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Home : Life : Left Hand Drive Driving Orientation – The Biggest Failure Of The British Empire

driving orientation
driving orientation

Left Hand Drive Driving Orientation – The Biggest Failure Of The British Empire

May 14, 2014 by J. Frank Wilson
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Reading Time: 5 minutes

The British Empire was the most extensive empires in world history. Before World War I, at the peak of its power, the British Empire looked over a population of about 458 million people, or approximately 1/4 of both the world’s population and total land area. As a result, British influence remains strong throughout the world to this day. Everything from legal and governmental systems, militarily structure, sports (cricket, rugby, and football), and the English language itself are core elements of societies around the world.

But one thing that ultimately failed to catch on was the English’s preferred driving orientation, the left side of the road. Here’s why left hand drive driving orientation is the biggest failure of the British Empire.

Left Hand Drive Driving Orientation – The Biggest Failure of the British Empire

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Left Hand Drive vs Right Hand Drive Countries

Left Hand Drive Driving Orientation - The Biggest Failure Of The British Empire
via chartsbin

This map shows both left hand drive countries and right hand drive countries (click on the image to zoom in). By the numbers, 165 countries and territories drive on the right-hand side of the road compared to only 75 countries and territories preferring the left. Furthermore, a massive majority of the world population, including China, Europe (except the UK) and the United States all drive on the right.

So what side of the road do most people drive on? Here’s a list of each country and its driving orientation:

Afghanistan right side
Albania right side
Algeria right side
American Samoa right side
Andorra right side
Angola right side
Anguilla left side
Antigua and Barbuda left side
Argentina right side
Armenia right side
Aruba right side
Australia left side
Austria right side
Azerbaijan right side
Bahamas, The left side
Bahrain right side
Bangladesh left side
Barbados left side
Belarus right side
Belgium right side
Belize right side
Benin right side
Bermuda left side
Bhutan left side
Bolivia right side
Bosnia and Herzegovina right side
Botswana left side
Brazil right side
British Indian Ocean Territory right side
Brunei left side
Bulgaria right side
Burkina Faso right side
Burundi right side
Cambodia right side
Cameroon right side
Canada right side
Cape Verde right side
Cayman Islands left side
Central African Republic right side
Chad right side
Chile right side
China right side
Christmas Island left side
Cocos (Keeling) Islands left side
Colombia right side
Comoros right side
Congo, Republic of the right side
Congo, Democratic Republic of the right side
Cook Islands left side
Costa Rica right side
Côte d’Ivoire right side
Croatia right side
Cuba right side
Cyprus left side
Czech Republic right side
Denmark right side
Djibouti right side
Dominica left side
Dominican Republic right side
Ecuador right side
Egypt right side
El Salvador right side
Equatorial Guinea right side
Eritrea right side
Estonia right side
Ethiopia right side
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) left side
Faroe Islands right side
Fiji left side
Finland right side
France right side
French Guiana right side
French Polynesia right side
Gabon right side
Gambia, The right side
Georgia right side
Germany right side
Ghana right side
Gibraltar right side
Greece right side
Greenland right side
Grenada left side
Guadeloupe right side
Guam right side
Guatemala right side
Guernsey left side
Guinea right side
Guinea-Bissau right side
Guyana left side
Haiti right side
Holy See (Vatican City) right side
Honduras right side
Hong Kong left side
Hungary right side
Iceland right side
India left side
Indonesia left side
Iran right side
Iraq right side
Ireland left side
Isle of Man left side
Israel right side
Italy right side
Jamaica left side
Japan left side
Jersey left side
Jordan right side
Kazakhstan right side
Kenya left side
Kiribati left side
Korea, North right side
Korea, South right side
Kuwait right side
Kyrgyzstan right side
Laos right side
Latvia right side
Lebanon right side
Lesotho left side
Liberia right side
Libya right side
Liechtenstein right side
Lithuania right side
Luxembourg right side
Macau left side
Macedonia right side
Madagascar right side
Malawi left side
Malaysia left side
Maldives left side
Mali right side
Malta left side
Marshall Islands right side
Martinique right side
Mauritania right side
Mauritius left side
Mayotte right side
Mexico right side
Micronesia, Federated States of right side
Moldova right side
Monaco right side
Mongolia right side
Montenegro right side
Montserrat left side
Morocco right side
Mozambique left side
Burma right side
Namibia left side
Nauru left side
Nepal left side
Netherlands right side
Netherlands Antilles right side
New Caledonia right side
New Zealand left side
Nicaragua right side
Niger right side
Nigeria right side
Niue left side
Norfolk Island left side
Northern Mariana Islands right side
Norway right side
Oman right side
Pakistan left side
Palau right side
West Bank right side
Panama right side
Papua New Guinea left side
Paraguay right side
Peru right side
Philippines right side
Pitcairn Islands left side
Poland right side
Portugal right side
Puerto Rico right side
Qatar right side
Réunion right side
Romania right side
Russia right side
Rwanda right side
Saint Barthélemy right side
Saint Helena left side
Saint Kitts and Nevis left side
Saint Lucia left side
Saint Martin right side
Saint Pierre and Miquelon right side
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines left side
Samoa left side
San Marino right side
Sao Tome and Principe right side
Saudi Arabia right side
Senegal right side
Serbia right side
Seychelles left side
Sierra Leone right side
Singapore left side
Slovakia right side
Slovenia right side
Solomon Islands left side
Somalia right side
South Africa left side
Spain right side
Sri Lanka left side
Sudan right side
Suriname left side
Svalbard right side
Swaziland left side
Sweden right side
Switzerland right side
Syria right side
Taiwan right side
Tajikistan right side
Tanzania left side
Thailand left side
Timor-Leste left side
Togo right side
Tokelau left side
Tonga left side
Trinidad and Tobago left side
Tunisia right side
Turkey right side
Turkmenistan right side
Turks and Caicos Islands left side
Tuvalu left side
Uganda left side
Ukraine right side
United Arab Emirates right side
United Kingdom left side
United States right side
Uruguay right side
Uzbekistan right side
Vanuatu right side
Venezuela right side
Vietnam right side
British Virgin Islands left side
Virgin Islands left side
Wallis and Futuna right side
Western Sahara right side
Yemen right side
Zambia left side
Zimbabwe left side
Midway Islands right side

 

Why Do Some Countries Drive On The Left Side Of The Road?

When comparing left-handed vs right-handed people, lefties are definitely the minority. 70-90% of the world’s population is right-handed. Thanks to right-handed instinct, it’s natural for most people to walk or drive on the right side of the road.

So why did the British choose the other side of the road? Swords. Since most people are right-handed, feudal societies, like early England, preferred to pass someone on the left so they could draw their sword with their right hand if necessary.

Left Hand Drive vs Right Hand Drive

So what side of the road do you drive on? Have you driven on both sides of the road? Which side do you prefer left hand drive or right hand drive? Please tell us in the comments below.





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J. Frank Wilson
J. Frank Wilson

Frank Wilson is a retired teacher with over 30 years of combined experience in the education, small business technology, and real estate business. He now blogs as a hobby and spends most days tinkering with old computers. Wilson is passionate about tech, enjoys fishing, and loves drinking beer.


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Category: Life Tag: Afghanistan, Albania, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, congo, costa rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Department for Transport, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Driving, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, French Guiana, French Polynesia, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Gibraltar, Great Britain, Greece, Greenland, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guam, Guatemala, Guernsey, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Holy See, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Isle of Man, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japanese, Jersey, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mayotte, mexico, Micronesia, Midway Islands, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Montserrat, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Niue, Norfolk Island, North Korea, Northern Mariana Islands, Norway, ocean, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Pitcairn Islands, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Réunion, Road Rules, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Barthélemy, Saint Helena, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Svalbard, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, The, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tokelau, Tonga, traffic, Transportation, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Turks and Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vatican City, Venezuela, Vietnam, Virgin Islands, West Bank, Western Sahara, World, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe
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Comments

  1. eiredude

    Oct 9, 2014 at 12:41 AM

    I’ve lived and driven a lot in both RHD and LHD countries. Generally it is easy to context switch because a) the pedals stay in the same relative position and b) your mind adjusts to the new position and aims to keep you – the driver – near the middle of the road. But I’ve also driven LHD cars in RHD countries and vice versa and this is another matter entirely. Overtaking on 2 lane roads is hazardous and it is very easy to return to a 2 lane road (say from a fuel station) and travel on the wrong side if there isn’t much traffic about. On divided highways or motorways it is more manageable but you still need good wing mirror to make overtaking safer.

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