You’re sitting in the passenger seat of a rented Toyota in St. Thomas, staring at a narrow, winding road that looks entirely too small for two cars. The driver pulls out. Instinctively, your muscles tense. You’re on the "wrong" side. Or at least, it feels wrong because your brain is wired for the right-hand side of the road. But for about 35% of the world's population, this is just Tuesday.
Most people assume the whole world drives on the right except for the UK and maybe Australia. That’s a massive misconception. In reality, where do people drive on the left covers about 75 countries and territories, spanning from the massive Indian subcontinent to tiny islands in the Caribbean.
It’s not just a quirk of history. It’s a legacy of swords, horses, and a very grumpy Napoleon Bonaparte.
The Medieval Reason for Left-Hand Traffic
Centuries ago, everyone walked or rode on the left. Why? Self-preservation.
If you’re a right-handed knight riding a horse down a muddy path in 1300s England, you want your sword hand—your right hand—free and positioned toward any oncoming stranger. By staying on the left, you ensured that if that stranger turned out to be a bandit, your blade was already between you and them. This wasn’t just a British thing; it was the standard across most of Europe and even feudal Japan. Samurai wore their swords on the left hip, and if two samurai passed each other on the right, their scabbards might clashing—a major insult that often led to a duel. So, the left it was.
Everything changed with big wagons and the French Revolution.
In the late 1700s, teamsters in the United States and France began moving large loads using wagons pulled by teams of horses. These wagons didn't have a driver's seat. Instead, the driver sat on the rear left horse so he could keep his right arm free to lash the other horses. To avoid getting his wheels clipped by oncoming traffic, he wanted to see the wheels of the passing wagon up close. The only way to do that was to pass on the right.
✨ Don't miss: Getting to Burning Man: What You Actually Need to Know About the Journey
Then came Napoleon. He was left-handed. He found it easier to command his armies and keep his sword hand ready if they marched on the right. As he conquered Europe—Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Spain—he forced them to switch. The British, who Napoleon never conquered, stubbornly kept to the left. They basically did it to spite him.
A Map of the Left-Hand World
When you look at a map to see where do people drive on the left, you’re essentially looking at a map of the former British Empire, with a few notable exceptions.
The Big Players
India is the heavyweight here. With over 1.4 billion people, it is the most populous country where left-hand traffic (LHT) is the law. If you’ve ever seen a video of a busy intersection in Mumbai, you know it looks like controlled chaos, but the underlying rule is strictly left. Pakistan and Bangladesh follow suit.
Australia and New Zealand are famously "lefties." If you’re planning a road trip from Sydney to Perth, you’ll be shifting gears with your left hand the entire time. The same goes for South Africa, Kenya, and Tanzania. Much of East and Southern Africa kept the British system after independence because the cost of switching the entire infrastructure—road signs, highway exits, and every single car—was simply too high.
The Asian Contradiction
Japan is the most fascinating outlier. Japan was never part of the British Empire, yet they drive on the left. This goes back to the 1800s when Japan was modernizing. When they decided to build their first railway system, they turned to the British for technical help. Because British engineers designed the tracks to run on the left, the country eventually standardized its road rules to match the rail system in 1924.
Thailand is another one. Like Japan, Thailand was never colonized, but early diplomatic ties with Britain and gifts of cars from the British monarchy influenced their choice. Today, Thailand is surrounded by countries that drive on the right (like Laos and Cambodia), which makes for some very confusing border crossings.
🔗 Read more: Tiempo en East Hampton NY: What the Forecast Won't Tell You About Your Trip
The Caribbean and the Americas
This is where it gets messy. In the Caribbean, islands like Jamaica, Barbados, and Trinidad and Tobago stay on the left. But then you have the U.S. Virgin Islands. This is a bizarre anomaly: it's a U.S. territory where they drive on the left but almost all the cars are imported from the mainland U.S. This means the steering wheel is on the "wrong" side for the side of the road they use. You’re sitting toward the curb while trying to overtake a truck. It’s nerve-wracking.
The Great Switches: Why Some Countries Flipped
Not everyone stayed put. Many countries used to drive on the left but realized they were surrounded by right-hand neighbors. Canada is a perfect example. Parts of Canada, like British Columbia and the Atlantic provinces, used to drive on the left. However, to harmonize with the rest of the continent and the burgeoning U.S. auto market, they transitioned to the right in the 1920s.
The most famous switch happened in Sweden on September 3, 1967, known as Dagen H (H-Day).
Sweden was the last country in continental Europe to drive on the left. Their neighbors—Norway and Finland—drove on the right. This led to horrific accidents at the borders. The Swedish government spent years planning the flip. At 4:50 AM that Sunday, all traffic was ordered to stop. At 5:00 AM, they carefully moved to the other side of the road and started driving again. Surprisingly, there were very few accidents that day because everyone was driving so incredibly slowly and cautiously.
Samoa did the opposite in 2009. They are one of the few countries to switch from the right to the left in modern times. The Prime Minister argued that it would be cheaper for citizens to import used cars from nearby Australia and New Zealand rather than expensive right-hand drive cars from the U.S. or Europe. People protested. They predicted carnage. But the switch happened, and the islands adjusted.
The Engineering Headache of Being Different
Driving on the left isn't just about which lane you're in. It affects the entire anatomy of the vehicle.
💡 You might also like: Finding Your Way: What the Lake Placid Town Map Doesn’t Tell You
In a left-hand traffic country, the steering wheel is on the right side of the car (RHD). This puts the driver toward the center of the road, giving them the best view of oncoming traffic. The pedals remain in the same order: clutch on the left, brake in the middle, gas on the right. But the gear shifter is to your left.
One of the most annoying things for tourists? The indicator and wiper stalks. In many Japanese-made RHD cars, the blinker is on the right of the steering column. In European-made RHD cars (like a British Mini), the blinker is often on the left. You’ll spend the first three days of your vacation accidentally cleaning your windshield every time you try to turn a corner.
Then there’s the "Crossover" problem. At borders like the one between China (right) and Hong Kong (left), engineers have to build elaborate "flipper" bridges or ribbon-style interchanges that weave the lanes over and under each other so drivers end up on the correct side without a head-on collision. The Lotus Bridge between Macau and mainland China is a stunning piece of infrastructure built specifically for this purpose.
Common Myths About Left-Side Driving
- Myth 1: It's more dangerous. Statistics don't actually support this. Some researchers, like J.J. Leeming, have argued that left-hand driving is actually safer because the human right eye is typically dominant. When driving on the left, the dominant right eye is used to monitor oncoming traffic and the right-hand side mirror.
- Myth 2: Only island nations do it. Not true. Look at Guyana and Suriname in South America. They are the only two countries on the South American mainland that drive on the left. It makes crossing into Brazil an adventure.
- Myth 3: The US always drove on the right. Nope. In the early days, it was a free-for-all. New York standardized right-hand travel in 1804, but other states took much longer.
Survival Tips for the "Other" Side
If you're heading to London, Tokyo, or Delhi, you need more than just a map. Honestly, the driving part is often easier than the walking part.
- Look Right, then Left, then Right. As a pedestrian in a "lefty" country, your instinct to look left first will get you killed. Look right. That's where the immediate danger is coming from. Most London street corners have "LOOK RIGHT" painted on the pavement because tourists are notoriously bad at this.
- Follow the Leader. If you're driving, don't be the first car on the road in the morning. Follow another car. Your brain will naturally mimic them. The danger happens when the road is empty and your "auto-pilot" kicks in, sending you into the right lane.
- The "Driver to the Center" Rule. No matter what country you're in, the driver should almost always be positioned toward the center line of the road. If you find yourself next to the sidewalk/curb, you’re probably in the wrong lane.
- Roundabouts are Clockwise. This is the big one. In the US, you go counter-clockwise. In Australia or the UK, you enter to the left and move clockwise. Give way to traffic coming from your right.
Where to Expect the Left
| Region | Key Countries/Territories |
|---|---|
| Europe | United Kingdom, Ireland, Malta, Cyprus |
| Asia | India, Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Hong Kong |
| Oceania | Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa |
| Africa | South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia |
| Americas | Jamaica, Bahamas, Barbados, Guyana, Suriname, US Virgin Islands |
While the world is slowly moving toward a right-hand standard for the sake of the global auto trade, the "lefties" aren't going anywhere fast. The cost of changing the infrastructure in a place like India or the UK would be hundreds of billions of dollars.
For now, the world remains divided. It’s a messy, historical, confusing split that forces our brains to stay sharp when we travel. Just remember: stay left, look right, and maybe avoid driving in central London altogether if you value your sanity.
Actionable Next Steps
- Check your rental: If you are traveling to an LHT country, specifically request an automatic transmission. Learning to drive on the left while also learning to shift gears with your non-dominant hand is a recipe for a bad time.
- Study the "Hook Turn": If you’re headed to Melbourne, Australia, look up the "Hook Turn." It’s a unique right-hand turn made from the far-left lane, and it confuses everyone.
- Use a "Side Reminder": Many travelers put a small sticky note on the dashboard that says "STAY LEFT" or "DRIVE LEFT" to fight the muscle memory of driving at home.