Left- and right-hand traffic

"LHT" redirects here. For the German airline Lufthansa's maintenance company, see Lufthansa Technik.

Countries by handedness of traffic, circa 2016.

  Right-hand traffic

  Left-hand traffic

Change of traffic directions at the Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge.

The terms right-hand traffic (RHT) and left-hand traffic (LHT) refer to regulations requiring all bidirectional traffic, unless otherwise directed, to keep to the right or to the left side of the road, respectively. This is so fundamental to traffic flow that it is sometimes referred to as the rule of the road.

About two thirds of the world's population (163 countries and territories) are RHT, with the remaining (76 countries and territories) LHT. In the early 1900s some countries like Canada, Spain, and Brazil, had different rules in different parts of the country. During the 1900s many countries standardised within their jurisdictions, and changed from LHT to RHT, mostly to conform with regional custom.

Currently China is RHT, while the Special Administrative Regions of China of Hong Kong and Macau are LHT. The United States is RHT but the United States Virgin Islands, like many Caribbean islands, is LHT. The United Kingdom is LHT, but its overseas territories of Gibraltar and British Indian Ocean Territory are RHT.

Since 1967, six countries have switched sides. Samoa from RHT to LHT in 2009, and the rest (Sweden 1967, Iceland 1968, Burma 1970, and Ghana 1974) in the opposite direction. Although many LHT jurisdictions are on islands, there are cases where vehicles may be driven from LHT across a border into a RHT area. The Vienna Convention on Road Traffic regulates the use of foreign registered vehicles in the 72 countries that are parties to the 1968 agreement.

In RHT jurisdictions, vehicles are configured with left hand drive (LHD), with the drive sitting on the left side, next. In LHT jurisdictions, the reverse is true. The driver's side, the side closest to the centre of the road, is sometimes called the offside, while the passenger side, the side closest to the side of the road, is sometimes called the nearside.

History

Ancient Greek, Egyptian, and Roman troops kept to the left when marching. Which side of the road the Ancient Romans drove on is disputed. Roman roads in Turkey suggest Romans used the right-hand side of the road. In 1998, archaeologists found a well-preserved double track leading to a Roman quarry near Swindon. 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, suggesting LHT, at least at this location, since carts would exit the quarry heavily loaded, and enter it empty.

The first reference in English law to an order for LHT was in 1756, with regard to London Bridge.

Some historians, such as C. Northcote Parkinson, believed that ancient travellers on horseback or on foot generally kept to the left, since most people were right handed. If two men riding on horseback were to start a fight, each would edge toward the left. In the year 1300, Pope Boniface VIII directed pilgrims to keep left.

In the late 1700s, traffic in the United States was RHT based on teamsters' use of large freight wagons 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.

In France, traditionally foot traffic had kept right, while carriage traffic kept left. Following the French Revolution, all traffic kept right. Following the Napoleonic Wars, the French imposed RHT on parts of Europe. During the colonial period, RHT was introduced by the French in New France, French West Africa, the Maghreb, French Indochina, the West Indies, French Guiana and the Réunion, among others.

Meanwhile, LHT traffic was introduced by the British in Atlantic Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the East Africa Protectorate, the British India, Southern Rhodesia and the Cape Colony (now Zimbabwe and South Africa), British Guiana, and British Hong Kong. LHT was also introduced by the Portuguese Empire in Portuguese Macau, Colonial Brazil, East Timor, Portuguese Mozambique, and Angola.

In the 1900s some countries changed, mostly from LHT to RHT to harmonise with their neighbours.

In 1915 left-hand traffic was introduced everywhere in Austria-Hungary. In 1918 the Empire was split up into several countries, and they all changed eventually to RHT, as in the switch to right-hand traffic in Czechoslovakia. In Europe, only four countries still drive on the left: the United Kingdom, Ireland, Malta, and Cyprus, all of which are islands.

The first keep-right law in the United States was passed in 1792 and applied to the Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike. New York formalised right-hand traffic in 1804, New Jersey in 1813 and Massachusetts in 1821.

During the planning of the Pan American Highway from Alaska to Cape Horn in the 1930s, it was decided that the road should use right-hand driving on its entire length. Many countries changed to RHT. Guyana and Suriname are the only two remaining countries in the mainland Americas that drive on the left. Much of the Caribbean is LHT.

China adopted RHT in 1946. Taiwan changed to driving on the right at the same time. Hong Kong and Macau continue to be LHT.

Worldwide distribution by country

Of United Nations recognised countries, RHT is used in 129, and LHT is used in 63. A country and its territories and dependencies is counted once.

Table of countries by handedness

Country	Road traffic	Road switched sides	Multi-track rail traffic generally	Notes
Afghanistan	RHT		RHT	Was LHT until the 1950s, in line with neighbouring British Raj and later Pakistan.
Albania	RHT
Algeria	RHT
Andorra	RHT
Angola	RHT	1928
Antigua and Barbuda	LHT
Argentina	RHT	1945	RHT	The switchover day, 10 June 1945 is still observed each year as Día de la Seguridad Vial (Road Safety Day) in Argentina.
Australia including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, Norfolk Island	LHT		LHT	Commonwealth.
Austria	RHT		RHT
Bahamas	LHT
Bahrain	RHT	1967		Former British protectorate. Switched to same side as neighbours.
Bangladesh	LHT		LHT
Barbados	LHT
Belgium	RHT	1899	LHT
Belize	RHT	1961		Former British colony. Switched to same side as neighbours.
Bhutan	LHT			Under British protection before 1949.
Bolivia	RHT
Botswana	LHT
Brazil	RHT	1928	LHT	A Portuguese colony, switched from LHT to RHT in 1928.
Brunei	LHT
Bosnia and Herzegovina	RHT			Switched sides after the collapse of Austria-Hungary.
Burundi	RHT			Considering switching to LHT in line with neighbours Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda.
Cambodia	RHT			RHT implemented while part of French Indochina. RHD cars, many of which were smuggled from Thailand, were banned from 2001, even though they accounted for 80 per cent of vehicles in the country.
Cameroon	RHT	1961
Canada	RHT	1920s	RHT	The parts of Canada that were French colonies have always been RHT, including Ontario, Québec, and the central provinces. British Columbia changed to RHT in 1920 and 1923 and Vancouver changing on 1 January 1922. New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island changed in 1922, 1923, and 1924 respectively. Newfoundland and Labrador changed to RHT in 1947.
Cape Verde	RHT	1928
Central African Republic	RHT
Chad	RHT
Chile	RHT		LHT
China including Hong Kong and Macau	RHT	1946	LHT	Hong Kong (formerly British Hong Kong) and Macau (formerly Portuguese Macau) are LHT as they were not part of China in 1946.
Colombia	RHT
Comoros	RHT
Congo	RHT
Democratic Republic of Congo	RHT
Costa Rica	RHT
Côte d'Ivoire	RHT
Croatia	RHT		RHT	Unlike most of Austria-Hungary was RHT but changed to LHT during the left during the First World War. Switched to RHT on joining the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.
Cuba	RHT
Cyprus	LHT			Former British colony.
Czech Republic	RHT	1939	RHT	The last section of the Czech railways (Line 330 Bohumín-Přerov-Břeclav) changed to right-hand traffic in 2012.
Denmark including Faroe Islands, Greenland	RHT	1758	RHT
Djibouti	RHT
Dominica	LHT			Former British colony.
Dominican Republic	RHT
East Timor	LHT	1976		Originally LHT, like its colonial power Portugal. Switched to RHT with Portugal in 1928. Under the Indonesian occupation of East Timor, changed back to LHT in 1976.
Ecuador	RHT		LHT
Egypt	RHT		LHT	Road vehicles are RHT due to French influence, but railway system was built by British companies.
El Salvador	RHT
Equatorial Guinea	RHT
Eritrea	RHT	1964
Estonia	RHT		RHT
Ethiopia	RHT	1964	LHT
Fiji	LHT
Finland	RHT	1858	RHT	Formerly ruled by LHT Sweden, switched to RHT as the Grand Duchy of Finland by Russian decree.
France including French Polynesia, New Caledonia, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Wallis and Futuna, French Guiana, Réunion, Saint Barthélemy, Collectivity of Saint Martin, Guadeloupe, Mayotte	RHT	1792	LHT
Gabon	RHT
Gambia	RHT	1965
Georgia	RHT		RHT
Germany	RHT
Ghana	RHT	1974		Former British colony. When changing to RHT a Twi language slogan was "Nifa, Nifa Enan" or "Right, Right, Fourth".
Greece	RHT		RHT
Grenada	LHT
Guatemala	RHT
Guinea	RHT
Guinea-Bissau	RHT	1928
Guyana	LHT
Haiti	RHT
Honduras	RHT
Hungary	RHT	1941	RHT	Originally LHT, like most of Austria-Hungary.
Iceland	RHT	1968		The day of the switch was known as H-dagurinn. Most passenger cars were already left-hand drive.
Iran	RHT		RHT
Iraq	RHT
India	LHT		LHT	Former British colony.
Indonesia	LHT
Ireland	LHT		LHT
Israel	RHT		LHT	RHT, despite Mandatory Palestine being under British rule till 1948.
Italy	RHT	1920s	LHT	At one time the countryside was RHT while cities were LHT. Rome, changed to RHD in 1924 and Milan in 926). Alfa Romeo and Lancia did not produce LHD cars until as late as 1950 and 1953 respectively, as many drivers favoured the RHD layout even when driving on the right of the road this offered the driver a clearer view of the edge of the road in mountainous regions at a time when many such roads lacked barriers or walls.
Jamaica	LHT
Japan	LHT		LHT	Okinawa was RHT under the United States Civil Administration of the Ryukyu Islands after World War II and switched to LHT on 30 July 1978.
Jordan	RHT
Kazakhstan	RHT		RHT
Kenya	LHT			British colony until 1963.
Kiribati	LHT
Kuwait	RHT
Kyrgyzstan	RHT			Former part of RHT USSR. In 2012, over 20,000 cheaper used RHD cars were imported from Japan.
Laos	RHT		LHT	RHT implemented while part of French Indochina.
Latvia	RHT		RHT
Lebanon	RHT			Former French colony.
Lesotho	LHT
Liberia	RHT
Libya	RHT
Liechtenstein	RHT
Luxembourg	RHT		RHT
Macedonia	RHT
Madagascar	RHT
Malawi	LHT
Malaysia	LHT		LHT
Maldives	LHT
Malta	LHT			British colony until 1964.
Mauritius	LHT			Former British colony. Island nation.
Mozambique	LHT
Mali	RHT
Template:Country data Marshal Islands
Mauritania	RHT			Mining roads between Fdérik and Zouérat are LHT.
Mexico	RHT		RHT
Moldova	RHT
Monaco	RHT
Mongolia	RHT		RHT
Montenegro	RHT
Morocco	RHT
Myanmar	RHT	1970	LHT
Netherlands including Curaçao, Sint Maarten, and Aruba	RHT	1906	RHT	Rotterdam was LHT until 1917.
Namibia	LHT	1918		RHT as a German colony. After South Africa occupied German South West Africa during World War I, switched to LHT. South West Africa was made a South African mandate by the League of Nations, and the new rule of the road was established in law.
Nauru	LHT	1918
Nicaragua	RHT
Niger	RHT
Nigeria	RHT	1972		Former British colony. Switched to RHT as it is surrounded by former French RHT colonies.
Norway	RHT		RHT
Oman	RHT			Not a party to the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic and bans all foreign-registered RHD vehicles.
Palestine	RHT
Panama	RHT	1943
Paraguay	RHT	1945
Peru	RHT		LHT
Philippines	RHT	1946	RHT
Poland	RHT		RHT	Partitions of Poland belonging to the German Empire and the Russian Empire were RHT. Partitians that were part of Austria-Hungary were LHT and changed to RHT in the 1920s.
Portugal	RHT	1928	LHT	Colonies Goa, Macau and Mozambique, which had land borders with LHT countries, did not switch that drove on the left.
Qatar	RHT
Romania	RHT		RHT
Russia	RHT		RHT
Rwanda	RHT			Former German colony. Considering switching to LHT like its neighbours Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda.
San Marino	RHT
São Tomé and Príncipe	RHT	1928
Saudi Arabia	RHT
Senegal	RHT
Serbia	RHT		RHT	Vojvodina was LHT while part of the Austria-Hungarian Empire.
Seychelles	LHT
Sierra Leone	RHT	1971		Importation of RHD vehicles was banned in 2013.
Slovakia	RHT	1939–41	RHT
Slovenia	RHT		LHT
Somalia	RHT	1968
Korea including South Korea and North Korea	RHT	1946	LHT	Korean had been LHT because of the influence of then=LHT China and being under Japanese rule in the 1900s. Switched to RHT under Soviet and American occupation after 1945.
South Sudan	RHT	1973
Spain	RHT	1924	RHT
Sudan	RHT	1973
Sweden	RHT	1967	LHT
Switzerland	RHT		LHT
Syria	RHT
Taiwan	RHT	1946		Was LHT during the period of Taiwan under Japanese rule. The government of the Republic of China changed Taiwan to RHT in 1946 along with the rest of China.
Tajikistan	RHT		RHT
Togo	RHT
Tunisia	RHT			French RHT was enforced in the French protectorate of Tunisia from 1881, although some LHT existed before the protectorate.
Turkey	RHT		RHT
Turkmenistan	RHT		RHT
Ukraine	RHT	1922	RHT	Was LHT, like most of Austria-Hungary. Carpathian Ruthenia remained LHT as part of Czechoslovakia before switching in 1941 as part of Hungary. The rest of Ukraine, having been part of the Russian Empire, already drove on the right.
United Arab Emirates	RHT		RHT
United States, including: American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, Palau, Micronesia, Marshall Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands	RHT		RHT	U.S. Virgin Islands is LHT with RHD vehicles.
Uruguay	RHT	1945		Became LHT in 1918, but as in some other countries in South America, changed to RHT on 2 September 1945. A speed limit of 30 km/h (19 mph) was observed until 30 September for safety.
Uzbekistan	RHT		RHT
Vanuatu	RHT
Venezuela	RHT		LHT
Vietnam	RHT		LHT	Became RHT as French Indochina.
Yemen	RHT	1977		South Yemen, formerly the British colony of Aden, changed to RHT 1977. A series of postage stamps commemorating the event was issued. North Yemen was already RHT.
Nepal	LHT
New Zealand including: Niue, Cook Islands	LHT		LHT
Pakistan	LHT		LHT
Papua New Guinea	LHT
	LHT
Saint Kitts and Nevis	LHT
Saint Lucia	LHT
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	LHT
Samoa	LHT	2009		Switched to LHT to allow the import cars more cheaply from Australia and New Zealand.
Singapore	LHT
Solomon Islands	LHT
South Africa	LHT		LHT	Former British colony.
Sri Lanka	LHT		LHT
Suriname	LHT
Swaziland	LHT
Tanzania	LHT
Thailand	LHT		LHT	One of the few LHT countries not a former British colony. Shares long land with RHT Laos and Cambodia.
The Gambia	RHT	1965		Former British colony.
Tonga	LHT
Trinidad and Tobago	LHT			Former British colony.
Tuvalu	LHT
Uganda	LHT
United Kingdom, including Gibraltar Isle of Man, Guernsey, Jersey, Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Montserrat, Pitcairn Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands, Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha	LHT			The British overseas territory of Gibraltar changed to RHT in 1929 to avoid accidents with vehicles from Spain.
Zambia	LHT
Zimbabwe	LHT		LHT	Former British colony. In 2010 the government attempted to ban LHD vehicles.

Changing sides at borders

One of many road signs in the British county of Kent placed on the right-hand side of the road.

Some countries have borders where drivers must switch from LHT to RHT and vice versa. LHT Thailand has four RHT neighbors. Most of its borders use a simple traffic light to do the switch, but there are also interchanges which enable the switch while keeping up a continuous flow of traffic. Brazil funded construction of Takutu River Bridge, from Bonfim to Lethem, Guyana, the only remaining land border in Americas where traffic change sides, since its opening in 2009.

The four most common ways of switching traffic from one side to the other at borders are:

• Traffic lights. Examples include:
  • Friendship Bridge between Thailand and Laos, on Lao side – 17.88739°N 102.71158°E / 17.88739; 102.71158
  • Second Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge, between Thailand and Laos, on Thai side – photo – 16.60123°N 104.73016°E / 16.60123; 104.73016
  • Mae Sot Friendship Bridge between Thailand and Burma – photo 16.69038°N 98.51663°E / 16.69038; 98.51663
  • 2006 bridge between Thailand and Burma near Mae Sai – 20.4469°N 99.9031°E / 20.4469; 99.9031
• Crossover bridges. Examples include:
  • Lok Ma Chau between Hong Kong and China – 22.51823°N 114.07080°E / 22.51823; 114.07080
  • Lotus Bridge between Macau and China – 22.14009°N 113.54970°E / 22.14009; 113.54970
  • Hong Kong–Shenzhen Western Corridor between Hong Kong and China – 22.489264°N 113.945943°E / 22.489264; 113.945943
  • Takutu River Bridge between Guyana and Brazil – photo photo – 3.38127°N 59.80977°W / 3.38127; -59.80977
• Intersecting roads with roundabouts or other one-way traffic systems. Examples include:
  • Man Kam To between Hong Kong and China – 22.53969°N 114.12734°E / 22.53969; 114.12734
  • Portas do Cerco between Macau and mainland China – 22.21806°N 113.54927°E / 22.21806; 113.54927
• Signposts and directions only, most commonly found at borders with low traffic volumes. Examples include:
  • Poipet between Thailand and Cambodia
  • Mae Sai old bridge between Thailand and Burma
  • Khunjerab Pass between Pakistan-administered Kashmir and China
  • Moyale between Kenya and Ethiopia
  • Friendship Bridge between Nepal and China
  • Nathu La pass between India and China
  • Service tunnel of the Channel Tunnel between the United Kingdom and France (underground and not open to the public) – 50.92310°N 1.78093°E / 50.92310; 1.78093

Safety aspects

Research in 1969 by J. J. Leeming showed that countries driving on the left have a lower collision rate than countries driving on the right, although he acknowledged that the sample of left-hand rule countries he had to work with was small, and he was very careful not to claim that his results proved that the differences were due to the rule of the road. It has been suggested that this is partly because humans are more commonly right-eye dominant than left-eye dominant. In left-hand traffic, the predominantly better-performing right eye is used to monitor oncoming traffic and the driver's wing mirror (side mirror). 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 nearside lane. Furthermore, in an RHD car with manual transmission, the driver has the right hand, which for most people is dominant, on the steering wheel at all times and uses the left hand to change gears and operate most other controls.

Cyclists, motorcyclists and horse riders typically mount from the left-hand side, with motorcycle side stands almost always located on the left. This places them on the kerb when driving on the left.

Road vehicle configurations

Driver seating position

In the very early days of motoring, the steering wheel could be positioned on either side of the car. In modern times the driver sits on the offside, which affords a better view of oncoming traffic. So LHD cars are used for RHT and vice versa. In most countries this is required by law. However, there are countries where this is not the case, usually caused by proximity to countries driving on the other side, for example the Russian Far East's proximity to Japan. Also in the United States they use RHT but postal service vehicles are RHD imported from Japan. In some Caribbean islands like the Bahamas, US Virgin Islands, and the British Virgin Islands have LHT with mostly LHD vehicles imported from the United States.

A Canada Post right-hand-drive delivery van. Extra mirrors placed on its left side compensate for the driver's positioning.

In specialised cases the driver will sit on the nearside, or kerbside, such as street sweepers and delivery vehicles. Visitors from outside a country are usually permitted to drive temporarily, for example British visitors to France. The newest Unimog models can be changed from left-hand drive to right-hand drive in the field to permit operators to work on the more convenient side of the truck. In Spain trucks were RHD until the 1950s, to enable drivers to watch for unstable road edges. In Canada, right-hand drive vehicles are heavily used by Canada Post employees who deliver mail to rural areas. RSMCs (rural and suburban mail carriers) are provided RHD vehicles by Canada Post or are acquired privately through dealers across Canada. These RHD vehicles are often imported from other countries such as Japan where they are suitable for designated RHD mail routes in Canada. Mail delivery imports became popular in the early 2000s when more modern vehicles like the Mitsubishi Pajero or Honda CRV became eligible for import into Canada. Such imports are fitted with daytime running lights and DOT tyres in order to make them HTA-compliant and safe for Canadian roads.

Buses

Although Brazil has right-hand traffic, there are buses with additional doors on the left side for operation at bus stops in the medians of streets in cities such as Campinas.

Buses typically have passenger doors only on the kerbside, depending on the driving side of the country. This configuration is adequate for most city networks where passengers board and alight from a kerb. Some BRT systems operate with buses that have doors only (or mainly) on the off-kerb side, intended to operate at stations or bus stops in the centre of an avenue with dedicated lanes, such as TransMilenio (LHD) in Bogotá, Colombia and Rea Vaya (RHD), in Johannesburg, South Africa. The Metrobus in Istanbul, Turkey runs on the left even though regular road traffic runs on the right and buses have doors on the right to access centre platforms.

Buses with only kerbside or only off-kerb side doors are limited in their ability to pick up or drop off passengers from both sides of the bus. In some places, such as in some Brazilian cities, buses have doors on both sides, which allows them to operate at bus stops placed in the middle of avenues.

Some touring coaches, which may need to operate in countries which drive on different sides, are fitted with a door on each side of the bus. This configuration is used on coaches which operate in the UK and continental Europe and on some Hong Kong-China cross-border coaches.

On older-style buses with passenger access at the rear, it is possible to retrofit passenger access doors to match the opposite kerbside, on buses with relatively low floor height; the many traditional British double-deckers sold on for tourist use in the US and some areas in Canada are examples.

When Sweden drove on the left prior to September 1967, city buses were among the very few vehicles in that country which conformed to the normal opposite-steering wheel rule, being RHD while most of the rest of the road traffic was LHD. The same was true in Iceland. Buses were rebuilt or replaced during the transition period in Sweden, with governmental financial support, a large part of the cost for the change of side.

Conversely in Italy, where driving is on the right, some buses were built with RHD until the mid-1960s. These buses had a layout with passenger doors directly behind the driver. Some cities (e.g. Turin and Padua) continued to operate RHD buses until approximately 1980.

Headlamps and other lighting equipment

Bird's-eye view of low beam light pattern for RH traffic, with long seeing range on the right and short cutoff on the left so oncoming drivers are not blinded.

Low beam headlamps for use in RHT throw most of their light forward-rightward; LHT does the opposite. 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 by affixing masking strips or prismatic lenses to a designated 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 LH- or RH-traffic beam by shifting a lever or other movable element in or on the lamp assembly.

Within the European Union, vehicles must be equipped with one or two red rear fog lamps. A single rear fog lamp may be located on the vehicle centreline, or on the driver's side of the vehicle.

Traffic behaviour

Right-hand traffic

Left-hand traffic

Manoeuver	LHT	RHT
Unless overtaking stay on the	left	right
On roundabouts traffic rotates	clockwise	counterclockwise
Driver sits on the	right	left
Oncoming traffic is seen coming from the	right	left
Traffic must cross oncoming traffic when turning	right	left
Most traffic signs are on the	left	right
Pedestrians crossing a two-way road look first for traffic from their	right	left
Dual carriageway ramps are on the	left	right
After stopping at a red light it may be legal to turn	left	right

Rail traffic

Trams and streetcars generally follow the same rules as other road traffic in the country concerned, both on road and on reserved sections, with the passenger doors on the kerbside, or on both sides.

The entrance to the Channel Tunnel in France.

Most passenger trains in the world keep to the left. 95% of the world's rail passenger-kilometres are carried on railways with LHT, due to the popularity of rail transport in China and India.

In many countries where automobiles are RHT, trains are LHT, often because of British influences. Many nations maintained left-handed rail traffic after switching their automobile traffic from left to right. China switched to RHT in 1946 but kept its left-handed railways. China has an extensive passenger rail network and more high-speed rail tracks than the rest of the world combined.

About 50% of the world's freight rail tonnage is transported over right-handed railway networks, and almost 60% of the world's freight rail tonne-kilometres are transported over right-handed railway networks.

For the driver, visibility is good from both sides of the driving cab so the choice on which side to site the driver less important. For example, the French SNCF Class BB 7200 is designed for using the left-hand track and therefore uses LHD. When the design was modified for use in the Netherlands as NS Class 1600, the driving cab was not completely redesigned, keeping the driver on the left despite the fact that trains use the right-hand track in the Netherlands.

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.

In France, road vehicles keep to the right, but the first railway lines were built by the British, so keep to the left, even on the modern Train a grande vitesse (TGV).

Light rail vehicles and metro systems tend to have the same handedness as automobile traffic, although the Buenos Aires Metro, Madrid Metro, Rome Metro and the Stockholm Metro are LHT for historic reasons.

Multiple track usage by country

Overpasses where trains switch between right- and left-hand traffic

• 55.629207°N 13.062476°E / 55.629207; 13.062476, Sweden, Malmö, near border to Denmark
• 56.143147°N 10.164971°E / 56.143147; 10.164971, Denmark, Aarhus (left side running near Aarhus so trains can change direction in Aarhus without crossing each other's path)
• 51.873093°N 4.538255°E / 51.873093; 4.538255, Netherlands, HSL-Zuid near Rotterdam towards Belgium
• 50.736516°N 6.048773°E / 50.736516; 6.048773, Germany, near border to Belgium
• 49.390984°N 11.041099°E / 49.390984; 11.041099, Germany, Reichelsdorf (left side running Reichelsdorf-Nuremberg so trains can change direction in Nuremberg without crossing each other's path)
• 49.104837°N 2.525997°E / 49.104837; 2.525997, France, Paris–Lille railway
• 48.968754°N 6.453234°E / 48.968754; 6.453234, France, LGV Est, in Lorraine
• 48.703233°N 7.01255°E / 48.703233; 7.01255, France, Paris–Strasbourg railway, in Lorraine
• 42.559466°N 2.851145°E / 42.559466; 2.851145, France, near border to Spain on the LGV Perpignan–Barcelona
• 42.7256914°N 73.9605544°W / 42.7256914; -73.9605544, United States, "Fullers Flyover" on former New York Central Selkirk Branch to support former left side running on Water Level Route.

Water vessels and aircraft

Generally, all water traffic keeps to the right, under the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea. There are exceptions to RHT when passing through bridges, normally indicated at each archway.

The rule of the sea is that vessels crossing give way to the starboard, while if they are head on each must navigate to starboard so as to pass port-to-port.

For aircraft and vessels, the US Federal Aviation Regulations provide for passing on the right, both in the air, and on water.

Specific jurisdictions

This section gives details about the road traffic, including trams and other light rail systems which include street running. Trains which use segregated tracks usually have separate rules and are included in the Trains section.

Caribbean

Most English-speaking Caribbean countries – such as Barbados, Bermuda, Jamaica, St Kitts and Nevis, Grenada, and Trinidad and Tobago – drive on the left and most local cars have a RHD configuration. Conversely, some rental cars imported from the US retain the LHD configuration in Jamaica. Some rental companies use LHD, others use RHD; it usually possible to ask in advance what configurations are available before agreeing on a vehicle.

However, in some islands, mostly Lesser Antilles (such as the British Virgin Islands, United States Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, as well as Turks and Caicos Islands) and the Bahamas, most passenger cars are still LHD-equipped (despite driving on the left), being imported from the United States or Brazil. Only some government cars and those imported from RHD countries (Japan, Thailand and the United Kingdom, among others) are RHD. The US 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.

China

In the late 19th century during the late Qing Dynasty, cars in the northern provinces like Shandong and Zhili (now Hebei) drove on the right due to American influence, and cars in the southern provinces and cities such as Guangdong, Shanghai, and Zhejiang drove on the left due to British influence, but left-hand traffic was uniform throughout the Republic of China in the 1930s. As early as 1943, Clause 7 of Article 58 of the Act Governing the Punishment of Police Offences (Chinese: 違警罰法) required vehicular drivers in the Republic of China to keep left, subject to a fine of up to 20 yuan or a warning upon a violation. On 15 August 1945, the Nationalist Government ordered to change to right-hand traffic on 1 October 1945. However, on 26 September 1945, the Nationalist Government ordered to postpone changing to right-hand traffic on 1 January 1946. As China became a right-hand traffic country, Clause 7 of Article 58 of the Act Governing the Punishment of Police Offences was accordingly amended to require right-hand traffic in June 1946.

The Special administrative regions of China Hong Kong and Macau continue to be LHT.

Czech Republic and Slovakia

Main article: Switch to right-hand traffic in Czechoslovakia

Czechoslovakia was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire until 1918, and used the left side for driving. Now, however, the Czech Republic and Slovakia use the right side like the rest of the European mainland. Czechoslovakia planned to start driving on the right on 1 May 1939, but the change in Bohemia and Moravia took place under German occupation: Bohemia: 17 March 1939, Prague: 26 March. (See switch to right-hand traffic in Czechoslovakia for details.)

Based on international agreement, Czechoslovakia had plans to start driving in the right from 1925, but these were delayed. The change in Bohemia and Moravia was prompted by the German occupation forces (Bohemia: 17 March 1939, Prague: 26 March). Right hand traffic had already been introduced in Slovakia within Czechoslovakia in late 1938, and the last roads in the First Slovak Republic switched to the new system in 1940 and 1941.

Falkland Islands

As a British Overseas Territory, people in the Falkland Islands drive on the left. This practice was interrupted during the Argentine invasion of the islands, leading to the Falklands War. The Falkland Islands were instructed to change to driving on the right during the brief Argentine occupation in 1982, although many islanders continued to drive on the left as an act of defiance.

France

France has long been a right-hand traffic country.

Despite the rule of the road, trains are still typically driven on the left track (due to technical British influence when the first railways were built at the beginning of the 19th century), as long as they use their autonomous ways and there is no risk of confusion because cars are forbidden to drive on the same lanes (traffic is physically separated). However, the national railways in Alsace and Moselle (which were ruled by German Empire during the railways' main development) are operated on the right track. Some local services tracks which have very low traffic (notably those around harbours), are built on ways that are most often used by cars or open to cyclists and pedestrians. In these cases, the special tracks may be used 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.

The Paris and Marseille metro systems, along with VAL metro systems in Lille, Toulouse, and Rennes, are operated on the right track. In Paris, though, the RER (Réseau Express Régional) is operated on the left track. Many towns have streetcars operated on the right track.

Exceptions to the rule

Traffic drives on the left in the service tunnel of the Channel Tunnel, part of which is in France; this is not a public highway.

On Avenue Gabriel-Péri between Asnières-sur-Seine and Gennevilliers traffic drives on the left between Place Voltaire and Gabriel-Péri bus station to allow buses access to the bus station without crossing the busy junction near it[1] General traffic is however only permitted to travel southbound, the northbound lane being reserved for buses.

Guyana and Suriname

As a result of the construction of the Pan-American Highway, four mainland American countries switched to driving on the right between 1943 and 1961. 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 few border crossings.

In the south-west of Guyana, near Lethem, work was finally completed on 26 April 2009 on the Takutu River Bridge across the Takutu River into neighbouring Brazil, 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. 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. 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. Guyana, however, does allow used LHD vehicles to be imported, allowing both LHD and RHD vehicles to be registered and permitted on its roads.

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. Private ownership of LHD cars and LCVs in Suriname is less frequent, more concentrated in American and Mexican imports, even though mid-size pickup trucks imported from Thailand such as the Chevrolet Colorado are available in both RHD and LHD configurations.

Hong Kong

Chatham Road South in Kowloon, Hong Kong

As a former British colony, Hong Kong follows the United Kingdom in driving on the left. Most vehicles, including those of the Chinese garrison in Hong Kong, are RHD. LHD exceptions include some coaches providing services to and from China.

There are four road border crossing points between Hong Kong and China. The largest and busiest is Lok Ma Chau Control Point, which features two separate changeover systems on the mainland side, the Huanggang Port. 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 simply intersect as one-way streets with a main road.

There are some exceptions. Public Square Street in Yau Ma Tei used to have a small stretch between New Reclamation Street and Shanghai Street with right-hand traffic. Drake Street in Admiralty has an eastbound bus lane on its southern side, leading to a bus terminal. In Tsim Sha Tsui East, Hong Wing Path to the west of one-way northbound Hong Chong Road carries only southbound traffic. The two streets are immediately next to each other, separated only by concrete barriers. In addition, many carparks have their entrances and exits inverted if they are located on one-way roads or roads with separation barriers.

Japan

Japan National Route 1

Japan is one of the few countries outside the former British Empire (along with Thailand, Nepal, Bhutan, Mozambique, Suriname, East Timor and Indonesia) to drive on the left. An informal practice of left-hand passage dates at least to the Edo period, when samurai are said to have passed each other to the left to avoid knocking their longer katana swords with each other (as swords were always worn to the left side). 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. 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.

After the defeat of Japan during World War II, Okinawa was ruled by the United States Civil Administration of the Ryukyu Islands 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. The conversion operation was known as 730 (Nana-San-Maru, which means Nana(7)-San(3)-Maru(0)). Okinawa is one of few places to have changed from right- to left-hand traffic in the late 20th century.

All railway systems in Japan, including subway systems, run on the left, as do most people mover lines. The Yamaman Yūkarigaoka Line runs on the right due to its counterclockwise balloon loop.

Malaysia

Malaysia drives on the left, a legacy of British influence. Almost all vehicles assembled and sold locally in Malaysia are in RHD.

Although LHD vehicles are not officially banned and can be registered and driven in the country like RHD vehicles; however LHD vehicles cannot be sold commercially by local dealerships, and are only available in grey market or imported personally by Malaysian citizens who returning from RHT-LHD countries (e.g. United States and mainland Europe).LHD vehicles are very rarely seen on Malaysian roads.

A grey import vehicles from Japan and United Kingdom (usually RHD) was imported and sold in Malaysia since 1970's,with Naza become first automotive company in Malaysia to import grey market vehicles.

All trains in Malaysia run on the left, following the British practice, since train services were introduced in Malaya (now Peninsular Malaysia) by Britain during the colonial period.

There are a few exceptions to the rule. In Peninsular Malaysia, right-hand traffic can be found on the Bulatan Batu Caves, Damansara-Puchong Expressway in the short tunnel under the Damansara Perdana flyover,a small road between Brickfields and the KL Sentral, the Sunway bridge at the Federal Highway Route 2 interchange and Wisma Saberkas, Kuching, Sarawak where a whole stretch of parking areas use right-hand traffic. "Keep Right" signboards are prominent at every corner of the road to remind road users of the right-hand driving rule. Right-hand driving was introduced to ease congestion at the Wisma Saberkas exit to Jalan Green (near SK St. Paul).

Myanmar

As a former British colony, cars in what was then called Burma drove on the left until 7 December 1970, when the military administration of Ne Win decreed that traffic would drive on the right-hand side of the road. In spite of the change, most passenger vehicles in the country continue to be RHD, being pre-conversion vehicles and second-hand vehicles imported from Japan, Thailand, and Singapore. In addition, some road signs and traffic lights continue to be mounted on the left side of the road. Buses imported from Japan that were never converted from RHD to LHD have doors on the right side in offset position, unlike their counterparts in the Philippines. However, government limousines, imported from the People's Republic of China, are LHD. Most vehicles are driven with a staff called a "spare" (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.

A development in 2016 suggests that Myanmar's portion of the upcoming Trilateral Highway between India and the rest of Asia will have traffic flow on the left.

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.

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 between 1977 and March 2012 there was an unusual variation compared with other countries: where a right-turning vehicle and a left-turning vehicle approached each other from opposite directions and both had no signs or signals or both had the same sign or signal, the right-turning vehicle had priority over the left-turning vehicle, where in other left-hand traffic countries the rule was the other way around. The aim of the rule was to give priority to vehicles turning right across traffic so they spent minimal time in the road lane exposed to rear-end collisions; many New Zealand intersections lack right-turn bays. It also reduced the chance of a collision with the right (driver's) side of the vehicle. The rule was reversed at non-roundabout intersection on Sunday 25 March 2012 to align the rule with other countries and in an attempt to reduce driver confusion and intersection crashes. Although the rule change went smoothly at most intersections, numerous problems were encountered in the days and weeks following the change regarding intersections with left turn slip lanes controlled by Give Way signs – in these cases, the Give Way sign cancels the left-turning priority over right-turning traffic, keeping with the old rule. However, misunderstandings at these intersections caused right-turning traffic to needlessly give way, and left-turning traffic to run the give way signs.

In New Zealand, as of 1 April 2010 the rules regarding importation and use of LHD cars on New Zealand roads have changed. Vehicles that are at least 20 years old may be imported and used on New Zealand roads in LHD form. They do though have to have a Gross Vehicle Weight of under 3500 kg. No permit is required. New vehicles (less than 20 years old & coupés and convertibles). You can now register a car in original LHD form as long as it meets the criteria set. The rules were changed to allow late model collectible cars into New Zealand without requiring (sometimes agricultural and always expensive) conversion to RHD. There are several criteria set but if you are a New Zealand citizen or resident and have not imported one of these in the past 2 years you may be granted a LHD permit if your car meets 3 of the 4 following criteria: 1) The car is high performance 2) The car is collectible 3) There were less than 20,000 units produced 4) It is a coupé or convertible. There is a quota of 500 permits per year.

Philippines

The Philippines during the Spanish colonial period and well into the early 20th century during the United States occupation and Commonwealth of the Philippines periods kept to the left. Under Executive Order No. 34, right-hand traffic was introduced in the Philippines on the last day of the Battle of Manila (1945) to facilitate the combined Filipino and American troop movements.

All vehicles registered must be converted to LHD. Although road traffic switched to the right, rail traffic remained on the left until the construction of the Manila Light Rail Transit System and Manila Metro Rail Transit System, where trains ran on the right, in 1984 and 1999 respectively. The Philippine National Railways, where trains historically ran on the left, switched to the right in 2010. In the Philippines, RHD vehicles are banned. Previously, such vehicles were allowed, provided a "CAUTION: RIGHT HAND DRIVE" sign was prominently posted. 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 an increase in accidents involving RHD vehicles, most of which were trucks. Some converted passenger vans keep their doors on the left side, leading to the dangerous situation in which passengers have to exit toward oncoming traffic. Some RHD off-road vehicles and existing industrial cranes remain, and in rare cases, allowed to be registered as is, if it is a mobile crane deemed unsuitable for LHD conversion.

The only places where left-hand traffic is observed are a few number of parking areas in Manila such as Glorietta parking area near Makati Shangri-La and SM Southmall.

Russia

In Russia, in 1709, the Danish envoy to Peter the Great noted the widespread custom for traffic in Russia to pass on the right. This was formalised in 1752, when the Empress Elizabeth issued an edict for traffic to keep to the right in Russian cities.

Although Russia drives on the right, Japanese used vehicle exporting causes cheaper RHD to be available. Russia is estimated to have more than 1.5 million RHD vehicles. In the Russian Far East, such as Vladivostok or Khabarovsk, RHD vehicles make up to 60% of the total. This includes not only private cars, but also police cars, ambulances, and many other municipal and governmental vehicles.

In 2005, the rumour that RHD vehicles would be completely banned from the roads drove thousands of Russian protesters to the streets. On 19 May 2005 the Russian Minister of Industry and Energy Viktor Khristenko announced that RHD vehicles would be allowed on the roads but would have to conform to all Russian traffic safety requirements. Many automobile owners blocked the roads (in Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Vladivostok and many other cities), protesting against such an interdiction. Due to technical regulation published on September 2009, import of RHD will be proceeded in September 2010.

Rwanda

Rwanda, a former Belgian colony in central Africa, drives on the right. The government is considering changing to driving on the left, to bring the country in line with other members of the East African Community (EAC).

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.

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 in order to bring the country in line with other members of the East African Community (EAC). 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. 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. 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. Furthermore, in November 2009, Rwanda's application to join the Commonwealth of Nations was approved, another group which is largely dominated by LHT countries.

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. At the same time, if the switch does go ahead, it will necessitate repealing the 2005 Presidential Decree banning RHD 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. As of December 2011, the Rwandan government reported that it had received the Ministry of Infrastructure's 2009 survey and was commissioning a comprehensive study of options available.

In September 2014, the Rwandan government announced its intention to lift the import ban on RHD lorries weighing over 30 tonnes. . At the same time, an internal report from consultants to the Ministry of Infrastructure recommended a switch to LHT. In 2015, the ban on right hand drive vehicles was lifted, allowing Rwandans to import the same vehicles as those sold in neighbouring countries, including trucks; right hand drive trucks available in those countries cost $1000 less than left hand drive models imported from Europe.

Samoa

Samoa was a German colony until occupied by New Zealand at the beginning of the First World War. During the Second World War, 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. 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. On 24 July 2008 Tuisugaletaua Avea, the Minister of Transport, announced that the change 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. Samoa is the first territory in over 30 years to change which side of the road is driven on, the most recent being Nigeria, Ghana, Yemen and Okinawa.

A new political party, The People's Party, had formed to try to block the change, but it was unsuccessful, as was the People Against Switching Sides protest group which launched a last-minute legal challenge, arguing the decision violated the right to life in the Samoan constitution. The decision remains controversial, with an estimated 18,000 people attending demonstrations against it in Apia in April 2008 and road signs reminding people of the change having been vandalised. The motor industry was also opposed 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. Bus drivers whose doors are now on the wrong side of the road threatened to strike in protest at the change.

Prime Minister Tuilaepa Aiono Sailele Malielegaoi said the purpose of adopting left-hand traffic was to allow Samoans to use cheaper right-hand-drive vehicles imported from Australia, New Zealand, or Japan, and also so the large number of Samoans living in Australia and New Zealand could drive on the same side of the road when they visit their home country. To reduce accidents, the government widened roads, added new road markings, erected signs and installed speed humps. The speed limit was also reduced and the sale of alcohol banned for three days. The Congregational Christian Church of Samoa held prayer sessions for an accident-free conversion, and Samoa's Red Cross carried out a blood donation campaign in case of a surge of accidents.

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. The change coincided with more restrictive enforcement of speeding and seat-belt laws.

Samoa changed to left-hand traffic in September 2009. The government brought about the change to bring Samoa into line with other South Pacific nations, and also sought to encourage the roughly 170,000 Samoan expatriates in Australia and New Zealand to ship their used cars back to Samoa.

Singapore

In Singapore, all motorised traffic drives on the left, in vehicles with right-hand drive configuration, a legacy of British colonial rule as a crown colony together with Malaysia (formerly Malaya). Some roads, however, due to foreseeable considerations, are designed to prevent traffic flow problems that could result from the standard practice, such as Grange Road between Orchard Road and Somerset Road which is separated by a refuge island, Carver Street by North Bridge Road, parking and compound entrances along the right side of North Bridge Road. In any roads with such a requirement, an entry sign is often displayed at the road divider. Cycling designated lane in parks also practises the keep left rule to correspond with motor traffic roads as a safety consideration. As of this, Singapore prohibited new registrations of LHD vehicles, except with the exemption by Land Transport Authority on registration of Vintage Cars and embassy vehicles in Singapore, subjected to the import requirements for embassy diplomats. There are a few hydrogen and fuel cell powered LHD vehicles currently undergoing trials in Singapore.

Spain

There was no uniform national rule until the 1930s. Before then, some parts had driven on the right (e.g., Barcelona), others on the left (e.g., Madrid, which on 1 October 1924 changed to driving on the right). As a result, the Madrid Metro, which dates from 1919, still runs on the left-hand side on all lines.

Sweden

Traffic moves from left to right in Stockholm on 3 September 1967

Main article: Dagen H

Sweden has right-hand traffic now, but had legal left-hand traffic (vänstertrafik in Swedish) 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. Finland, under Swedish rule until 1809, also drove on the left, and continued to do so as a Russian Grand Duchy until 1858.

This continued well into the 20th century, even though 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. However, Sweden's neighbours Norway and Finland already drove on the right, leading to confusion at border crossings.

In 1955 a referendum 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 Riksdag passed legislation ordering the switch to right-hand traffic. The conversion took place at 5am on Sunday, 3 September 1967, which was known in Swedish as Dagen H (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, but soon rose back to near its original level. The speed limits were temporarily lowered.

Trains have left-hand traffic, as a change to right traffic is not considered cost-effective. Trains in Malmö and further southwest keep to the right, as in neighbouring Denmark; there is a flyover-type crossover north of Malmö.

United Kingdom

Vehicles driving on the left on the A1(M) motorway near Washington services in County Durham, England, heading towards Scotland

The United Kingdom has left-hand traffic, and its imperial influence has identified LHT with Britain and the Commonwealth throughout most of the world. The left-hand traffic rule first became compulsory in 1722, to combat increasing traffic congestion on the narrow London Bridge. The Lord Mayor of the City of London ordered that bridge traffic should keep to the left.

As a result of European Union legislation ensuring the free movement of goods, British consumers can buy RHT cars from car dealers in other EU countries.

Although the United Kingdom is separated from Continental Europe by the English Channel, the level of cross-Channel traffic is very high; the Channel Tunnel alone carries 3.5 million vehicles per year between the UK and France. Most vehicles crossing the Channel, whether via the Channel Tunnel or on ferries, are UK-registered RHD vehicles. Large numbers of British drivers take their RHD cars to Continental Europe for holidays and day trips.

In cities with heavy tourism, LHD coaches travelling to the UK from elsewhere can cause problems as their passengers get off the vehicle into the path of traffic, rather than on a pavement. Some fleet operators who regularly tour from Continental Europe to the UK use coaches with doors on both sides. Conversely, some double-decker buses 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 heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) have become common on the UK's roads, particularly on major routes radiating from ports and the Channel Tunnel. This affects the safety of large LHD vehicles, with blind-spots arising from the LHD and the probable inexperience of drivers with these problems.

In the late 1960s, the Department for Transport considered whether to adopt right-hand traffic. The idea was rejected as unsafe and too costly. Consequently, road building standards, for motorways in particular, allow asymmetrically designed road junctions, where merge and diverge lanes differ in length.

Exceptions to the rule

Traffic driving on the right in Savoy Court in London.

There are some locations in the UK, such as Savoy Court outside the Savoy Hotel, where road routing and layout causes traffic to approximate or mimic right-hand traffic patterns and practice.

Some of the British overseas territories also drive on the other side of the road. During the 1982 Falklands War the Falklands was briefly under Argentina control, with right-hand rule. During the Lockerbie bombing trial of 2000–02, Camp Zeist in the Netherlands was decreed to be British territory subject to Scots law. Dumfries and Galloway police, who were responsible for policing traffic movements within the compound, required drivers to comply with the Continental European practice of driving on the right.

Trains on multiple-track lines in the United Kingdom run on the left, with a few exceptions, notably the personal rapid transit system at London Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5, which runs on the right; and Gatwick's people mover, which has no driving side but instead operates as 2 independent dirails, similar to a 4-rail funicular.

Military fleets and bases

On some British Army training locations, where the army once trained for conflict in Eastern Europe during the Cold War, 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 United States visiting forces bases in the United Kingdom drive on the left, even though the United States does not provide right-hand-drive vehicles for its green fleet. However, its white fleet does have some right-hand-drive vehicles for elements such as Non-Appropriated Fund activities and UK-only specialist vehicles. Most white fleet 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 green fleet vehicles for British Forces Germany have been left-hand drive.

During World War II, American truck makers Ford, Chevrolet, and Dodge built 'Canadian Military Pattern truck' [CMP] for use throughout the British Empire and most were right-hand drive to use in left-traffic countries.

On the Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia, traffic drives on the right due to the large US military presence there, even though it is part of the British Indian Ocean Territory.

United States

See also: Driving in the United States

Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, Illinois

All United States states and territories except the US Virgin Islands drive on the right, even though it was under the British Empire. The first keep-right law in the United States, passed in 1792, applied to the Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike. New York in 1804 and New Jersey in 1813 also enacted keep-right rules. Only the formerly British 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 annexed by the United States.

Early American motor vehicles were right-hand drive, following the practice established by horse-drawn buggies. This changed in the early years of the 20th century: Ford changed to LHD production in 1908 with the Model T, and Cadillac did so in 1916.

Today, US motor vehicles are LHD, except postal mail vehicles. The USPS purchased Grumman LLVs from 1987 to 1994. Approximately 140,000 LLVs are in the USPS delivery fleet. It replaced the previous standard letter-carrier vehicle, the Jeep DJ. In some areas LLVs have been replaced with minivans. In 2016, the post office awarded the NGDV Prototype Contract to VT Hackney and Workhorse Group Team as one of the six manufacturers to build and deliver prototype vehicles for the NGDV Program.

American drivers nearly always drive on the right and pass on the left, but state traffic laws generally allow for passing on the right if there is sufficient space to the right of the leading vehicle to pass it safely. Since this is not usually the case, right-side passing is rare except on multi-lane roads and divided highways, or when passing other vehicles that are preparing to turn left.

General exceptions

A road in downtown Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands.

Traffic on the US Virgin Islands drives on the left; thus, the US Virgin Islands 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 Danish West Indies from Denmark in 1917. However, virtually all passenger vehicles are left-hand drive due to imports of US vehicles.

In California, a segment of Interstate 5 near Castaic Lake, north of the Los Angeles area, switches to left-hand traffic as it climbs up the Tehachapi Mountains north towards the Tejon Pass. Because of the terrain, this design allows the southbound (downhill) lanes to have a better grade than the northbound (uphill) lanes, and thus help reduce runaway trucks. A section of Interstate 8 through the Gila Mountains in Arizona also has left-hand traffic because of the terrain. In both cases, the opposing travelways are so widely separated that there is no interaction between the two directions, and motorists are generally unaware of the unusual arrangement.

In North Carolina, a segment Interstate 85 between Greensboro and Charlotte features left hand traffic because a historic bridge is preserved at the rest area in the middle of the segment. The carriageways switch to the opposite sides so that rest areas for both northbound and southbound traffic could have access to the historic bridge, while maintaining the usual configuration of the rest area being to the right of the direction of travel.

See also

• Handedness
• Hook turn
• List of countries with left-hand traffic

• Traffic-light signalling and operation
• World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations
• Wrong-way driving

Gallery

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  Warning sign on the border between Sweden and Norway in 1934
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  A highway close to Madrid (Spain)
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  Gibraltar is RHT.
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  The Don Valley Parkway in Toronto
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  Left-hand traffic in Vienna, c.1930
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  A sign on Australia's Great Ocean Road reminding foreign motorists to keep left. Such signs are placed at the exit of parking areas associated with scenic views, where other road traffic may at times be sparse.
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  The N2 approaching Cape Town
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  Road sign near Uluru/Ayers Rock reminding foreign drivers to keep left.
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  Vehicles entering and leaving Macau cross over each other at the Lotus Bridge.
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  A pedestrian crossing in London
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  Driver on the right side for left-hand traffic
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  Headlamp sold in Sweden not long before Dagen H change from left- to right-hand traffic. Opaque decal blocks lens portion that would provide low beam upkick to the right, and bears warning "Not to be removed before 3 September 1967".
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  RHD Toyota Landcruiser in front of a Pyongyang hotel. Although it drives on the right, North Korea has imported various used RHD vehicles from Japan, from tourist buses to Toyota Land Cruisers.
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  Yungas Road in Bolivia which has right-hand traffic, with the exception of the Yungas Road, where it drives on left to help drivers see their outer wheel while traversing the road.
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  Mumbai Pune Expressway, India
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  Sign reminding motorists to drive on the left in Ireland

External links

• Google Maps placemarks of border crossings where traffic changes sides (browser-based), also available as a Google Earth placemarks file (requires Google Earth)
• "The rule of the road, 1919–1986: a case study in standards change."
• The Extraordinary Street Railways of Asunción, Paraguay