Different countries drive on different sides of the road depending on their traffic regulations. Before you visit a foreign country, you should be aware of the traffic rules in those specific countries; it is paramount to know which side of the road you would drive when in the country. Below is a comprehensive guide to aid in your traffic research of your next destination, the guide will elaborate the countries that use the left side of the road; the countries not in this guide, therefore, uses the right side of the road.
History of the Left-Hand Drive
A quick research of the countries that drive on the left side of the road points to a common conclusion; that some European countries and almost all the British colonies use the left- hand side of the road. The United Kingdom, Malta, Ireland, and Cyprus uses the left side of the road. Some regions of Europe acquired the idea of a left drive from the Romans who used to drive their war chariots on the left-hand side. Historians believe that they used the left-hand side for safety since the right-hand side was free to hold the sword and make attacks when necessary. Britain officially adopted the left side drive by passing laws in 1835 that made it legal to use the left-side of the road in Britain. With the scramble and partitioning of Africa, the British acquired colonies in Africa and other regions such as India, Japan, Indonesia, and Thailand. The left-hand drive culture was passed and adopted by the colonies as the official driving culture of the land.
Some countries that initially adopted the left-hand drive culture switched to right-hand culture after challenges of integration with their neighbors; Canada changed to right-hand drive in 1920's to allow swift movement of traffic between the United States of America and Canada. Sweden has also switched from left-hand side drive. The side of the drive also affects the design of the car. Car manufacturers make some cars with the driver's seat on the left and others with driver's seat on the right. The countries with the left-hand drive policy ordinarily purchase vehicles with right-side driver's seat.
Left-hand side drive countries
Countries that drive on the left side of the road are the minority, accounting for approximately 35 % of the total number of countries in the world. As earlier indicated the third of the world's countries that uses the left side has a very close association to Britain. Below is an exhaustive list of those countries;
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Conclusion
The guide should be vital for any person planning to visit a country for the first time. It would be wrong for you to get arrested by the cops in a foreign country because of the violation of their traffic rules and regulation.
