There are but a few places in the world with left-hand traffic or LHT.
Simply put, the steering wheel would be on the right side of the front seat of a vehicle.
And as 72% of the world's roads carry traffic on the right, some coil right-hand driving as driving on the "wrong side of the road".
More often than not, RHT countries use cars that are LHD or left-hand driven where the driver's seat is on the left-hand side of the car.
Conversely, LHT countries quintessentially utilize vehicles that are RHD or right-hand drive.
Understanding guidelines in driving in LHT countries is essential for mobility stressing on countries where public transport is nil to impossible.
Also, this information will be crucial for the pedestrian-slash-commuter who can save on a lot of viable humiliation and casualty by checking this page.
With a bit of luck, this short number will encourage the readers and students in particular to conduct further research on the countries intended for visit.
Road orientation is bizarre, etiquette is unusual, and all the while the car feels wrong while driven on the right.
So if you're a traveller or expat who has been accustomed to driving on the right side of the road, or simply some ignoramus looking for factoids, here are some sane LHT reminders and road advices.
1.
The obvious, the driver's seat is on the right.
2.
Traffic is mainly kept left unless overtaking.
3.
Approaching traffic is seen also from the right.
4.
For the most part, the traffic signs are on the left side of the road facing the motorist.
5.
An overtaking vehicle passes the other vehicle/s on the right, with some exemptions.
6.
On a roundabout, the traffic direction is clockwise.
7.
Freeway exits are on the left.
8.
Public transport entrance and exit are on the left, save for some with additional doors.
9.
The pedestrian, upon crossing a two-way road, must look for traffic from their right.
Renting a car is beneficial to mobility and comfort especially in hot countries, the Middle East, for instance, where gasoline is generally more expensive than water.
Also, this is a more economic option when travelling in a crowd of 3 or so.
Although the orientation and directions can perplex, there are quick and easy advices that can be taken on.
Not so much to worry about besides switching orientations really.
So, here are 4 no-brainer quick safeties the traveller can do to ease the new joy of right-hand driving.
1.
Go for AT (automatic transmission).
As if driving in an entirely different universe isn't hard enough, lessen the challenge at hand by not worrying how to switch gears with your left hand, particularly when entirely inexperienced with driving on the right.
2.
Know the car before you hit the road, like you were when you were learning to drive.
Basically, this means feeling the car and familiarising yourself with the car's controls and equipments, which are almost at the same place (just on the right), except for the handbrake and gear.
A-B-C which stands for accelerator, brake, and clutch, is the same on the right.
3.
Do a dry-run.
When you haven't got a chance to practice back home, then drive some rounds or the basic forwards and backwards at the rental company's car park.
The emptier the lot, the better and safer! 4.
Once you hit the LHT roads, remember to always keep left.
All the right-hand driving adjustments may confuse you so much as to divert you.
It doesn't take too long to get used to this with constant driving and practice.
The main principle is to have the driver nearest to the center line.
These road and transport choices go way back in history, mainly British and its flag-plunging history.
There would have been more than 75 LHT-oriented countries, if not for most countries adapting to the road system of their colonizers, as Spain and France.
Most parts of the world that has become a part of the British Empire remained to drive on LHT, as the former French colonies maintained RHT.
Backpackers need to be made aware of the different road and traffic rules that apply in various countries throughout the world when considering your next backpacking adventure.
Studies show that countries driving on LHT have lower collision rate just because humans utilize far better the dominant eye, which is more commonly the right.
Nevertheless, driving on the left-side of the road is just as safe as on the right.
Those that say otherwise are merely theorizing.
Among countries or in any place, traffic laws may differ insofar as traffic lanes, licenses, insurance policies and highway etiquette - adjustments are always necessary even in Right-Hand Traffic (RHT) countries.
Research of the traffic laws at the country of destination is not just a smart decision, it is intuitive.
LHT countries include: 1.
Anguilla 2.
Antigua and Barbuda 3.
Australia 4.
Bahamas 5.
Bangladesh 6.
Barbados 7.
Bermuda 8.
Bhutan 9.
Botswana 10.
Brunei 11.
Cayman Islands 12.
Christmas Island (Australia) 13.
Cook Islands 14.
Cyprus 15.
Dominica 16.
East Timor 17.
Falkland Islands 18.
Fiji 19.
Grenada 20.
Guernsey (Channel Islands) 21.
Guyana 22.
Hong Kong 23.
India 24.
Indonesia 25.
Ireland 26.
Isle of Man 27.
Jamaica 28.
Japan 29.
Jersey (Channel Islands) 30.
Kenya 31.
Kiribati 32.
Cocos (Keeling) Islands (Australia) 33.
Lesotho 34.
Macau 35.
Malawi 36.
Malaysia 37.
Maldives 38.
Malta 39.
Mauritius 40.
Montserrat 41.
Mozambique 42.
Namibia 43.
Nauru 44.
Nepal 45.
New Zealand 46.
Niue 47.
Norfolk Island (Australia) 48.
Pakistan 49.
Papua New Guinea 50.
Pitcairn Islands (Britain) 51.
Saint Helena 52.
Saint Kitts and Nevis 53.
Saint Lucia 54.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 55.
Samoa 56.
Seychelles 57.
Singapore 58.
Solomon Islands 59.
South Africa 60.
Sri Lanka 61.
Suriname 62.
Swaziland 63.
Tanzania 64.
Thailand 65.
Tokelau (New Zealand) 66.
Tonga 67.
Trinidad and Tobago 68.
Turks and Caicos Islands 69.
Tuvalu 70.
Uganda 71.
United Kingdom (England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland) 72.
Virgin Islands (British) 73.
Virgin Islands (US) 74.
Zambia 75.
Zimbabwe