Browse history interactively

← Previous editContent deleted Content addedVisualWikitextInline

Revision as of 23:10, 27 December 2010 edit71.160.91.217 (talk) →Changing sides at borders← Previous edit		Latest revision as of 03:25, 19 January 2025 edit undoNobabagrille (talk | contribs)54 editsNo edit summaryTag: Visual edit: Switched
Line 1:		Line 1:
			{{short description|Directionality of traffic flow by jurisdiction}}
	{{Multiple issues
			{{pp-move}}
	| refimprove=January 2009
			{{pp-pc}}
	|original research = February 2009}}
			{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2024}}
	]
			[[File:Countries driving on the left or right.svg|thumb|upright=1.35|Countries by direction of road traffic, {{circa|2020}}
	The terms '''right-hand traffic''' and '''left-hand traffic''' refer to regulations requiring all ] to keep either to the right or the left side of the ], respectively.<ref>
			{{legend|#204A87|⇅ Left-hand traffic}} {{legend|#CC0000|⇵ Right-hand traffic}} {{legend|#808080|No data}}]]
	{{cite conference
	| first = Geoff
	| last = Draper
	| authorlink =
	| coauthors =
	| title = Harmonised Headlamp Design for Worldwide Application
	| booktitle = Motor Vehicle Lighting
	| pages = 23–36
	| publisher = Society of Automotive Engineers
	| year = 1993
	| location =
	| url =
	| doi =
	| id =
	| accessdate =}}</ref> This is so fundamental to traffic flow that it is sometimes referred to as the '''rule of the road'''.<ref>{{Cite book
	| last =Kincaid
	| first =Peter
	| authorlink =
	| coauthors =
	| title =The Rule of the Road: An International Guide to History and Practice
	| publisher =Greenwood Press
	| month = December | year = 1986
	| location =
	| pages =
	| url =
	| doi =
	| id =
	| isbn =0313252491}}</ref> This basic rule eases traffic flow and reduces the risk of head-on ]. Though originally most traffic drove on the left worldwide,<ref>{{cite web| title=Why do some countries drive on the right and others on the left? | url=http://users.pandora.be/worldstandards/driving%20on%20the%20left.htm }}{{Verify credibility|date=January 2009}}</ref>
	today about 66.1% of the world's people live in right-hand traffic countries and 33.9% in left-hand traffic countries. About 72% of the world's total road distance carries traffic on the right, and 28% on the left.<ref name="brianlucas">{{cite web|last=Lucas | first=Brian | title= Which side of the road do they drive on? | year=2005 | url=http://www.brianlucas.ca/roadside/ | accessdate=2006-08-03}}{{Verify credibility|date=January 2009}}</ref>
			'''Left-hand traffic''' ('''LHT''') and '''right-hand traffic''' ('''RHT''') are the practices, in ], of keeping to the left side and to the right side of the road, respectively. They are fundamental to ], and are sometimes called the '']''.<ref name="kincaid">{{Cite book |last=Kincaid |first=Peter |title=The Rule of the Road: An International Guide to History and Practice |publisher=Greenwood Press |date=December 1986 |pages=50, 86–88, 99–100, 121–122, 198–202 |isbn=978-0-313-25249-5}}</ref> The terms right- and left-hand ''drive'' refer to the position of the driver and the ] 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 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.
	==Terminology==
	Universally (following a ]; see below) each country specifies a uniform road traffic flow: '''left-hand traffic (LHT)''' in which traffic keeps to the left side of the road, or '''right-hand traffic (RHT)''' in which traffic keeps to the right.<ref>{{PDFlink|{{Cite journal
	| last = Klodt
	| first = Henning
	| authorlink =
	| coauthors = Oliver Lorz
	| title = The coordinate plane of global governance
	| journal = The Review of International Organizations
	| volume = 3
	| issue = 1
	| page = 3
	| publisher = Springer Boston
	| location =
	| month = March | year = 2008
	| url = http://www.springerlink.com/content/38756vk808j67x22/fulltext.pdf
	|format=PDF| doi = 10.1007/s11558-007-9016-z
	| id =
	| accessdate = 2008-05-06}}|178.2&nbsp;]}}</ref><ref></ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.unece.org/trans/main/wp29/wp29regs/r098r1e.pdf |title=E/ECE/324 |format=PDF |date= |accessdate=2010-12-12}}</ref>
			RHT is used in 165 countries and territories, mainly in the Americas, ], most of Africa and mainland Asia (except ]), while 75 countries use LHT,<ref name="chartsbin">{{cite web|title=Worldwide Driving Orientation by Country|url=http://chartsbin.com/view/edr|access-date=13 December 2016}}{{Circular reference|date=November 2020}}</ref> which account for about a sixth of the world's land area, a quarter of its roads, and about a third of its population.<ref name="wsj">{{cite news |last1=Barta|first1=Patrick |title=Shifting the Right of Way to the Left Leaves Some Samoans Feeling Wronged |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB125086852452149513 |work=The Wall Street Journal |access-date=4 December 2016}}{{subscription required}}</ref> 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.<ref name="watson">{{cite web|last1=Watson|first1=Ian|title=The rule of the road, 1919–1986: A case study of standards change|url=http://www.ianwatson.org/rule_of_the_road.pdf|access-date=30 November 2016}}</ref>
	Vehicles are manufactured in '''left-hand drive (LHD)''' and '''right-hand drive (RHD)''' configurations, referring to the placement of the driving seat and controls within the vehicle.<ref></ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/6276476-description.html |title=US Patent 6,276,476 |publisher=Patentstorm.us |date=2001-08-21 |accessdate=2010-12-12}}</ref><ref>{{dead link|date=December 2010}}</ref> Typically, the placement of the steering wheel is opposite to the rule of the road: LHT countries use RHD vehicles, and RHT countries use LHD vehicles. This is so that the driver's line of sight is as long as possible down the road past leading vehicles, an important consideration for overtaking (passing) manœuvres. However, there are LHT countries where most vehicles are LHD (see ] islands below)—and there are some countries with RHT and mostly RHD vehicles (see Afghanistan, Burma (Myanmar), and Russian Far East below). Many countries permit both types of vehicles on their roads. Terminological confusion can arise from the misuse of ''left-hand drive'' or ''right-hand drive'' to indicate the side of the road along which vehicles are driven.
			While many of the countries using LHT were part of the ], others such as Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, Bhutan, ], Thailand, Mozambique and Suriname were not. Sweden and Iceland, which have used RHT since ] and ] respectively, previously used LHT. Most of the countries that were part of the ] adopted RHT.
	The terms '''nearside''' and '''offside''' are often used, particularly by speakers of ], to refer to the left and right sides of a vehicle. The nearside is that closest to the kerb<!--This article uses UK English; please do not change to "curb".-->, while the offside is closest to the centre of the road.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://dictionary.reverso.net/english-cobuild/nearside |title=Nearside (dictionary definition) |publisher=Dictionary.reverso.net |date= |accessdate=2010-12-12}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.macmillandictionary.com/thesaurus/british/nearside/nearside_4/External-parts-of-cars-and-other-road-vehicles |title=Nearside (dictionary definition) |publisher=Macmillandictionary.com |date= |accessdate=2010-12-12}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://dictionary.reverso.net/english-cobuild/offside |title=Offside (dictionary definition) |publisher=Dictionary.reverso.net |date= |accessdate=2010-12-12}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/american/offside_6 |title=Offside (dictionary definition) |publisher=Macmillandictionary.com |date= |accessdate=2010-12-12}}</ref> The terms are of ] origin meaning specifically ''left'' and ''right'', and are used both in LHT countries (e.g. the ]) and RHT countries (e.g. ]).<ref>{{Cite book
	| last =Kincaid
	| first =Peter
	| authorlink =
	| coauthors =
	| title =The Rule of the Road: An International Guide to History and Practice
	| publisher =Greenwood Press
	| month = December | year = 1986
	| location =
	| pages = 3, 4
	| url =
	| doi =
	| id =
	| isbn =0313252491}}</ref>
			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.
	==Road traffic==
	{{Main|Traffic lanes}}
			In LHT, traffic keeps left and cars usually have the steering wheel on the right (RHD: right-hand drive) and ]s 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 anticlockwise.
	===Uniformity===
	]'s change in 1858<br />{{legend|#cc0000|drive on right}} {{legend|#f57900|drove on left, now drive on right}} {{legend|#204a87|drive on left}} {{legend|#75507b|drove on right, now drive on left}} {{legend|#4e9a06|had different rules of the road within borders, now drive on right}}]]
			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 ] is RHT, regardless of location. Boats are traditionally piloted from the ] side (and not the port side like RHT road traffic vehicles) to facilitate ].
	Signatory countries to the ] (1949)<ref>{{cite web| title=Geneva Convention on Road Traffic (1949) | publisher=] | url=http://untreaty.un.org/ENGLISH/bible/englishinternetbible/partI/chapterXI/subchapB/treaty1.asp}} (requires subscription)</ref> have agreed to a uniform direction of traffic in each country. Article 9(1) provides that
			{{TOC limit|2}}
	{{cquote|All vehicular traffic proceeding in the same direction on any road shall keep to the same side of the road, which shall be uniform in each country for all roads. Domestic regulations concerning one-way traffic shall not be affected.}}
			==Background==
	In the past, there were several countries which had different rules in different parts of the country (e.g., Canada until the 1920s). Currently, China is the only country for which this is the case, as the bulk of it drives on the right, while the ]s of ] and ] drive on the left.
			] changed to the right are taken into account.<br/>{{legend|#cc0000|Drives on the right}}{{legend|#f57900|Formerly drove on the left, now drives on the right}}{{legend|#204a87|Drives on the left}}{{legend|#5c3566|Formerly drove on the right, now drives on the left}}{{legend|#4e9a06|Formerly a mix of left and right in various parts of the country, now drives on the right}}{{legend|#FFFF00|Formerly a mix of left and right in various parts of the country, now drives on the left}}{{legend|#808080|No data}}{{legend|#FFC0CB|Driving one way alternately at certain times}}]]
			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.<ref name="mcmanus"/> About 90 percent of people are ],<ref>{{cite news |last1=Searing |first1=Linda |title=The Big Number: Lefties make up about 10 percent of the world |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/the-big-number-lefties-make-up-about-10-percent-of-the-world/2019/08/09/69978100-b9e2-11e9-bad6-609f75bfd97f_story.html |newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=27 November 2019}}</ref> 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 1300, ] directed pilgrims to keep left; others suggest that he directed them to keep to the right, and there is no documented evidence to back either claim.<ref name="mcmanus"/>
	===Left-hand traffic===
	]
	]'s ] reminding foreign motorists to keep left.]]
	*All traffic is generally required to keep left unless overtaking.
	*Oncoming traffic is seen coming from the right.
	*Right-turning traffic must cross oncoming traffic.
	*Most ]s facing motorists are on the left side of the road.
	*Traffic on ]s (traffic circles or rotaries) goes clockwise.
	*] crossing a two-way road look first for traffic from their right.
	*The lane designated for normal driving and turning left is on the left
	*Most ] (divided highway) exits are on the left
	*Other vehicles are overtaken (passed) on the right, though in some circumstances overtaking on the left is permitted.
	*Most vehicles have the driving seat on the right.
	*A left turn at a red light may be allowed after stopping.
	*On roads without a footpath pedestrians may be advised to walk on the right.
	===Right-hand traffic===		===Africa===
			{{multiple image
	]
			|width = 100
	*All traffic is generally required to keep right unless overtaking.
			|footer = Roundabout signs used in ]
	*Oncoming traffic is seen coming from the left.
			|image1 = SADC road sign R137.svg
	*Left-turning traffic must cross oncoming traffic.
			|caption1 = LHT roundabout
	*Most traffic signs facing motorists are on the right side of the road.
			|image2 = SADC road sign R137-RHT.svg
	*Traffic on roundabouts (traffic circles or rotaries) goes anticlockwise.
			|caption2 = RHT roundabout
	*Pedestrians crossing a two-way road look first for traffic from their left.
			}}The UK introduced LHT in the ] (present-day ]), the ], ] (formerly part of ]; present-day ]), ] (present-day ]/]), ] and the ] (present-day ] and ]), as well as in ] (present-day Ghana, Gambia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria);<ref name="TBD Gambia">, 1969, page 19</ref> 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 ], present-day ], after the end of ].
	*The lane designated for normal driving and turning right is on the right.
	*Most dual carriageway (divided highway) exits are on the right
	*Other vehicles are generally overtaken (passed) on the left, though in some circumstances overtaking on the right is permitted.
	*Most vehicles have the driving seat on the left.
	*A ] may be allowed after stopping.
	*On roads without a footpath pedestrians may be advised to walk on the left.
			Sudan, formerly part of ], switched to RHT in 1973. Most of its neighbours were RHT countries, with the exception of Uganda and Kenya, but since the independence of ] in 2011, all of its neighbours drive on the right (including South Sudan, despite its land borders with two LHT countries).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/acc_e/ssd_e/wtaccssd6_leg_51.pdf|title=LAWS OF SOUTH SUDAN, ROAD TRAFFIC AND SAFETY BILL, 2012}}</ref>
	===Jurisdictions with left-hand traffic===
	{{hidden begin
	|title = List of jurisdictions where traffic keeps left
	|titlestyle = background:#EEEEFF; text-align:left;
	|bodystyle = text-align:left;
	}}
	{{Ref improve section|date=January 2008}}
			Although ] switched to RHT in 1928, its ] remained LHT because it has land borders with former British colonies (with LHT).
	Note: ''Italics'' indicates year of change to driving on the left.
	{|
	|-
	| style="width:33%; vertical-align:top;"|
	] <br />
	] <br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	] <br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	] <br />
	] <br />
	]<br />
	] <br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	] ''(drove on right 1928-1976)''<br />
	] <br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	] <br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	]
	| style="width:33%; vertical-align:top;"|
	]* <br />
	]<br />
	] <br />
	]<br />
	] ''(] 1978)<br />
	] <br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	] <br />
	]<br />
	] ''(1918)''<br />
	] ''(1918)''<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	] <br />
	] <br />
	]<br />
	] <br />
	]
	| style="width:33%; vertical-align:top;"|
	] <br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	] ''(2009)''<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	] <br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	] <br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	] <br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	]
	|}
	''* Until late 1960s, imported vehicles from USA were fitted with left-hand drive layout''
	{{hidden end}}
	Total: 76 countries, territories and dependencies
			France introduced RHT in ] and the ],{{Citation needed|date=February 2020}} where it is still used. Countries in these areas include ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], and ]. Other French former colonies that are RHT include ], ], ], ], ], and the ].
	Today road traffic in the following seven European jurisdictions drives on the left: the ], ], ], ], ], ] and ] . None shares a land border with a country that drives on the right and all were once part of the ]. Some ] countries and other former ], such as ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ] drive on the left, but others such as ], ], ], ], ] and the ] drive on the right. Other countries that drive on the left in ] are ], ], ], ], ] and ]. In ], only ] and ] drive on the left. Most of the ] drive on the left, in line with Australia and New Zealand, with ] joining most recently, on 7 September 2009, the first country for three decades to change the side on which it drives.<ref>, Seattle Times</ref>
			] and ] are RHT but are considering switching to LHT (see "Potential future shifts" section below).
	===Jurisdictions with right-hand traffic===
	{{hidden begin
	|title = List of jurisdictions where traffic keeps right
	|titlestyle = background:#FFEEEE; text-align:left;
	|bodystyle = text-align:left;
	}}
	{{Ref improve section|date=January 2008}}
			===Americas===
	Note: ''Italics'' indicates year of change to driving on the right.
			====United States====
			In the late 18th century, right-hand traffic started to be introduced in the United States based on ]s' use of large freight wagons pulled by several pairs of horses and without a driver's seat; the (typically right-handed) ] 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.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lyoDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA37 |title=Why We Drive on the Right of the Road, ''Popular Science Monthly'', Vol.126, No.1, (January 1935), p.37 |access-date=25 April 2012|date=January 1935 }}</ref>{{Better source needed|date=February 2020}} The first keep-right law for ] was passed in 1792 and applied to the ].<ref name="On The Right Side of the Road">{{cite web|url=https://highways.dot.gov/highway-history/general-highway-history/right-side-road|title=On The Right Side of the Road|last=Weingroff|first=Richard|publisher=United States Department of Transportation|access-date=10 January 2014}}</ref> ] formalized RHT in 1821.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://archives.lib.state.ma.us/handle/2452/110303|title=An Act Establishing the Law of the Road|publisher=Massachusetts General Court|access-date=14 February 2014}}</ref> However, the ] was LHT until 1850, "long after the rest of the country had settled on the keep-right convention".<ref>{{cite book |last1=Hayes |first1=Brian |title=Infrastructure: a field guide to the industrial landscape |date=2005 |publisher=WW Norton |location=New York |isbn=0-393-05997-9 |page=330}}</ref> Today the United States is RHT except the ],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.usvitourism.vi/travel_tips|title=Travel Tips &#124; US Virgin Islands|publisher=Usvitourism.vi|access-date=25 April 2012|archive-date=16 March 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110316035344/http://www.usvitourism.vi/travel_tips|url-status=dead}}</ref> 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 ], which is used nationwide by the ] and by ].
	{|
	|-
	| style="width:25%; vertical-align:top;"|
	]<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	] <br />
	]<br />
	] ''(1928)''<br />
	] ''(1945)'' <br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	] ''(1935–38)''<br />
	]<br />
	] ''(1967)''<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	] ''(1961)''<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	] (Myanmar) ''(1970)''<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	] ''(1961)''<br />
	] ''(1920s)''<br />
	] ''(1928)''<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	], mainland ''(1946)''<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	] ''(1939, ])<br />
	] ''1793*''<br />
	| style="width:25%; vertical-align:top;"|
	]<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	] ''(1964)''<br />
	]<br />
	] ''(1964)'' <br />
	]<br />
	] ''(1858)'' <br />
	] ''(1789)''<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	] ''(1965)''<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	] ''(1974)''<br />
	] ''(1929)''<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	] ''(1928)'' <br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	] ''(1941)''<br />
	] ''(1968)''<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	] ''(1946)''<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	| style="width:25%; vertical-align:top;"|
	]<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	] <br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	] <br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	] <br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	] ''(1972)''<br />
	] <br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	] ''(1943)'' <br />
	] ''(1945)''<br />
	]<br />
	] ''(1946)''<br />
	]<br />
	] ''(1928)''<br />
	] <br />
	]<br />
	] <br />
	| style="width:25%; vertical-align:top;"|
	]<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	] <br />
	]<br />
	] ''(1928)''<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	] ''(1971)''<br />
	] ''(1939-41'', ])<br />
	]<br />
	] ''(1968)''<br />
	] ''(October 1924)''<br />
	] ''(1973)''<br />
	] <br />
	] (''1967'', ])<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	] ''(1946)''<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	] ''(1792)''<br />
	] ''(1945)'' <br />
	]<br />
	]<ref>{{cite web| title = RHD/LHD Country Guide | publisher = toyota-gib.com |url= http://ecom.toyota-gib.com/English/Vehicles/RHD%20LHD/RHD%20-%20LHD%20Guide.htm | accessdate=1 January 2009 }}</ref><br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	]<br />
	] <br />
	] <br />
	]<br />
	]''(1977)**''<br />
	|}
	''*1758 in Copenhagen, 1793 in the rest of Denmark''<br />
	''**In ]
	{{hidden end}}
	Total: 163 countries and territories
	===Changing sides at borders===		====Other countries in the Americas====
	] placed on the right hand side of the road]]		], 1898.]]
	]]]
	]]]
			In Canada, the provinces of ] and ] were always RHT because they were created out of the former French colony of ].<ref name="cbc">{{cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/new-brunswick-driving-laws-1.4925856|title=The day New Brunswick switched to driving on the right|publisher=CBC News|access-date=11 April 2019}}</ref> The province of ] changed to RHT in stages from 1920 to 1923,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.th.gov.bc.ca/publications/roadrunners/1966/1966_03_march.pdf|title=Change of Rule of Road in British Columbia 1920|date=March 1966|work=The British Columbia Road Runner|access-date=27 August 2017|archive-date=20 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171020071518/https://www.th.gov.bc.ca/publications/roadrunners/1966/1966_03_march.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://vancouversun.com/life/week+history+switching+from+left+right+thing/11625241/story.html|title=Week in History: Switching from the left was the right thing to do|last=Griffin|first=Kevin|date=1 January 2016|work=]|access-date=26 August 2017|archive-date=27 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170827045523/http://www.vancouversun.com/life/week+history+switching+from+left+right+thing/11625241/story.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> ], ], and ] in 1922, 1923, and 1924 respectively,<ref name="ns1758.ca">{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180808012644/http://ns1758.ca/auto/automobiles.html|url=http://ns1758.ca/auto/automobiles.html|title=Highway Driving Rule Changes Sides|last=Smith|first=Ivan|work=History of Automobiles – The Early Days in Nova Scotia, 1899–1949|archive-date=8 August 2018|access-date=27 August 2017}}</ref> and the ] (part of Canada since 1949)<ref>{{cite web |last1=Snyder |first1=Timothy |last2=Rowe |first2=F.W. |title=Newfoundland Bill |url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/newfoundland-bill |website=The Canadian Encyclopedia |access-date=30 July 2019}}</ref> in 1947, in order to allow traffic (without side switch) to or from the United States.<ref name="A triumph for left over right">{{cite news|url=https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/columnists/a-triumph-for-left-over-right-56169697.html|title=A triumph for left over right|last=Dyer|first=Gwynne|date=30 August 2009|newspaper=]|access-date=27 August 2017}}</ref>
	Countries in ], ] and ] have land borders where drivers must change to the other side of the road.
			In the ], colonies and territories drive on the same side as their parent countries, except for the ]. Many of the island nations are former British colonies and drive on the left, including ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], and ]. However, most vehicles in The Bahamas,<ref name="bahamas">, Lawson Wood, Interlink Publishing Group, 2007, page 23</ref> ],<ref name="caymans">, Paris Permenter, John Bigley, Hunter Publishing, Inc, 2001, page 46</ref> ]<ref name="turks and caicos">, Bradt Travel Guides, Annalisa Rellie, Tricia Hayne, 2008, page 50</ref> and both the ],<ref name="Fodor" /> and the ] are LHD due to their being imported from the United States.<ref name="Fodor">, Fodor's Travel Publications, 2005, page 28</ref>
	Where neighbouring countries drive on opposite sides of the road, drivers from one to the other must change sides when crossing the border. Thailand is particularly notable in this context. Thailand drives on the left;
	since ] (Burma) changed from left to right in 1970, 90% of Thailand's borders are with countries that drive on the right (only ] drives on the left). Thailand is the only sizable country with this issue.
			] between Guyana (LHT) and Brazil (RHT)]]
	Other notable borders where a changeover is necessary are between ] and ], and between ] and ].
			], 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www2.camara.leg.br/legin/fed/decret/1920-1929/decreto-18323-24-julho-1928-516789-publicacaooriginal-1-pe.html|title=Decreto nº 18.323, de 24 de Julho de 1928|website=Cãmara dos Deputados|access-date=11 April 2019}}</ref> Other Central and South American countries that later switched from LHT to RHT include Argentina<ref>, ''Infobae'', 10 June 2024 (in Spanish). </ref>, Chile, Panama,<ref>, '']'', 25 April 1943</ref> Paraguay,<ref>, '']'', 2 March 2014</ref> and Uruguay.
	When borders coincide with natural barriers, such as mountains (which may be in remote areas) or rivers, the traffic volumes are relatively low and the number of border crossings is reduced. This is true of many borders where traffic changes sides of the road, especially in ].
			], along with neighbouring ], are the only two remaining LHT countries in ].<ref name="tbr2015" />
	The four most common ways of switching traffic from one side to the other at borders are
			===Asia===
	* '''Traffic lights'''. Examples include
			] exchanges between LHT in ] and RHT in ].]]
	** ] between Thailand and Laos, on Lao side – {{Coord|17.88739|102.71158|type:landmark_scale:2000}}
	** ], between Thailand and Laos, on Thai side – {{Coord|16.60123|104.73016|type:landmark_scale:5000}}
	** ] Friendship Bridge between Thailand and Myanmar – ] {{Coord|16.69038|98.51663|type:landmark_scale:5000}}
	** 2006 bridge between Thailand and Myanmar near ] – {{Coord|20.4469|99.9031|type:landmark_scale:4000}}
			LHT was introduced by the UK in ] (now ], ], ], and ]), ] and ] (now ], Brunei and Singapore), as well as ]. These countries, except Myanmar, are still LHT, as well as neighbouring countries ] and ]. Myanmar switched to RHT in 1970,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.minordiversion.com/2012/03/the-unique-world-of-burmese-driving/|title=The Unique World of Burmese Driving|date=14 March 2012|website=a minor diversion|access-date=28 September 2015}}</ref> although much of its infrastructure is still geared to LHT as its neighbours India, Bangladesh and ] use LHT. Most cars are used RHD vehicles imported from Japan.<ref>{{cite news | url = https://www.ft.com/content/414ecaaa-cd09-11e6-b8ce-b9c03770f8b1 | title = Myanmar's car market set to take new direction | first1 = Motokazu | last1 = Matsui | first2 = Takemi | last2 = Nakagawa | newspaper = ]|location=London | date = 2 January 2017 }}</ref> ] was LHT until the 1950s, in line with Pakistan (former part of British India).<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NubtDf2T3cAC&q=Right+hand+traffic+Afghanistan+by+Ghulam+Mohammad+Farhad%2C+the+Mayor+of+Kabul%2C%5B&pg=PA70|title=Inside Afghanistan: End of the Taliban Era?|first =L. R. |last = Reddy|publisher=APH|year=2002|isbn=9788176483193|access-date=31 August 2015}}</ref>
	* '''Crossover bridges'''. Examples include
	** ] between Hong Kong and mainland China – {{Coord|22.51823|114.07080|type:landmark_scale:5000}}
	** ] between Macau and mainland China – {{Coord|22.14009|113.54970|type:landmark_scale:10000}}
	** ] between ] and ] – – {{Coord|3.38127|-59.80977|type:landmark_scale:5000}}
			Although ] (present-day ]), which shares the island of ] with ], who is LHT, switched to RHT with ] in 1928,<ref name="kincaid" /> it switched back to LHT in 1976 during the ].
	* '''Border roads intersect with roundabouts or other one-way traffic systems'''. Examples include
	** ] between Hong Kong and mainland China – {{Coord|22.53969|114.12734|type:landmark_scale:5000}}
	** ] between Macau and mainland China – {{Coord|22.21806|113.54927|type:landmark_scale:5000}}
			In the 1930s, parts of ] such as the ], ] and Japanese-occupied ] used LHT. However, in 1946 the ] made RHT mandatory in ] (including ]). Taiwan was LHT under ] from 1895–1945. ] (present-day ]) remained LHT, along with ], despite being transferred to China in 1999 and 1997 respectively.
	* '''No automatic infrastructure''' (signposts and directions only), most commonly found at borders with low traffic volumes. Examples include
	** ] between Thailand and Cambodia
	** ] old bridge between Thailand and Myanmar
	** ] between Pakistan-administered Kashmir and China
	** ] between Kenya and Ethiopia
	** ] between Nepal and China
	** Service tunnel of the ] between the United Kingdom and France (underground and not open to the public) – {{Coord|50.92310|1.78093|type:landmark_scale:2000}}
			Both ] and ] use RHT since 1946, after liberation from ].<ref>, 1946, page 12</ref>
	===History===
	In 1998, archaeologists found a well-preserved track leading to a ] ] near ]. The grooves in the road on the left side (viewed facing down the track away from the quarry) were much deeper than those on the right side. These grooves suggest that the Romans drove on the left, at least in this particular location, since carts would exit the quarry heavily loaded, and enter it empty.<ref name="brianlucas"/>
			The ] was mostly LHT during its ]<ref>, by ] (1815/21(?)-1885), in the album , published 1847. Collection of the ].</ref> and ] colonial periods,<ref>Archived at {{cbignore}} and the {{cbignore}}: {{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0m11Gs7Ubas|title=ESCOLTA MANILA PHILIPPINES- YEAR 1903|date=6 March 2010|via=YouTube|access-date=14 March 2017}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>Archived at {{cbignore}} and the {{cbignore}}: {{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOI6rc38Qic|title=Manila – Castillian Memoirs 1930s|date=19 April 2008|via=YouTube|access-date=14 March 2017}}{{cbignore}}</ref> as well as during the ].<ref>Archived at {{cbignore}} and the {{cbignore}}: {{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvpbsyNcI3I|title=Manila, Queen of the Pacific 1938|date=6 May 2008|via=YouTube|access-date=14 March 2017}}{{cbignore}}</ref> During the ], the Philippines remained LHT,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ccftde6aZ4s|title=Manila Nostalgia: Dewey Boulevard during the Japanese occupation.|date=26 June 2013|via=YouTube|publisher=Manila Nostalgia|last=Goupal|first=Lou|access-date=14 March 2017|quote=Original video clips from a Japanese propaganda film shot in early 1942.}}</ref> as was required by the Japanese;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.topgear.com.ph/features/feature-articles/how-ph-became-a-left-hand-drive-country|title=How the Philippines became a left-hand-drive country|date=10 March 2015|website=]|last=Tadeo|first=Patrick Everett|access-date=14 March 2017}}</ref> but during the ], the liberating American forces drove their tanks to the right for easier facilitation of movement. RHT was formalized in 1945 through a decree by president ].<ref name="E.O. 34 1945">{{cite web|url=http://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/1945/03/10/executive-order-no-34-s-1945/|title=Executive Order No. 34, s. 1945|work=officialgazzete.gov.ph|access-date=11 November 2017|archive-date=9 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109032955/http://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/1945/03/10/executive-order-no-34-s-1945/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Even though RHT was formalized, RHD vehicles such as public buses were still imported into the Philippines until a law passed banning the importation of RHD vehicles except in special cases. These RHD vehicles are required to be converted to LHD.<ref name=":0" />
	Some historians, such as ], believed that ancient travellers on horseback generally rode on the left side of the road. As more people are right-handed, a horseman would thus be able to hold the reins with his left hand and keep his right hand free—to offer in friendship to passing riders or to defend himself with a sword, if necessary.<ref name="dope">The Straight Dope: November 11, 1988.</ref>
			Japan was never part of the British Empire, but its traffic also drives on the left. Although this practice 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-] ] was ruled by the ] until 1972, and was RHT until ].<ref>{{cite news| first = Andrew H. | last = Malcolm|url=https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FB0D1FFD355513728DDDAC0894DF405B888BF1D3 |title= U-Turn for Okinawa: From Right-Hand Driving to Left; Extra Policemen Assigned |work=The New York Times |date=5 July 1978|page=A2}}</ref> The conversion operation was known as 730 (''Nana-San-Maru'', which refers to the date of the changeover). Okinawa is one of only a 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 since LHD cars are considered to be status symbols.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The birthplace of iconic cars, where cars with both left and right hand drive are allowed {{!}} Japan Motor |url=https://japan-motor.com/en/blog/post/how-popular-are-left-hand-drive-cars-japan |access-date=2023-05-07 |website=japan-motor.com}}</ref>
	The first legal reference in Britain to an order for traffic to remain on the left was in 1756 with regard to ]. The Highway Act 1773 contained a recommendation that horse traffic should remain on the left and this is enshrined in the ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.statutelaw.gov.uk/content.aspx?activeTextDocId=1032567 |title=Section 78 |publisher=Statutelaw.gov.uk |date= |accessdate=2010-12-12}}</ref>
			] became RHT as part of ], as did ] and ]. 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.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/1096303.stm|title=Cambodia bans right-hand drive cars|date=1 January 2001|publisher=BBC News|access-date=12 January 2007}}</ref>
	In the late 18th century, the shift from left to right that took place in countries such as the ] was based on ]s' use of large freight ] pulled by several pairs of horses. The wagons had no driver's seat, so a postilion sat on the left rear horse and held his whip in his right hand. Seated on the left, the driver preferred that other wagons pass him on the left so that he could be sure to keep clear of the wheels of oncoming wagons. He did that by driving on the right side of the road.<ref name="dope"/>
			===Europe===
	There is a popular story that ] changed the rule of the road in the European countries he conquered from keep-left to keep-right. Some justifications are symbolic, such as that Napoleon himself was left- (or right-) handed, or that Britain, Napoleon's enemy, kept left. Alternatively, troops passing on the left may have been tempted to raise their right fists against each other. Forcing them to pass on the right reduced conflict. Hence, island nations such as Britain and Japan (using ships to move troops around and having less need to move them overland) continued to drive on the left. These stories have never been shown to have a factual basis and appear to be legends.<ref>''Kincaid'', pp. 14, 99–100</ref>
			In a study of the ancient traffic system of ], 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.{{r|poehler|p=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.{{r|poehler|pp=150–155}} These considerations can also be demonstrated in the archaeological findings of other cities in the ].<ref name="poehler">{{cite book |first=Eric E. |last=Poehler |title=The Traffic System of Pompeii |publisher=] |location=] |year=2017 |isbn=9780190614676 |oclc=1105466950}}</ref>{{rp|pp=218–219}}
			One of the first references in England to requiring traffic direction was an order by the London ] in 1669, requiring a man to be posted on ] to ensure that "all cartes going to keep on the one side and all cartes coming to keep on the other side".<ref>{{cite thesis |last1=Latham |first1=Mark |title=The London Bridge Improvement Act of 1756: A Study of Early Modern Urban Finance and Administration |url=https://figshare.com/articles/The_London_Bridge_Improvement_Act_of_1756_A_Study_of_Early_Modern_Urban_Finance_and_Administration/10097465 |publisher=University of Leicester|date=18 December 2009|type=PhD}}</ref> It was later legislated as the ] (] 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.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Statutes at Large from the 26th to the 30th Year of King George III |date=1766 |publisher=Printed by J. Bentham |url=https://archive.org/details/statutesatlarge57britgoog/page/n574/mode/2up}}</ref> This may represent the first statutory requirement for LHT.<ref name="hamer">{{cite journal|last1=Hamer|first1=Mike|date=25 December 1986 – 1 January 1987|title=Left is right on the road|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qfak8nsMNGIC&pg=PA16|journal=New Scientist|issue=20 December 1986/1 January 1987|pages=16–18|access-date=7 October 2016}}{{Dead link|date=March 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
	Countries that became part of the ] adopted the British keep-left rule, although some have since changed. In ], the ] and ] initially drove on the left, but changed to the right to make border crossings to and from other provinces easier. Nova Scotia switched to driving on the right on 15 April 1923.
			In the ], a law of 1793 (33 Geo. 3. c. 56 (I)) provided a ten-] fine to anyone not driving or riding on the left side of the road within the ] of ], and required the local road overseers to erect written or printed notices informing road users of the law.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6oZRAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA798 |title=Statutes Passed in the Parliaments Held in Ireland |volume=1789–1793|date=14 August 1799|publisher=George Grierson, printer to the King's Most Excellent Majesty}}</ref> The ] (38 Geo. 3. c. 28 (I)) required drivers on the road from Dublin to ] to keep to the left. This time, the punishment was ten shillings if the offender was not the owner of the vehicle, or one ] (twenty shillings) if he/she was.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0G9BAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA416 |title=Statutes Passed in the Parliaments Held in Ireland ...: From the Third Year of Edward the Second, A.D. 1310 .|date=14 August 1799|publisher=G. Grierson, printer to the King's Most Excellent Majesty}}</ref> The ] (] 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.<ref>{{cite book |title=A collection of the public general statutes |date=1836 |publisher=Eyre and Spottiswoode |location=London |pages=1030–1031 |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/acollectionpubl01britgoog/page/1030 |chapter=6 & 7 Will. 4 c. 116 s.156 |via=Internet Archive}}</ref>
	===Changing to right-hand traffic===
	{{Ref improve section|date=January 2009}}
	Over the course of the 20th century, there was a gradual worldwide shift from driving on the left to the right. ] changed to right-hand traffic in 1928, and the parts of ] that were still driving on the left changed over by 1923 (although ] was not part of Canada until 1949, and its motorists drove on the left until 1947). The remainder of ] changed over in the 1920s after ] came to power; ] and ] changed when ] annexed or occupied them in late 1930s, and ] followed suit. In Austria the build-up of new traffic lights and rebuilding of tram tracks was started before the annexation. The Latin American countries of ] and ] changed in 1943 and 1945 respectively, and the ] and ] followed suit in 1945 and 1946 respectively. ] changed to right-hand traffic in 1961. ] changed ] and ] did as well ]. ] changed, allegedly on the advice of a wizard,<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1415295/General-Ne-Win.html|title=General Ne Win|publisher=Daily Telegraph| date=2002-12-05 | location=London | accessdate=22 May 2010}}</ref> in 1970. (For the logistics involved, see the Swedish experience at ].)
			An oft-repeated story is that ] changed the custom from LHT to RHT in France and the countries he conquered after the ]. Scholars who have looked for documentary evidence of this story have found none, and contemporary sources have not surfaced, {{as of|1999|lc=y|post=.}}<ref name="watson" /><!-- Not true there are earlier source 1954 https://www.google.de/books/edition/Einigkeit/jdFZAAAAYAAJ?hl=de&gbpv=1&bsq=napoleon+rechtsverkehr&dq=napoleon+rechtsverkehr&printsec=frontcover --> In 1827, long after Napoleon's reign, Edward Planta wrote that, in ], "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."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jGMDAAAAQAAJ&q=%22drive+on+the+right%22&pg=RA1-PA118|title=A New Picture of Paris, Or, The Stranger's Guide to the French Metropolis: Also, a Description of the Environs of Paris|first=Edward|last=Planta|date=30 June 1831|publisher=S. Leigh and Baldwin and Cradock}}</ref>
	] drove on the left under ], but changed to driving on the right in 1946 after the government of the ] assumed administration; the same happened in North and South ], another ]. However, some trains in Taiwan and ] still keep to the left.
			Rotterdam had no fixed rules until 1917,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.engelfriet.net/Alie/Hans/rechtsrijden.htm |title=De geschiedenis van het linksrijden |publisher=Engelfriet.net |access-date=14 May 2014 }}</ref> although the rest of the Netherlands was RHT. In May 1917 the police in Rotterdam ended traffic chaos by enforcing right hand traffic.
	The most common reason for countries to switch to right-hand traffic is for conformity with neighbours, as it increases the safety of cross-border traffic. For example, several former British colonies in ], such as ], ], ], and ], have changed from driving on the left to the right, because they all share extensive borders with former French colonies, which drive on the right. The former Portuguese colony of ] continues to drive on the left, which is a legacy of its Portuguese past; even though Portugal itself changed over in the 1920s. However, Mozambique continues to drive on the left because all its bordering countries do so. Decisions by countries to drive on the right typically centre on regional uniformity. There are historical exceptions, such as ] riders in France, but such historical advantages do not apply to modern road vehicles.
			In Russia, in 1709, the Danish envoy under Tsar ] noted the widespread custom for traffic in Russia to pass on the right, but it was only in 1752 that ] officially issued an edict for traffic to keep to the right.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.worldstandards.eu/cars/driving-on-the-left/ |title=Why do some countries drive on the left and others on the right? |work=WorldStandards.eu }}</ref>
	===Changing to left-hand traffic===
			], Austria, {{circa|1930}}]]
	The ]ese prefecture of ], under US military occupation and driving on the right since June 24, 1945, switched back to the left-hand traffic used by the rest of Japan on July 30, 1978. The event is locally known as "]".
			]
			After the ] broke up, the resulting countries gradually changed to RHT. In Austria, ] switched in 1921,<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Vasold |first1=Manfred |year=2010 |title=Obacht! Linksverkehr |url=http://www.deutsches-museum.de/fileadmin/Content/data/020_Dokumente/040_KuT_Artikel/2010/34-2-57.pdf |journal=Kultur & Technik |access-date=13 December 2016 }}</ref> ] in 1930, ] and ] in 1935, and the rest of the country in 1938.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://graz.radln.net/cms/beitrag/10908163/36832857/ |title=1938 wechselte man nicht nur die Straßenseite – ARGUS Steiermark – DIE RADLOBBY |website=graz.radln.net |access-date=2019-04-04 |archive-date=4 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190404115510/http://graz.radln.net/cms/beitrag/10908163/36832857/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> In ], ], the ] and ] were LHT until 1919, while ] and ] were already RHT. ] belonging to the ] and the ] were RHT, while the former ] changed in the 1920s.<ref name="Komunikacja.krakow.eurocity.pl">{{cite web |url=http://komunikacja.krakow.eurocity.pl/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=412&Itemid=226 |title=Krakowska Komunikacja Miejska – autobusy, tramwaje i krakowskie inwestycje drogowe – History of the Cracow tram network |date=3 March 2006 |publisher=Komunikacja.krakow.eurocity.pl |access-date=11 May 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060516030528/http://komunikacja.krakow.eurocity.pl/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=412&Itemid=226 |archive-date=16 May 2006 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Croatia-Slavonia switched on joining the ] in 1918, although ] and ] were already RHT.<ref name="croatiaslavonia">{{cite news |url=https://archive.org/details/01703017.5423.emory.edu |title=Austria, including Hungary, Transylvania, Dalmatia and Bosnia |last=Baedeker |first=Karl |access-date=28 July 2017 |year=1900 |page=xiii–xiv |quote="In Styria, Upper and Lower Austria, Salzburg, Carniola, Croatia, and Hungary we keep to the left, and pass to the right in overtaking; in Carinthia, Tyrol, and the Austrian Littoral (Adriatic coast: Trieste, Gorizia and Gradisca, Istria and Dalmatia) we keep to the right and overtake to the left. Troops on the march always keep to the right side of the road, so in whatever part of the Empire you meet them, keep to the left."}}</ref> The ] from LHT to RHT had been planned for 1939, but was accelerated by the start of the ] that year.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.radio.cz/en/section/curraffrs/seventy-five-years-of-driving-on-the-right |title=Seventy-five years of driving on the right |date=18 March 2014 |publisher=] }}</ref>
			In Italy, it had been decreed in 1901 that each ] define its own ], including the handedness of traffic,<ref name=biocca/> and the 1903 ] guide reported that the rule of the road varied by region.<ref name="mcmanus"/> For example, in ], the provinces of ], ], ], and ] were RHT while nearby provinces of ], ], and ] were LHT,<ref name=biocca/> as were the cities ], ], and ].<ref name="mcmanus">{{cite book |last1=McManus |first1=Chris |title=Right Hand Left Hand: the origins of asymmetry in brains, bodies, atoms, and cultures |date=2002 |publisher=Harvard University Press |location=Cambridge, Massachusetts |isbn=0-674-00953-3 |page=247 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=20oza63ZuG4C |access-date=5 November 2019}}</ref> In 1915, ] forces of ] imposed LHT in areas of military operation, but this was revoked in 1918. ] was reported by ] as LHT in the 1780s. ] 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.<ref name=biocca/> In 1923 ] decreed that all LHT areas would gradually transition to RHT.<ref name=biocca>{{cite web |last1=Biocca |first1=Dario |title=Quando l' Italia si buttò a destra |url=https://ricerca.repubblica.it/repubblica/archivio/repubblica/2011/07/24/quando-italia-si-butto-destra.html |website=] |access-date=4 November 2019 |language=it |date=2011-07-24}}</ref>
	] changed to left-hand traffic in September 2009.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theage.com.au/world/samoa-road-switch-protest-20090812-eia1.html |title=Samoa road switch protest |publisher=The Age |date=2009-08-13 |accessdate=2010-12-12}}</ref><ref name="salon20090814">{{cite web|last=Mieszkowski |first=Katharine |url=http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2009/08/14/driving_on_left/ |title=Salon News: Whose side of the road are you on? |publisher=Salon.com |date=2009-08-14 |accessdate=2010-12-12}}</ref><ref name="BBC20090907">{{cite web|last=Bryant |first=Nick |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/8240992.stm |title=Samoan cars ready to switch sides |publisher=BBC News |date=2009-09-07 |accessdate=2010-12-12}}</ref> The government brought about the change to bring Samoa into line with other South Pacific nations.
			Portugal switched to RHT in 1928.<ref name="kincaid" />
	===Foreign occupation and military transit===
	Many countries have temporarily or permanently changed their rule of the road as a result of foreign ]. Examples include ] and ] (]) under German rule or military transit in the 1930s and 1940s. In the Faroe Islands left-hand driving was in force on the roads of the island of Vágar during the ] in the Second World War. The ] changed to driving on the right under ], but changed back after liberation in 1945. The ] did the same under ] control during the 1982 ], although many islanders continued to drive on the left as an act of defiance.<ref>, '']'', April 1, 2002</ref> ] changed to driving on the left under Indonesian rule in 1976, and continues the practice as an independent state.
			Finland, formerly part of LHT Sweden, switched to RHT in 1858 as the ] by Russian decree.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://home.aland.net/bosse/hogertrafik.htm|title=Högertrafik i Sverige och Finland|work=aland.net}}</ref>
	The Japanese region of ] changed from left to right under ]; in 1972 Okinawa was returned to Japanese sovereignty, and six years later, in 1978, the driving rules ] as in mainland Japan.
			Spain switched to RHT in 1918, but not in the entire country. In ] people continued to drive on the left until 1924 when a national law forced drivers in Madrid switch to RHT.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://revista.dgt.es/es/motor/noticias/2020/07JULIO/0715-Conducir-derecha.shtml#:~:text=El%2066%25%20de%20la%20poblaci%C3%B3n,se%20iba%20por%20la%20izquierda.|title=¿Por qué circulamos por la derecha?|work=dgt.es}}</ref> ] still uses LHT.
	] also changed from left to right at the end of the ]. This occurred in September 1945, when Soviet-backed forces occupied the ] and American forces arrived in the ] of Korea. Shortly afterwards the peninsula was divided along the 38th parallel. Driving on the right was implemented in both territories because military vehicles were now either American-made or Russian-built LHD models.<ref name="Korea">{{cite web|url=http://www.i18nguy.com/driver-side.html|title=Why Don't We Drive On The Same Side Of The Road Around The World?|publisher=Internationalization (I18n), Localization (L10n), Standards, and Amusements|date=2009-09-27}}</ref>
			Sweden switched to RHT in 1967, having been LHT from about 1734<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vardo.aland.fi/hogertrafik.htm|title=Högertrafik|publisher=vardo.aland.fi|language=sv|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071203201537/http://www.vardo.aland.fi/hogertrafik.htm|archive-date=3 December 2007|access-date=11 August 2006}}</ref> despite having land borders with RHT countries ] and Finland, and approximately 90% of cars being left-hand drive (LHD).<ref name="Réalités">, Issues 200–205, Société d'études et publications économiques, 1967, page 95</ref> ] overwhelmingly rejected a change to RHT, but, a few years later, the government ordered it and it occurred on Sunday, 3 September 1967<ref>{{cite web|url=http://realscandinavia.com/this-day-in-history-swedish-traffic-switches-sides-september-3-1967/|title=This Day in History: Swedish Traffic Switches Sides – September 3, 1967|date=3 September 2014|access-date=21 October 2019}}</ref> at 5&nbsp;am. The accident rate then dropped sharply,<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0%2C9171%2C941144%2C00.html|title=Sweden: Switch to the Right|date=15 September 1967|magazine=Time|access-date=31 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121018034155/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,941144,00.html|archive-date=18 October 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> but soon rose to near its original level.<ref name="salon20090814">{{cite web|url=http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2009/08/14/driving_on_left/|title=Salon News: Whose side of the road are you on?|last=Mieszkowski|first=Katharine|date=14 August 2009|work=Salon|access-date=12 December 2010}}</ref> The day was known as Högertrafikomläggningen, or ] for short.
	===Safety factors===
	<!-- Image with unknown copyright status removed: ] in ], ] during ] as it passes through the ] of ]. Like most former British colonies in ], South Africa drives on the left.]] -->
			When Iceland switched to RHT the following year, it was known as ''Hægri dagurinn'' or '']'' ("The H-Day").<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.mbl.is/frettir/innlent/2013/05/26/45_ar_fra_haegri_umferd/|title=45 ár frá hægri umferð|work=]|date=26 May 2013|language=is|trans-title=45 years with right-hand traffic}}</ref> Most passenger cars in Iceland were already LHD.
	Research in 1969 by ] showed countries driving on the left have a lower collision rate than countries driving on the right.<ref>
	{{cite web|url=http://www.abd.org.uk/jjleeming.htm|author=Malcolm Heymer|title=J.J.Leeming — Accidental Expert|publisher=Association of British Drivers}} article on {{cite book|author=J.J.Leeming|title=Road Accidents: Prevent or Punish|year=1969|publisher=Quinta Press}}</ref>
	It has been suggested this is partly because humans are more commonly ] than left-eye dominant.<ref name = "Chaurasia">Chaurasia BD, Mathur BB. "Eyedness." ''Acta Anat (Basel).'' 1976;96(2):301-5.PMID 970109.</ref><ref name="Reiss">Reiss MR. "Ocular dominance: some family data." ''Laterality.'' 1997;2(1):7-16. PMID 15513049.</ref><ref name="Ehrenstein">Ehrenstein WH, Arnold-Schulz-Gahmen BE, Jaschinski W. "Eye preference within the context of binocular functions." ''Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol.'' 2005 Sep;243(9):926-32. Epub 2005 Apr 19. PMID 15838666.</ref> In left-hand traffic, the predominantly better-performing right eye is used to monitor oncoming traffic and the driver's ]. In right-hand traffic, oncoming traffic and the driver's wing mirror are handled by the predominantly weaker left eye. In addition, it has been argued that left sided driving is safer for elderly people given the likelihood of their having visual attention deficits on the left side and the need at intersections to watch out for vehicles approaching on the near-side lane.<ref>Foerch C, Steinmetz H. (2009). Left-sided traffic directionality may be the safer "rule of the road" for ageing populations. Med Hypotheses. 73(1):20-3. {{doi|10.1016/j.mehy.2009.01.044}} PMID 19327893</ref> Furthermore, in a RHD car with manual transmission, the driver has their right (i.e. in the majority of people, dominant) hand on the steering wheel at all times and uses their left hand to change gear.
			The United Kingdom is LHT, but two of its ], ] and the ], are RHT. In the late 1960s, the British ] considered switching to RHT, but declared it unsafe and too costly for such a built-up nation.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8239048.stm|title=Could the UK drive on the right?| first = Tom | last = Geoghegan|date=7 September 2009|publisher=BBC News|access-date=4 July 2012}}</ref> Road building standards, for motorways in particular, allow asymmetrically designed road junctions, where merge and diverge lanes differ in length.<ref>{{cite journal|year=2006|title=Layout of Grade Separated Junctions|url=http://www.dft.gov.uk/ha/standards/dmrb/vol6/section2/td2206.pdf|publisher=The Highways Agency|journal=Design Manual for Roads and Bridges|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110504112611/http://www.dft.gov.uk/ha/standards/dmrb/vol6/section2/td2206.pdf|archive-date=2011-05-04|pages=4.9ff}}
	Cyclists and horse riders<ref>Horse riders mounting from the left can apparently be traced to medieval knights, who mounted from the left side so that their scabbard would not be in the way. The scabbard was on their left hip because most men are right-handed; the sword would be drawn by the right hand across their body.</ref> typically mount from the left hand side. This places them on the kerb<!-- **This page uses UK spelling variations. Please do not change this spelling to curb.** --> when driving on the left.
			</ref>
			Today, four countries in Europe continue to use LHT, all island nations: the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland (formerly part of the UK), ] and ] (both former British colonies).
	The largest safety issue is the existence of two systems, right- and left-hand traffic. Visitors used to one system might forget that the other system is used where they are, for example, pedestrians looking the wrong way before crossing a street.
	===Trams (streetcars)===		=== Oceania ===
			], heavily visited by international tourists, reminding motorists to keep left in Australia]]
	Tram and streetcar systems generally follow the same rules as normal road traffic in the country concerned, both on road and on reserved sections, with the passenger doors on the ]<!-- **This page uses UK spelling variations. Please do not change this spelling to curb.** -->. Various exceptions exist or have existed, examples including the now-removed system in London and the current system in Blackpool where some sections of tramway had or have both tracks on the same side of the road with no physical separation from road traffic.
			Many former British colonies in the region have always been LHT, including Australia, New Zealand, ], ], ], ], and ]; and nations that were previously administered by Australia: ] and ].
	The driver is usually positioned near the centre of the vehicle, although some single-operator trams have been developed wherein the driver sits nearer the centre of the road. On the left-hand running Blackpool system and ] built between the 1970s and 1990s, the driver sits on the right. Before the extensive system was dismantled, ] also drove on the left-hand side.
			==== New Zealand ====
	When Sweden ] to driving on the right, its single-ended tram had the doors on the wrong side, and this was taken as an excuse to close down several systems. ] operated its trams in opposite-handed pairs, the left-hand-drive tram leading before the changeover and the right-hand-drive tram afterwards. Over time, all trams have been converted with many trams built in the sixties still being operated. In the north-eastern part of the system, the trams pass through a tunnel under ], which lies on top of a steep hill. Since building a single central platform was cheaper, the trams switch sides at ] and run on the left past the last four stops.
			] to remind tourists to drive on the left in ].]]
			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 ] was written in 1936.<ref>{{Cite web |date=4 December 1936 |title=ROAD SAFETY. OTAGO DAILY TIMES |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ODT19361204.2.13.9 |access-date=2021-10-27 |website=paperspast.natlib.govt.nz}}</ref>
			==== Samoa ====
	In ], around the underground station Kagran, Tramline 26 changes to the left to prevent passengers from crossing the tram tracks.
			], a former German colony, had been RHT for more than a century, but switched to LHT in 2009,<ref name="BBC Samoa">{{Cite news| title =Samoan cars ready to switch sides| publisher =BBC News | date = 7 September 2009 | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/8240992.stm | access-date = 7 September 2009 | first=Nick | last=Bryant}}</ref> making it the first territory in almost 30 years to change sides.<ref name="reuters Samoa" /> 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, ], was formed by the group People Against Switching Sides (PASS) to protest against the change, with PASS launching a legal challenge;<ref>{{cite web |last1=Whitley |first1=David |title=Samoa provokes fury by switching sides of the road |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/news/5732906/Samoa-provokes-fury-by-switching-sides-of-the-road.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/news/5732906/Samoa-provokes-fury-by-switching-sides-of-the-road.html |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live | date = 3 July 2009 | website=The Telegraph |access-date=12 September 2019}}{{cbignore}}</ref> in April 2008 an estimated 18,000 people attended demonstrations against switching.<ref name="BBC Samoa2">{{Cite news| title =Samoa drivers brace for left turn| publisher =BBC News | date = 6 September 2009 | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/8236773.stm | access-date = 7 September 2009 | first=Michael | last=Dobie}}</ref> 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.<ref name="reuters Samoa">{{Cite news| title =Outcry as Samoa motorists prepare to drive on left| agency =Reuters| date = 7 September 2009 | url = https://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idUSTRE5861QV20090907| access-date = 7 September 2009| first=Pauline| last=Askin}}</ref> After months of preparation, the switch from right to left happened in an atmosphere of national celebration. There were no reported incidents.<ref name="wsj" /> 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.<ref name="BBC Samoa" /> The change coincided with more restrictive enforcement of speeding and seat-belt laws.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/world/samoan-drivers-change-from-right-hand-side-of-the-road-to-the-left/story-e6frf7lf-1225770454009 |title=Samoan drivers change from right-hand side of the road to the left |work=Herald Sun |access-date=31 October 2012}}</ref> That day and the following were declared public holidays, to reduce traffic.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10523412 |title=Samoa announces driving switch date|work=The New Zealand Herald |date= 25 July 2008|access-date=10 June 2012 |first=Cherelle |last=Jackson}}</ref> The change included a three-day ban on alcohol sales, while police mounted dozens of checkpoints, warning drivers to drive slowly.<ref name="wsj" />
			=== Potential future shifts ===
	==Vehicles==
			{{update section|date=September 2023}}
	===Driver seating position===
			] and ], former Belgian colonies in ], are RHT but are considering switching to LHT<ref name="rwandaburundi">{{cite news|url=https://24tanzania.com/burundi-rwanda-to-start-driving-on-the-left/|title=Burundi, Rwanda to start driving on the left|last=Nkwame|first=Marc|date=27 July 2013|newspaper=DailyNews Online|access-date=28 May 2016}}</ref><ref name="rwandatransport">{{cite web|url=http://www.rwandatransport.com/2013/07/rwanda-to-adopt-eac-driving-standards/|title=Rwanda to adopt EAC driving standards|author=Peter|work=Rwanda Transport|access-date=12 August 2013|archive-date=25 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181225111124/http://www.rwandatransport.com/2013/07/rwanda-to-adopt-eac-driving-standards/|url-status=dead}}</ref> like neighbouring members of the ] (EAC).<ref name="independent1">{{cite web |url=http://www.independent.co.ug/index.php/news/regional-news/78-regional-news/1458-rwanda-wants-to-drive-on-the-left |title=Rwanda wants to drive on the left |publisher=Independent.co.ug |date=3 June 2012 |access-date=10 June 2012 |archive-date=14 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120314061551/http://www.independent.co.ug/index.php/news/regional-news/78-regional-news/1458-rwanda-wants-to-drive-on-the-left |url-status=dead }}</ref> 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.<ref name="business">{{cite web|url=http://allafrica.com/stories/201009271438.html |title=East Africa: Rwanda Looks to the Left |publisher=allAfrica.com |date=27 September 2010 |access-date=10 June 2012}}</ref> In 2014, an internal report by consultants to the Ministry of Infrastructure recommended a switch to LHT.<ref name="ETRR">{{cite journal|last1=Bari|first1=Mahabubul|title=The study of the possibility of switching driving side in Rwanda|journal=European Transport Research Review|volume=6|issue=4|pages=439–453|date=29 July 2014|doi=10.1007/s12544-014-0144-2|bibcode=2014ETRR....6..439B |doi-access=free | issn=1866-8887}}</ref> In 2015, the ban on RHD vehicles was lifted; RHD trucks from neighbouring countries cost $1,000 less than LHD models imported from Europe.<ref>, '']'', 13 March 2015</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Tumwebaze|first1=Peterson|title=Govt okays importation of RHD trucks, to decide on other vehicle categories in October|url=http://www.newtimes.co.rw/section/article/2014-09-09/538/business-govt-okays-importation-of-right-hand-drive-trucks,-to-decide-on-other-vehicle-categories-in-october|access-date=29 October 2014|work=The New Times|date=9 September 2014|ref=newtimes2}}</ref>
	On most early ], the driving seat was positioned centrally. Some car manufacturers later chose to place it on the side of the car closest to the ]<!-- **This page uses UK spelling variations. Please do not change this spelling to curb.** --> to help the driver avoid scraping walls, hedges, gutters and other obstacles. Other car manufacturers placed the driving seat on the side closest to the centre of the road to give the driver the longest possible line of sight in traffic. This is the pattern that eventually prevailed.
	Today experimental versions of ] and ] vehicles are being developed which allow the driver to slide the steering wheel/brake controls from left to right with the gauges in the centre dashboard. They are expected to become popular in countries such as Thailand that have land borders with opposite-drive countries. The newest ] models can be ] to permit operators to work on the more convenient side of the truck.
			==Changing sides at borders==
	===Bicycles===
			]]]
	As with horse riding, where riders tend to prefer mounting from the left, pedal cycles have evolved to be mounted from the same side. The common chain-based transmission systems used overwhelmingly by bicycles of all kinds are generally placed on the right hand side of the bike. Riders can thus walk along with their cycles held out to their right with less fear of their legs interfering with or being made dirty by the transmission system which is on the far side of the frame. This configuration suits the use of cycles on roads designed for driving on the left, where the cyclist can walk just off the side of the road with their bike on the road and between them and the traffic. From this position they can then mount their bike by elevating and extending their right leg which tends to be easier for right-handed individuals.
			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 ] regulates the use of foreign registered vehicles in the 78 countries that have ratified it.
	===Legal restrictions on wrong-hand drive vehicles===
	For reasons of safety, politics, or economic ], some countries ban the sale or import of vehicles with the steering wheel on the "wrong" side.
			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.<ref name="cnt">{{cite web|last1=Jennings|first1=Ken|title=What Happens When Left-Hand Roads Meet Right-Hand Roads|url=http://www.cntraveler.com/stories/2013-04-15/lotus-bridge-macau-maphead-ken-jennings|website=Conde Nast Traveler|date=15 April 2013|access-date=18 November 2016}}</ref>
	In ], it is illegal to register LHD vehicles, a rule set by the ]. Exceptions are made for special vehicles such as ambulances, fire engines, construction vehicles or vehicles to be donated to the government.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kra.go.ke/customs/faqcustoms2.html#Q1 |title=Customs Services Department - Frequently Asked Questions |publisher=KRA |date= |accessdate=2010-12-12}}</ref>
			There are six road border crossing points between Hong Kong and mainland China. In 2006, the daily average number of vehicle trips recorded at ] was 31,100.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.yearbook.gov.hk/2006/en/13_08.htm |title=Hong Kong 2006 – Transport – Cross-Boundary Traffic |publisher=Government of Hong Kong |date=15 August 2007 |access-date=12 December 2010}}</ref> The next largest is ], where there is no changeover system and the border roads on the mainland side ] intersect as one-way streets with a main road.
	In ], registration of non-vintage (i.e., less than 30 years old) LHD vehicles is illegal. Imported LHD vehicles must be converted to RHD (costing potentially thousands of dollars), or driven with a permit that imposes severe usage restrictions. However, ] and the ] (both that have at various times hosted U.S. military facilities and had vehicles imported, used and sold by U.S. service personnel) have LHD vehicles in circulation. The ] (ACT) previously allowed non-vintage LHD vehicles to be registered, but changed its legislation some years ago.
			The ] (which links LHT Guyana and RHT Brazil<ref name="Takutu bridge opens to traffic">{{cite web|url=http://www.stabroeknews.com/2009/news/local/04/27/takutu-bridge-opens-to-traffic-2 |title=Takutu bridge opens to traffic |publisher=Stabroeknews.com |date=27 April 2009 |access-date=12 December 2010}}</ref>) is the only border in the Americas where traffic changes sides.
	In ], LHD vehicles cannot be sold commercially to customers, but they can be imported for research and testing purposes under government approval.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/984243.cms | work=The Times Of India | first1=Byas | last1=Anand | title=Left-hand drive car imports allowed by Govt | date=7 January 2005}}</ref>
			==Road vehicle configurations==
	In ], LHD vehicles may be privately imported, and driven locally under a LHD permit. Since 1999, only LHD vehicles older than 20 years or cars owned and operated for at least 90 days may be privately imported. ]s and ] personnel are exempted from these restrictions.
			[[File:Legality of wrong-hand-drive vehicles.svg|thumb|upright=1.35|Legality of wrong-hand-drive vehicles by country
			{{legend|#ff0000|Usage illegal}}
			{{legend|#ffbb00|Usage legal, but registration illegal or unknown}}
			{{legend|#00bb44|Registration illegal for normal vehicles, with exceptions for special (e.g. diplomatic) vehicles}}
			{{legend|#0000ff|Registration and usage legal}}
			{{legend|#C1C1C1|No data}}]]
			===Steering wheel position===
	In the ], RHD vehicles are banned. Public buses and vans imported from Japan are converted to LHD, and passenger doors are created on the right side. This ban was thought to be the result of the increase of accidents involving RHD vehicles, most of which were trucks. However, some vans keep their doors on the left side, leading to the dangerous situation in which passengers have to exit toward oncoming traffic. Some RHD industrial cranes and other off-road vehicles remain.
			<!-- **This page uses UK spelling variations. Please do not change this spelling to curb.** -->
			In RHT jurisdictions, vehicles are typically configured as '''left hand drive''' (LHD), with the ] 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.<ref>, European Union, steering wheel can be anywhere, 2014-03-20.</ref> 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''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://dictionary.reverso.net/english-cobuild/nearside |title=Nearside (dictionary definition) |publisher=Dictionary.reverso.net |access-date=12 December 2010}}</ref><!-- This article uses UK English. -->
			Most ]s are preferentially designed to better clean the driver's side of the ] 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|date=May 2023}}
	] banned the use of RHD cars, many of which were smuggled from ], from 2001, even though RHD vehicles accounted for 80 percent of vehicles in the country. The government threatened to confiscate all such vehicles unless they were converted to LHD, in spite of the considerable expense involved. According to a ] report,<ref>{{Cite news| title=Cambodia bans right-hand drive cars | publisher = BBC News | date= 2001-01-01 | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/1096303.stm | accessdate=2007-01-12}}</ref> changing the steering column from right to left would cost between ]600 and US$2,000, in a country where average annual income was less than US$1,000.
	]
			In both LHD and RHD vehicles, gear shifters are in the same position, and the shift patterns are not reversed.
	Although it drives on the right, ] has imported various used RHD vehicles from Japan, from tourist buses to ] ]s.
			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.<ref name="On The Right Side of the Road"/> In 1908 ] standardised the ] as LHD in RHT America,<ref name="On The Right Side of the Road"/> 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."<ref>{{cite book|last1=Miller|first1=Wayne|title=Car Crazy: The Battle for Supremacy between Ford and Olds and the Dawn of the Automobile Age|date=2015|publisher=PublicAffairs|isbn=9781610395526|page=279|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JgIrCgAAQBAJ&q=car+crazy+wayne+miller&pg=PR4|access-date=12 December 2016}}</ref> By 1915 other manufacturers followed Ford's lead, due to the popularity of the Model T.<ref name="On The Right Side of the Road"/>
	However, many ] from Japan to countries like ] and ] are already converted to LHD. But even if the driver's position is left unchanged, some jurisdictions require at least replacement of the headlamps.
			In specialised cases, the driver will sit on the nearside, or curbside. Examples include:
	] bans LHD vehicles from being imported for personal local registration, but temporary usage by tourists of LHD vehicles is allowed. However, diplomatic vehicles in Singapore are exempt from the RHD-only ruling, and there are a few hydrogen and ] powered LHD vehicles currently undergoing trials in Singapore.
			*Where the driver needs a good view of the nearside, e.g. ]s, or vehicles driven along unstable road edges.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lhdspecialist.com/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110921030931/http://www.lhdspecialist.com/location_of_the_steering_wheel.php|url-status=dead|title=天彩彩票_官网手机版|archive-date=21 September 2011|website=lhdspecialist.com}}</ref> Similarly in mountainous areas the driver may be seated opposite side so that they have a better view of the road edge which may fall away for very many metres into the valley below. Swiss Postbuses in mountainous areas are a well known example.
			*Where it is more convenient for the driver to be on the nearside, e.g. delivery vehicles. The ] postal delivery truck is widely used with RHD configurations in RHT North America. Some ]s are designed to switch between LHD and RHD to permit operators to work on the more convenient side of the truck.
			Generally, the convention is to mount a motorcycle on the left,<ref>{{cite web|last1=Hinchliffe|first1=Mark|title=How to mount your motorbike|url=https://motorbikewriter.com/mount-motorbike/|access-date=11 December 2016|date=11 March 2014}}</ref> and ]s are usually on the left<ref name="tips">{{cite web|title=MOUNTING AND DISMOUNTING A MOTORCYCLE|url=http://www.motorcycletesttips.uk/motorcycle-riding-tutorials/mounting-and-dismounting-a-motorcycle/|website=Motorcycle Test Tips|access-date=11 December 2016}}</ref> which makes it more convenient to mount on the safer kerbside<ref name="tips"/> as is the case in LHT. Some jurisdictions prohibit fitting a ] to a motorcycle's offside.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2003/si/5/made/en/print|title=S.I. No. 5/2003 – Road Traffic (Construction and Use of Vehicles) Regulations 2003|work=]|pages=42. (1) |no-pp=yes |quote=where a side–car is attached to a mechanically propelled bicycle, the side–car shall be ... fitted on the left side of the vehicle|access-date=6 November 2017}}; {{cite web|url=https://www.magireland.org/2014/news-media/motorcycle-sidecar-trailer-legislation/|title=Motorcycle Sidecar & Trailer legislation|date=9 February 2014|work=MAG Ireland|publisher=Irish Motorcyclists Association|access-date=6 November 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1986/1078/made | title= The Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 – Section 93 | publisher= UK Government | date= 25 June 1986 | access-date=9 December 2012}}</ref>
	In ], Article 39 of the Road Traffic Security Rules requires a steering wheel to be on the left side of a vehicle to pass an inspection when registering the vehicle, so RHD vehicles may not be registered in Taiwan. This rule does not apply retroactively, so a RHD vehicle that was registered before this rule does not lose its registered status and may continue to be legally driven.
			In 2020, there were 160 LHD heavy goods vehicles in the UK involved in accidents ({{#expr:160/3175 * 100 round 0}}%) for a total of 3,175 accidents, killing 215 people ({{#expr:215/4271 * 100 round 0}}%) for a total of 4271.<ref>Department for Transport statistics, Reported Road Casualties Great Britain Annual Report 2020, RAS40005, Reported accidents, vehicles and casualties by severity, vehicle type and left hand drive, Great Britain, 2020</ref>
	In ], LHD vehicles are banned except for returning nationals who were resident in a foreign country and are importing a vehicle for personal use. LHD vehicles are also allowed to be imported for use as ] ]s.
			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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Advantages and Disadvantages of Left Hand Drive Cars in UK |url=https://lefthanddrives.com/the-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-left-hand-drive-cars-in-uk/ |website=Left Hand Drives|date=28 July 2020 }}</ref> The right field of vision may also be more dominant, thereby permitting a superior view of oncoming traffic.
	In ], once-British ] and ] have also banned RHD vehicles. Their traffic has been changed from on the left to on the right. Ghana prohibited new registrations of RHD vehicles after 1 August 1974, three days before the traffic change on 4 August 1974. RHD vehicles may be imported only temporarily into Sierra Leone, for example for humanitarian programmes, but must be exported at the end of the operation.
			===Dashboard configuration===
	Most of the above bans on RHD and LHD vehicles apply only to locally registered vehicles. Countries that have signed the 1968 ] are not allowed to make such restrictions on foreign-registered vehicles. Paragraph 1 of Annex 5 states "All vehicles in international traffic must meet the technical requirements in force in their country of registration when they first entered into service". Therefore all signatory countries and most non-signatory countries allow the temporary import (e.g., by tourists) of foreign-registered vehicles, no matter which side the steering wheel is on. ] and ], which have not signed the Vienna Convention, ban all foreign-registered RHD vehicles.<ref>{{cite web|accessdate=2006-08-08|publisher=Foreign & Commonwealth Office (fco.gov.uk)|title=Travel advice by country, Oman|url=http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travelling-and-living-overseas/travel-advice-by-country/middle-east-north-africa/oman}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|accessdate=2010-08-08|publisher=Foreign & Commonwealth Office (fco.gov.uk)|title=Azerbaijan travel advice|url=http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-living-abroad/travel-advice-by-country/europe/azerbaijan}}</ref>
			{{unreferenced section|date=February 2023}}
			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 ] 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 fan controls) that were placed near the left-hand driver for ease of access, are now situated on the far side of the ] 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.
	Both RHD and LHD vehicles may generally be registered in any ] member state, but there are some restrictions and regulations. ] and ], despite being members of the ], do not allow the local registration of RHD vehicles,<ref>{{cite web|accessdate=2006-08-08|publisher=Foreign & Commonwealth Office (fco.gov.uk)|title=Travel advice by country, Slovakia|url=http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travelling-and-living-overseas/travel-advice-by-country/europe/slovakia}}</ref> even if the vehicle is imported from one of the four EU countries that drive on the left (UK, Ireland, Cyprus, and Malta). ] and ] have prohibited new RHD vehicle registration since 1993. After 19 September 2012, registration of RHD vehicles in ] will not be allowed anymore.{{Citation needed|date=September 2010}}
	===Buses===
	] coaches.]]
	] they drive on the right, there are buses with additional doors on the left side for operation at ]s in the middle of the avenues of some cities, such as ].]]
	]es typically have passenger doors only on the ]<!-- **This page uses UK spelling variations. Please do not change this spelling to curb.** -->, which severely restricts their ability to operate effectively on the opposite side of the road to that for which they were designed. Increasingly, touring ], which are likely to cross frontiers of traffic-handedness during their duties, are fitted with a supplementary door on the opposite side from the kerb<!-- **This page uses UK spelling variations. Please do not change this spelling to curb.** -->, to simplify access and egress in the foreign country. In Britain this is known as a "continental door", since its usefulness will be in continental Europe. It doubles as an emergency exit, but is much more user-friendly than an exit designed solely for emergency use.
	It is usually fairly straightforward to retrofit a non-kerbside<!-- **This page uses UK spelling variations. Please do not change this spelling to curb.** --> door on buses with relatively low floor height; the many traditional British ] sold on for tourist use in the USA and Canada are examples.
	There are buses with doors on both sides, which allow operation at ]s in the middle of avenues, such as in some ]ian cities.
	Some ] systems operate with buses that have doors only (or mainly) on the opposite side from the ], intended to operate in stations or bus stops in the centre of a avenue with dedicated lanes, such as ] (LHD) in ], ] and ] (RHD), in ], ], this last only for ]es operating in trunk lines.<ref> Rea Vaya - Joburg, accessed July 14th, 2010.</ref>
	===Postal and other service vehicles===
	] right-hand-drive delivery van. Extra mirrors placed on its left side compensate for the driver's positioning.]]Post Office cars and vans in different countries such as the United States, Canada, Finland, Estonia and Sweden have the steering wheel on the opposite side to normal vehicles. This is so drivers can easily drive up next to mailboxes (also known as post boxes in some regions) or get out straight onto the sidewalk (also known as pavement in some regions) without having to walk around their vehicles, or put mail (post) in boxes without getting out of their vehicles at all. <br>In the US, rural mail carriers often must provide their own vehicles and have a limited selection of RHD vehicles that they can choose to buy or lease. Some utility service vehicles are also RHD to allow dismounting at the kerb<!-- **This page uses UK spelling variations. Please do not change this spelling to curb.** --> and some newspaper carriers use RHD vehicles to deliver papers to kerbside<!-- **This page uses UK spelling variations. Please do not change this spelling to curb.** --> boxes rather than drive along routes on the wrong side. The ] is available in the United States in RHD configuration, since this particular model is popular with rural mail carriers who sometimes operate in less-than-optimal road conditions and thus appreciate the Wrangler's 4WD capabilities.{{Citation needed|date=September 2008}} Between 1991 and 1999, Subaru manufactured and sold a right-hand steering version of its All-Wheel-Drive Legacy station wagon model for use by U.S. Mail rural route and highway contract route box delivery carriers, and many of the vehicles remain in use, with the dwindling supply of used right-hand steering Subarus much sought after by mail and newspaper carriers. Saturn made a SWP (Station Wagon Postal) starting in 1996, using RHD steering gear also used when the s-series started being exported to Japan.
	In Europe RHD vehicles are bought by the postal services and are offered by several manufacturers, since such vehicles are produced for the British market. Likewise, LHD vehicles are possible to buy for use in Britain. With EU rules, used vehicles can be sold over the border, making it easer to sell used vehicles. Before that it was very hard to sell vehicles steered from the "wrong" side.
	In Australia and the UK, LHD ] are common for the purpose of the driver's having a better view of the left side kerb<!-- **This page uses UK spelling variations. Please do not change this spelling to curb.** --> they are cleaning. Some styles of ] collection trucks also have kerb side driver's seats to permit a better view of the bin as it is emptied. Additionally, some of these vehicles have dual-control systems, with a steering wheel and pedals on both sides of the cab, allowing the driver to operate from whichever side offers the best safety and visibility at the specific time. In the state of Victoria in Australia, when operating a dual-control garbage truck, you must only be driving from the left hand side of the cab when collecting wheelie bins. Driving on the left hand side when not collecting e.g. driving to the landfill or back to the truck yard can result in heavy fines.
	===Headlamps and other lighting equipment===		===Headlamps and other lighting equipment===
	{{Main|Headlamp}}		{{Main|Headlamp}}
	]		]
	Most low-beam ] produce an asymmetrical beam focused for use on only one side of the road. Headlamps for use in LH-traffic countries have low-beam headlamps that throw most of their light forward-leftward, while limiting the light range forward-rightward; the beam is distributed with a downward/leftward bias. Headlamps for RH-traffic countries have low-beam headlamps that throw most of their light forward-rightward, while limiting the light range forward-leftward; the beam is distributed with a downward/rightward bias. The beam thus lets the driver see obstacles and road signs on his own side of the road at a safe distance, without dazzling oncoming traffic.
	Within Europe, when driving a vehicle with RH-traffic headlamps in a LH-traffic country or vice versa for a limited time (as for example on holiday or in transit), it is a legal requirement to adjust the headlamps temporarily so that the wrong-side hot spot of the beam does not dazzle oncoming drivers. This may be achieved by adhering blackout strips or plastic prismatic lenses to a designated part of the lens, but some varieties of the ] can be made to produce a proper LH- ''or'' RH-traffic beam by shifting a lever or other movable element in or on the lamp assembly.
			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.
	Because blackout strips and adhesive prismatic lenses reduce the safety performance of the headlamps, most countries require all vehicles registered or used on a permanent or semi-permanent basis within the country to be equipped with headlamps designed for the correct traffic-handedness.
			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,<ref name="R112">{{cite web|url=http://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/trans/main/wp29/wp29regs/R112rev2_e.pdf|title=UN Regulation 112, "Motor vehicle headlamps emitting an asymmetrical passing beam or a driving beam or both and equipped with filament lamps"|access-date=21 October 2019}}</ref>{{RP|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.<ref name=R112/>{{RP|p.13 ¶5.8.1}} Some varieties of the ] 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.<ref name=R112/>{{RP|p.12 ¶5.4}} Some vehicles adjust the headlamps automatically when the car's ] detects that the vehicle has moved from LHT to RHT and vice versa.{{Citation needed|date=January 2018}}
	Without ]s attached, motorcycles, ]s, ]s, and ]s are almost symmetric with their handlebars in the centre. However, motorcycles are often equipped with automotive-type asymmetrical-beam headlamps that likewise require adjustments or replacement when brought into a country with opposite traffic-handedness.
	====Rear fog lamps====		====Rear fog lamps====
	Within the ], each vehicle must be equipped with one or two red ]. A single rear fog lamp may be located on the vehicle centreline, or on the driver's side of the vehicle. It may not be located on the passenger's side of the vehicle, where it may be replaced with a single reverse lamp. When importing a vehicle to a country which drives on the opposite side of the road, this sometimes requires the purchase and installation of local-market lighting components.		In Europe since early 1980s,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1989/1796/schedule/11/made |website=legislation.gov.uk |title=The Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989 Schedule 11 |access-date=2 April 2022}}</ref> cars must be equipped with one or two red ]. 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/trans/main/wp29/wp29regs/2015/R048r12e.pdf|title=Regulation No. 48 |website=UNECE |date=16 October 2014 |access-date=21 October 2019}}</ref>
			===Crash testing differences===
	==Specific jurisdictions==
			] 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.<ref>{{cite web|title=Popular family SUV Hyundai Tucson slammed for 'four-star' Australian crash test result|url=http://www.news.com.au/technology/innovation/motoring/popular-family-suv-hyundai-tucson-slammed-for-fourstar-australian-crash-test-result/news-story/466995147eb262b628fc71ca5e1cd89b|access-date=5 November 2017 |publisher=News.com.au |date=11 November 2015 |first1=Joshua |last1=Dowling |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211206034200/https://www.news.com.au/technology/innovation/motoring/popular-family-suv-hyundai-tucson-slammed-for-fourstar-australian-crash-test-result/news-story/466995147eb262b628fc71ca5e1cd89b |archive-date= 6 December 2021 }}</ref>
	===Afghanistan===
	Right hand traffic was introduced in ] by ], the Mayor of ],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.afghanmellat.org/farhad_page.htm |title=(دافغان ټولنپال ولسواک ګوند (افغان ملت Afghan Mellat |publisher=Afghanmellat.org |date= |accessdate=2009-09-25}} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> in the early 1950s, first in Kabul and later in the rest of the country. Today most vehicles in much of the country, however, are RHD cars imported from neighbouring Pakistan (with the exception of ] and other western provinces). In the capital ], most drivers have adapted to this problem, leaning over the passenger seat (on the car's left side) before making a left turn or before overtaking other vehicles by veering into the left (oncoming traffic) lane. The country also has a large volume of military vehicle traffic from the U.S., Canada and EU militaries, much of which is LHD.
	===Argentina===		==Rail traffic==
			{{main|Double-track railway}}
	When the ] from ] to ] was planned in the 1930s, it was decided it should use one side of driving its entire length. A few countries along the route used left-hand traffic, one being Argentina. On 10 October 1944 ''Decreto Nacional 26965'' <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cai.org.ar/dep_tecnico/comisiones/CTECO/trabajos/transito-alrkm.htm |title=TRÁNSITO ALREDEDOR DEL KILÓMETRO 0 |publisher=Cai.org.ar |date= |accessdate=2009-05-11}}</ref> was issued, introducing right-hand traffic in Argentina eight months later, on 10 June 1945. Strict speed limits kept the number of fatal accidents low after the conversion. 10 June is still observed each year as ''Dia de la Seguridad Vial'' <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.encuentro.gov.ar/content.aspx?id=2213 |title=Día de la Seguridad Vial &#124; Canal Encuentro |publisher=Encuentro.gov.ar |date= |accessdate=2009-05-11}}</ref> (Road Safety Day) in Argentina.
			<!--]-->
			=== National rail ===
	Trains built by the British, as well as underground in Buenos Aires, run on the left (because it would have been costly to reverse all the track switches)
			]
			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: ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ]. France is mainly LHT for trains except for the classic lines in ],<ref>{{cite web |title=Strasbourg to Paris Driver's eye view PREVIEW |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdOJZ9imhq8 |date=13 February 2017 |via=YouTube |publisher=Video 125 |access-date=11 March 2019}}{{cbignore}} Archived at {{cbignore}} and the {{cbignore}}.</ref> which were converted from LHT to RHT under German administration from 1870 to 1918. In North America, multi-track rail lines with ] 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.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Lundsen |first1=Carsten |title=North American Signaling Basics |url=http://www.lundsten.dk/us_signaling/movement.html |date=27 September 1998 |website=Railroad Rules, Signaling, Operations |access-date=17 October 2022}}</ref> In practice however, rail traffic is more often RHT. ] 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.
	===Australia===
	] drives on the left. The decision to drive on the left side of the road was made in the early 19th century in the ] of the ] of ] by ] ] after the first road was built, and followed the ] practice. Australian states and territories had used the "give way to the right" rule; in the absence of regulations specific to a particular situation, drivers must yield the right of way to all vehicles to their right.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tams.act.gov.au/move/driver_licence/Road_Rules_Handbook
	|publisher=Road Transport Agency, ]
	|title=Road Rules Handbook January 2008}}</ref> This applies to most uncontrolled intersections except for T-intersections.<ref name="vicroads.vic.gov.au"/>
	Give way to the right does not apply to merging lanes, in that instance vehicles must give way to any vehicle that is ahead. This is sometimes called zip merging. If lines are marked, vehicles are not zip merging but changing lanes, and they must give way accordingly.<ref name="vicroads.vic.gov.au">{{cite web|url=http://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/NR/rdonlyres/CA55689D-51AC-49ED-B3B4-34A882148421/0/DrivinginVicRR.pdf
	|format=PDF|publisher=Roads Corporation, ]
	|title=Driving in Victoria, Rules and Responsibilities, 2002}}</ref> All LHD vehicles must be converted to RHD if under 30 years old, except in Western Australia where they are only required to be 15 years old for registration.
	===Austria-Hungary===		=== 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 ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], and ]. A small number of cities, including ] and ], 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.
	The ] drove on the left. Successor countries switched to the right separately. Austria did it in stages, beginning from the west:
	* Vorarlberg: 1919,
	* Tirol and western half of Salzburg: 1930,
	* Carinthia and East Tirol: 1935,
	* Upper Austria, Styria, eastern half of Salzburg: 1 June 1938,
	* Lower Austria: 19 September 1938.
	Poland's Galicia switched to the right around 1924. Czechoslovakia planned to start driving on the right on 1 May 1939, but the change in Bohemia and Moravia was prompted by the German occupation forces (Bohemia: 17 March 1939, Prague: 26 March, see ] for details). Hungary also acted later than planned: the government decided about the change in June 1939 but postponed it and finally introduced it at 3am on 6 July 1941 outside Budapest and at 3am on 9 November 1941 in Budapest.
			A small number of systems have situational reasons to differ from the norm. On the ] in Hong Kong, the section originally known as the ] (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 ], 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 ], Line 2 runs on the left due to the track layout when it first opened as a branch of Line 1. In ], Line 1 runs entirely on the left, while Line 2 runs entirely on the right.
	===Bahamas===
	As a former British colony, the Bahamas has left hand traffic. Most vehicles are imported from America and are thusly left-hand-drive vehicles.
			] 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.
	===Bangladesh===
	Being a former British colony, ] follows driving on the left hand side of the road and all vehicles are RHD. Due to traffic safety regulations, all vehicles that are imported must be RHD. However, cars imported by foreign Embassies or Consulates may have LHD because of their diplomatic status.
			Because trams frequently operate on roads, they generally operate on the same side as other road traffic.
	===Belgium===
	Before 1899, there was no uniform system in ]. In some cities or provinces traffic drove on the left and in others on the right. Beginning on 1 August 1899, right-hand traffic was introduced in the whole country.<ref>Strassenbau und Strassenverkehrstechnik 25/1963</ref>
	===Belize===		==Boat traffic==
			{{Unreferenced section|date=December 2023}}]
	As a former British colony, ] (known until 1973 as ]) drove on the left until 1961, when it changed to the right in anticipation of the ] being built to pass through the country. However, after ] the government had to divert funds earmarked for the construction of the highway to disaster relief, so the highway does not in fact run through Belize.
			Boats are traditionally piloted from ] (the right-hand side) to facilitate ].
	===Bosnia and Herzegovina===
			According to the ], 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.
	] was part of the ] at the beginning of the 20th century, and after the collapse of the empire, it started driving on the right.
			Typically, especially for larger vessels, a radio call will be made between two vessels, or with a ] to co-ordinate if the vessels will pass "green-to-green" or "red-to-red". Marine traffic uses a system of green lighting for the starboard (right-hand) side and red for port (left-hand) side: to pass "green-to-green" the green (starboard, right-hand) side of the vessels will pass each other, essentially being left-hand traffic. Similarly, passing "red-to-red" means the red (port, left-hand) side of the vessels will pass each other, forming right-hand traffic.
	===Bolivia===
	Bolivia, like most South American countries, drives on the right with the exception of the notorious "El Camino de la Muerte" or simply known as ] where it drives on left.The reason for this configuration is to help drivers see their outer wheel while traversing the road.
			In busy waterways, directional shipping lanes may be set up to facilitate handedness of traffic. For example, the ] (Pas-de-Calais) on the ] uses RHT with North Sea-bound vessels following the French coast and Atlantic-bound vessels following the English coast.
	===Burma (Myanmar)===
	As a former British colony, cars in ] (Myanmar) drove on the left until 1970; the military administration of ] decreed that traffic would drive on the right hand side of the road beginning 7 December 1970.<ref>{{Cite news| title = Burma Makes Road Switch | url=http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F10913F93F5F1B7493C5A91789D95F448785F9 | work=The New York Times | date=7 December 1970 | accessdate=22 May 2010}}, '']'', 07 Dec 1970, p.6</ref> It is alleged that this was because Ne Win had been advised by his astrologer, who had said "move to the right".<ref>{{Cite news| title = Ne Win – Obituary | url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1415295/General-Ne-Win.html | work=The Daily Telegraph | location=London | date=6 December 2002 | accessdate=22 May 2010}}</ref> In spite of the change, most passenger vehicles in the country continue to be RHD, being pre-changeover vehicles and second-hand vehicles imported from ], ], and ]. Buses imported from ] that were never converted from RHD to LHD, have doors on the right side in offset position, unlike their counterparts in the ]. However, government limousines, imported from the ], are LHD. Virtually all vehicles are driven with a passenger called a "spare" ({{my|စပယ်ရာ}}) in place to watch the oncoming traffic and inform the driver as to whether it is safe to overtake or not, as the driver cannot see this from the RHD position.<ref>{{cite web| title = Prognosticating in Rangoon | url=http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/stories/s603110.htm }}</ref>
			==Aircraft traffic==
	===Cambodia===
			For aircraft the US ] 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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=FAR Part 91 Sec. 91.115 |url=http://www.airweb.faa.gov/REGULATORY_AND_GUIDANCE_LIBRARY%5CRGFAR.NSF/0/2EA99FD06D59A9BC852566CF00614DEA |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181010060732/http://www.airweb.faa.gov/REGULATORY_AND_GUIDANCE_LIBRARY%5CRGFAR.NSF/0/2EA99FD06D59A9BC852566CF00614DEA |archive-date=10 October 2018 |website=Federal Aviation Administration |quote=When aircraft, or an aircraft and a vessel, are approaching head-on, or nearly so, each shall alter its course to the right to keep well clear.}}</ref> However, helicopter practice tends to favour the right hand seat for the pilot-in-command, particularly when flying solo.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://pilotteacher.com/are-helicopters-flown-from-the-left-or-right-seat/|title=Are Helicopters Flown from the Left or Right Seat? It Depends! |website=Pilot Teacher |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20230928082627/https://pilotteacher.com/are-helicopters-flown-from-the-left-or-right-seat/ |archive-date= 28 September 2023 }}</ref>
	Cambodia follows a keep-to-the-right rule derived from ]. In 2001 RHD cars, usually second hand from Thailand, were banned.<ref>{{Cite news| title = Cambodia bans right-hand drive cars, BBC News Asia Pacific, January 1, 2001.| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/1096303.stm | date=1 January 2001 | accessdate=4 January 2010}}</ref>
			==Worldwide distribution by country==
	===Canada===
			Of the 195 countries currently recognised by the ], 141 use RHT and 54 use LHT on roads in general.
	].]]
	] drives on the right, in LHD (left-hand-drive) vehicles. Until the 1920s, the rule of the road in Canada varied by ], with ], ], ], and ] having cars driving on the left, and the other provinces and territories having motorists driving on the right. Starting on the ] July 15, 1920 and ending on the ] May 1, 1924, the remaining provinces began driving on the right.<ref>{{cite web| title=Nova Scotia - Highway Driving Rule Changes Sides. | url=http://alts.net/ns1625/automobiles.html#roadrule1923 }}{{Verify credibility|date=January 2009}}</ref> ] was not part of ] until 1949, and its motorists drove on the left until 2 January 1947.<ref> ]'', August 30, 2009</ref>
			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.
	One of the very few places in Canada where traffic appears to drive on the left is in ] on ] for the 3 kilometres (2&nbsp;mi) between its junctions with ] and ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://maps.google.com/maps?t=h&q=45.65125,-72.93995&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=TC,+Saint-Hyacinthe-le-Confesseur,+Les+Maskoutains+Regional+County+Municipality,+Quebec,+Canada&ll=45.464901,-73.603946&spn=0.005335,0.009634&z=17 |title=Google Maps |publisher=Maps.google.com |date=1970-01-01 |accessdate=2010-12-12}}</ref> The two roadways remain separated by a railway right-of-way for this entire distance, and the changing of sides does not interfere with the flow of traffic.
			{{sticky header}}
			{| class="wikitable sortable sticky-header"
			! scope="col" colspan="2" style="width: 200px;" | Country
			! Road traffic
			! Date of<br/>switch
			! Notes, exceptions
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Afghanistan}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			| Kabul adopted RHT 1955.{{citation needed|date=November 2021}}
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{flagcountry|Albania}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sixt.co.uk/driving-tips/albania/|title=Driving Tips: Albania |website=Sixt rent a car|access-date=2019-04-03}}</ref>
			|
			|
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Algeria}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.adcidl.com/Driving-in-Algeria.html|title=Driving in Algeria|website=adcidl.com|access-date=2019-04-03}}</ref>
			|
			|] until 1962.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Andorra}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT<ref>{{cite web|date=9 April 2021|title=Andorra Driving Guide 2021|url=https://internationaldriversassociation.com/andorra-driving-guide/|access-date=2021-06-17|website=International Drivers' Association}}</ref>
			|
			|Landlocked between France and Spain.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Angola}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sixt.co.uk/driving-tips/angola/|title=Driving Tips in Angola |website=Sixt rent a car|access-date=2019-04-03 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190403230935/https://www.sixt.co.uk/driving-tips/angola/ |archive-date= 2019-04-03 }}</ref>
			| {{dts|1928}}
			| ] until 1975.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Antigua and Barbuda}}
			| style="background: lightskyblue;"| LHT<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.antiguarentalcar.com/road-safety-guidelines.html|title=Road Safety Guidelines For Visitors – Drive-a-Matic Car Rentals Antigua|website=antiguarentalcar.com|access-date=2019-04-03}}</ref>
			|
			| These Caribbean islands were a British colony until 1958.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Argentina}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			| {{dts|10 June 1945}}
			|The anniversary on 10 June is still observed each year as ''Día de la Seguridad Vial'' (road safety day).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.argentina.gob.ar/seguridadvial/dia-nacional-de-la-seguridad-vial-por-un-transito-seguro-respetuoso-y-con-lugar-para|title=10 de Junio: Día Nacional de la Seguridad Vial|date=9 June 2021 }}</ref>
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Armenia}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT<ref>{{cite web|url=https://armenianweekly.com/2018/01/10/armenian-government-plans-ban-right-hand-drive-vehicles-drivers-protest-decision/|title=Armenian Government Plans to Ban Right-Hand Drive Vehicles; Drivers Protest Decision|date=2018-01-10|website=The Armenian Weekly|access-date=2019-04-03}}</ref>
			|
			|
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Australia}}
			| style="background: lightskyblue;"| LHT
			|
			| British colonies before 1901. Includes ].
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Austria}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|1921–38
			|Originally LHT, like most of ], but switched sides after the ] by Nazi Germany.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Azerbaijan}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			|
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Bahamas}}
			| style="background: lightskyblue;"| LHT<ref name="tbr2015">{{cite web |title=Compilation of Foreign Motor Vehicle Import Requirements |url=https://www.trade.gov/td/otm/assets/auto/TBR2015Final.pdf |publisher=United States Department of Commerce International Trade Administration Office of Transportation and Machinery |access-date=9 April 2019 |date=December 2015}}</ref>
			|
			| British colony before 1973. Caribbean island. Most passenger vehicles are LHD due to them being imported from the United States.<ref name="bahamas"/>
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Bahrain}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			| {{dts|1967|11}}
			| Former British protectorate. Switched to the same side as its neighbours.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8v1CAQAAIAAJ&q=%22driving+on+the+right+was+effected+smoothly%22|title=Bahrain Government Annual Reports|publisher=Times of India Press|year=1968|page=158}}</ref> An island nation, linked by road to the Arabian mainland ].
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Bangladesh}}
			| style="background: lightskyblue;"| LHT
			|
			| Part of Pakistan before 1971, which was part of ] before 1947.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Barbados}}
			| style="background: lightskyblue;"| LHT
			|
			| This Atlantic island state was a British colony before 1966.
			|-
	Hundreds of thousands of right-hand drive (RHD) vehicles were built in Canada during World War II for the military from 1940 to 1945. Most of these were DND Pattern (later called Canadian Military Pattern) as well as some of the MCP (Modified Conventional Pattern i.e. civilian pattern) vehicles. The reason is that Canada's military forces were at that time intended to fight alongside the British military who used RHD vehicles. Britain also lost most of her military vehicles in France in the ] and so she ordered thousands of new vehicles from Canada. Canadian Military Pattern (CMP) vehicles became the most standardized vehicles in the British Commonwealth. They were supplied to Canada, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and India. Others were supplied to the USSR after they changed sides in the war. A few, diverted from shipment to Canadian troops in Hong Kong, were supplied to the US Army in the Philippines and were used there until the Japanese captured the islands. Post-war, thousands of RHD Canadian-made vehicles were supplied to the United Nations for relief (UNRRA) of countries that had suffered greatly in World War II and went to countries such as Czechoslovakia and Greece. During the Cold War in the 1950s, Canada gave many more to allies such as Norway, Holland, France and Italy. During the War, Canada had built RHD armoured vehicles such as tanks, armoured cars, armoured trucks, scout cars, universal carriers, tracked jeeps, etc. One of these was the ] which was the inspiration{{Citation needed|date=September 2009}} for the later Sherman M4 tank.
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Belarus}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT<ref>{{cite web |title=Driving in Belarus |url=https://www.autoeurope.co.uk/driving-information-belarus/ |website=autoeurope |access-date=11 April 2019}}</ref>
	There are some officially offered RHD vehicles in Canada, such as ] mail delivery trucks. These have extra mirrors to increase ]. Some ]s and ]s have dual controls—both LHD and RHD. This allows the driver to enter and exit the vehicle quickly no matter which side of the street is being serviced. General-purpose RHD vehicles are allowed in Canada, providing they comply with all applicable Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standards or are more than 15 years old and therefore ] regardless of compliance with Canadian Federal regulations.
			|
			|
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Belgium}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			| {{dts|1899}}<ref name="ida">{{cite web |title=The history of left- and right-hand traffic |url=https://idaoffice.org/posts/the-history-of-left-and-right-hand-traffic/ |website=International Driving Authority |access-date=11 April 2019}}</ref>
			|
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Belize}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			| {{dts|1961}}<ref name="kincaid"/>
			| ] before 1981. Switched to same side as neighbours.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Benin}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			|Part of ] before 1960.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Bhutan}}
			| style="background: lightskyblue;"| LHT
			|
			| Under British protection before 1949.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Bolivia}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			|
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Bosnia and Herzegovina}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			| {{dts|1918}}
			| Switched sides after the collapse of ].
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Botswana}}
			| style="background: lightskyblue;"| LHT
			|
			|] before 1966.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Brazil}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			| {{dts|1928}}
			| ] before 1822.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Brunei}}
			| style="background: lightskyblue;"| LHT
			|
			| British protection until 1984.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Bulgaria}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			|
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Burkina Faso}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			| Part of French West Africa before 1958.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Burundi}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			| ] before 1962. Considering switching to LHT.<ref name="rwandaburundi"/>
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Cambodia}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			| ] before 1953.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Cameroon}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			| {{dts|1961}}
			|
			|-
			| rowspan="13" | {{Flagcountry|Canada}}
			| {{flagcountry|Alberta}}
			| rowspan="13" style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			|
			|-
			| {{flagcountry|British Columbia}}
			| 1920–1922
			| Interior changed 15 July 1920, Vancouver and the coastal area 1 January 1922
			|-
			| {{flagcountry|Manitoba}}
			|
			|
			|-
			| {{flagcountry|New Brunswick}}
			| {{dts|1 December 1922}}
			|
			|-
			| {{flagcountry|Newfoundland and Labrador}}
			| {{dts| 2 January 1947}}
			| Was a ] until 1949.
			|-
			| {{flagcountry|Northwest Territories}}
			|
			|
			|-
			| {{flagcountry|Nova Scotia}}
			| {{dts|15 April 1923}}
			|
			|-
			| {{flagcountry|Nunavut}}
			|
			|
			|-
			| {{flagcountry|Ontario}}
			|
			|
			|-
			| {{flagcountry|Prince Edward Island}}
			| {{dts|1 May 1924}}
			|
			|-
			| {{flagcountry|Quebec}}
			|
			|
			|-
			| {{flagcountry|Saskatchewan}}
			|
			|
			|-
			| {{flagcountry|Yukon}}
			|
			|
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Cape Verde}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			| {{dts|1928}}
			| ] before 1975.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Central African Republic}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			| rowspan="2" | French colonies before 1960.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Chad}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Chile}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			| 1920s
			|
			|-
			| rowspan="3" | {{Flagcountry|China}}
			| ]
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			| {{dts|1946}}
			| Parts of China were LHT in the 1930s.
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Hong Kong}}
			| style="background: lightskyblue;"| LHT
			|
			| Hong Kong was a ] from 1841 to 1941 and from 1945 to 1997, when the dependent territory was transferred to China.
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Macau}}
			| style="background: lightskyblue;"| LHT
			|
			| Macau was under ] until 1999, when the dependent territory was transferred to China.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Colombia}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			|
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Comoros}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			| ] before 1975.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Republic of Congo}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			| ] before 1960.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Democratic Republic of the Congo}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			| ] before 1960. RHD vehicles are common, especially in the southeast.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Costa Rica}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sistema Costarricense de Información Jurídica |url=http://www.pgrweb.go.cr/scij/Busqueda/Normativa/normas/nrm_articulo.aspx?param1=NRA&nValor1=1&nValor2=73504&nValor3=130675&nValor4=-1&nValor5=101&nValor6=04/10/2012&strTipM=FA |access-date=2023-09-17 |website=pgrweb.go.cr}}</ref>
			|
			|
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Côte d'Ivoire}}<br/>(Côte d'Ivoire)
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			| Part of French West Africa before 1960.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Croatia}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			| {{dts|1926}}
			| Was then part of the ].
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Cuba}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			|
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Cyprus}}
			| style="background: lightskyblue;"| LHT
			|
			| Under UK administration before 1960. Island nation. '']'' divided between the ], the ], the ] and the British base areas of ]. All are LHT.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Czech Republic}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			| {{dts|1939}}
			| ] during the German occupation of Czechoslovakia.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Denmark}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			| Includes the ] and ].
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Djibouti}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			|] ] before 1977.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Dominica}}
			| style="background: lightskyblue;"| LHT
			|
			| British colony before 1978. Caribbean island.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Dominican Republic}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			|
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|East Timor}}
			| style="background: lightskyblue;"| LHT
			| {{dts|19 July 1976}}
			| ] until 1975. Switched to RHT with Portugal in 1928; under the ], it was switched back to LHT in 1976. Its LHT status remains to this day.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Ecuador}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			|
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Egypt}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			|
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|El Salvador}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			|
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Equatorial Guinea}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			| ] before 1968.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Eritrea}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			| {{dts|8 June 1964}}
			| ] before 1942.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Estonia}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			|
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Eswatini}}
			| style="background: lightskyblue;"| LHT
			|
			| British protectorate until 1968. Continues to drive on the same side as neighbouring countries.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Ethiopia}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			| {{dts|8 June 1964}}
			|
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Fiji}}
			| style="background: lightskyblue;"| LHT
			|
			| The island nation was a ] before 1970.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Finland}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			| {{dts|8 June 1858}}
			|
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|France}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			| {{dts|1792}}
			| Includes ], ], ], ], ], ], ], the ], ], and ].
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Gabon}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			|French colony before 1960.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Gambia}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			| {{dts|1 October 1965}}
			| ] until 1965. Switched to RHT on 1 October 1965 being surrounded by the former French colony of Senegal.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=22wMAQAAIAAJ&q=%221st+October%2C+1965%22|title=Tourist and Business Directory, The Gambia|year=1969|page=19}}</ref>
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Georgia}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			| About 40% of vehicles in Georgia are RHD due to the low cost of used cars imported from Japan.{{citation needed|date=November 2020}}
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Germany}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT<ref>{{cite web|last1=Hillger|first1=Don|last2=Toth|first2=Garry|title=Right-Hand/Left-Hand Driving Customs|url=http://rammb.cira.colostate.edu/dev/hillger/driving-customs.htm|publisher=Colorado State University|access-date=13 December 2016}}</ref>
			|
			|
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Ghana}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			| {{dts|4 August 1974}}
			| ] until 1957. Ghana switched to RHT in 1974,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ghanalegal.com/?id=3&law=391&t=ghana-laws|title=Right-Hand Traffic Act|publisher=Ghanalegal.com|access-date=14 May 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UyCl5iWBSzwC&q=ghana+drive+right+1974&pg=PA5|journal=Daily Graphic|issue=7526|date=21 December 1974|page=9|title=Daily Graphic: Issue 7526 December 21 1974|last1=Nkrumah|first1=I. K.}}</ref> a ] slogan was "Nifa, Nifa Enan" or "Right, Right, Fourth".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cec.vcn.bc.ca/rdi/kw-trv.htm|title=Studies Among the Akan People of West Africa Community, Society, History, Culture; With Special Focus on the Kwawu by Phil Bartle, PhD| first = Phil | last = Bartle|publisher=Cec.vcn.bc.ca|access-date=14 May 2014}}</ref> Ghana has also banned RHD vehicles – it prohibited new registrations of RHD vehicles after 1 August 1974, three days before the traffic change.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Greece}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			| 1926
			| Originally LHT (albeit unofficially) since independence. The establishment of the traffic code switched traffic officially to RHT traffic in 1926.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Grenada}}
			| style="background: lightskyblue;"| LHT
			|
			| British colony before 1974. Caribbean island.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Guatemala}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			|
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Guinea}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			| Part of French West Africa before 1958.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Guinea-Bissau}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			| {{dts|1928}}
			| ] until 1974. Drives on the same side as its neighbours.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Guyana}}
			| style="background: lightskyblue;"| LHT
			|
			| ] until 1966. One of the only two countries in continental America which are in LHT, the other being Suriname.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Haiti}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			|] until 1804.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Honduras}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			|
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Hungary}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			| {{dts|1941}}
			| Originally LHT, like most of ], but switched sides during ].
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Iceland}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			| {{dts|26 May 1968}}
			| This Atlantic island nation changed to RHT on ]. Most passenger cars were already LHD.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|India}}
			| style="background: lightskyblue;"| LHT
			|
			|Part of ] before 1947.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Indonesia}}
			| style="background: lightskyblue;"| LHT<ref name="basement">{{cite web|title=Right-Hand Traffic versus Left-Hand Traffic|url=https://basementgeographer.com/right-hand-traffic-versus-left-hand-traffic/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170210083750/https://basementgeographer.com/right-hand-traffic-versus-left-hand-traffic/|url-status=dead|archive-date=10 February 2017|website=The Basement Geographer|access-date=22 November 2018}}</ref>
			|
			|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. ] also use RHT. Did not change sides, unlike the Netherlands, in 1906.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Iran}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			|
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Iraq}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			|
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Ireland}}
			| style="background: lightskyblue;"| LHT
			|
			| What is now the ] was part of the ]. The Republic covers most of the island of ]; the rest of Ireland is part of ], which remains part of the United Kingdom, which is also LHT.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Israel}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			|
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Italy}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			| 1924–26
			|
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Jamaica}}
			| style="background: lightskyblue;"| LHT
			|
			| ] 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tenfourmagazine.com/2019/02/trucking-around-the-world/trucking-in-jamaica/ |title=Trucking in Jamaica &#124; 10-4 Magazine |publisher=Tenfourmagazine.com |date=2011-12-12 |accessdate=2022-02-16}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://jis.gov.jm/fire-service-comfortable-with-left-hand-drive-trucks/ |title=Fire Service Comfortable With Left Hand Drive Trucks – Jamaica Information Service |publisher=Jis.gov.jm |date=2022-02-11 |accessdate=2022-02-16}}</ref>
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Japan}}
			| style="background: lightskyblue;"| LHT<ref>{{cite web| title = Why Does Japan Drive on the Left | publisher = 2pass.co.uk |url= http://www.2pass.co.uk/japan.htm | access-date=11 August 2006 }}</ref>
			|
			| LHT was enacted in law in 1924. One of the few non-British-colony countries to use LHT. ] was RHT from ] to ] because of American rule.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Jordan}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			|
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Kazakhstan}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			|
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Kenya}}
			| style="background: lightskyblue;"| LHT<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.kra.go.ke/customs/faqcustoms2.html#Q1 |title=Customs Services Department – Frequently Asked Questions |publisher=KRA |access-date=12 December 2010 |archive-date=25 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181225111100/https://www.kra.go.ke/index.php#Q1 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
			|
			| Part of the ] before 1963.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Kiribati}}
			| style="background: lightskyblue;"| LHT
			|
			| This Pacific island nation was a British colony before 1979.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Kosovo}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			|
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Kuwait}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			|British Protectorate until 1961.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Kyrgyzstan}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			| In 2012, over 20,000 cheap used RHD cars were imported from Japan.<ref name="kyrgyzstan-rhd">{{cite news|title=Over 20,000 Right Hand Drive Cars Imported in Kyrgyzstan in 2012|url=http://www.satrapia.com/news/article/over-20000-right-hand-drive-cars-imported-in-kyrgyzstan-in-2012/|newspaper=The Gazette of Central Asia|date=8 May 2013|publisher=Satrapia}}</ref>
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Laos}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			|] until 1953. The ] is LHT in connection to Thailand.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Latvia}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			|
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Lebanon}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			| ] before 1946.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Lesotho}}
			| style="background: lightskyblue;"| LHT
			|
			| British protectorate from 1885 to 1966. Enclave of LHT South Africa.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Liberia}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			|Was under ].
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Libya}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			| ] from 1911 to 1947.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Liechtenstein}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			| Landlocked between Switzerland and Austria.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Lithuania}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			|
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Luxembourg}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			|
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Madagascar}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			| This island nation was a ] until 1958.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Malawi}}
			| style="background: lightskyblue;"| LHT
			|
			| British colony before 1964.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Malaysia}}
			| style="background: lightskyblue;"| LHT
			|
			| ] before 1957.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Maldives}}
			| style="background: lightskyblue;"| LHT
			|
			| This island nation was a British colony before 1965.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Mali}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			| Part of ] before 1960.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Malta}}
			| style="background: lightskyblue;"| LHT
			|
			| ] before 1964. Island nation.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Marshall Islands}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			| Was under ].
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Mauritania}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			| Part of ] before 1960. Mining roads between ] and ] are LHT.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.panoramio.com/photo/9441095?tag=Mauritania|title=Photo of All Change. Swop Over Point for the Traffic !|publisher=Panoramio|access-date=10 June 2012}}</ref>
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Mauritius}}
			| style="background: lightskyblue;"| LHT
			|
			|This island nation was a ] before 1968.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Mexico}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			|
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Micronesia}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			| Was under ].
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Moldova}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			|
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Monaco}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			| Was under French control.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Mongolia}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			|
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Montenegro}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			|
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Morocco}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			| Under ] and ] until 1956.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Mozambique}}
			| style="background: lightskyblue;"| LHT
			|
			| ] until 1975. Drives on the same side as its neighbours.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Myanmar}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			| {{dts|6 December 1970}}<ref>, '']'', 6 December 2019</ref>
			| ] 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.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Namibia}}
			| style="background: lightskyblue;"| LHT
			| {{dts|1920}}
			| When South Africa occupied ] in ], it switched to LHT. ] was administered by South Africa 1920–1990.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Nauru}}
			| style="background: lightskyblue;"| LHT
			| {{dts|1918}}
			|This island nation was administered by Australia until 1968.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Nepal}}
			| style="background: lightskyblue;"| LHT
			|
			| Shares open land border with LHT India.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Kingdom of the Netherlands}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			| {{dts|1 January 1906}}<ref name="NED">{{cite web|url=http://www.volkskrant.nl/economie/de-claim-links-rijden~a358071/|title=De Claim links rijden|work=De Volkskrant|language=nl|first = Peter | last = van Ammelrooy|date=12 September 2009|access-date=14 May 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200321062714/https://www.volkskrant.nl/economie/de-claim-links-rijden~b9113fe3/|archive-date=21 March 2020}}</ref>
			| Includes ], ], and ].
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|New Zealand}}
			| style="background: lightskyblue;"| LHT<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.legislation.govt.nz/regulation/public/2004/0427/latest/DLM302188.html?search=qs_all%40act%40bill%40regulation_left+side+road_resel&p=1|title= 2.1 "Keeping Left" – Land Transport (Road User) Rule 2004 – New Zealand Legislation |publisher= New Zealand Government |access-date=28 November 2010}}</ref>
			|
			| These Pacific islands, including territories ] and ], were former British colonies.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Nicaragua}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			|
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Niger}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			| Part of French West Africa before 1958.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Nigeria}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			| {{dts|2 April 1972}}
			| ] until 1960. Under the military government, it switched to RHT due to being surrounded by RHT former French colonies.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|North Korea}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			| {{dts|1946}}
			| Was LHT during the period of ]. Switched to RHT after the ].
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|North Macedonia}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			|
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Norway}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			|
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Oman}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT<ref>{{cite web|access-date=8 August 2006|publisher=Foreign & Commonwealth Office (fco.gov.uk)|title=Travel advice by country, Oman|url=http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travelling-and-living-overseas/travel-advice-by-country/middle-east-north-africa/oman|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080408184423/http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travelling-and-living-overseas/travel-advice-by-country/middle-east-north-africa/oman|archive-date=8 April 2008}}</ref>
			|
			|
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Pakistan}}
			| style="background: lightskyblue;"| LHT
			|
			| Part of ] before 1947.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Palau}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			| Most passenger vehicles are RHD due to them being imported from Australia and Japan.{{citation needed|date=October 2021}} Palau was under ].
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Palestine}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			|
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Panama}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			| {{dts|1943}}
			|
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Papua New Guinea}}
			| style="background: lightskyblue;"| LHT
			|
			| After Australia occupied ] during World War I, it switched to LHT.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Paraguay}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			| {{dts|25 January 1945}}
			|
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Peru}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			|
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Philippines}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			| {{dts|1946}}
			| Was LHT during the ] and ] colonial periods. Switched to RHT after the ] in 1945.<ref name="E.O. 34 1945"/> RHD vehicles such as imported buses were still used up until the late 1980s.<ref>{{Cite web |date=30 August 2020 |first=Mia |last=Rodriguez |title=Whatever Happened to the Double-Decker Buses That Used to Ply Metro Manila's Roads? |url=https://www.spot.ph/newsfeatures/the-latest-news-features/83393/double-decker-buses-metro-manila-a4362-20200830-lfrm |access-date=2022-11-17 |website=SPOT.PH}}</ref> ] 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.<ref name=":0" />
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Poland}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			| South-eastern Poland (former ]) was LHT until the 1920s.<ref name="Komunikacja.krakow.eurocity.pl" />
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Portugal}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT<ref name="basement"/>
			| {{dts|1928}}
			| Colonies ], Macau and Mozambique, which had land borders with LHT countries, did not switch and continue to drive on the left.<ref name="mozrev">, John Paul, Penguin, 1975, page 41</ref> The ] uses RHT.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Qatar}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			| Former British protectorate. Switched to same side as neighbours.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Romania}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			| {{dts|1919}}
			| Regions of Romania (], ], parts of the ], ] and ]) that were part of ] were LHT until 1919.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Russia}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			|In the ], RHD vehicles are common due to the import of used cars from nearby Japan.<ref name="rbth.com">{{cite web|url=https://www.rbth.com/business/2016/08/31/russian-far-east-is-still-attached-to-japanese-cars_625665 |title=Russian Far East is still attached to Japanese cars |publisher=Russia behind the headlines |date=31 August 2016 |access-date=12 August 2017}}</ref> The railway between Moscow and ], the ] in ] and the ] use LHT.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Rwanda}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT<ref name=rwandaburundi/>
			|
			| ] before 1962. Considering switching to LHT.<ref name="rwandaburundi"/>
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Saint Kitts and Nevis}}
			| style="background: lightskyblue;"| LHT
			|
			|This Caribbean island nation was a ] before 1983.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Saint Lucia}}
			| style="background: lightskyblue;"| LHT
			|
			| rowspan="2" | This Caribbean island nation was a British colony before 1979.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Saint Vincent and the Grenadines}}
			| style="background: lightskyblue;"| LHT
			|
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Samoa}}
			| style="background: lightskyblue;"| LHT
			| {{dts|7 September 2009}}
			| Despite New Zealand occupying ] 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.<ref>, '']'', 8 Sep 2009</ref>
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|San Marino}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			| Enclaved state surrounded by Italy.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|São Tomé and Príncipe}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			| {{dts|1928}}
			| ] until 1975.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Saudi Arabia}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			| {{dts|1942}}
			|
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Senegal}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			| Part of French West Africa before 1960.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Serbia}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			| {{dts|1926}}
			| (As part of ]). ] was LHT while part of Austria-Hungary.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Seychelles}}
			| style="background: lightskyblue;"| LHT
			|
			| This island nation was a British colony until 1976.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Sierra Leone}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			| {{dts|1 March 1971}}<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=F80CAAAAMAAJ&q=%22right-hand+traffic+system+on+1st+March+1971%22|title=The Rising Sun: A History of the All People's Congress Party of Sierra Leone|publisher=A.P.C. Secretariat|year=1982|page=396}}</ref>
			| ] until 1961. Switched to RHT being surrounded by neighbouring former French colonies. Furthermore, it banned the importation of RHD vehicles in 2013.<ref name="sierra-leone-RHD">{{cite news|url=http://www.voanews.com/content/sierra-leone-officially-bans-right-hand-vehichles-as-hazards/1751527.html|title=Sierra Leone Bans Right-Hand Vehicles as Hazards|publisher=]|first=Nina|last=de Vries|date=17 September 2013}}</ref>
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Singapore}}
			| style="background: lightskyblue;"| LHT
			|
			| This island nation was a British colony until 1963. It was also ] until 1965.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Slovakia}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			| 1939–41
			| ] during the German occupation of Czechoslovakia.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Slovenia}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			| {{dts|1926}}
			| (As part of ].) Officially LHT from 1915 as part of ].
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Solomon Islands}}
			| style="background: lightskyblue;"| LHT
			|
			| This island nation was a ] before 1975.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Somalia}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			| The former ] had LHT until it formed a union with the former ] which had RHT.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|South Africa}}
			| style="background: lightskyblue;"| LHT<ref>{{cite web|title=Road Rules|url=http://www.sacarrental.com/road-rules.htm|work=SACarRental.com|access-date=15 February 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130102054016/http://www.sacarrental.com/road-rules.htm|archive-date=2 January 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Driving in South Africa Information|url=http://www.drivesouthafrica.co.za/driving-information/south-africa/|work=drivesouthafrica.co.za|access-date=15 February 2014}}</ref>
			|
			| British colony before 1910.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|South Korea}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			| {{dts|1946}}
			| Was LHT during the period of ]. Switched to RHT after the ].
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|South Sudan}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			| {{dts|1973}}
			| Part of ] until 2011.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Spain}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			| {{dts|1924}}
			| Up to the 1920s ] was RHT, and ] was LHT until 1924. The ] still uses LHT.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Sri Lanka}}
			| style="background: lightskyblue;"| LHT
			|
			| ] from 1815 to 1948.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Sudan}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			| {{dts|1973}}
			| Formerly ], it switched sides 17 years later to match neighbours.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Suriname}}
			| style="background: lightskyblue;"| LHT
			| 1920s
			| ] 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.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Sweden}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			| {{dts|3 September 1967}}
			| The day of the switch was known as '']''. Most passenger vehicles were already LHD.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Switzerland}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			|
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Syria}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			| Was under ] ].
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Taiwan}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			| {{dts|1946}}
			| Was LHT during the period of ]. The ] changed Taiwan to RHT in 1946 along with the rest of China.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://lis.ly.gov.tw/lghtml/lawstat/version2/01172/0117235060800.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131210214228/http://lis.ly.gov.tw/lghtml/lawstat/version2/01172/0117235060800.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=10 December 2013 |title=違警罰法 (Act Governing the Punishment of Police Offences) |publisher=Passed by the Legislative Yuan |year=1946 |access-date=14 August 2012 }}</ref>
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Tajikistan}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			|
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Tanzania}}
			| style="background: lightskyblue;"| LHT
			|
			| Was ] until 1961.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Thailand}}
			| style="background: lightskyblue;"| LHT<ref name="basement"/>
			|
			| One of the few non-British-colony LHT countries. Shares a long land border with RHT Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Togo}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			|Part of French West Africa until 1960.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Tonga}}
			| style="background: lightskyblue;"| LHT
			|
			| British ] before 1970. Polynesian island nation.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Trinidad and Tobago}}
			| style="background: lightskyblue;"| LHT<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=c1n3oVO5Gv8C&q=Trinidad+and+Tobago+drives+on+the+left.&pg=PA53|title=Trinidad and Tobago Adventure Guide|first1=Kathleen|last1=O'Donnell|first2=Stassi|last2=Pefkaros|publisher=Hunter Publishing, Inc.|year=2000|page=53|isbn=9781556508868}}</ref>
			|
			| British colony before 1962. Caribbean nation.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Tunisia}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			| RHT was enforced in the ] from 1881 to 1956.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Turkey}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			| Except ], which is usually LHT.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Turkmenistan}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			|
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Tuvalu}}
			| style="background: lightskyblue;"| LHT
			|
			| Formerly a ]. Became independent in 1978.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Uganda}}
			| style="background: lightskyblue;"| LHT
			|
			| Part of British ] from 1894 until 1962.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Ukraine}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			| {{dts|1922}}<ref name="Komunikacja.krakow.eurocity.pl"/>
			| Western parts of the country had LHT under Austro-Hungarian Empire
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|United Arab Emirates}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			| {{dts|1 September 1966}}<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thenationalnews.com/uae/2021/09/01/remembering-the-day-dubai-swapped-left-hand-driving-for-right/|date=1 September 2021|title=Remembering the day Dubai swapped left-hand driving for right|first=John|last=Dennehey}}</ref>
			| Former ].
			|-
			| rowspan="11" |{{Flagcountry|United Kingdom}} and ]
			| Mainland ]
			| style="background: lightskyblue;" | LHT
			|
			| An island nation with ] with the Republic of Ireland, which is also LHT. Also LHT are the ] of ], ], ], ], ], and ].
			|-
			| {{flagcountry|British Indian Ocean Territory}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			|The largest island, ], was leased to the ] as a ]; the United States is RHT.
			|-
			| {{flagcountry|British Virgin Islands}}
			| style="background: lightskyblue;"| LHT
			|
			| Most passenger vehicles are LHD due to imports from the United States, which is RHT.<ref name="Fodor" />
			|-
			| {{flagcountry|Cayman Islands}}
			| style="background: lightskyblue;"| LHT
			|
			|Most passenger vehicles are LHD due to imports from the United States, which has RHT.<ref name="caymans" />
			|-
			| {{flagcountry|Falkland Islands}}
			| style="background: lightskyblue;"| LHT
			|
			| Briefly switched to RHT during the ].
			|-
			|{{flagcountry|Gibraltar}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			| {{dts|1929}}
			|] is RHT because of its land border with Spain.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MoAzAQAAMAAJ&q=%22Rule+of+the+Road+Ordinance%22|title=Colonial Reports|series=Annual|volume=1480–1499|year=1930|page=76}}</ref>
			|-
			|{{flagcountry|Bailiwick of Guernsey|name=Guernsey}}
			| style="background: lightskyblue;"| LHT
			|
			| Was RHT from 1940 to 1945 due to the German occupation.<ref name="channel islands">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-iQNAAAAIAAJ&q=%22rule+of+the+road+was+changed+to+the+right%22|title=The Channel Islands War: 1940–1945|first=Peter|last=King|publisher=Hale|year=1991|page=31|isbn=9780709045120}}</ref>
			|-
			|{{flagcountry|Isle of Man}}
			| style="background: lightskyblue;"| LHT
			|
			|
			|-
			|{{flagcountry|Jersey}}
			| style="background: lightskyblue;"| LHT
			|
			| Was RHT from 1940 to 1945 due to the German occupation.<ref name="channel islands"/>
			|-
			| {{flagcountry|Pitcairn Islands}}
			| style="background: lightskyblue;"| LHT
			|
			|There is no official vehicle registration system.
			|-
			|{{flagcountry|Turks and Caicos Islands}}
			| style="background: lightskyblue;"| LHT
			|
			|Most passenger vehicles are LHD due to imports from the United States, which has RHT.<ref name="turks and caicos"/>
			|-
			| rowspan="8" | {{Flagcountry|United States}}
			| ]
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			|
			|-
			| {{flagcountry|Alaska}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			|
			|-
			| {{flagcountry|Hawaii}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			|
			|-
			| {{flagcountry|Puerto Rico}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			|
			|-
			| {{flagcountry|U.S. Virgin Islands}}
			| style="background: lightskyblue;"| LHT
			|
			| ], 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 ] in the 1917 ]. Most passenger vehicles are LHD due to them being imported from the American mainland.<ref name="Fodor"/>
			|-
			| {{flagcountry|Guam}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;" | RHT
			|
			|
			|-
			| {{flagcountry|Northern Mariana Islands}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			|
			|-
			| {{flagcountry|American Samoa}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			|
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Uruguay}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			| {{dts|2 September 1945}}
			| Became LHT in 1918, but as in some other countries in South America, changed to RHT in 1945.<ref name="Autoblog">, Autoblog, 25 August 2015</ref> A speed limit of {{convert|30|km/h|0|abbr=on}} was observed until 30 September for safety.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Uzbekistan}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			|
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Vanuatu}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT<ref>{{cite web| title = RHD/LHD Country Guide | publisher = toyota-gib.com |url= https://www.toyota-gib.com/eng/vehicle-sales/lhd-rhd-guide.html | access-date=22 September 2017 }}</ref>
			|
			| ] until 1980.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Vatican City}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			|Enclave of Rome.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Venezuela}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			|
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Vietnam}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			| ] until 1954. The ] uses LHT.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Western Sahara}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			|
			|] until 1976.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Yemen}}
			| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
			| {{dts|1977}}<ref name="kincaid"/>
			| ], formerly the British ], changed to RHT in 1977, having become one of a few communist countries to use LHT. A series of postage stamps commemorating the event was issued.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stampworld.com/en/stamps/South-Yemen/Postage%20stamps/?year=1977|title=South Yemen – Postage stamps – 1977|work=stampworld.com}}</ref> At that time, ] was already RHT.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Zambia}}
			| style="background: lightskyblue;"| LHT
			|
			|] before 1964.
			|-
			| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Zimbabwe}}
			| style="background: lightskyblue;"| LHT
			|
			|] before 1965 (de facto) or 1980 (de jure).
			|}
			===Legality of wrong-hand-drive vehicles by country===
	===Caribbean===
			{{more citations needed|section|date=November 2021}}
	The English-speaking ] typically follows the keep-to-the-left rule and as a result, most cars have a RHD configuration. Examples of this may be noted in such countries as ], ] and ].
			{{incomplete table|date=October 2021}}
			{{sticky header}}
	However in some islands, mostly ] (such as the ], ], the ], as well as ]) and the ], most passenger cars are still LHD equipped (despite they drive on the left), being imported from the ] or ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.avis.com.bs/rentalfleet.html|title=Avis Bahamas}}</ref> Only some government cars and those imported from RHD countries (Japan and the United Kingdom among others) are RHD. The U.S. Virgin Islands are particularly known for having a high accident rate caused by American tourists from the mainland who are unfamiliar with driving on the left in their LHD rental cars.{{Citation needed|date=May 2009}}
			{|class="wikitable sortable sticky-header"
			|+Legality of wrong-hand-drive vehicles
	The French Antilles (], ], ]) and the Netherlands Antilles (], ] and ]) drive on the right, with LHD car configurations, like in their metropolitan area in Europe or in most countries of continental Americas.
			! Country
			! Usage
	===China (see also Hong Kong and Macau)===
			! Registration<br/>(diplomatic<br/>vehicles)
	Before 1946, driving in ] was mixed, with cars in the northern provinces driving on the right, and cars in the southern provinces such as ] driving on the left. From 1946, ] became a right hand traffic-only country.<ref>{{Cite book
			! Registration<br/>(normal<br/>vehicles)
	| last =Kincaid
			! Ref
	| first =Peter
			|-
	| authorlink =
			| {{Flagcountry|Afghanistan}}
	| coauthors =
			| {{yes}}
	| title =The Rule of the Road: An International Guide to History and Practice
			| {{yes}}
	| publisher =Greenwood Press
			| {{yes}}
	| month = December | year = 1986
			|<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ariananews.af/right-hand-vehicles-legalized-in-afghanistan/|title=Right-hand vehicles legalized in Afghanistan|date=12 March 2023 |publisher=Ariana News}}</ref>
	| location =
			|-
	| pages = 86–88
			| {{Flagcountry|Angola}}
	| url =
			| {{yes}}
	| doi =
			| {{yes}}
	| id =
			| {{yes}}
	| isbn =0313252491}}</ref> However, ] and ] continue to observe left-hand traffic after returning to Chinese control in 1997 from UK and 1999 from Portugal respectively.
			| ]
			|-
	===Croatia===
			| {{Flagcountry|Argentina}}
	] was part of the ] before the ], and after the collapse of the empire, it started driving on the right. Sometimes, on parking garage entrances of the left side of a ] the lanes on the entrance are reversed to provide for unrestricted flow of traffic between the garage and the street. One such example is the Importanne Gallery parking garage.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.importanne.hr/Content/Article.aspx?id=321&pg=7|title=Importanne Picture gallery|accessdate=2007-08-23 |archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20070701092552/http://www.importanne.hr/Content/Article.aspx?id=321&pg=7 <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archivedate = 2007-07-01}}</ref> This was done so the traffic ]s in the ] from which one enters the ] would not cross.
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
	===Cyprus===
			| {{yes}}
	A former British colony, ] drives on the left, and cars sold locally are right hand drive, including those used by the ] in the ]s of ]. However, owing to its economic and political isolation, there is a sizable number of left-hand drive vehicles in the self-proclaimed ] (TRNC) which were imported from ] in 80s. Currently, importing LHD vehicles, with the exception of buses, are not allowed in the TRNC. Since Cyprus is now an EU member it is common to find left-hand drive vehicles also (tourists overland or else second hand imports from other EU countries with LHD vehicles).<ref>, 2006-12-9. Retrieved 2008-3-19.</ref> An increasing number of right hand drive ] from ] and the ] are now sold in both parts of the island.
			|<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ar.motor1.com/news/478252/repatriacion-se-trajo-un-honda-s2000-desde-nueva-zelanda-y-con-volante-a-la-derecha/|title=Repatriación: se trajo un Honda S2000 desde Nueva Zelanda (y con volante a la derecha)|quote=En nuestro país no hay ninguna normativa que impida que circulen vehículos con volante a la derecha. De hecho, es una configuración muy común entre los autos clásicos. (In our country there are no regulations that prevent right-hand drive vehicles from circulating. In fact, it is a very common configuration among classic cars.)}}</ref>
			|-
	===Ethiopia and Eritrea===
			| {{Flagcountry|Armenia}}
	] changed from left-hand to right-hand traffic on 8 June 1964. ] was at that time part of Ethiopia, so the same date is applicable for that country. The reason for the change is not clearly understood, as neighbouring ] in the south and ] in the west were driving on the left.
			| {{no}}
			| {{no}}
	===France===
			| {{no}}
	]
			|
	France has long been a right-hand traffic country.
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Australia}}
	However, along the {{convert|350|m|yards|-1|abbr=none}} of Avenue du Général Lemonnier in ], which connects the ] to the ], traffic drives on the left, separated only by a hump. The ] from ] up to ] has a 5&nbsp;km section between ] and ] where the down carriageway has been built into the mountain side throwing the up cariageway onto high cantilevered sections <ref>{{cite web|url=http://fr.wikipedia.org/Viaduc_des_Egratz |title=Viaduc des Egratz - Wikipédia |language={{fr icon}} |publisher=Fr.wikipedia.org |date=2010-12-03 |accessdate=2010-12-12}}</ref> giving the unnerving experience of driving not just high in the air but on the left for several minutes before the carriageways recross and revert to the French norm.
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
	Despite the rule of the road, trains (except the ]) are still typically driven on the left track, as long as they use their autonomous ways and there is usually no risk of confusion, and also because cars are forbidden to drive on the same lanes (traffics are physically separated). However, some local services tracks (notably those around harbours) which have very low traffic, are built on ways that are most often used by cars or open to cycles and pedestrians. In these cases, these special tracks may be driven by trains (only short carriers) in the same direction as the car traffic, at very low speed and with limitations of charge to avoid accidents.
			| {{yes}}
			|
	===Gibraltar===
			|-
	]
			| {{Flagcountry|Bahamas}}
	Although the ] of ] changed to driving on the right on 16 June 1929 to avoid accidents involving vehicles from ], some public buses until recently were RHD, with a special door allowing passengers to enter on the right hand side. However, most passenger cars are LHD, as in Spain, with the exception of second-hand cars brought in from the UK and ] as well as UK registered military vehicles used by the ].
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
	===Guyana and Suriname===
			| {{yes}}
	] and ] are the only two remaining countries in the mainland ] that drive on the left. As a result of the construction of the ], four mainland American countries switched to driving on the right between 1943 and 1961, the last of which was ]. Both Guyana and Suriname are separated from their neighbours by large rivers, with the first bridge crossing one of these only opening in April 2009. The inland south of both countries is sparsely populated with very few roads and hence no border crossings.
			|<ref name="bahamas"/>
			|-
	In the south west of Guyana near ], work was finally completed<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stabroeknews.com/2009/news/local/04/27/takutu-bridge-opens-to-traffic-2 |title=Takutu bridge opens to traffic |publisher=Stabroeknews.com |date=2009-04-27 |accessdate=2010-12-12}}</ref> on 26 April 2009 on the ] across the ] into neighbouring ], which drives on the right. The changeover system is on the Guyana side, with one lane passing under the other on the bridge's access road.<ref>http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/21839270.jpg</ref><ref>http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/21825479.jpg</ref> Construction proceeded slowly over the years before being completed by the Brazilian army. Brazil had been keen to open the bridge, as it now gives Brazil access to Caribbean sea ports on the north coast of South America. Brazil intends to permit Guyana registered (RHD) vehicles to go no further than the Brazilian border town of ]. It is expected that Brazilian (LHD) vehicles will be able to drive all the way through Guyana to the coast. The Takutu Bridge is the Americas' only border crossing where traffic changes sides of the road.
			| {{Flagcountry|Bahrain}}
			| {{yes}}
	In Suriname most of the privately owned buses are imported from Japan, and the exits are designed for driving on the left. Most state-owned buses, however, are from the US (LHD) and often the placement of the exits has to be adjusted.
			| {{unknown}}
			| {{yes}}
	===Hong Kong and Macau===
			|
	] in ], ].]] Being a former British ], ] follows the ] in driving on the left. ], a former Portuguese ], historically followed Hong Kong in driving on the left because most of the RHD cars in Macau were imported through Hong Kong. Macau did not follow either ] in 1928 or ] in 1946 in switching to driving on the right.
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Bangladesh}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| ]
			|-
			|{{Flagcountry|Belarus}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{no}}
			| {{no}}
			|<ref>{{Cite web |title=Почему белорусы никогда не покупают праворульные автомобили |url=https://www.avtovzglyad.ru/sovety/kupi-proday/2022-09-21-pochemu-belorusy-nikogda-ne-pokupajut-pravorulnye-avtomobili/ |access-date=2023-11-13 |website=avtovzglyad.ru |language=ru}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Почему на некоторых автомобилях из России лучше не приезжать в Беларусь |url=https://abw.by/news/automarket/2019/04/08/izgotovyat-nomera-rastamozhat-i-postavyat-na-uchet-pochemu-na-nekotoryh-avtomobilyah-iz-rossii-luchshe-ne-priezzhat-v-belarus |access-date=2023-11-13 |website=abw.by |language=ru}}</ref>
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Belgium}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			|
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Bolivia}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			|
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Brazil}}
			| {{no}}
			| {{no}}
			| {{no}}
			| <ref>{{cite act |type=Resolution |index=528 |date=14 May 2015 |article=1 |legislature=] |url=https://www.gov.br/transportes/pt-br/assuntos/transito/conteudo-contran/resolucao-contran-no-528-de-14-de-maio-de-2015 |language=Portuguese |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231215124558/https://www.gov.br/transportes/pt-br/assuntos/transito/conteudo-contran/resolucao-contran-no-528-de-14-de-maio-de-2015 |archive-date=15 December 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Contran Resolution No. 528/2015 |url=https://www.interregs.com/catalogue/details/bra-52815/contran-resolution-no-528-2015/prohibition-from-registering-and-licensing-motor-vehicles-with-a-right-hand-drive/ |website=InterRegs |access-date=15 December 2023 |url-access=subscription}}</ref>
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|British Virgin Islands}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			|<ref name="Fodor"/>
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Brunei}}
			| {{Yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{no}}
			| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.agc.gov.bn/AGC%20Images/LOB/PDF/Cap68subRg1%282.8.07%29.pdf|title=Road Traffic Act|publisher=Government of Brunei}}</ref>
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Bulgaria}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			|
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Burundi}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			|
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Cambodia}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{unknown}}
			| {{no}}
			|
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Canada}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			|<ref name="canada-rhd">{{cite web|url=http://www.icbc.com/library/research_papers/right-hand-drive_vehicles/index.asp |title=Right-hand-drive vehicles |publisher=ICBC |access-date=2011-01-03 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713001400/http://www.icbc.com/library/research_papers/right-hand-drive_vehicles/index.asp |archive-date=2011-07-13 }}</ref>
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Cayman Islands}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			|<ref name="caymans" />
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Chile}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{unknown}}
			| {{no}}
			|<ref>{{cite web|url=https://practicatest.cl/blog/normativa-de-transito/modificar-auto-volante-lado-derecho |website= practicatest.cl |title=¿Puedo modificar un auto que tiene el volante en el lado derecho?|quote=La ley chilena indica que en el país solo pueden circular automóviles con el volante a la izquierda, por lo que esos autos solo podrán salir a la calle una vez que se modifique el vehículo cambiando todo el equipamiento de manejo al lado correcto. (Chilean law indicates that only left-hand drive cars can circulate in the country, so those cars can only go out on the street once the vehicle is modified by changing all the driving equipment to the correct side.)}}</ref>
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|China}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{no}}
			|<ref name="china-RHD">{{cite web|url=https://carnewschina.com/2018/04/03/spotted-in-china-g50-toyota-century-v12-in-black-rhd/|title=Spotted in China: G50 Toyota Century V12 in Black, RHD|first=Joey|last=Wang|date=3 April 2018|website=CarNewsChina.com |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20240315115550/https://carnewschina.com/2018/04/03/spotted-in-china-g50-toyota-century-v12-in-black-rhd/ |archive-date= 15 March 2024 }}</ref>
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Cyprus}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{unknown}}
			| {{unknown}}
			|
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Dominican Republic}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			|
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|DR Congo}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| ]
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|El Salvador}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			|
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Ethiopia}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{unknown}}
			| {{unknown}}
			|
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Finland}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| ]
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|France}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| ]
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Georgia}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| <ref>{{cite journal|title=The causal effect of wrong-hand drive vehicles on road safety|doi=10.1016/j.ecotra.2017.10.002|first=Felix|last=Roesel|journal=Economics of Transportation|volume=11|pages=15–22|year=2021|hdl=10419/170527 |s2cid=115656881 |hdl-access=free}}</ref>
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Germany}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			|<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-12-31 |title=Können Rechtslenker in Deutschland zugelassen werden? |url=https://www.tuningblog.eu/kategorien/tuev-gesetze-verbote/rechtslenker-zulassen-388528/ |access-date=2022-04-28 |website=tuningblog.eu |language=de-DE}}</ref>
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Ghana}}
			| {{unknown}}
			| {{unknown}}
			| {{no}}
			|
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Gibraltar}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			|
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Greece}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{no}}
			| {{no}}
			|
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Guernsey}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{unknown}}
			| {{unknown}}
			|
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Guyana}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{unknown}}
			| {{unknown}}
			|
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Honduras}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			|
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Hong Kong}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{no}}
			|<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.td.gov.hk/en/public_services/licences_and_permits/vehicle_first_registration/guidelines_for_importation_and_registration_of_mot/index.html|quote=Application for the registration and licensing of a left hand drive vehicle will not be accepted unless there are special circumstances.|title=GUIDELINES FOR IMPORTATION AND REGISTRATION OF MOTOR VEHICLE|work=Transport Department}}</ref>
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Hungary}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| ]
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|India}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{no}}
			|
			|-
			|{{Flagcountry|Indonesia}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			|<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-09-18 |title=Terkuak Mobil Dinas Favorit FBI, Masih Digunakan Kedubes AS di Indonesia |trans-title=FBI's most famous operational vehicle is used by US Embassy in Indonesia |url=https://www.suara.com/otomotif/2019/09/18/151500/terkuak-mobil-dinas-favorit-fbi-masih-digunakan-kedubes-as-di-indonesia |access-date=2023-07-02 |website=suara.com |language=id}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Nugraha |first=Muhammad Indra |date=2024-08-26 |title=Ada yang Aneh dengan Tesla Cybertruck Pertama di Indonesia |trans-title=Something is strange with first Tesla Cybertruck arrived in Indonesia |url=https://www.viva.co.id/otomotif/mobil/1745873-ada-yang-aneh-dengan-tesla-cybertruck-pertama-di-indonesia?page=all |access-date=2024-08-26 |website=viva.co.id |language=id}}</ref>
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Iran}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{unknown}}
			| {{unknown}}
			|
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Ireland}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| ]
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Israel}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{unknown}}
			| {{unknown}}
			|
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Italy}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{unknown}}
			| {{unknown}}
			|
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Japan}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| ]
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Jersey}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| ]
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Kazakhstan}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| ]
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Kenya}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| ]
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Kyrgyzstan}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			|<ref name="kyrgyzstan-rhd"/>
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Laos}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{unknown}}
			| {{unknown}}
			|
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Lithuania}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| <ref name=pl-lt/>
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Macau}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			|
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Malaysia}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{no}}
			|
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Malta}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| ]
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Micronesia}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			|
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Mongolia}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| ]
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Myanmar}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{unknown}}
			| {{unknown}}
			|
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Nepal}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{unknown}}
			| {{unknown}}
			|
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Netherlands}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| ]
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|New Zealand}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| ]
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Nicaragua}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			|
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Nigeria}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{no}}
			|
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|North Korea}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| ]
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Northern Cyprus}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{unknown}}
			| {{unknown}}
			|
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Norway}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			|
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Pakistan}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{unknown}}
			| {{unknown}}
			|
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Palau}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			|
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Paraguay}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			|
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Peru}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			|
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Philippines}}
			| {{no}}
			| {{no}}
			| {{no}}
			|<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Republic Act No. 8506 {{!}} GOVPH |url=https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/1998/02/13/republic-act-no-8506/ |access-date=2022-03-27 |website=Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines|archive-date=2 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221202115918/https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/1998/02/13/republic-act-no-8506/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Poland}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| <ref name=pl-lt>{{CELEX|62011CJ0639|text=Case C‑639/11 – Judgment of the Court (Fifth Chamber), 20 March 2014. European Commission v Republic of Poland}}, {{ECLI|ECLI:EU:C:2014:173}}</ref>
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Romania}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.digi24.ro/stiri/sci-tech/auto/masinile-cu-volan-pe-dreapta-aduse-din-marea-britanie-nu-mai-pot-fi-omologate-in-romania-de-la-1-ianuarie-2021-1427339|date=2021-01-02|title=Mașinile cu volan pe dreapta aduse din Marea Britanie nu mai pot fi omologate în România de la 1 ianuarie 2021|language=ro}}</ref>
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Russia}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			|<ref name="rbth.com"/>
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Rwanda}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			|
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Saudi Arabia}}
			| {{no}}
			| {{no}}
			| {{no}}
			|
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Sierra Leone}}
			| {{no}}
			| {{no}}
			| {{no}}
			|<ref name="sierra-leone-RHD"/>
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Singapore}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			|<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.onemotoring.com.sg/publish/onemotoring/en/lta_information_guidelines/buy_a_new_vehicle/self_importation_.MainPar.22837.File.tmp/Car.pdf&ei=Zbj1U9SsN4ahugSWj4DAAw&usg=AFQjCNHTc_pJsESOog6-rHv936wzuqfI-Q |title=PROCEDURES ON IMPORTATION AND REGISTRATION OF A CAR IN SINGAPORE |publisher=LTA |access-date=10 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160407131700/http://www.onemotoring.com.sg/publish/onemotoring/en/lta_information_guidelines/buy_a_new_vehicle/self_importation_.mainpar.22837.file.tmp/car.pdf%26ei%3Dzbj1u9ssn4ahugswj4daaw%26usg%3Dafqjcnhtc_pjsesoog6-rhv936wzuqfi-q |archive-date=7 April 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref>
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Slovakia}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			|
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Somalia}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{unknown}}
			| {{unknown}}
			|
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Somaliland}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| ]
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|South Africa}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{no}}
			|
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|South Korea}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| ]
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|South Sudan}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{unknown}}
			| {{unknown}}
			|
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Spain}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{unknown}}
			| {{unknown}}
			|
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Suriname}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{unknown}}
			| {{unknown}}
			|
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Taiwan}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{no}}
			| <ref>{{cite web|url=http://law.moj.gov.tw/LawClass/LawSingle.aspx?Pcode=K0040013&FLNO=83|language=zh|title=道路交通安全規則§83-全國法規資料庫入口網站|publisher=Ministry of Justice (Taiwan)|date=2015-08-14|accessdate=2015-10-17|archive-date=2021-05-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210509051155/https://law.moj.gov.tw/LawClass/LawSingle.aspx?Pcode=K0040013&FLNO=83}}</ref>
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Tanzania}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{unknown}}
			| {{unknown}}
			|
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Thailand}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{no}}
			|
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Turkey}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{unknown}}
			| {{unknown}}
			|
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Turks and Caicos Islands}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			|<ref name="turks and caicos"/>
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Uganda}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| ]
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Ukraine}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{no}}
			|
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|United Arab Emirates}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			|
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|United Kingdom}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| ]
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|United States}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| ]
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|U.S. Virgin Islands}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			|<ref name="Fodor"/>
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Vietnam}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{no}}
			|
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Yemen}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			|
			|-
			| {{Flagcountry|Zambia}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{yes}}
			| {{unknown}}
			|
			|}
			According to the ], 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 of whether it fulfils all the rules of the visitor countries. This convention does not affect rules on usage or registration of local vehicles.
	Under the auspices of the ] arrangement, the practice of driving on the left continues in Hong Kong and Macau, now ] of the ]. Most vehicles, even those of the ], are RHD. LHD exceptions include some buses providing services to and from the mainland.
			==Gallery==
	There are four road border crossing points between mainland China and Hong Kong. The largest and busiest is ] (), which features two separate changeover systems on the mainland side. In 2006, the daily average number of vehicle trips recorded at Lok Ma Chau was 31,100.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.yearbook.gov.hk/2006/en/13_08.htm |title=Hong Kong 2006 - Transport – Cross-Boundary Traffic |publisher=Yearbook.gov.hk |date=2007-08-15 |accessdate=2010-12-12}}</ref> The next largest is ], where there is no changeover system and the border roads on the mainland side simply intersect as one-way streets with a main road. There are two border crossing points between mainland China and Macau. The newer crossing point is the ], which crosses a narrow channel of sea between the mainland and Macau, and was opened at the end of 1999 (). The Lotus Bridge was designed to cater for high traffic volumes and features three lanes in each direction as well as a full changeover system on the mainland side, comprising bridges that loop around each other by 360 degrees to swap the direction of the traffic. At the older Macau crossing point, there is no changeover system, and the border roads continue with traffic on the left on the mainland side and simply intersect with a roundabout. All of these Chinese changeover systems can be viewed in high resolution using ].
			<gallery mode="packed">
			File:I-85 in Atlanta approaching I-75.jpg|Right-hand traffic on ] in ], ], US
	===Iceland===
			File:401 widest point.jpg|Right-hand traffic on ] in ]
	] switched traffic from left to right at 06:00 on Sunday 26 May 1968, known as ]. As in ], most passenger cars were already left hand drive.<ref></ref> The only injury from the changeover was a boy on a bicycle who broke his leg.<ref>('']'', 28 May 1968, p. 94)</ref> Numerous buses were also stuck in traffic jams.
			File:איילון Highway 20 (Israel) (6).JPG|Right-hand traffic on ] in ]
			File:Garching Bundesautobahn 9.jpg|Right-hand traffic on ] in ]
	===India===
			File:Открытие развязки МКАД и Волгоградского проспекта (27).jpeg|Right-hand traffic in ], Russia
	]
			File:MRTC 3000 trains from Kamuning footbridge.jpg|Right-hand traffic in ], Philippines
	] drives on the left hand side of the road. Now all vehicles are RHD with the government banning all new LHD vehicles in the country except under special circumstances, such as cars imported duty free by foreign embassies. All left hand drive vehicles (including new ones manufactured for export) carry a prominent sticker reading 'Left Hand Drive Vehicle' on their back to warn other drivers.
			File:Traffic in Oslo.JPG|Right-hand traffic in ], Norway
			File:Antalyaspor Kavşağı - 23.6.15.JPG|Right-hand traffic in ], Turkey
	===Indonesia===
			File:King Abdullah Street, Jeddah.jpg|Right-hand traffic in ], Saudi Arabia
	], the world's fourth most populous country, drives on the left, despite being a former colony of the ], which drives on the right. This originated from British rule in Indonesia under ] between 1811 and 1816. Even though the country is an archipelago, there are three land borders, with ], ] and ]. All of these countries also drive on the left: Malaysia as a legacy of ] rule, East Timor as a result of previous ] and Papua New Guinea as a result of Australian rule following World War I until 1975. However, cars imported from the US are left hand drive, and trains keep to the right hand side of the track, as in the Netherlands.
			File:Sheikh Zayed Road on 28 December 2007.jpg|Right-hand traffic on ] in ], United Arab Emirates
			File:Traffic in Pyongyang 02.JPG|Right-hand traffic in ], North Korea
	However, there is one exception: in ] city, on Praban Street (one of the main streets in central Surabaya), traffic drives in both directions on the right hand side for approximately {{convert|500|m|yards|-1|abbr=none}}. The street is very crowded and the right hand drive style helps the efficient flow of traffic, especially from Gemblongan Street, from which vehicles can directly turn right to Praban Street. Vehicles from Blauran Street can similarly turn directly right. Because there is a separator dividing the two sides of the street, local drivers have little difficulty.
			File:Gyeongbu Express Way.jpg|Right-hand traffic on ] in ]
			File:LasVegasSign06212005.jpg|Right-hand traffic in ], Nevada, U.S.
	===Ireland===
			File:Beijing traffic jam.JPG|Right-hand traffic in ], China
	The ] is the second largest European state, after the ], with a left-hand traffic system. Visitors are likely to encounter warning signs (in English, French and German) near Irish airports, seaports and major tourist attractions, as well as outside major urban areas, reminding them to drive on the left. ] is with ], a constituent part of the UK, so there is no change-over to impede the large volume of cross-border traffic between the two parts of ]. Nevertheless, the Republic of Ireland displays a few yellow tri-lingual warning signs at the border, particularly in very rural areas, for example {{Coord|54.534788|-7.869185|display=inline}} and {{Coord|54.621445|-7.755042|display=inline}}. Car ferries from France to ] and ] are the main source of LHD traffic.
			File:Taipei Roosevelt Road.JPG|Right-hand traffic in ], Taiwan
			File:Traffic on M1 viewed from Pleasley Road, Whiston near Rotherham. - geograph.org.uk - 111945.jpg|Left-hand traffic on ] in the UK
	===Italy===
			File:觀塘道 - panoramio.jpg|Left-hand traffic on ] in ], China
	]
			File:Mumbai 03-2016 109 Western Express Highway near Bandra.jpg|Left-hand traffic on ] in ], India
	Which side of the road the ] drove on is disputed. Archaeological evidence in Britain seems to indicate driving on the left but old Roman roads in Turkey suggest Romans used the right hand side of the road.<ref>{{cite web| last = Pielkenrood | first = Jan | title=Why Left or Right Traffic? | year=2003 | url=http://pielkenrood.fol.nl/x/indexri.htm | accessdate=2006-08-03 }}</ref> In ] the practice of traffic driving on the right first began in the late 1890s, but it was not until the mid 1920s that it became standard throughout the country. There was a long period when traffic in the countryside drove on the right while major cities continued to drive on the left.<ref>"", Honest John's Agony Column, '']'', 28 March 2008</ref> Rome, for example, did not change from left to right until 20 October 1924. Milan was the last Italian city to change to driving on the right (3 August 1926). Cars had remained right-hand drive (RHD) until this time. ] and ] did not produce LHD cars until as late as 1950 and 1953, respectively.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Beaulieu Encyclopedia of the Automobile |editor=G. Nick Georgano|publisher=]|year=2000 |edition=Vol. 2: G-O|page=867|chapter=Lancia|isbn=1579582931}}</ref>
			File:MacauRuaDoViscondePacoDeArcos1.jpg|Left-hand traffic in ], China
			File:Jembatan suramadu,madura-surabaya,indonesia.jpg|Left-hand traffic on ] in ]
	A few highways have some sections of road where the directions cross, resulting in traffic driving on the left, such the A6 highway between Savona and Turin (), the A20 highway between Messina and Palermo (), and the A19 highway between Palermo and Catania (). However, these are short segments of motorway, where the different directions do not interact, therefore vehicles still overtake on the left on these sections.
			File:Northside Road near 5 corners in St Croix.jpg|Left-hand traffic in the ]
	<br />Furthermore, exceptions to the rule can be necessary in urban contexts. For example, the ] bridge in ] is known to Romans to be "all'inglese" (English-style), because drivers are required to drive on the left hand side of the bridge. This situation is analogous to (although obviously reversed from) that of ] in London.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://maps.google.it/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=it&q=Ponte+Palatino,+Roma,+Lazio&sll=41.442726,12.392578&sspn=16.458104,28.168945&ie=UTF8&cd=1&geocode=FfwsfwIdMGu-AA&split=0&ll=41.889056,12.479187&spn=0.000998,0.001719&t=h&z=19 |title=Satellite imagery shows this very clearly |publisher=Maps.google.it |date=1970-01-01 |accessdate=2010-12-12}}</ref>
			File:Eshima oohashi 04 (14781816175).jpg|Left-hand traffic on ] in ]
			File:City of Valletta,Malta in 2020.03.jpg|Left-hand traffic in ], Malta
	===Japan===
			File:Cmglee_Penang_Second_Bridge_main_span.jpg|Left-hand traffic in ], Malaysia
	] is one of the few countries outside the ] to drive on the left. An informal practice of left-hand passage dates at least to the ], when ] are said to have passed each other to the left to avoid knocking their longer ] swords with each other (as swords were always worn to the left side) {{Citation needed|date=March 2010}}. During the late 19th century, Japan built its first railways with British technical assistance, and double-tracked railways adopted the British practice of running on the left. Stage Coach Order issued in 1870 and its revision in 1872, followed in 1881 by a further order, stipulated that mutually approaching horses had to avoid each other by shifting to the left.<ref>　JETRO (Japanese) {{Lang|ja|なお馬車は当初から左側通行と定められていたが，この1872（明治5）年の規則では，人力車もふくめて左側通行が明示された}}</ref> An order issued in 1885 stated that general horses and vehicles had to avoid to the left, but they also had to avoid to the right when they met army troops, until the double standard was legally resolved in 1924.<ref>{{cite web| title = Why Does Japan Drive On The Left | publisher = 2pass.co.uk |url= http://www.2pass.co.uk/japan.htm | accessdate=2006-08-11 }}</ref>
			File:Jln Toa Payoh bef Kim Keat 20060402.JPG|Left-hand traffic in ]
			File:Along Sukhumvit Road Bangkok (15539992071).jpg|Left-hand traffic in ], Thailand
	After the defeat of ] during ], ] was ruled by the ] and compelled to drive on the right. Okinawa was returned to Japanese control in 1972 and changed back to driving on the left six years later, at 06:00 on 30 July 1978, as certain treaties required nations to have one system throughout their territory.<ref>Andrew H. Malcolm, "" ''The New York Times'', July 5, 1978, Page A2.</ref> The changeover operation was known as ] (''Nana-San-Maru''). Okinawa is one of very few places to have changed from right- to left-hand traffic in the late 20th century.
			File:Gibraltar-LookLeft-right-hand traffic.jpg|] has been RHT since 1929.
			File:DriveLeftIRL.jpg|Road sign reminding motorists to drive on the left in ]
	Japan does allow both RHD and LHD vehicles on their roads. In some cases the same vehicle is available in both LHD and RHD configurations.
			File:Drive-on-the-left-kent-1b.jpg|Road sign in ] placed on right-hand side of the road
			File:Fari-Wechsel.jpg|Change of traffic directions at the ]
	===Korea (North and South)===
			</gallery>
	Since the end of the ], traffic in both ] and ] drive on the right. However this was not the case for historic ]. In the 19th century traffic travelled on the left as the country was under nominal influence of ]'s ]. When ] ] in 1910 it also maintained the left-hand rule.<ref name="Korea"/>
	On September 8, 1945, American forces arrived in the southern half of Korea while at the same time Soviet-backed forces were occupying the ]. Shortly afterwards the peninsula was divided along the 38th parallel. Driving on the right was implemented in both countries as the vehicles (particularly military) used by the Korean states were either American-made or Russian-built LHD models.<ref name="Korea"/>
	===Malaysia===
	] has been driving on the left side of the road since British colonial times. However, right-hand traffic can be found at the Damansara-Puchong Expressway in the short tunnel under the ] ] and the ] Bridge at the Federal Highway Route 2 interchange.
	Right-hand traffic can also be found at Wisma Saberkas, ], ] where the whole stretch of parking areas are right-hand traffic. The "Keep Right" signboards are emminent in every corners of the road to remind road users of the right-hand driving. Right-hand driving was to ease congestion at Wisma Saberkas exit to Jalan Green (near SK St. Paul).
	Until it was pedestrianised, the northern section of ] in ], now known as Upper Penang Road, had traffic passing on the right hand side of the road, with a concrete kerb in the middle. This was to allow clockwise traffic from the one-way sections of Northam Road and Farquhar Street (at either end of the road) to pass clockwise through the road without crossing oncoming traffic.
	===Malta===
	] was a British colony from 1800 to 1964, and continues with left-hand traffic. As a standard on new imported cars, local vehicles are right hand drive. Since Malta is now a EU member it is now common to find left hand drive vehicles also (tourists overland{{Citation needed|date=November 2009}} or else second hand imports from other EU countries with LHD vehicles, especially from Sicily).
	===Mongolia===
	Mongolia is a right-hand traffic country, with steering wheels mounted on the left-hand side of vehicles. There are, however, a number of second-hand vehicles from Japan in use, with the steering wheel mounted on the right-hand side.
	There have been plans to prohibit the driving of vehicles with the steering wheel mounted on the right-hand side, but none have been passed by the parliament.
	===New Zealand===
	]
	New Zealand drives on the left, owing to its British colonial heritage. The left-hand traffic rule is currently legislated in section 2.1 of the Land Transport (Road User) Rule 2004.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.legislation.govt.nz/regulation/public/2004/0427/latest/DLM302188.html?search=qs_all%40act%40bill%40regulation_left+side+road_resel&p=1|title= 2.1 "Keeping Left" - Land Transport (Road User) Rule 2004 - New Zealand Legislation |publisher= New Zealand Government |accessdate=2010-11-28}}</ref>
	At intersections, the general rule for priority in New Zealand is ''"Give way to the right, and turning traffic give way to traffic not turning"'', but there is an unusual variation compared with other countries. When turning left at an intersection, traffic must also give way to traffic turning right from the opposing road onto the road into which both vehicles intend to turn. The reason for this rule is to reduce the possibility of an impact with the driver's side of the vehicle (right-hand side). This rule also used to apply in the Australian state of ] until the early 1990s (however in that state the reason was to reduce impeding trams at intersections). In September 2010 the government announced that this rule would be changed sometime in early 2012 to be in line with other countries. The reasons for the change include increased road safety and less driver confusion, but has the added cost of driver re-education and altering hundreds of intersections that were designed with the current rule in mind.<ref>{{cite web| title = Right-turn rule to change | url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10677076}}</ref>
	On the underground access road to the ] vehicles must drive on the right. The tunnel is one long spiral and drivers have very limited forward visibility. Initially, tour buses drove on the left, but there were many collisions, with buses wiping each other's wing mirrors off. The change to driving on the right made it easier for drivers to see how close they are to the tunnel wall.<ref>Verbal information from manager operating the power plant.</ref> The road is, however, only used by authorized vehicles and is not open to the public.
	===Pakistan===
	]: Lahore to Islamabad]]
	] drives on the left hand side of the road after its independence from Britain in 1947. Pakistan is the westernmost country in Asia to drive on the left. The ] border crossing with Afghanistan is one of the most well known places where traffic changes sides of the road.
	===Philippines===
	Right-hand traffic was introduced in the Philippines on the last day of the ], 10 March 1945, to facilitate the combined Filipino and American troop movements.<ref>{{cite book In the earlier part of the 20th century, left-hand traffic was the norm.
	| last =Kincaid
	| first =Peter
	| authorlink =
	| coauthors =
	| title =The Rule of the Road: An International Guide to History and Practice
	| publisher =Greenwood Press
	| month = December | year = 1986
	| location =
	| pages = 147–150
	| url =
	| doi =
	| id =
	| isbn =0313252491}}</ref>
	===Poland===
	] was recreated in 1918 as a ] ] from territories formerly belonging to the ], ] and ] ]s (]). In the former Austrian areas left-hand traffic was in force. This was changed in the 1920s. In ] (at that time in Poland) the change-over took place in 1922 and in ] in 1925.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://komunikacja.krakow.eurocity.pl/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=412&Itemid=226 |title=Krakowska Komunikacja Miejska - autobusy, tramwaje i krakowskie inwestycje drogowe - History of the Cracow tram network |publisher=Komunikacja.krakow.eurocity.pl |date=1982-11-28 |accessdate=2009-05-11}}</ref>
	] close to ].]]
	===Portugal===
	Portugal changed from left-hand to right-hand '''road''' traffic on 1 June 1928; ] stayed left-hand. This change was also implemented in most of its overseas territories, except ], ] and ], which had land borders with countries that drove on the left. In ] right-hand traffic was introduced in 1928, but changed back by ] in 1975.
	===Russian Federation===
	Driving on the right was introduced in ] by the edict of ] on 5 February 1752.<ref></ref>
	Although ] drives on the right, cheaper ] are almost as popular as LHD cars of the same class. Russia is estimated to have more than 1.5 million RHD vehicles on its roads. In the far eastern regions, such as ] or ], RHD vehicles make up to 90% of the total. This includes not only private cars, but also police cars, ambulances, and many other municipal and governmental vehicles.
	During spring 2005, the rumour that RHD vehicles would be completely banned from the roads drove thousands of Russian protesters to the streets.<ref name='19may-1'>{{cite web|url=http://www.gazeta.ru/2005/05/19/last158033.shtml |title=(in Russian) |publisher=Gazeta.ru |date=2005-05-19 |accessdate=2010-12-12}}</ref><ref name='19may-2'>{{cite web|url=http://www.kommersant.ru/doc.aspx?DocsID=579090 |title=(in Russian) |publisher=Kommersant.ru |date=2005-05-20 |accessdate=2010-12-12}}</ref> On 19 May 2005 the Russian Minister of Industry and Energy ] announced that RHD vehicles would be allowed on the roads but would have to conform to all Russian traffic safety requirements.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gazeta.ru/2005/05/19/oa_158070.shtml |title=(in Russian) |publisher=Gazeta.ru |date=2005-05-19 |accessdate=2010-12-12}}</ref>
	Many automobile owners blocked the roads (in ], ], ] and many other cities), protesting against such an interdiction.<ref name='19may-1' /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kommersant.ru/doc.aspx?docsid=579308 |title=(in Russian) |publisher=Kommersant.ru |date=2005-05-20 |accessdate=2010-12-12}}</ref> On 19 May 2005 two automobile movements were born defending the interests of RHD automobile owners.{{Citation needed|date=September 2009}} Due to technical regulation published on September 2009, import of RHD will be proceeded in September 2010.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.drom.ru/14920.html |title=(in Russian) |publisher=News.drom.ru |date= |accessdate=2010-12-12}}</ref>
	===Rwanda===
	], a former Belgian colony in central Africa, currently drives on the right. In 2005, a Presidential Decree was issued banning the import of RHD cars, eventually requiring them to be phased out completely by the end of 2009.<ref name="independent1">, 'Rwanda wants to drive on the left', The Independent, 11 August 2009</ref>
	In early August 2009 several African newspapers reported that, following the results of a public survey, Rwanda was considering switching to driving on the left, a practice in line with other members of the ] (EAC).<ref name="independent1"/> ] is the only other EAC member to drive on the right.
	The survey, carried out by the Ministry of Infrastructure in 2009, indicated that 54% of Rwandans were in favour of the switch, compared to just 32% who were opposed to it.<ref>, 'Rwanda could drive on left', East African Business Week, 02 August 2009</ref> Reasons cited were the perceived lower costs of RHD vehicles as opposed to LHD versions of the same model, easier maintenance and the political benefit of harmonisation of traffic regulations with other EAC countries. The same survey also indicated that right-hand drive cars are 16 to 49 per cent cheaper than their left-hand drive equivalents.<ref name="business">, 'Rwanda Looks to the Left', East African Business Week, 27 September 2010</ref> Because of this, investment in passenger service vehicles and goods transport is expected to increase should the switch go ahead, due to the high costs of sourcing suitable LHD vehicles and the relative abundance of alternatives from elsewhere in the EAC.<ref name="newtimes">, 'Government Mulls Driving On the Left', The New Times, 05 September 2010</ref> Furthermore, in November 2009, Rwanda's application to join the ] was approved, another group which is largely dominated by LHT countries.<ref name="independent1"/>
	In September 2010, Infrastructure Minister Vincent Karega said that new traffic guidelines had been submitted to the Prime Minister's office, paving the way for the Cabinet to formally approve the switch.<ref name="business"/><ref name="newtimes"/> At the same time, if the switch does go ahead, it will necessitate repealing the 2005 Presidential Decree banning LHD cars. According to Karenga, the private sector has been a keen supporter of the switch, citing the harmonisation of EAC regulations and the cheaper cost of RHD cars.
	===Samoa===
	] used to be a ] colony until occupied by ] at the beginning of the ]. During the ] Samoa (then known as Western Samoa) was used by the Allies as a staging area for the invasion of several Pacific islands to the east of Samoa. Most US military vehicles were LHD and reinforced the German practice of driving on the right-hand side of the road until September 2009. This practice had been in place for more than a century.<ref name="BBC Samoa">{{Cite news| title =Samoan cars ready to switch sides| publisher =BBC News | date = 7 September 2009 | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/8240992.stm | accessdate = 2009-09-07 | first=Nick | last=Bryant}}</ref> A plan to drive on the left was first announced by the Samoan government in September 2007 and was confirmed on 18 April 2008 when Samoa's parliament passed the Road Transport Reform Act 2008.<ref>{{cite web|title=Samoan government defeats challenge to road switch plan|url=http://www.mvariety.com/?module=displaystory&story_id=10151&format=html}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Samoan prime minister defends decision to switch driving to left side of the road|url=http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=35367}}</ref> On 24 July 2008 Tuisugaletaua Avea, the Minister of Transport, announced that the switch would come into effect at 6:00 am on Monday, 7 September 2009. He also announced that the 7th and 8th would be public holidays, so that residents were able to familiarise themselves with the new rules of the road.<ref>{{cite web|title=Samoa announces driving switch date|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10523412 }}</ref> Samoa is the first territory in over 30 years to change which side of the road is driven on, the most recent to change being ], ], ] and ].<ref name="BBC Samoa"/><ref name="Ap Samoa">{{Cite news| title =Chaos predicted as Samoa changes driving side| agency =Associated Press | date = 7 September 2009 | url = http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gHv9dCCKAr79WLVGpt2eyB2NJoFQD9AIDGM00| accessdate = 2009-09-07}}</ref><ref name="reuters Samoa"/>
	A new political party, ], had formed to try to block the change but was unsuccessful as was the People Against Switching Sides protest group which launched a last-minute legal challenge against the decision.<ref name="BBC Samoa"/><ref name="Observer_Chaos"/><ref>, ], August 12, 2008</ref> The decision remains controversial, with an estimated 18,000 people attending demonstrations against it in ] in April 2008 and road signs reminding people of the change having been vandalised.<ref name="reuters Samoa"/><ref name="BBC Samoa2">{{Cite news| title =Samoa drivers brace for left turn| publisher =BBC News | date = 6 September 2009 | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/8236773.stm | accessdate = 2009-09-07 | first=Michael | last=Dobie}}</ref> The motor industry was also opposed to the decision as 14,000 of Samoa's 18,000 vehicles are designed for right-hand traffic and the government has refused to meet the cost of conversion.<ref name="reuters Samoa">{{Cite news| title =Outcry as Samoa motorists prepare to drive on left| publisher =Reuters | date = 7 September 2009 | url = http://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idUSTRE5861QV20090907| accessdate = 2009-09-07}}</ref> Bus drivers whose doors are now on the wrong side of the road threatened to strike in protest at the change.<ref name="AFP Samoa">{{Cite news| title =Samoan drivers set for shift to the left| publisher =AFP| date = 7 September 2009 | url = http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jNzS4m_GXgqIwYLpJPTJfbGVqZfg| accessdate = 2009-09-07}}</ref>
	Prime Minister ] says the purpose of adopting left-hand traffic is to allow Samoans to use cheaper right-hand-drive vehicles sourced from Australia, New Zealand, or Japan, and so that the large number of Samoans living in Australia and New Zealand can drive on the same side of the road when they visit their country of origin.<ref name="Observer_Chaos">, ''Samoa Observer'' March 26, 2009</ref> In order to reduce accidents, the government has widened roads, added new road markings, erected signs and installed speed humps.<ref name="Ap Samoa"/> The speed limit was also reduced and sales of alcohol banned for three days.<ref name="AFP Samoa"/> The Congregational Christian Church of Samoa has held prayer sessions for an accident-free changeover and Samoa's Red Cross carried out a blood donation campaign in case of a surge of accidents.<ref name="Ap Samoa"/><ref name="AFP Samoa"/>
	The change came into force following a radio announcement at 5.50 local time (16.50 GMT) which halted traffic and an announcement at 6.00 local time (17.00 GMT) for traffic to switch from the right to the left-hand side of the road.<ref name="BBC Samoa"/>
	===South Africa===
	] approaching ].]]
	As a legacy of British rule, South Africa drives on the left. This has also influenced neighbouring countries. After South Africa occupied ] (now ]) during World War I, it was made a South African mandate by the ]. As a ], the territory drove on the right.
	===South Yemen===
	], formerly the British ], changed to driving on the right on 1 January 1977. ] already drove on the right.
	===Singapore===
	In Singapore, all traffic drives on the left hand side with drivers on the right hand side of the vehicle, a legacy of ] colonial rule as a ]. This is also adopted in pedestrian traffic, where people keep left voluntarily, or with the aid of signs in crowded walkways, ], stairs, pavements. In escalators and travellators, users are also encouraged to stand to the left and let more urgent users pass them on the right side, like the inside lane-outside lane system on a motorway. Cycling lanes in parks also practice the keep left rule. All roads are designed for driving on the left hand side, except Grange Road between ] and Somerset Road which is separated by a refuge island. Certain small roads and car park entrances on the right side of one way streets have driving on the right observed, such as Carver Street by North Bridge Road. This is to prevent the crossing of cars into the opposite lane of these small roads and interfering with the natural flow of drivers exiting the small road, if driving on the left was observed on these special roads.
	===Spain===
	] (]).]]
	Spain has right traffic. In the capital city, ], left-hand traffic was, however, in force until 10 April 1924.<ref>{{dead link|date=December 2010}}</ref> However, ] trains still run on the left-hand side on all lines, as the original design engineers were British.
	===Sudan===
	After the ]n change-over from driving on the left to driving on the right in 1964, ] only had short borders with two other countries driving on the left (] and ]) in the south. In August 1973 Sudan swapped sides to correspond with most other countries of the Arab world.
	===Suriname===
	See ].
	===Sweden===
	{{Main|Dagen H}}
	] had legal left-hand traffic (''vänstertrafik'' in ]) from approximately 1734, when it changed back from a short period of right-hand traffic starting in 1718. With or without legal rule, traditionally the left side was used for carriages. ], under Swedish rule until 1809, also drove on the left, and continued to do so as a ]n ] until 1858.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vardo.aland.fi/hogertrafik.htm|title=Högertrafik |language=Swedish|accessdate=2006-08-11|publisher=vardo.aland.fi}}</ref>
	This continued well into the 20th century, despite the fact that virtually all the cars on the road in Sweden were LHD. (One argument for this was that it was necessary to keep an eye on the edge of the road, something that was important on the narrow roads in use at the time). Also, Sweden's neighbours ] and ] already drove on the right, leading to confusion at border crossings.
	In 1955 a ] was held on the issue, resulting in an 82.9%-to-15.5% vote against a change to driving on the right. Nevertheless, in 1963 the ] passed legislation ordering the switch to right-hand traffic. The changeover took place at 5am on Sunday, 3 September 1967, which was known in Swedish as '']'' (H-Day), the 'H' being for ''Högertrafik'' or right traffic.
	Since Swedish cars were LHD, experts had suggested that changing to driving on the right would be safer, because drivers would have a better view of the road ahead. The accident rate dropped sharply after the change<ref> '']'' 15 September 1967</ref> However, the accident rate soon rose back to near its original level.<ref name="salon20090814" /> The speed limits were temporarily lowered.
	===Thailand===
	Thailand is one of the few exceptional cases of a left-driving country, with the vast majority of its extensive land borders having right-drive on the other side. Thailand has long borders with Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia all drive on the right. The border with left-driving Malaysia is a short stretch.
	===Tunisia===
	Tunisia is a right-hand traffic country. However, there is a twenty-metre crossing of the Ave. ] in ] on which left-hand traffic is applied{{citation needed|date=December 2010}}.
	===United Kingdom===
	] near Washington Services in ], ], heading towards ].]]
	The UK has left traffic. Many countries drive on the left due to British colonial influence.
	As a result of ] legislation ensuring the free movement of goods, many British consumers exercise their right to buy RHD cars from car dealers in any other EU country, where they are often cheaper, despite originating from the same factories as UK-sourced cars. Models obtained from other EU countries often have a lower value upon resale due to shorter warranty periods and UK dealers refusing to buy them or accept them in part-exchange.<ref>{{cite web| title=European Commission | url = http://www.europa.eu.int/unitedkingdom/press/the_week_in_europe/pdf/we0409.pdf | format = PDF }}</ref>
	Although the ] is separated from ] by the ], the level of cross-Channel traffic is very high; the ] alone carries 3.5 million vehicles per year between the UK and France. Most vehicles crossing the ], whether via the Channel Tunnel or on ferries, are UK-registered RHD vehicles. Relatively few drivers from ] take their LHD cars to the ], but large numbers of British drivers take their RHD cars to Continental Europe for holidays and even for one-day shopping trips. It was reported<ref>{{Cite news| title = The Channel Tunnel, Fantasy? | publisher=BBC | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/uk/04/channel_tunnel/html/fantasy.stm | accessdate=4 January 2010}}</ref> in 2000 that ] wished to build a second Channel Tunnel because the existing rail services are expected to outgrow their capacity by 2025. Unlike the existing rail tunnels, a drive-through road tunnel was planned, comprising a single bore tunnel containing one carriageway on top of the other. The current status of this project is unclear.
	Today, UK motor vehicles including postal delivery vehicles and ]<!--This is worth mentioning because in the US these are kerb-side drive vehicles--> are normally RHD. The main exceptions are service vehicles such as road sweepers and gritters where view of the ] is more important than of the centre line. These are generally LHD, although some have controls on both sides.
	In cities with heavy ], LHD coaches can cause problems as their passengers get off the vehicle into the path of ], rather than on a ]. Some fleet operators who regularly tour from Continental Europe to the UK use coaches with doors on both sides. Conversely, some ]es exported to LHD countries for tourist purposes are converted to have their doors on the other side.
	For a variety of reasons, Continental European LHD ] (HGVs) have become common on the UK's roads, particularly on major routes radiating from ports and the Channel tunnel. An issue arising from this concerns the safety of large LHD vehicles, with blind-spots arising from the LHD and the probable inexperience of drivers with these problems<ref>{{cite web
	| last =
	| first =
	| authorlink =
	| coauthors =
	| title = Left Hand Drive HGVs: Dangers and Solutions
	| work =
	| publisher = ]
	| date = April, 2007
	| url = http://www.rospa.com/roadsafety/advice/driving/info/lhd_hgv.pdf
	| format = PDF
	| doi =
	| accessdate = 7 Sep 22009 }}
	</ref>
	====Exceptions to the rule====
	] in London.]]
	There are some locations in the UK where road routing and layout causes traffic to approximate or mimic right-hand traffic patterns and practice. The most notable is ] outside the ]. Another example is the short links between the two carriageways of Russell Lane in Whetstone.
	It is also permissible to drive in any lane on a one-way street. The ] usually says 'keep to the left' and this is the norm on motorways and other fast roads, i.e. use the leftmost lane available. But on small roads in towns and cities it is common for one-way streets to split direction at some point, so drivers choose the most appropriate lane, and are encouraged to do so with lane markings, signage, and so on.
	During the ] trial of 2000&ndash;02, ] was decreed to be ] territory subject to ]. However, ] Police, who were responsible for policing traffic movements within the compound, effected a clause which required drivers to comply with the ]an practice of driving on the right.
	Traffic drives on the left in the service tunnel of the ], part of which is in France;<ref>
	{{Cite book| title=Channel Tunnel Trains
	|author=Peter Semmens
	|coauthor=Yves Machefert-Tassin
	|publisher=Eurotunnel
	|year=1994
	|page=102
	|isbn=1-827009-33-6}}</ref> however, this is not a public highway.
	====Military fleets and bases====
	On some ] training locations, where the army once trained for conflict in Eastern Europe during the ], traffic is meant to travel on the right. Most military bases in the UK, though, have the normal rule of driving on the left.
	Vehicles within ] bases in the ] drive on the left, even though the United States does not provide right-hand drive vehicles for its ]. However, its ] does have some right-hand drive vehicles for elements such as Non-Appropriated Fund activities and UK-only specialist vehicles. Most ] vehicles (known as "GSA" or "TMP" vehicles) are shipped over from the United States and are LHD. This is unlike British practice in Germany, where even UK ] vehicles for ] have been left-hand drive.
	During World War II, American truck makers ], ], and ] built ']' for use throughout the British Empire and most were right-hand drive to use in left-traffic countries.{{Citation needed|date=November 2008}}
	On the Indian Ocean island of ], traffic drives on the right due to the large US military presence there even though it is part of the ].
	===United States===
	], ].]]
	Traffice regulation is state/territorial jurisdiction in the ]. All states and territories - except the ] - drive on the right, in LHD (left-hand-drive) vehicles. On four or more laned highways, the law is to drive on the right, but for passing or faster driving vehicles, you can drive in the left lane. If emergency vehicles are driving in the left, you must pull back over to the right or the shoulder of the road.
	The first keep-right law in the United States, passed in 1792, applied to the ], between Lancaster and Philadelphia. New York (in 1804) and New Jersey (in 1813) also enacted keep-right rules. Only the formerly British "Thirteen Colonies" historically drove on the left; the historically French, Spanish, Russian, and Hawaiian portions of the United States all drove on the right by the time they were acquired by the United States.
	Early American motor vehicles, however, were produced in RHD, following the practice established by horse-drawn buggies. This changed in the early years of the 20th century: ] changed to LHD production in 1908 with the ],<ref>{{Cite news
	| author = Robert H. Casey
	| title = The Model T Turns 100
	| curly = y
	| url =
	| magazine = American Heritage's Invention & Technology
	| issn = 8756-7296
	| pages = 40–41
	| date = Winter 2009
	| volume = 23
	| issue = 4
	| quote =
	}}</ref> and ] in 1916.
	Today, U.S. motor vehicles are normally LHD. Common exceptions include garbage trucks and mail vans. Imported RHD cars are also found on the road in the United States, mostly ]s, ]s, or other collectors' items. Also a large number of vehicles used for rural mail delivery are RHD, thus enabling the driver to access roadside mail receptacles without leaving the vehicle.
	American motorists nearly always drive on the right and overtake (pass) on the left, but the traffic laws in all states allow for ] on the right - provided there is sufficient space to the right of the leading vehicle to pass it safely. Since this is not usually the case, right-side overtaking is rare except on ] roads and divided ]s; or when passing other vehicles that are preparing to turn left.
	The ] is the only American jurisdiction that still has left-hand traffic, because the islands drove on the left when the United States purchased the former ] from ] in 1917. Although Denmark drove and still drives on the right, the Danish West Indies drove on the left because the majority of the European aristocracy living there were British; but there is also a claim the practice of left-side drive was due to the first cars being RHD vehicles imported from ], then still a British colony. There is also a local anecdote that in the days before cars were introduced, donkeys had a habit of straying to the left side of the road as they were ridden.
	Some limited-access ]s in the US have small sections of road where the directions cross, resulting in traffic that appears to drive on the left.
	Examples include the ] (]) in southern California during the descent/ascent of the ] Grade, several miles of ] in ], ] (),
	a very brief section of ] in ], ] (),
	the ] east of ] ()
	] in ], Arizona through Rincon Pass () and small parts of approaches to ] running through ], ] as part of the ]. ] are another example. Because of the limited-access restrictions the left-hand/right-hand orientation of the oncoming traffic is of no consequence to the driver.
	Traffic at Phoenix's Sky Harbor airport also drives on the left around most of terminal 2 (), as does traffic paralleling LeJeune Road in Miami to the east of Miami International Airport ().
	Two blocks of Bainbridge Street in ] are divided with traffic driving on the left due to flows from nearby streets and the one-way nature of the street on undivided blocks.
	Some parking garages on the left-hand side of one-way streets have left-hand traffic in the driveway, as described above under '']''.
	During ] in ] Mardi Gras Parades drive on the left of ] and against the normal flow of traffic on ]. In the New Orleans suburb of ] all Mardi Gras parades travel down ] on the left side of the roadway.
	===Uruguay===
	Uruguay had a law in place since 1918 requiring all vehicles or carriages to drive on the left, but as in many other countries in South America, this was changed in 1945, exactly at 4:00 am on Sunday, September 2.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.enlacesuruguayos.com/cambio_de_senda.htm |title=Cuando Montevideo cambió de senda |publisher=enlacesuruguayos.com |date= |accessdate=2009-09-10}} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> A speed limit of {{convert|30|km/h|0|abbr=on}} was observed until September 30 in order to avoid major collisions and help ease the public into the new system.
	==Trains==
	] from France]]
	Trains may or may not adhere to the same directionality as cars. In France, for instance, cars keep to the right, but the first train lines were built by British ], so kept to the left. The Paris ] trains keep left, but have to operate on separate tracks within the ] area which was designed to run on the right. Another anomaly occurs in the ]-] region, where trains keep to the right because the lines were built in the late 19th century when Alsace-Moselle was part of Germany. Bridges at the former border allow the trains to swap sides. High-speed TGV trains, however, operate on dedicated lines which were built more recently, but they keep left because they interface with older lines. ] trains, as well as Rome Metro (but not Milan) also operate to the left.
	Through specific stations of the ] ], ] and ] Lines, trains run on the right. On Victoria Line it makes passenger interchange easier at ] and Kings Cross stations. This does not confuse drivers, since the two lines are in separate tunnels. However, ] on the Central Line is above ground. In the United States, the former ] railroad ran on the left because when the C&NW built their depots, they were on the left hand side when headed into Chicago. Later a second track was built outside the first one, but because commuters headed into Chicago made more use of a depot building than on their return journey, the railroad ran its trains on the left. However, when it was bought by the ] in 1995, some of these lines were switched. In the case of the North Line tracks between downtown Chicago and ], trains still operate left-handed.
	In India trains generally run on the left hand side. In electric locomotives the driver seats on left, and in diesel locomotives seats are on both sides and the driver may use whichever is most suitable.
	Exceptions to the general of left or right hand traffic are much more common for trains than for cars. Initially most steam engines were RHD, with the engineer sitting on the right and the fireman on the left. This was customary in the UK and it spread to the USA and elsewhere in the world. RHD was never converted to LHD even if the trains switched to right-hand running. RHD remains the customary way for operating trains, with the driver on the right and the assistant on the left. Some railways, particularly the ], switched to LHD with left-hand running. Left Hand Drive with left hand running also became common on UK mainline railways, with the ] being the only one of the "big four" to keep the driver on the right. To ease visibility, GWR signals were also occasionally placed on the right-hand side of the tracks, even though this meant that they were between the running lines, and a few examples of this have managed to survive.
	Nowadays all British trains (except a few preserved locomotives and a number of narrow-gauge railways) have the driver on the left side of the train, and the signals are also on the left-hand side of the track.
	{{hidden begin
	|title = Countries with trains generally keeping to the right
	|titlestyle = background:#FFEEEE; text-align:left;
	|bodystyle = text-align:left;
	}}
	In the following countries trains generally keep to the right:<ref name=autogenerated1>{{Verify credibility|date=January 2009}}</ref>
	*Afghanistan
	*Belarus
	*Bulgaria
	*Canada
	*Croatia
	*Czech Republic (except Břeclav–Bohumín line)
	*Denmark
	*Estonia
	*Finland
	*Germany
	*Greece
	*Hungary
	*Indonesia
	*Iran
	*Kazakhstan
	*Latvia
	*Lithuania
	*Mexico (being converted to left-hand running)
	*Mongol
	*Norway
	*UAE
	*Netherlands (except HSL-Zuid)
	*Philippines
	*Poland
	*Romania
	*Russia
	*Slovakia
	*Spain (approximately 80% of the network drives on the right.<ref name=sentido_de_la_circulacion>{{cite web|url=http://www.5azona.cat/socios/Documentos/VI08.pdf |title=Microsoft Word - VI-8_Garcia Alvarez.doc |format=PDF |date= |accessdate=2010-12-12}}</ref> - This percentage is likely to increase as all planned new high speed lines will drive on the right)
	*Serbia
	*] (MRT–])
	*Ukraine
	*Uzbekistan
	*USA (except trains operating on the former Chicago & North Western right-of-way)
	{{hidden end}}
	{{hidden begin
	|title = Countries with trains generally keeping to the left
	|titlestyle = background:#EEEEFF; text-align:left;
	|bodystyle = text-align:left;
	}}
	In the following countries trains generally keep to left:<ref name=brianlucas/>
	* Argentina
	* Austria (being converted to right-hand running)
	* Australia (In Victoria some lines have been set up for bi-directional running, so it is possible for trains to use right hand track instead of the standard left hand track. Locomotives are still driven on the right.)
	* Bangladesh
	* Belgium
	* Brazil
	* China
	* Chile
	* France (except trains in Alsace and the Moselle part of the Lorraine region; also except for metro systems other than the one in Lyon)
	* Hong Kong (except MTR ])
	* India
	* Ireland
	* Israel
	* Italy (except Milan Metro)
	* Japan
	* Luxembourg
	* Malaysia
	* Myanmar
	* New Zealand
	* North Korea
	* Pakistan (except west area)
	* ]
	* Singapore
	* Slovenia (the ]–] line and Hungary border area keeps to the right)
	* South Africa
	* South Korea
	* Spain (approximately 20% of the network drives on the left.<ref name=sentido_de_la_circulacion/> - This includes Madrid and Bilbao Metros and routes between Madrid and the north of Spain, originally operated by the Compañía de Caminos de Hierro del Norte.)
	* Sri Lanka
	* Sweden (except Malmö and further south)
	* Switzerland
	* ] (]-])
	* Thailand
	* UK
	* Vietnam
	* Zimbabwe (mostly single track)
	{{hidden end}}
	There is potential safety benefit for the train driver to sit on the ], farthest away from a collision with whatever might protrude from an oncoming train on the opposite track, such as an open cargo door. The driver's placement on the nearside can facilitate his or her view rearward of station platforms either directly or using mirrors, and of signs and signals usually placed on the outside of double tracks—on the right for right-hand traffic and on the left for left-hand traffic. If 'train orders' or 'tokens' (permission to continue) need to be handed up to the driver while the locomotive is in motion, he or she is best able to receive them from the nearside.
	Unlike the road, it is possible for trains safely to run on the "wrong" side if bi-directional signalling is in place. This is generally not done,{{Vague|date=February 2009}} as junctions and other infrastructure are usually optimised for running in one direction.
	Generally, the left/right principle in a country is followed mostly on double track. On single track, when trains meet, the train that shall not stop often uses the straight path in the turnout, which can be left or right. If the meeting place contains a passenger station, the station sometimes has designated directional tracks and plateaus, for passenger predictability.
	=== Light rail ===
	]s, which usually have at least some operation in city streets, generally have the hand of operation and drive identical to that used on ] and cars in the relevant country, i.e. "driving" on the right side (and thus using left-hand drive) in North America. This is so the trolley/tram operator can pick up and discharge passengers (and, historically, collect their fares, except on ] systems) on the same side of the roadway as the buses.
	==Vessels and aircraft==
	Generally, all water traffic keeps to the right, under the ]. This is historically because, before the use of a ], the boat was steered by a '']'' (or steer-board), which was located on the right-hand side, hence the ''starboard'' side of the boat. The helmsman used his right hand to operate the steer-board while standing in the middle of the boat and looking ahead. Traditionally, boats would also moor with the left hand side to the quay to prevent damage to the steering oar, and this was referred to as ''larboard'' (loading side), later replaced by ''port'' to prevent confusion from the similar sounding words. By keeping to the right, boats pass "]-to-port", protecting the steering oar.
	When modern style rudders fixed to the stern were developed, the helmsman was moved amidships (on the centreline), and when steering wheels replaced tillers this generally remained the same. Many motor yachts and other small craft are RHD, but some boats, typically smaller pleasure craft and wooden speedboats are built LHD, to give a better view of approaching and passing traffic.
	However, there are many exceptions, often indicated on the particular bridge itself.<ref name="brianlucas"/>
	The rule of the road at sea is that powered vessels give way to sailing vessels; but as between two powered vessels, if they are crossing the rule is to give way to the starboard, while if they are head on each must navigate to starboard so as to pass port-to-port. ] The upshot is that the vessel attempting to pass on the wrong side must give way.
	For aircraft and vessels, the U.S. ] provide for passing on the right, both in the air,<ref>(e): "When aircraft are approaching each other head-on, or nearly so, each pilot of an aircraft shall alter course to the right."</ref> and on water.<ref>(c): "When aircraft, or an aircraft and a vessel, are approaching head-on, or nearly so, each shall alter its course to the right to keep well clear."</ref>
	In dual-control airplanes, the captain sits on the left part of the cockpit and the first officer on the right part. In most helicopters, however, the captain sits on the right and the first officer on the left.
	==See also==		==See also==
	{{col-begin}}
	{{col-2}}
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]		*]
			*]
	*]
	*]
	{{col-2}}
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]		*]
	*]
	{{col-end}}
	==References==		==References==
	{{Reflist|2}}		{{reflist}}
	==External links==		==External links==
	{{Commons category}}		{{Commons category}}
			* (placemarks file, requires ])
	*
			*
	* (browser-based), also available as a (requires ])
	*
	*
	*
	*
	* (Panama)
	*
	*
	*
	*
	{{Traffic law}}		{{Traffic law}}
			{{Road types}}
	{{DEFAULTSORT:Right- And Left-Hand Traffic}}
	]		]
	]		]
	]
	]		]
			]
	]		]
	]
	]
	]
	]
	]
	]
	]
	]
	]
	]
	]
	]
	]
	]
	]
	]
	]
	]
	]
	]
	]
	]
	]
	]
	]
	]
	]
	]

---

Latest revision as of 03:25, 19 January 2025

Directionality of traffic flow by jurisdiction

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. 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 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.

RHT is used in 165 countries and territories, mainly in the Americas, Continental Europe, most of Africa and mainland Asia (except South Asia), while 75 countries use LHT, which account for about a sixth of the world's land area, a quarter of its roads, and about a third of its population. 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.

While many of the countries using LHT were part of the British Empire, others such as Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, Bhutan, Macao, Thailand, Mozambique and Suriname were not. Sweden and Iceland, which have used RHT since September 1967 and late May 1968 respectively, previously used LHT. 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 anticlockwise.

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 bodies of water is RHT, regardless of location. Boats are traditionally piloted from the starboard side (and not the port side like RHT road traffic vehicles) to facilitate priority to the right.

Background

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. About 90 percent of people are right-handed, 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 1300, Pope Boniface VIII directed pilgrims to keep left; others suggest that he directed them to keep to the right, and there is no documented evidence to back either claim.

Africa

LHT roundaboutRHT roundaboutRoundabout 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); 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).

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, 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 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. The first keep-right law for driving in the United States was passed in 1792 and applied to the Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike. Massachusetts formalized RHT in 1821. However, the National Road was LHT until 1850, "long after the rest of the country had settled on the keep-right convention". Today the United States is RHT except the United States Virgin Islands, 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

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

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, Cayman Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands and both the British Virgin Islands, and the United States Virgin Islands are LHD due to their being imported from the United States.

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. Other Central and South American countries that later switched from LHT to RHT include Argentina, Chile, Panama, Paraguay, and Uruguay.

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

Asia

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

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

In the 1930s, parts of China such as 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). Taiwan was LHT under Japanese colonization from 1895–1945. Portuguese Macau (present-day Macau) remained LHT, along with British Hong Kong, despite being transferred to China in 1999 and 1997 respectively.

Both North Korea and South Korea use RHT since 1946, after liberation from Japanese colonialization.

The Philippines was mostly LHT during its Spanish and American colonial periods, as well as during the Commonwealth era. During the Japanese occupation, the Philippines remained LHT, as was required by the Japanese; 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 president Sergio Osmeña. Even though RHT was formalized, RHD vehicles such as public buses were still imported into the Philippines until a law passed banning the importation of RHD vehicles except in special cases. These RHD vehicles are required to be converted to LHD.

Japan was never part of the British Empire, but its traffic also drives on the left. Although this practice 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. The conversion operation was known as 730 (Nana-San-Maru, which refers to the date of the changeover). Okinawa is one of only a 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 since LHD cars are considered to be status symbols.

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.

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. 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. These considerations can also be demonstrated in the archaeological findings of other cities in the Roman Empire.

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". 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. This may represent the first statutory requirement for LHT.

In the Kingdom of Ireland, a law of 1793 (33 Geo. 3. c. 56 (I)) 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. The Road in Down and Antrim Act 1798 (38 Geo. 3. c. 28 (I)) 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. 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.

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. 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."

Rotterdam had no fixed rules until 1917, 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.

After the Austro-Hungarian Empire broke up, the resulting countries gradually changed to RHT. In Austria, Vorarlberg switched in 1921, North Tyrol in 1930, Carinthia and East Tyrol in 1935, and the rest of the country in 1938. 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. Croatia-Slavonia switched on joining the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in 1918, although Istria and Dalmatia were already RHT. 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.

In Italy, it had been decreed in 1901 that each province define its own traffic code, including the handedness of traffic, and the 1903 Baedeker guide reported that the rule of the road varied by region. 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, as were the cities Milan, Turin, and Florence. 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. In 1923 Benito Mussolini decreed that all LHT areas would gradually transition to RHT.

Portugal switched to RHT in 1928.

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

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. Madrid Metro still uses LHT.

Sweden switched to RHT in 1967, having been LHT from about 1734 despite having land borders with RHT countries Norway and Finland, and approximately 90% of cars being left-hand drive (LHD). 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 at 5 am. The accident rate then dropped sharply, but soon rose to near its original level. 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"). 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. Road building standards, for motorways in particular, allow asymmetrically designed road junctions, where merge and diverge lanes differ in length.

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

Oceania

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

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.

Samoa

Samoa, a former German colony, had been RHT for more than a century, but switched to LHT in 2009, making it the first territory in almost 30 years to change sides. 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; in April 2008 an estimated 18,000 people attended demonstrations against switching. 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. After months of preparation, the switch from right to left happened in an atmosphere of national celebration. There were no reported incidents. 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. The change coincided with more restrictive enforcement of speeding and seat-belt laws. That day and the following were declared public holidays, to reduce traffic. The change included a three-day ban on alcohol sales, while police mounted dozens of checkpoints, warning drivers to drive slowly.

Potential future shifts

This section needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (September 2023)

Rwanda and Burundi, former Belgian colonies in Central Africa, are RHT but are considering switching to LHT like neighbouring members of the East African Community (EAC). 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. In 2014, an internal report by consultants to the Ministry of Infrastructure recommended a switch to LHT. In 2015, the ban on RHD vehicles was lifted; RHD trucks from neighbouring countries cost $1,000 less than LHD models imported from Europe.

Changing sides at borders

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.

There are six 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. 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) is the only border in the Americas where traffic changes sides.

Road vehicle configurations

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. 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.

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.

In both LHD and RHD vehicles, gear shifters are in the same position, and the shift patterns are not reversed.

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. In 1908 Henry Ford standardised the Model T as LHD in RHT America, 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." By 1915 other manufacturers followed Ford's lead, due to the popularity of the Model T.

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

• Where the driver needs a good view of the nearside, e.g. street sweepers, or vehicles driven along unstable road edges. Similarly in mountainous areas the driver may be seated opposite side so that they have a better view of the road edge which may fall away for very many metres into the valley below. Swiss Postbuses in mountainous areas are a well known example.
• Where it is more convenient for the driver to be on the nearside, e.g. delivery vehicles. The Grumman LLV postal delivery truck is widely used with RHD configurations in RHT North America. Some Unimogs are designed to switch between LHD and RHD to permit operators to work on the more convenient side of the truck.

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

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.

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. The right field of vision may also be more dominant, thereby permitting a superior view of oncoming traffic.

Dashboard configuration

This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (February 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

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 fan 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

Main article: Headlamp

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,. 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. 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. Some vehicles adjust the headlamps automatically when the car's GPS detects that the vehicle has moved from LHT to RHT and vice versa.

Rear fog lamps

In Europe since early 1980s, 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.

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.

Rail traffic

Main article: Double-track railway

National rail

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, 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. 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

This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (December 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

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.

Typically, especially for larger vessels, a radio call will be made between two vessels, or with a Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) to co-ordinate if the vessels will pass "green-to-green" or "red-to-red". Marine traffic uses a system of green lighting for the starboard (right-hand) side and red for port (left-hand) side: to pass "green-to-green" the green (starboard, right-hand) side of the vessels will pass each other, essentially being left-hand traffic. Similarly, passing "red-to-red" means the red (port, left-hand) side of the vessels will pass each other, forming right-hand traffic.

In busy waterways, directional shipping lanes may be set up to facilitate handedness of traffic. For example, the Strait of Dover (Pas-de-Calais) on the English Channel uses RHT with North Sea-bound vessels following the French coast and Atlantic-bound vessels following the English coast.

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. However, helicopter practice tends to favour the right hand seat for the pilot-in-command, particularly when flying solo.

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.

Country		Road traffic	Date of switch	Notes, exceptions
Afghanistan		RHT		Kabul adopted RHT 1955.
Albania		RHT
Algeria		RHT		Part of France until 1962.
Andorra		RHT		Landlocked between France and Spain.
Angola		RHT	1928	Portuguese colony until 1975.
Antigua and Barbuda		LHT		These Caribbean islands were a British colony until 1958.
Argentina		RHT	10 June 1945	The anniversary on 10 June is still observed each year as Día de la Seguridad Vial (road safety day).
Armenia		RHT
Australia		LHT		British colonies before 1901. Includes Australian external territories.
Austria		RHT	1921–38	Originally LHT, like most of Austria-Hungary, but switched sides after the annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany.
Azerbaijan		RHT
Bahamas		LHT		British colony before 1973. Caribbean island. Most passenger vehicles are LHD due to them being imported from the United States.
Bahrain		RHT	November 1967	Former British protectorate. Switched to the same side as its neighbours. An island nation, linked by road to the Arabian mainland since 1986.
Bangladesh		LHT		Part of Pakistan before 1971, which was part of British India before 1947.
Barbados		LHT		This Atlantic island state was a British colony before 1966.
Belarus		RHT
Belgium		RHT	1899
Belize		RHT	1961	British colony before 1981. Switched to same side as neighbours.
Benin		RHT		Part of French West Africa before 1960.
Bhutan		LHT		Under British protection before 1949.
Bolivia		RHT
Bosnia and Herzegovina		RHT	1918	Switched sides after the collapse of Austria-Hungary.
Botswana		LHT		British colony before 1966.
Brazil		RHT	1928	Portuguese colony before 1822.
Brunei		LHT		British protection until 1984.
Bulgaria		RHT
Burkina Faso		RHT		Part of French West Africa before 1958.
Burundi		RHT		Belgian colony before 1962. Considering switching to LHT.
Cambodia		RHT		French protectorate before 1953.
Cameroon		RHT	1961
Canada	Alberta	RHT
	British Columbia		1920–1922	Interior changed 15 July 1920, Vancouver and the coastal area 1 January 1922
	Manitoba
	New Brunswick		1 December 1922
	Newfoundland and Labrador		2 January 1947	Was a British Dominion until 1949.
	Northwest Territories
	Nova Scotia		15 April 1923
	Nunavut
	Ontario
	Prince Edward Island		1 May 1924
	Quebec
	Saskatchewan
	Yukon
Cape Verde		RHT	1928	Portuguese colony before 1975.
Central African Republic		RHT		French colonies before 1960.
Chad		RHT
Chile		RHT	1920s
China	Mainland	RHT	1946	Parts of China were LHT in the 1930s.
	Hong Kong	LHT		Hong Kong was a British colony from 1841 to 1941 and from 1945 to 1997, when the dependent territory was transferred to China.
	Macau	LHT		Macau was under Portuguese rule until 1999, when the dependent territory was transferred to China.
Colombia		RHT
Comoros		RHT		French colony before 1975.
Congo		RHT		French colony before 1960.
DR Congo		RHT		Belgian colony before 1960. RHD vehicles are common, especially in the southeast.
Costa Rica		RHT
Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire)		RHT		Part of French West Africa before 1960.
Croatia		RHT	1926	Was then part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes.
Cuba		RHT
Cyprus		LHT		Under 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.
Czech Republic		RHT	1939	Switched during the German occupation of Czechoslovakia.
Denmark		RHT		Includes the Faroe Islands and Greenland.
Djibouti		RHT		French colony before 1977.
Dominica		LHT		British colony before 1978. Caribbean island.
Dominican Republic		RHT
East Timor		LHT	19 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.
Ecuador		RHT
Egypt		RHT
El Salvador		RHT
Equatorial Guinea		RHT		Spanish colony before 1968.
Eritrea		RHT	8 June 1964	Italian colony before 1942.
Estonia		RHT
Eswatini		LHT		British protectorate until 1968. Continues to drive on the same side as neighbouring countries.
Ethiopia		RHT	8 June 1964
Fiji		LHT		The island nation was a British colony before 1970.
Finland		RHT	8 June 1858
France		RHT	1792	Includes French Polynesia, New Caledonia, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Wallis and Futuna, French Guiana, Réunion, Saint Barthélemy, the Collectivity of Saint Martin, Guadeloupe, and Mayotte.
Gabon		RHT		French colony before 1960.
Gambia		RHT	1 October 1965	British colony until 1965. Switched to RHT on 1 October 1965 being surrounded by the former French colony of Senegal.
Georgia		RHT		About 40% of vehicles in Georgia are RHD due to the low cost of used cars imported from Japan.
Germany		RHT
Ghana		RHT	4 August 1974	British colony until 1957. Ghana switched to RHT in 1974, a Twi language slogan was "Nifa, Nifa Enan" or "Right, Right, Fourth". Ghana has also banned RHD vehicles – it prohibited new registrations of RHD vehicles after 1 August 1974, three days before the traffic change.
Greece		RHT	1926	Originally LHT (albeit unofficially) since independence. The establishment of the traffic code switched traffic officially to RHT traffic in 1926.
Grenada		LHT		British colony before 1974. Caribbean island.
Guatemala		RHT
Guinea		RHT		Part of French West Africa before 1958.
Guinea-Bissau		RHT	1928	Portuguese colony until 1974. Drives on the same side as its neighbours.
Guyana		LHT		British colony until 1966. One of the only two countries in continental America which are in LHT, the other being Suriname.
Haiti		RHT		French colony until 1804.
Honduras		RHT
Hungary		RHT	1941	Originally LHT, like most of Austria-Hungary, but switched sides during World War II.
Iceland		RHT	26 May 1968	This Atlantic island nation changed to RHT on H-dagurinn. Most passenger cars were already LHD.
India		LHT		Part of British India before 1947.
Indonesia		LHT		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.
Iran		RHT
Iraq		RHT
Ireland		LHT		What 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.
Israel		RHT
Italy		RHT	1924–26
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.
Japan		LHT		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.
Jordan		RHT
Kazakhstan		RHT
Kenya		LHT		Part of the British East Africa Protectorate before 1963.
Kiribati		LHT		This Pacific island nation was a British colony before 1979.
Kosovo		RHT
Kuwait		RHT		British Protectorate until 1961.
Kyrgyzstan		RHT		In 2012, over 20,000 cheap used RHD cars were imported from Japan.
Laos		RHT		French protectorate until 1953. The Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge is LHT in connection to Thailand.
Latvia		RHT
Lebanon		RHT		French Mandate of Lebanon before 1946.
Lesotho		LHT		British protectorate from 1885 to 1966. Enclave of LHT South Africa.
Liberia		RHT		Was under American control.
Libya		RHT		Italian colony from 1911 to 1947.
Liechtenstein		RHT		Landlocked between Switzerland and Austria.
Lithuania		RHT
Luxembourg		RHT
Madagascar		RHT		This island nation was a French colony until 1958.
Malawi		LHT		British colony before 1964.
Malaysia		LHT		British colony before 1957.
Maldives		LHT		This island nation was a British colony before 1965.
Mali		RHT		Part of French West Africa before 1960.
Malta		LHT		British colony before 1964. Island nation.
Marshall Islands		RHT		Was under American control.
Mauritania		RHT		Part of French West Africa before 1960. Mining roads between Fderîck and Zouérat are LHT.
Mauritius		LHT		This island nation was a British colony before 1968.
Mexico		RHT
Micronesia		RHT		Was under American control.
Moldova		RHT
Monaco		RHT		Was under French control.
Mongolia		RHT
Montenegro		RHT
Morocco		RHT		Under French and Spanish protection until 1956.
Mozambique		LHT		Portuguese colony until 1975. Drives on the same side as its neighbours.
Myanmar		RHT	6 December 1970	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.
Namibia		LHT	1920	When South Africa occupied German South West Africa in World War I, it switched to LHT. South West Africa was administered by South Africa 1920–1990.
Nauru		LHT	1918	This island nation was administered by Australia until 1968.
Nepal		LHT		Shares open land border with LHT India.
Netherlands		RHT	1 January 1906	Includes Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten.
New Zealand		LHT		These Pacific islands, including territories Niue and Cook Islands, were former British colonies.
Nicaragua		RHT
Niger		RHT		Part of French West Africa before 1958.
Nigeria		RHT	2 April 1972	British colony until 1960. Under the military government, it switched to RHT due to being surrounded by RHT former French colonies.
North Korea		RHT	1946	Was LHT during the period of Japanese rule. Switched to RHT after the Surrender of Japan.
North Macedonia		RHT
Norway		RHT
Oman		RHT
Pakistan		LHT		Part of British India before 1947.
Palau		RHT		Most passenger vehicles are RHD due to them being imported from Australia and Japan. Palau was under American control.
Palestine		RHT
Panama		RHT	1943
Papua New Guinea		LHT		After Australia occupied German New Guinea during World War I, it switched to LHT.
Paraguay		RHT	25 January 1945
Peru		RHT
Philippines		RHT	1946	Was LHT during the Spanish and American colonial periods. Switched to RHT after the Battle of Manila in 1945. RHD vehicles such as imported buses were still used up until the late 1980s. 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.
Poland		RHT		South-eastern Poland (former Austrian Partition) was LHT until the 1920s.
Portugal		RHT	1928	Colonies Goa, Macau and Mozambique, which had land borders with LHT countries, did not switch and continue to drive on the left. The Porto Metro uses RHT.
Qatar		RHT		Former British protectorate. Switched to same side as neighbours.
Romania		RHT	1919	Regions of Romania (Transylvania, Bukovina, parts of the Banat, Crișana and Maramureș) that were part of Austria-Hungary were LHT until 1919.
Russia		RHT		In the Russian Far East, RHD vehicles are common due to the import of used cars from nearby Japan. The railway between Moscow and Ryazan, the Sormovskaya line in Nizhny Novgorod Metro and the Moskva River cable car use LHT.
Rwanda		RHT		Belgian colony before 1962. Considering switching to LHT.
Saint Kitts and Nevis		LHT		This Caribbean island nation was a British colony before 1983.
Saint Lucia		LHT		This Caribbean island nation was a British colony before 1979.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines		LHT
Samoa		LHT	7 September 2009	Despite 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.
San Marino		RHT		Enclaved state surrounded by Italy.
São Tomé and Príncipe		RHT	1928	Portuguese colony until 1975.
Saudi Arabia		RHT	1942
Senegal		RHT		Part of French West Africa before 1960.
Serbia		RHT	1926	(As part of Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes). Vojvodina was LHT while part of Austria-Hungary.
Seychelles		LHT		This island nation was a British colony until 1976.
Sierra Leone		RHT	1 March 1971	British colony until 1961. Switched to RHT being surrounded by neighbouring former French colonies. Furthermore, it banned the importation of RHD vehicles in 2013.
Singapore		LHT		This island nation was a British colony until 1963. It was also part of Malaysia until 1965.
Slovakia		RHT	1939–41	Switched during the German occupation of Czechoslovakia.
Slovenia		RHT	1926	(As part of Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes.) Officially LHT from 1915 as part of Austria-Hungary.
Solomon Islands		LHT		This island nation was a British protectorate before 1975.
Somalia		RHT		The former British Somaliland had LHT until it formed a union with the former Italian Somaliland which had RHT.
South Africa		LHT		British colony before 1910.
South Korea		RHT	1946	Was LHT during the period of Japanese rule. Switched to RHT after the Surrender of Japan.
South Sudan		RHT	1973	Part of Sudan until 2011.
Spain		RHT	1924	Up to the 1920s Barcelona was RHT, and Madrid was LHT until 1924. The Madrid Metro still uses LHT.
Sri Lanka		LHT		British Ceylon from 1815 to 1948.
Sudan		RHT	1973	Formerly Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, it switched sides 17 years later to match neighbours.
Suriname		LHT	1920s	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.
Sweden		RHT	3 September 1967	The day of the switch was known as Dagen H. Most passenger vehicles were already LHD.
Switzerland		RHT
Syria		RHT		Was under French control.
Taiwan		RHT	1946	Was 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.
Tajikistan		RHT
Tanzania		LHT		Was British colony until 1961.
Thailand		LHT		One of the few non-British-colony LHT countries. Shares a long land border with RHT Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia.
Togo		RHT		Part of French West Africa until 1960.
Tonga		LHT		British protectorate before 1970. Polynesian island nation.
Trinidad and Tobago		LHT		British colony before 1962. Caribbean nation.
Tunisia		RHT		RHT was enforced in the French protectorate of Tunisia from 1881 to 1956.
Turkey		RHT		Except Metrobus, which is usually LHT.
Turkmenistan		RHT
Tuvalu		LHT		Formerly a British colony. Became independent in 1978.
Uganda		LHT		Part of British Uganda Protectorate from 1894 until 1962.
Ukraine		RHT	1922	Western parts of the country had LHT under Austro-Hungarian Empire
United Arab Emirates		RHT	1 September 1966	Former British protectorate.
United Kingdom and overseas territories	Mainland United Kingdom	LHT		An 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.
	British Indian Ocean Territory	RHT		The largest island, Diego Garcia, was leased to the United States Navy as a military base; the United States is RHT.
	British Virgin Islands	LHT		Most passenger vehicles are LHD due to imports from the United States, which is RHT.
	Cayman Islands	LHT		Most passenger vehicles are LHD due to imports from the United States, which has RHT.
	Falkland Islands	LHT		Briefly switched to RHT during the Falklands War.
	Gibraltar	RHT	1929	Gibraltar is RHT because of its land border with Spain.
	Guernsey	LHT		Was RHT from 1940 to 1945 due to the German occupation.
	Isle of Man	LHT
	Jersey	LHT		Was RHT from 1940 to 1945 due to the German occupation.
	Pitcairn Islands	LHT		There is no official vehicle registration system.
	Turks and Caicos Islands	LHT		Most passenger vehicles are LHD due to imports from the United States, which has RHT.
United States	Contiguous U.S.	RHT
	Alaska	RHT
	Hawaii	RHT
	Puerto Rico	RHT
	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.
	Guam	RHT
	Northern Mariana Islands	RHT
	American Samoa	RHT
Uruguay		RHT	2 September 1945	Became LHT in 1918, but as in some other countries in South America, changed to RHT in 1945. A speed limit of 30 km/h (19 mph) was observed until 30 September for safety.
Uzbekistan		RHT
Vanuatu		RHT		Co-administered under France and the United Kingdom until 1980.
Vatican City		RHT		Enclave of Rome.
Venezuela		RHT
Vietnam		RHT		French colony until 1954. The Long Bien Bridge uses LHT.
Western Sahara		RHT		Spanish colony until 1976.
Yemen		RHT	1977	South Yemen, formerly the British colony of Aden, changed to RHT in 1977, having become one of a few communist countries to use LHT. A series of postage stamps commemorating the event was issued. At that time, North Yemen was already RHT.
Zambia		LHT		British colony before 1964.
Zimbabwe		LHT		British colony before 1965 (de facto) or 1980 (de jure).

Legality of wrong-hand-drive vehicles by country

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Left- and right-hand traffic" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (November 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

This table is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

Legality of wrong-hand-drive vehicles

Country	Usage	Registration (diplomatic vehicles)	Registration (normal vehicles)	Ref
Afghanistan	Yes	Yes	Yes
Angola	Yes	Yes	Yes
Argentina	Yes	Yes	Yes
Armenia	No	No	No
Australia	Yes	Yes	Yes
Bahamas	Yes	Yes	Yes
Bahrain	Yes	Un­known	Yes
Bangladesh	Yes	Yes	Yes
Belarus	Yes	No	No
Belgium	Yes	Yes	Yes
Bolivia	Yes	Yes	Yes
Brazil	No	No	No
British Virgin Islands	Yes	Yes	Yes
Brunei	Yes	Yes	No
Bulgaria	Yes	Yes	Yes
Burundi	Yes	Yes	Yes
Cambodia	Yes	Un­known	No
Canada	Yes	Yes	Yes
Cayman Islands	Yes	Yes	Yes
Chile	Yes	Un­known	No
China	Yes	Yes	No
Cyprus	Yes	Un­known	Un­known
Dominican Republic	Yes	Yes	Yes
DR Congo	Yes	Yes	Yes
El Salvador	Yes	Yes	Yes
Ethiopia	Yes	Un­known	Un­known
Finland	Yes	Yes	Yes
France	Yes	Yes	Yes
Georgia	Yes	Yes	Yes
Germany	Yes	Yes	Yes
Ghana	Un­known	Un­known	No
Gibraltar	Yes	Yes	Yes
Greece	Yes	No	No
Guernsey	Yes	Un­known	Un­known
Guyana	Yes	Un­known	Un­known
Honduras	Yes	Yes	Yes
Hong Kong	Yes	Yes	No
Hungary	Yes	Yes	Yes
India	Yes	Yes	No
Indonesia	Yes	Yes	Yes
Iran	Yes	Un­known	Un­known
Ireland	Yes	Yes	Yes
Israel	Yes	Un­known	Un­known
Italy	Yes	Un­known	Un­known
Japan	Yes	Yes	Yes
Jersey	Yes	Yes	Yes
Kazakhstan	Yes	Yes	Yes
Kenya	Yes	Yes	Yes
Kyrgyzstan	Yes	Yes	Yes
Laos	Yes	Un­known	Un­known
Lithuania	Yes	Yes	Yes
Macau	Yes	Yes	Yes
Malaysia	Yes	Yes	No
Malta	Yes	Yes	Yes
Micronesia	Yes	Yes	Yes
Mongolia	Yes	Yes	Yes
Myanmar	Yes	Un­known	Un­known
Nepal	Yes	Un­known	Un­known
Netherlands	Yes	Yes	Yes
New Zealand	Yes	Yes	Yes
Nicaragua	Yes	Yes	Yes
Nigeria	Yes	Yes	No
North Korea	Yes	Yes	Yes
Northern Cyprus	Yes	Un­known	Un­known
Norway	Yes	Yes	Yes
Pakistan	Yes	Un­known	Un­known
Palau	Yes	Yes	Yes
Paraguay	Yes	Yes	Yes
Peru	Yes	Yes	Yes
Philippines	No	No	No
Poland	Yes	Yes	Yes
Romania	Yes	Yes	Yes
Russia	Yes	Yes	Yes
Rwanda	Yes	Yes	Yes
Saudi Arabia	No	No	No
Sierra Leone	No	No	No
Singapore	Yes	Yes	Yes
Slovakia	Yes	Yes	Yes
Somalia	Yes	Un­known	Un­known
Somaliland	Yes	Yes	Yes
South Africa	Yes	Yes	No
South Korea	Yes	Yes	Yes
South Sudan	Yes	Un­known	Un­known
Spain	Yes	Un­known	Un­known
Suriname	Yes	Un­known	Un­known
Taiwan	Yes	Yes	No
Tanzania	Yes	Un­known	Un­known
Thailand	Yes	Yes	No
Turkey	Yes	Un­known	Un­known
Turks and Caicos Islands	Yes	Yes	Yes
Uganda	Yes	Yes	Yes
Ukraine	Yes	Yes	No
United Arab Emirates	Yes	Yes	Yes
United Kingdom	Yes	Yes	Yes
United States	Yes	Yes	Yes
U.S. Virgin Islands	Yes	Yes	Yes
Vietnam	Yes	Yes	No
Yemen	Yes	Yes	Yes
Zambia	Yes	Yes	Un­known

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 of whether it fulfils all the rules of the visitor countries. This convention does not affect rules on usage or registration of local vehicles.

Gallery

• Right-hand traffic on I-85 in Atlanta, Georgia, US
• Right-hand traffic on Ontario Highway 401 in Canada
• Right-hand traffic on Ayalon Highway in Israel
• Right-hand traffic on Bundesautobahn 9 in Germany
• Right-hand traffic in Moscow, Russia
• Right-hand traffic in Metro Manila, Philippines
• Right-hand traffic in Oslo, Norway
• Right-hand traffic in Antalya, Turkey
• Right-hand traffic in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
• Right-hand traffic on Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
• Right-hand traffic in Pyongyang, North Korea
• Right-hand traffic on Gyeongbu Expressway in South Korea
• Right-hand traffic in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
• Right-hand traffic in Beijing, China
• Right-hand traffic in Taipei, Taiwan
• Left-hand traffic on M1 motorway in the UK
• Left-hand traffic on Kwun Tong Road in Hong Kong, China
• Left-hand traffic on Western Express Highway in Mumbai, India
• Left-hand traffic in Macau, China
• Left-hand traffic on Suramadu Bridge in Indonesia
• Left-hand traffic in the United States Virgin Islands
• Left-hand traffic on Eshima Ohashi Bridge in Japan
• Left-hand traffic in Valletta, Malta
• Left-hand traffic in Penang Bridge, Malaysia
• Left-hand traffic in Singapore
• Left-hand traffic in Bangkok, Thailand
• Gibraltar has been RHT since 1929.
• Road sign reminding motorists to drive on the left in Ireland
• Road sign in Kent placed on right-hand side of the road
• Change of traffic directions at the Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge

See also

• Hook turn
• Traffic-light signalling and operation
• World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations

References

1. ^ Kincaid, Peter (December 1986). The Rule of the Road: An International Guide to History and Practice. Greenwood Press. pp. 50, 86–88, 99–100, 121–122, 198–202. ISBN 978-0-313-25249-5.
2. "Worldwide Driving Orientation by Country". Retrieved 13 December 2016.
3. ^ Barta, Patrick. "Shifting the Right of Way to the Left Leaves Some Samoans Feeling Wronged". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 4 December 2016.(subscription required)
4. ^ Watson, Ian. "The rule of the road, 1919–1986: A case study of standards change" (PDF). Retrieved 30 November 2016.
5. ^ McManus, Chris (2002). Right Hand Left Hand: the origins of asymmetry in brains, bodies, atoms, and cultures. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. p. 247. ISBN 0-674-00953-3. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
6. Searing, Linda. "The Big Number: Lefties make up about 10 percent of the world". The Washington Post. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
7. Tourist and Business Directory – The Gambia, 1969, page 19
8. "LAWS OF SOUTH SUDAN, ROAD TRAFFIC AND SAFETY BILL, 2012" (PDF).
9. Why We Drive on the Right of the Road, Popular Science Monthly, Vol.126, No.1, (January 1935), p.37. January 1935. Retrieved 25 April 2012.
10. ^ Weingroff, Richard. "On The Right Side of the Road". United States Department of Transportation. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
11. "An Act Establishing the Law of the Road". Massachusetts General Court. Retrieved 14 February 2014.
12. Hayes, Brian (2005). Infrastructure: a field guide to the industrial landscape. New York: WW Norton. p. 330. ISBN 0-393-05997-9.
13. "Travel Tips | US Virgin Islands". Usvitourism.vi. Archived from the original on 16 March 2011. Retrieved 25 April 2012.
14. "The day New Brunswick switched to driving on the right". CBC News. Retrieved 11 April 2019.
15. "Change of Rule of Road in British Columbia 1920" (PDF). The British Columbia Road Runner. March 1966. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 October 2017. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
16. Griffin, Kevin (1 January 2016). "Week in History: Switching from the left was the right thing to do". Vancouver Sun. Archived from the original on 27 August 2017. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
17. Smith, Ivan. "Highway Driving Rule Changes Sides". History of Automobiles – The Early Days in Nova Scotia, 1899–1949. Archived from the original on 8 August 2018. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
18. Snyder, Timothy; Rowe, F.W. "Newfoundland Bill". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved 30 July 2019.
19. Dyer, Gwynne (30 August 2009). "A triumph for left over right". Winnipeg Free Press. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
20. ^ Dive the Bahamas: Complete Guide to Diving and Snorkelling, Lawson Wood, Interlink Publishing Group, 2007, page 23
21. ^ Adventure Guide to the Cayman Islands, Paris Permenter, John Bigley, Hunter Publishing, Inc, 2001, page 46
22. ^ Turks and Caicos, Bradt Travel Guides, Annalisa Rellie, Tricia Hayne, 2008, page 50
23. ^ U. S. and British Virgin Islands 2006, Fodor's Travel Publications, 2005, page 28
24. "Decreto nº 18.323, de 24 de Julho de 1928". Cãmara dos Deputados. Retrieved 11 April 2019.
25. El día en que en la Argentina se paralizó el tránsito para dejar de manejar “a la inglesa” y circular por la derecha, Infobae, 10 June 2024 (in Spanish).
26. Panama Shifts To Right Handed Driving Of Cars, Chicago Tribune, 25 April 1943
27. De izquierda a derecha, ABC Color, 2 March 2014
28. ^ "Compilation of Foreign Motor Vehicle Import Requirements" (PDF). United States Department of Commerce International Trade Administration Office of Transportation and Machinery. December 2015. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
29. "The Unique World of Burmese Driving". a minor diversion. 14 March 2012. Retrieved 28 September 2015.
30. Matsui, Motokazu; Nakagawa, Takemi (2 January 2017). "Myanmar's car market set to take new direction". Financial Times. London.
31. Reddy, L. R. (2002). Inside Afghanistan: End of the Taliban Era?. APH. ISBN 9788176483193. Retrieved 31 August 2015.
32. Summation: United States Army Military Government Activities in Korea, 1946, page 12
33. Plaza Mayor de Manila, by José Honorato Lozano (1815/21(?)-1885), in the album Vistas de las islas Filipinas y trajes de sus habitantes, published 1847. Collection of the Biblioteca Nacional de España.
34. Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "ESCOLTA MANILA PHILIPPINES- YEAR 1903". 6 March 2010. Retrieved 14 March 2017 – via YouTube.
35. Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "Manila – Castillian Memoirs 1930s". 19 April 2008. Retrieved 14 March 2017 – via YouTube.
36. Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "Manila, Queen of the Pacific 1938". 6 May 2008. Retrieved 14 March 2017 – via YouTube.
37. Goupal, Lou (26 June 2013). "Manila Nostalgia: Dewey Boulevard during the Japanese occupation". Manila Nostalgia. Retrieved 14 March 2017 – via YouTube. Original video clips from a Japanese propaganda film shot in early 1942.
38. Tadeo, Patrick Everett (10 March 2015). "How the Philippines became a left-hand-drive country". Top Gear Philippines. Retrieved 14 March 2017.
39. ^ "Executive Order No. 34, s. 1945". officialgazzete.gov.ph. Archived from the original on 9 November 2020. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
40. ^ "Republic Act No. 8506 | GOVPH". Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines. Archived from the original on 2 December 2022. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
41. Malcolm, Andrew H. (5 July 1978). "U-Turn for Okinawa: From Right-Hand Driving to Left; Extra Policemen Assigned". The New York Times. p. A2.
42. "The birthplace of iconic cars, where cars with both left and right hand drive are allowed | Japan Motor". japan-motor.com. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
43. "Cambodia bans right-hand drive cars". BBC News. 1 January 2001. Retrieved 12 January 2007.
44. ^ Poehler, Eric E. (2017). The Traffic System of Pompeii. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780190614676. OCLC 1105466950.
45. Latham, Mark (18 December 2009). The London Bridge Improvement Act of 1756: A Study of Early Modern Urban Finance and Administration (PhD). University of Leicester.
46. The Statutes at Large from the 26th to the 30th Year of King George III. Printed by J. Bentham. 1766.
47. Hamer, Mike (25 December 1986 – 1 January 1987). "Left is right on the road". New Scientist (20 December 1986/1 January 1987): 16–18. Retrieved 7 October 2016.
48. "Statutes Passed in the Parliaments Held in Ireland". George Grierson, printer to the King's Most Excellent Majesty. 14 August 1799.
49. "Statutes Passed in the Parliaments Held in Ireland ...: From the Third Year of Edward the Second, A.D. 1310 [to the Fortieth Year of George III A.D. 1800, Inclusive]". G. Grierson, printer to the King's Most Excellent Majesty. 14 August 1799.
50. "6 & 7 Will. 4 c. 116 s.156". A collection of the public general statutes. London: Eyre and Spottiswoode. 1836. pp. 1030–1031 – via Internet Archive.
51. Planta, Edward (30 June 1831). "A New Picture of Paris, Or, The Stranger's Guide to the French Metropolis: Also, a Description of the Environs of Paris". S. Leigh and Baldwin and Cradock.
52. "De geschiedenis van het linksrijden". Engelfriet.net. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
53. "Why do some countries drive on the left and others on the right?". WorldStandards.eu.
54. Vasold, Manfred (2010). "Obacht! Linksverkehr" (PDF). Kultur & Technik. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
55. "1938 wechselte man nicht nur die Straßenseite – ARGUS Steiermark – DIE RADLOBBY". graz.radln.net. Archived from the original on 4 April 2019. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
56. ^ "Krakowska Komunikacja Miejska – autobusy, tramwaje i krakowskie inwestycje drogowe – History of the Cracow tram network". Komunikacja.krakow.eurocity.pl. 3 March 2006. Archived from the original on 16 May 2006. Retrieved 11 May 2009.
57. Baedeker, Karl (1900). "Austria, including Hungary, Transylvania, Dalmatia and Bosnia". p. xiii–xiv. Retrieved 28 July 2017. In Styria, Upper and Lower Austria, Salzburg, Carniola, Croatia, and Hungary we keep to the left, and pass to the right in overtaking; in Carinthia, Tyrol, and the Austrian Littoral (Adriatic coast: Trieste, Gorizia and Gradisca, Istria and Dalmatia) we keep to the right and overtake to the left. Troops on the march always keep to the right side of the road, so in whatever part of the Empire you meet them, keep to the left.
58. "Seventy-five years of driving on the right". Radio Prague. 18 March 2014.
59. ^ Biocca, Dario (24 July 2011). "Quando l' Italia si buttò a destra". la Repubblica (in Italian). Retrieved 4 November 2019.
60. "Högertrafik i Sverige och Finland". aland.net.
61. "¿Por qué circulamos por la derecha?". dgt.es.
62. "Högertrafik" (in Swedish). vardo.aland.fi. Archived from the original on 3 December 2007. Retrieved 11 August 2006.
63. Réalités, Issues 200–205, Société d'études et publications économiques, 1967, page 95
64. "This Day in History: Swedish Traffic Switches Sides – September 3, 1967". 3 September 2014. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
65. "Sweden: Switch to the Right". Time. 15 September 1967. Archived from the original on 18 October 2012. Retrieved 31 October 2012.
66. Mieszkowski, Katharine (14 August 2009). "Salon News: Whose side of the road are you on?". Salon. Retrieved 12 December 2010.
67. "45 ár frá hægri umferð" [45 years with right-hand traffic]. Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). 26 May 2013.
68. Geoghegan, Tom (7 September 2009). "Could the UK drive on the right?". BBC News. Retrieved 4 July 2012.
69. "Layout of Grade Separated Junctions" (PDF). Design Manual for Roads and Bridges. The Highways Agency: 4.9ff. 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 May 2011.
70. "ROAD SAFETY. OTAGO DAILY TIMES". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 4 December 1936. Retrieved 27 October 2021.
71. ^ Bryant, Nick (7 September 2009). "Samoan cars ready to switch sides". BBC News. Retrieved 7 September 2009.
72. ^ Askin, Pauline (7 September 2009). "Outcry as Samoa motorists prepare to drive on left". Reuters. Retrieved 7 September 2009.
73. Whitley, David (3 July 2009). "Samoa provokes fury by switching sides of the road". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 11 January 2022. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
74. Dobie, Michael (6 September 2009). "Samoa drivers brace for left turn". BBC News. Retrieved 7 September 2009.
75. "Samoan drivers change from right-hand side of the road to the left". Herald Sun. Retrieved 31 October 2012.
76. Jackson, Cherelle (25 July 2008). "Samoa announces driving switch date". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 10 June 2012.
77. ^ Nkwame, Marc (27 July 2013). "Burundi, Rwanda to start driving on the left". DailyNews Online. Retrieved 28 May 2016.
78. Peter. "Rwanda to adopt EAC driving standards". Rwanda Transport. Archived from the original on 25 December 2018. Retrieved 12 August 2013.
79. "Rwanda wants to drive on the left". Independent.co.ug. 3 June 2012. Archived from the original on 14 March 2012. Retrieved 10 June 2012.
80. "East Africa: Rwanda Looks to the Left". allAfrica.com. 27 September 2010. Retrieved 10 June 2012.
81. Bari, Mahabubul (29 July 2014). "The study of the possibility of switching driving side in Rwanda". European Transport Research Review. 6 (4): 439–453. Bibcode:2014ETRR....6..439B. doi:10.1007/s12544-014-0144-2. ISSN 1866-8887.
82. Right-hand-drive vehicles return on Rwandan roads, The East African, 13 March 2015
83. Tumwebaze, Peterson (9 September 2014). "Govt okays importation of RHD trucks, to decide on other vehicle categories in October". The New Times. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
84. Jennings, Ken (15 April 2013). "What Happens When Left-Hand Roads Meet Right-Hand Roads". Conde Nast Traveler. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
85. "Hong Kong 2006 – Transport – Cross-Boundary Traffic". Government of Hong Kong. 15 August 2007. Retrieved 12 December 2010.
86. "Takutu bridge opens to traffic". Stabroeknews.com. 27 April 2009. Retrieved 12 December 2010.
87. Court of Justice of the European Union, C-61/12 – Commission v Lithuania, European Union, steering wheel can be anywhere, 2014-03-20.
88. "Nearside (dictionary definition)". Dictionary.reverso.net. Retrieved 12 December 2010.
89. Miller, Wayne (2015). Car Crazy: The Battle for Supremacy between Ford and Olds and the Dawn of the Automobile Age. PublicAffairs. p. 279. ISBN 9781610395526. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
90. "天彩彩票_官网手机版". lhdspecialist.com. Archived from the original on 21 September 2011.
91. Hinchliffe, Mark (11 March 2014). "How to mount your motorbike". Retrieved 11 December 2016.
92. ^ "MOUNTING AND DISMOUNTING A MOTORCYCLE". Motorcycle Test Tips. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
93. "S.I. No. 5/2003 – Road Traffic (Construction and Use of Vehicles) Regulations 2003". Irish Statute Book. 42. (1). Retrieved 6 November 2017. where a side–car is attached to a mechanically propelled bicycle, the side–car shall be ... fitted on the left side of the vehicle; "Motorcycle Sidecar & Trailer legislation". MAG Ireland. Irish Motorcyclists Association. 9 February 2014. Retrieved 6 November 2017.
94. "The Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 – Section 93". UK Government. 25 June 1986. Retrieved 9 December 2012.
95. Department for Transport statistics, Reported Road Casualties Great Britain Annual Report 2020, RAS40005, Reported accidents, vehicles and casualties by severity, vehicle type and left hand drive, Great Britain, 2020
96. "The Advantages and Disadvantages of Left Hand Drive Cars in UK". Left Hand Drives. 28 July 2020.
97. ^ "UN Regulation 112, "Motor vehicle headlamps emitting an asymmetrical passing beam or a driving beam or both and equipped with filament lamps"" (PDF). Retrieved 21 October 2019.
98. "The Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989 Schedule 11". legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
99. "Regulation No. 48" (PDF). UNECE. 16 October 2014. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
100. Dowling, Joshua (11 November 2015). "Popular family SUV Hyundai Tucson slammed for 'four-star' Australian crash test result". News.com.au. Archived from the original on 6 December 2021. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
101. "Strasbourg to Paris Driver's eye view PREVIEW". Video 125. 13 February 2017. Retrieved 11 March 2019 – via YouTube. Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine.
102. Lundsen, Carsten (27 September 1998). "North American Signaling Basics". Railroad Rules, Signaling, Operations. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
103. "FAR Part 91 Sec. 91.115". Federal Aviation Administration. Archived from the original on 10 October 2018. When aircraft, or an aircraft and a vessel, are approaching head-on, or nearly so, each shall alter its course to the right to keep well clear.
104. "Are Helicopters Flown from the Left or Right Seat? It Depends!". Pilot Teacher. Archived from the original on 28 September 2023.
105. "Driving Tips: Albania". Sixt rent a car. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
106. "Driving in Algeria". adcidl.com. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
107. "Andorra Driving Guide 2021". International Drivers' Association. 9 April 2021. Retrieved 17 June 2021.
108. "Driving Tips in Angola". Sixt rent a car. Archived from the original on 3 April 2019. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
109. "Road Safety Guidelines For Visitors – Drive-a-Matic Car Rentals Antigua". antiguarentalcar.com. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
110. "10 de Junio: Día Nacional de la Seguridad Vial". 9 June 2021.
111. "Armenian Government Plans to Ban Right-Hand Drive Vehicles; Drivers Protest Decision". The Armenian Weekly. 10 January 2018. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
112. Bahrain Government Annual Reports. Times of India Press. 1968. p. 158.
113. "Driving in Belarus". autoeurope. Retrieved 11 April 2019.
114. "The history of left- and right-hand traffic". International Driving Authority. Retrieved 11 April 2019.
115. "Sistema Costarricense de Información Jurídica". pgrweb.go.cr. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
116. Tourist and Business Directory, The Gambia. 1969. p. 19.
117. Hillger, Don; Toth, Garry. "Right-Hand/Left-Hand Driving Customs". Colorado State University. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
118. "Right-Hand Traffic Act". Ghanalegal.com. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
119. Nkrumah, I. K. (21 December 1974). "Daily Graphic: Issue 7526 December 21 1974". Daily Graphic (7526): 9.
120. Bartle, Phil. "Studies Among the Akan People of West Africa Community, Society, History, Culture; With Special Focus on the Kwawu by Phil Bartle, PhD". Cec.vcn.bc.ca. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
121. ^ "Right-Hand Traffic versus Left-Hand Traffic". The Basement Geographer. Archived from the original on 10 February 2017. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
122. "Trucking in Jamaica | 10-4 Magazine". Tenfourmagazine.com. 12 December 2011. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
123. "Fire Service Comfortable With Left Hand Drive Trucks – Jamaica Information Service". Jis.gov.jm. 11 February 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
124. "Why Does Japan Drive on the Left". 2pass.co.uk. Retrieved 11 August 2006.
125. "Customs Services Department – Frequently Asked Questions". KRA. Archived from the original on 25 December 2018. Retrieved 12 December 2010.
126. ^ "Over 20,000 Right Hand Drive Cars Imported in Kyrgyzstan in 2012". The Gazette of Central Asia. Satrapia. 8 May 2013.
127. "Photo of All Change. Swop Over Point for the Traffic !". Panoramio. Retrieved 10 June 2012.
128. The Day Myanmar Started Driving on the Right, The Irrawaddy, 6 December 2019
129. van Ammelrooy, Peter (12 September 2009). "De Claim links rijden". De Volkskrant (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 21 March 2020. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
130. "2.1 "Keeping Left" – Land Transport (Road User) Rule 2004 – New Zealand Legislation". New Zealand Government. Retrieved 28 November 2010.
131. "Travel advice by country, Oman". Foreign & Commonwealth Office (fco.gov.uk). Archived from the original on 8 April 2008. Retrieved 8 August 2006.
132. Rodriguez, Mia (30 August 2020). "Whatever Happened to the Double-Decker Buses That Used to Ply Metro Manila's Roads?". SPOT.PH. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
133. Mozambique: memoirs of a revolution, John Paul, Penguin, 1975, page 41
134. ^ "Russian Far East is still attached to Japanese cars". Russia behind the headlines. 31 August 2016. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
135. Samoa switches smoothly to driving on the left, The Guardian, 8 Sep 2009
136. The Rising Sun: A History of the All People's Congress Party of Sierra Leone. A.P.C. Secretariat. 1982. p. 396.
137. ^ de Vries, Nina (17 September 2013). "Sierra Leone Bans Right-Hand Vehicles as Hazards". Voice of America.
138. "Road Rules". SACarRental.com. Archived from the original on 2 January 2013. Retrieved 15 February 2014.
139. "Driving in South Africa Information". drivesouthafrica.co.za. Retrieved 15 February 2014.
140. "違警罰法 (Act Governing the Punishment of Police Offences)". Passed by the Legislative Yuan. 1946. Archived from the original on 10 December 2013. Retrieved 14 August 2012.
141. O'Donnell, Kathleen; Pefkaros, Stassi (2000). Trinidad and Tobago Adventure Guide. Hunter Publishing, Inc. p. 53. ISBN 9781556508868.
142. Dennehey, John (1 September 2021). "Remembering the day Dubai swapped left-hand driving for right".
143. Colonial Reports. Annual. Vol. 1480–1499. 1930. p. 76.
144. ^ King, Peter (1991). The Channel Islands War: 1940–1945. Hale. p. 31. ISBN 9780709045120.
145. El día en que el Río de la Plata dejó de manejar por la izquierda, Autoblog, 25 August 2015
146. "RHD/LHD Country Guide". toyota-gib.com. Retrieved 22 September 2017.
147. "South Yemen – Postage stamps – 1977". stampworld.com.
148. "Right-hand vehicles legalized in Afghanistan". Ariana News. 12 March 2023.
149. "Repatriación: se trajo un Honda S2000 desde Nueva Zelanda (y con volante a la derecha)". En nuestro país no hay ninguna normativa que impida que circulen vehículos con volante a la derecha. De hecho, es una configuración muy común entre los autos clásicos. (In our country there are no regulations that prevent right-hand drive vehicles from circulating. In fact, it is a very common configuration among classic cars.)
150. "Почему белорусы никогда не покупают праворульные автомобили". avtovzglyad.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 13 November 2023.
151. "Почему на некоторых автомобилях из России лучше не приезжать в Беларусь". abw.by (in Russian). Retrieved 13 November 2023.
152. Resolution 528, 1 (in Portuguese). Brazilian National Transit Council (Contran). 14 May 2015. Archived from the original on 15 December 2023.
153. "Contran Resolution No. 528/2015". InterRegs. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
154. "Road Traffic Act" (PDF). Government of Brunei.
155. "Right-hand-drive vehicles". ICBC. Archived from the original on 13 July 2011. Retrieved 3 January 2011.
156. "¿Puedo modificar un auto que tiene el volante en el lado derecho?". practicatest.cl. La ley chilena indica que en el país solo pueden circular automóviles con el volante a la izquierda, por lo que esos autos solo podrán salir a la calle una vez que se modifique el vehículo cambiando todo el equipamiento de manejo al lado correcto. (Chilean law indicates that only left-hand drive cars can circulate in the country, so those cars can only go out on the street once the vehicle is modified by changing all the driving equipment to the correct side.)
157. Wang, Joey (3 April 2018). "Spotted in China: G50 Toyota Century V12 in Black, RHD". CarNewsChina.com. Archived from the original on 15 March 2024.
158. Roesel, Felix (2021). "The causal effect of wrong-hand drive vehicles on road safety". Economics of Transportation. 11: 15–22. doi:10.1016/j.ecotra.2017.10.002. hdl:10419/170527. S2CID 115656881.
159. "Können Rechtslenker in Deutschland zugelassen werden?". tuningblog.eu (in German). 31 December 2021. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
160. "GUIDELINES FOR IMPORTATION AND REGISTRATION OF MOTOR VEHICLE". Transport Department. Application for the registration and licensing of a left hand drive vehicle will not be accepted unless there are special circumstances.
161. "Terkuak Mobil Dinas Favorit FBI, Masih Digunakan Kedubes AS di Indonesia" [FBI's most famous operational vehicle is used by US Embassy in Indonesia]. suara.com (in Indonesian). 18 September 2019. Retrieved 2 July 2023.
162. Nugraha, Muhammad Indra (26 August 2024). "Ada yang Aneh dengan Tesla Cybertruck Pertama di Indonesia" [Something is strange with first Tesla Cybertruck arrived in Indonesia]. viva.co.id (in Indonesian). Retrieved 26 August 2024.
163. ^ Case C‑639/11 – Judgment of the Court (Fifth Chamber), 20 March 2014. European Commission v Republic of Poland, ECLI:EU:C:2014:173
164. "Mașinile cu volan pe dreapta aduse din Marea Britanie nu mai pot fi omologate în România de la 1 ianuarie 2021" (in Romanian). 2 January 2021.
165. "PROCEDURES ON IMPORTATION AND REGISTRATION OF A CAR IN SINGAPORE". LTA. Archived from the original on 7 April 2016. Retrieved 10 September 2019.
166. "道路交通安全規則§83-全國法規資料庫入口網站" (in Chinese). Ministry of Justice (Taiwan). 14 August 2015. Archived from the original on 9 May 2021. Retrieved 17 October 2015.

External links

• Google Maps placemarks of border crossings where traffic changes sides (placemarks file, requires Google Earth)
• The Extraordinary Street Railways of Asunción, Paraguay

v t e Traffic law and safety
Rules of the road	All-way stop Assured clear distance ahead Australian Road Rules Boulevard rule Green Cross Code Move over law New Zealand Road Code Overtaking Left- and right-hand traffic Bidirectional traffic Right-of-way School bus traffic stop laws Traffic code Turn on red Vienna Convention on Road Traffic
Road user guides	Driver's manual The Highway Code The Highway Code (Malta) Road Users' Code (Hong Kong) Rules of the Road (Ireland)
Enforcement	Parking enforcement Impaired driving Breathalyzer Field sobriety testing Highway patrol/State police Pretextual stop Road traffic control Terry stop Textalyzer Camera Enforcement Red light Traffic court Traffic guard Traffic stop Traffic ticket Warning
Speed limit	85th percentile speed Advisory speed limit Assured clear distance ahead National Maximum Speed Law School zone Speed limit enforcement Speed limits by country Category: Speed limits by country
Moving violations	Impaired driving Canada United States Distracted driving Mobile phones and driving Texting while driving Reckless driving Brake checking Street racing Tailgating Vehicular homicide Wrong-way driving
Driver licensing	Commercial driver's license European driving licence Graduated driver licensing Inter-American Driving Permit International Driving Permit Learner's permit Point system Driving licences by country List of countries by minimum driving age
Traffic violations reciprocity	Commercial Driver's License Information System Driver License Agreement Driver License Compact Non-Resident Violator Compact
Parking	Alternate-side parking Decriminalised parking enforcement Disabled parking permit Disabled parking permits of the United States Double parking Parking chair Parking violation Wheel clamp
Automotive safety	Seat belt laws Click It or Ticket Clunk Click Every Trip
Road safety	Tachograph Digital tachograph Drivers' working hours (Europe) Drowsy driving Epilepsy and driving Hours of service (US) "How's my driving?" sign Old age and driving Road rage Slow moving vehicle Vision Zero

v t e Road hierarchy
Types of road	Limited-access Bicycle highway Freeway / Motorway Dual carriageway / Divided highway / Expressway Elevated highway By country Australia Belgium Brazil Canada China Croatia Czech Republic Germany Greece Hong Kong India Ireland Italy Nepal Pakistan Poland Portugal Spain Taiwan United Kingdom United States Main roads Arterial road Collector road County highway Express–collector setup Farm-to-market road Highway Link road Two-lane expressway 2+1 road 2+2 road Parkway Ring road Trunk road Highway systems by country Local roads Alley Avenue Back road Bicycle boulevard Boulevard Country lane Dead end Driveway Frontage road Green lane Main street Primitive road Road Side road Single carriageway Single-track road Street Sunken lane Other terms Concurrency Detour Road hierarchy Private highway Route number special route business route Street hierarchy Stravenue Stroad Toll road Winter road
Road junctions	Interchanges (grade-separated) Cloverleaf Diamond Free-flow Directional T Diverging diamond Parclo Raindrop Roundabout Single-point urban (SPUI) Stack Three-level diamond Trumpet Intersections (at-grade) 3-way junction Bowtie Box junction Channelization Continuous flow Hook turn Jughandle Michigan left Offset T-intersection Protected intersection Quadrant roadway Right-in/right-out (RIRO) Roundabout Seagull intersection Split intersection Superstreet Texas U-turn Turnaround
Surfaces	Asphalt concrete Bioasphalt Brick Chipseal Cobblestone Concrete Reinforced concrete Corduroy Crocodile cracking Crushed stone Diamond grinding of pavement Dirt Full depth recycling Glassphalt Gravel Ice Macadam Pavement milling Permeable Plank Plastic Rubberized asphalt Sealcoat Sett Stamped asphalt Tarmac Texture
Road safety factors	Road and environment Aquaplaning Avalanche Black ice Bleeding Crosswind Dead Man's Curve Expansion joint Fog Ford Hairpin turn Level crossing Manhole cover Oil spill Oversize load Pothole Road debris Road slipperiness Road train Roadkill Rockfall Rut Speed bump Storm drain Traffic light Traffic sign Washboarding Washout Whiteout Snow squall Human factors Driver's education Driving under the influence Drowsy driving Road rage Single-vehicle crash Vehicles Airbag Automotive safety Seat belt Risk compensation (road transport) Underride guard
Space and time allocation	Barrier transfer machine Bike lane Climbing lane Complete streets Contraflow lane Contraflow lane reversal High-occupancy toll lane High-occupancy vehicle lane Lane Living street Managed lane Median / Central reservation Motorcycle lane Passing lane Pedestrian crossing Pedestrian zone Refuge island Reversible lane Road diet Road verge Runaway truck ramp Shared space Sidewalk / Pavement Shoulder Street-running railway Traffic calming Traffic directionality Traffic island Traffic lanes Traffic signal preemption Truck bypass Unused highway Wide outside lane Woonerf
Demarcation	Bollard Botts' dots Cable barrier Cat's eye (road) Concrete step barrier Constant-slope barrier Curb F-shape barrier Guard rail Jersey barrier Kassel kerb Noise barrier Raised pavement marker Road surface marking Rumble strip Traffic barrier Traffic cone
Structures	Bridge Causeway Overpass / Flyover Underpass / Tunnel
Performance indicators	Pavement condition index International roughness index Present serviceability index Pavement performance modeling Granular base equivalency
Glossary of road transport terms Road types by features Template:Traffic signs

Categories:

• Chirality
• Driving
• Road transport
• Rules of the road
• Traffic law