Who has left-hand traffic?

The bulk of countries that drive on the left are former British colonies including South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Only four countries in Europe still drive on the left and they are all islands. They consist of the UK, the Republic of Ireland, Malta and Cyprus.

Where did left hand drive come from?

The practice is believed to date back to ancient Rome. Romans steered their carts and chariots with the left hand, to free up the right so they could use weapons to defend against enemy attacks. This carried over into medieval Europe and in 1773, the British government passed measures to make left-hand traffic the law.

What countries drive on the left hand side of the road?

Most areas of the world which were formerly British colonies still drive on the left hand side of the road including Australia, the Caribbean, India and South Africa. Japan also drives on the left. Europe generally drives on the right hand side apart from Cyprus, Ireland, Malta and the United Kingdom.

When did cars go to left hand drive?

1908
Thus, most American cars produced before 1910 were made with right-side driver seating, although intended for right-side driving. Such vehicles remained in common use until 1915, and the 1908 Model T was the first of Ford’s cars to feature a left-side driving position.

How did left hand traffic spread across the world?

Britain, Sweden, Austria-Hungary and Portugal remained left-handed. As a result, England began to determine the spread of left-hand traffic across the planet. First of all we are talking about its overseas colonies: India, Australia and others. In Japan, left-hand traffic was accepted when British engineers built the first railroad there.

How many countries drive on the left hand side of the road?

Right- and left-hand traffic. While most countries who drive on the left-hand are former British colonies, there are some that were not that still chose the the left-hand side of the road, including Japan, Thailand, Nepal, Bhutan, Mozambique, Suriname, East Timor, and Indonesia. Today, only four European countries drive on the left-hand,…

How many people live in right and left hand traffic?

This basic rule eases traffic flow and reduces the risk of head-on collisions. Today about 66.1% of the world’s people live in right-hand traffic countries and 33.9% in left-hand traffic countries.

Which is the reverse of right and left hand traffic?

The terms right and left hand drive refers to the position of the driver in the vehicle and are the reverse of the terms right and left hand traffic. RHT is used in 165 countries and territories, with the remaining 75 countries and territories using LHT. [2]