About 35% of the world population drives on the left side of the road. The countries that do are
mostly british colonies. This strange rule perplexes the rest of the world; but there is a good reason.
When people still rode horses, it was more convenient to drive on the left. People find it easier to
mount their horses from the left. If they wore a sword, it would be very difficult to do it otherwise. It
is also safer to mount and dismount towards the side of the road, rather than in the middle of traffic,
so if one mounts on the left, then the horse should be ridden on the left side of the road.
Great Britain considered changing from driving left to driving right in 1960, but the country’s
conservative powers did everything they could to preserve it. Furthermore, it would cost billions of
pounds to change everything. Eventually, Britain dropped the idea. Today, only four European
countries still drive on the left: the United Kingdom, Ireland, Cyprus and Malta.
While all countries that have swapped sides have transferred from left to right, the only three cases
recorded of a transfer from right to left were in East Timor, in Okinawa and in Samoa.
Green coloured countries drive on the right, orange countries drive on the left. Most former British
colonies, with some exceptions, drive on the left side of the road, whereas the United States of
America, Latin American countries and European countries drive on the right. Almost always, in
countries where one drives on the right-hand side of the road, the cars are built so that the driver sits
on the left-hand side of the car and vice versa .
mostly british colonies. This strange rule perplexes the rest of the world; but there is a good reason.
When people still rode horses, it was more convenient to drive on the left. People find it easier to
mount their horses from the left. If they wore a sword, it would be very difficult to do it otherwise. It
is also safer to mount and dismount towards the side of the road, rather than in the middle of traffic,
so if one mounts on the left, then the horse should be ridden on the left side of the road.
Great Britain considered changing from driving left to driving right in 1960, but the country’s
conservative powers did everything they could to preserve it. Furthermore, it would cost billions of
pounds to change everything. Eventually, Britain dropped the idea. Today, only four European
countries still drive on the left: the United Kingdom, Ireland, Cyprus and Malta.
While all countries that have swapped sides have transferred from left to right, the only three cases
recorded of a transfer from right to left were in East Timor, in Okinawa and in Samoa.
Green coloured countries drive on the right, orange countries drive on the left. Most former British
colonies, with some exceptions, drive on the left side of the road, whereas the United States of
America, Latin American countries and European countries drive on the right. Almost always, in
countries where one drives on the right-hand side of the road, the cars are built so that the driver sits
on the left-hand side of the car and vice versa .
