Ever stood on a curb in London or Tokyo, looked the wrong way, and nearly stepped into the path of a silent, speeding bus? It’s terrifying. Honestly, most of us take the side of the road for granted until we’re staring down a grille that shouldn’t be there.
Right now, about 65% of the world’s population lives in countries that drive on the right. That sounds like a massive majority, and it is. Basically, if you’re planning a road trip across the Americas, most of Europe, or mainland China, you’re in the "right" zone. But the history of how we got here isn't just about logic. It’s about swords, angry French revolutionaries, and even stubborn camels.
Why Do Most Countries Drive on the Right?
If you go back far enough, everyone was actually a "lefty."
In the Roman Empire and medieval Europe, you stayed on the left so your right hand—your sword hand—was free to greet or fight someone coming the other way. It was a safety thing. If a stranger approached, you wanted your weapon between you and them. Simple.
So, what changed?
Napoleon Bonaparte is the guy usually blamed (or credited) for the shift in Europe. Napoleon was left-handed. He found it easier to attack from the right. As he conquered his way through Europe, he forced the countries that drive on the right to stay that way to accommodate his armies. The nations he couldn't conquer—like Great Britain and the Austro-Hungarian Empire—stuck to the left just to spite him.
The Wagon Factor
In the early United States, things shifted because of "teamsters." These weren't the union guys we know today; they were drivers of huge freight wagons pulled by teams of horses. These wagons didn't have a driver's seat. Instead, the driver sat on the left rear horse. Why? So he could use his right hand to whip the rest of the team.
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Because he was sitting on the left, he wanted oncoming wagons to pass him on his left side. This allowed him to look down and make sure his wheels weren't scraping the other guy's. To do that, he had to keep his wagon on the right side of the road.
By the time Henry Ford started cranking out the Model T, he put the steering wheel on the left side of the car. Since Ford dominated the market, the world basically had to adjust.
A Look Around the Map
You’ve got the heavy hitters like the USA, Canada, and China. But the list is way more nuanced than just "the big guys."
In Europe, almost everyone is on the right. The exceptions are the UK, Ireland, Malta, and Cyprus. It's kinda wild to think that if you drive from Portugal all the way to Russia, you never have to switch sides. But the moment you take a ferry to Dover, everything flips.
South America is almost entirely right-hand traffic. Even countries with deep colonial ties to "lefty" nations, like Brazil (Portuguese) and Argentina (Spanish), are firmly in the right-hand camp.
The African Divide
Africa is a patchwork. Most of the continent drives on the right, especially the northern and western regions like Egypt, Nigeria, and Morocco. However, once you hit the southern part of the continent—places like South Africa, Namibia, and Zimbabwe—you’re back on the left. This is almost entirely due to which European power colonized the area. If it was the British, you're on the left. If it was the French or the Portuguese, you're on the right.
The "Dagen H" Chaos
Sweden is the ultimate "I told you so" story. Up until 1967, Swedes drove on the left, even though all their neighbors drove on the right. It was a mess. People would cross the border and forget which side they were on.
The government finally pulled the trigger on September 3, 1967—known as Dagen H (H-Day). At 4:50 AM, every vehicle in the country had to stop. They carefully moved to the other side of the road and waited ten minutes. At 5:00 AM, they started driving again on the right. Surprisingly, there wasn't a huge spike in accidents. People were so terrified of crashing that they drove incredibly carefully for months.
Surprising Countries That Drive on the Right
You might expect certain places to follow their neighbors, but politics and history are weird.
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- Myanmar: They actually switched from left to right in 1970. Rumor has it the ruler's wife's astrologer told him it would be better for the country. To this day, you’ll still see old cars with the steering wheel on the "wrong" side because the change was so abrupt.
- Gibraltar: This tiny British territory drives on the right, even though the UK drives on the left. Why? Because they share a land border with Spain. Having thousands of cars switch sides every morning at a tiny border gate would be a nightmare.
- The Bahamas: They actually drive on the left, but here’s the kicker: most of their cars are imported from the US. So you have people driving on the left side of the road while sitting on the left side of the car. It makes overtaking almost impossible without a passenger screaming "Clear!"
What You Need to Know Before You Go
Honestly, switching sides isn't as hard as it sounds, but it’s the "muscle memory" that gets you.
When you're in countries that drive on the right, your biggest risk isn't the highway. It’s the empty parking lot. When there’s no other traffic to follow, your brain defaults to your "home" setting. You’ll pull out of a gas station and head straight into the wrong lane.
Pro-Tips for the Switch:
- Follow the Leader: If there’s a car in front of you, just do what they do.
- The "Driver in the Middle" Rule: Whether you're on the left or the right, the driver should almost always be positioned toward the center of the road, not the curb.
- Roundabouts are Counter-Clockwise: In right-hand traffic, you enter the circle and turn right. It feels wrong the first three times. Just breathe.
- Pedestrian Safety: This is the big one. If you’re from a left-hand country, you’re used to looking right first. In right-hand countries, look left. Then look right. Then look left again.
The Future of the Road
Will the whole world eventually switch to the right? Probably not.
The cost of changing infrastructure in a place like the UK or Japan is astronomical. Think about every highway exit, every bus door (which would open into traffic), and every traffic light. It’s billions of dollars.
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In fact, the most recent change was actually away from the right. In 2009, Samoa switched from the right to the left. They did it so they could import cheaper used cars from Australia and New Zealand. It just goes to show that economics usually beats tradition every time.
Actionable Next Steps for Travelers
- Check the Rental: If you're visiting a right-hand country, verify if the car is an automatic. Managing a gear shift with your "weak" hand while trying to stay on the correct side of the road is a recipe for a headache.
- Download an Offline Map: You don't want to be figuring out lane positioning while also being lost. Focus on the road first.
- Practice in the Lot: If you're nervous, spend 10 minutes in the rental car parking lot. Get a feel for the dimensions of the car from the "other" seat.
The world is a bit of a jigsaw puzzle when it comes to traffic, but once you understand the "why" behind the "where," it all starts to make a lot more sense. Just remember: keep the driver in the middle, and you’ll be fine.