When many people and vehicles move in the same place, rules are needed to make everything work. Without rules, traffic jams and standstills can easily happen, so that no one gets through.
Left-hand traffic is an interesting part of the world’s traffic systems. In countries with left-hand traffic, people drive on the left side of the road, which can feel unusual for those who are used to right-hand traffic.
This rule does not only affect drivers, but also pedestrians and cyclists. Many vehicles are also adapted for left-hand traffic, which can make it even more difficult for someone who is not used to it.
Why do some countries have left-hand traffic?
On the world map, it is clear that left-hand traffic is mainly found in former British colonies. There are also a few exceptions, such as Japan.
The United Kingdom did not want to switch to right-hand traffic because the British Commonwealth was once a very powerful force in the world.
These countries have left-hand traffic in the world
Below you can see all the countries that have left-hand traffic.
Europe
Only four countries in Europe have left-hand traffic today: the United Kingdom, Ireland, Malta and Cyprus, as well as the British territory of Gibraltar.
Asia
Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Macao, Malaysia, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand and East Timor.
Japan adopted left-hand traffic because British engineers designed the country’s first railway and used left-hand traffic at that time.
Africa
In Africa, left-hand traffic is used in Botswana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, the Seychelles, Swaziland, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The rest of the world
Australia, New Zealand and some island nations in the Pacific, such as Fiji and Samoa, also have left-hand traffic.
In the Caribbean, the Bahamas, Barbados, the Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines have left-hand traffic. The same also applies to Suriname, Guyana and the Falkland Islands in South America.