weigh your situation more quickly.

• RHD is preferable if you live in a left-traffic country (e.g., UK, Japan, Australia) for best visibility, legality, and convenience.
• LHD is preferable if you live in a right-traffic country (e.g., United States, Canada, most of Europe) for the same reasons.
• RHD can be useful in niche roles in right-traffic countries (e.g., rural mail delivery on right-side mailboxes, some security or utility vehicles that frequently operate on the curb side).
• LHD can be acceptable in certain left-traffic countries where the practice is legal and common (e.g., some LHD imports in Japan), especially if you mostly drive in urban settings and avoid frequent overtaking on two-lane roads.
• Tourism or temporary stays: short-term use of a mismatched car can work, but be cautious on rural roads and overtakes.

In general, matching the steering side to local traffic offers the safest and most seamless experience; exceptions tend to be specialized or short-term.

Country and Region Examples

Below is a non-exhaustive set of examples to help you quickly identify which steering side typically matches local driving rules.

• Left-hand-drive (drive on the right): United States, Canada, Mexico; most of continental Europe (e.g., France, Germany, Spain, Italy); China; most of Latin America; Middle East (e.g., Saudi Arabia, UAE); and much of Africa (e.g., Egypt, Algeria).
• Right-hand-drive (drive on the left): United Kingdom, Ireland; Japan; Australia, New Zealand; India, Pakistan, Bangladesh; Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore; South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania; and some Caribbean nations.

Because regulations and practices can change—and some countries allow the opposite-hand configuration with conditions—always double-check local guidance before purchase or import.

A Quick Decision Checklist

Use the following step-by-step checklist to decide which configuration is best for your needs.

1. Confirm your country’s traffic side and legal status for opposite-hand-drive vehicles.
2. Consider your routes: frequent two-lane overtaking and rural driving favor matching steering side.
3. Assess costs: purchase price, required modifications (headlights, mirrors), insurance, and resale.
4. Evaluate service access: availability of parts, trained technicians, and warranty coverage.
5. Think use-case: any special roles (postal, security, industrial) that justify the opposite-hand setup?

If most answers point to practicality and safety, choose the configuration that matches your local traffic; only specialized needs tend to justify the opposite.

Bottom Line

Neither RHD nor LHD is universally “better.” The best—and usually safest—choice is to match the steering side to the direction of traffic where you drive, unless you have a specific, justified exception and local regulations permit it.

Summary

Choose LHD in right-traffic countries and RHD in left-traffic countries. Mismatching brings visibility and overtaking drawbacks, potential legal and insurance complications, added costs for modifications, and weaker resale. Unless you have a specialized use case or short-term need, align the steering side with your local road rules.

Which is better, left side or right side?

• Driving on the left-hand side of the road (cars with steering wheels on the right) is better.
• It allows the most dangerous manoeuvre (overtaking) to be judged using, what is for the vast majority of people, their dominant eye.

What’s better, left-hand drive or right hand drive?

Studies have shown that driving on the left is indeed safer, since more drivers have their dominant eye on the road.

Why is RHD better than LHD?

The primary difference is that LHD has the signals on the inside and RHD has them on the outside, this grants a 2tile space savings in total track width. (Some people care about this, i don’t.)

Is LHD or RHD more popular?

Nearly 75% of the world population drives on the left. The balance 35% uses right hand drive. The countries that follow RHD are mainly those that were under the British colonies, however in the Britain they have LHD but the car moves on the left hand side of the car.