If you’ve ever driven a car in a country where you’re required to drive on the left side of the road, you know it can be pretty nerve-racking. If you’ve ever wondered which major countries drive on the right side of the road and which drive on the left, here’s a list:
Right-Hand Traffic:
Abu Dhabi
Afghanistan
Albania
Algeria
American Samoa
Andorra
Angola
Anguilla
Argentina
Armenia
Aruba
Austria
Bahrain
Belarus
Belgium
Belize
Bolivia
Brazil
Bulgaria
Cambodia
Cameroon
Canada
Canary Islands
Cape Verde
Central African Republic
Chad
Chile
China
Colombia
Comoros
Congo
Costa Rica
Côte d’Ivoire
Croatia
Cuba
Curaçao
Czech Republic
Denmark
Djibouti
Dominican Republic
Dubai
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
Estonia
Ethiopia
Finland
France
French Polynesia
Gambia
Gaza
Georgia
Germany
Ghana
Gibraltar
Greece
Greenland
Guadeloupe
Guam
Guatemala
Guinea
Haiti
Holland
Honduras
Hungary
Iceland
Iran
Iraq
Israel
Italy
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kosovo
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Laos
Latvia
Lebanon
Liberia
Libya
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macedonia
Madagascar
Madeira
Mali
Martinique
Mexico
Moldova
Monaco
Mongolia
Montenegro
Morocco
Myanmar
Netherlands
Nicaragua
Niger
Nigeria
North Korea
Norway
Oman
Palau
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Puerto Rico
Qatar
Romania
Russia
Rwanda
Saint Barthélemy
Saint Martin
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Serbia
Sierra Leone
Slovakia
Slovenia
Somalia
South Korea
Spain
Sudan
Sweden
Switzerland
Syria
Tahiti
Taiwan
Tajikistan
Tunisia
Turkey
Turkmenistan
Ukraine right
United Arab Emirates
United States of America
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Vatican City
Venezuela
Vietnam
Yemen
Left-Hand Traffic:
Anguilla
Antigua and Barbuda
Australia
Bahamas
Bangladesh
Barbados
Bermuda
Bhutan
Botswana
British Virgin Islands
Cayman Islands
Cook Islands
Cyprus
Dominica
England
Fiji
Grenada
Guyana
Hong Kong
India
Indonesia
Ireland
Jamaica
Japan
Jersey
Kenya
Macau
Malaysia
Maldives
Malta
Montserrat
Mozambique
Namibia
Nepal
New Zealand
Norfolk Island
Pakistan
Papua New Guinea
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Helena
Samoa
Scotland
Seychelles
Singapore
South Africa
Sri Lanka
Tanzania
Thailand
Trinidad and Tobago
Turks and Caicos Islands
Uganda
United States Virgin Islands
Wales
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Why?
So.. ever wonder why there are different ways of driving? At one point, nearly everyone traveled on the left side of the road. This was because most people were right-handed, and could easily take on opponents with a sword, if needed. People also found it easier to mount their horses from the left, so riding on the left-hand side gave them some clearance to mount.
Beginning in the late 1700s, there were many reasons that countries switched to right-hand traffic; in the U.S., it was because of the way goods were transported in large wagons. In France and Denmark, it was because aristocrats (left travelers) joined the peasants (right travelers) in order to disguise themselves during the French Revolution. In other European countries, it was because of Napoleon’s conquests…
Today, many of the countries that drive on the left are either South African, South Asian, or old British colonies.
