September 11, 2025, 4:42 am | Read time: 3 minutes
For many Germans, it’s still a peculiar phenomenon: driving on the left side of the road in our English neighbors’ country. But it’s not just the United Kingdom—a third of the world’s population drives on what is perceived as the wrong side of the road. TRAVELBOOK explains why.
For those who learned to drive here, a road trip abroad can be challenging—especially in countries with left-hand traffic. And it’s not just the United Kingdom; in total, 58 countries around the world, including Malta, Australia, India, and Japan, drive on the left. The fact that a third of the world’s population adheres to left-hand traffic has historical reasons.
Overview
The History of Left-Hand Traffic
As reported by the “Süddeutsche Zeitung,” the development of left-hand traffic has a simple, historically practical reason: Most of the population was right-handed, carrying a sword on the left side to draw it more easily in battle. Dismounting from a horse was also preferred on the left side, providing protection from traffic when on the left side of the road. Coachmen sat on the right side of their carriage to avoid endangering passengers with their swinging whip, thus preferring to drive on the left for better visibility. Left-hand traffic was reserved for the wealthier population who could afford horses or carriages, while pedestrians were forced to walk on the right.
The World’s Friendliest (and Unfriendliest) Countries According to Expats
What to look out for when driving in Japan
Napoleon Enforced Right-Hand Traffic
This changed during the French Revolution after 1789 when the politician Robespierre mandated right-hand traffic by law. Napoleon made it official by imposing right-hand traffic in all conquered countries. Some countries remained loyal to left-hand traffic and reintroduced it after Napoleon’s fall, such as in Vienna until 1938 and in Iceland until 1968.
There is also a theory that most people held their swords in their right hand while on horseback, allowing them to face potential attackers on the right side.
However, the exact origin of left- or right-hand traffic cannot be precisely determined, as confirmed by Bettina Gundler, head of the Land Transport Department at the Deutsches Museum in Munich. She told TRAVELBOOK that political agreements were made in the 19th and 20th centuries when traffic became more significant, and right-hand traffic eventually prevailed.
Which Countries Have Left-Hand Traffic?
(Source: ADAC and TRAVELBOOK)
Europe
- United Kingdom
- Ireland
- Cyprus (including Northern Cyprus)
- Malta
Oceania
- Australia
- Fiji
- New Zealand
- Papua New Guinea
- Samoa
- Solomon Islands
- Tonga
- Cook Islands
Asia
- Bangladesh
- Bhutan
- Brunei
- East Timor
- Hong Kong
- India
- Indonesia
- Japan
- Malaysia
- Maldives
- Nepal
- Nepal
- Pakistan
- Singapore
- Sri Lanka
- Thailand
- Timor-Leste
North/Central America
- Anguilla
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Bahamas
- Bermuda
- British Virgin Islands
- Dominica
- Grenada
- Jamaica
- Cayman Islands
- Montserrat
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Turks and Caicos Islands
- British Virgin Islands
- U.S. Virgin Islands
South America
- Guyana
- Falkland Islands
- Suriname
Africa
- Botswana
- Eswatini
- Ghana
- Kenya
- Lesotho
- Malawi
- Mauritius
- Mozambique
- Namibia
- Seychelles
- South Africa
- Tanzania
- Uganda
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe