What country drives on the opposite side?

Most areas of the world which were formerly British colonies still drive on the left hand side of the road including Australia, the Caribbean, India and South Africa. Japan also drives on the left. Europe generally drives on the right hand side apart from Cyprus, Ireland, Malta and the United Kingdom.

Why do different countries drive on opposite sides?

The practice is believed to date back to ancient Rome. Romans steered their carts and chariots with the left hand, to free up the right so they could use weapons to defend against enemy attacks. This carried over into medieval Europe and in 1773, the British government passed measures to make left-hand traffic the law.

How many countries in the world drive on the left?

78 countries
A total of 78 countries and territories drive on the left. About one-quarter of all of the world’s roads and about 35\% of the world’s population drive on the road’s left side.

Why does America drive on the wrong side of the road?

Drivers tended to sit on the right so they could ensure their buggy, wagon, or other vehicle didn’t run into a roadside ditch. Thus, most American cars produced before 1910 were made with right-side driver seating, although intended for right-side driving.

Did the US ever drive on the left?

Thus, most American cars produced before 1910 were made with right-side driver seating, although intended for right-side driving. Such vehicles remained in common use until 1915, and the 1908 Model T was the first of Ford’s cars to feature a left-side driving position.

Why do countries cross the road on opposite sides?

Where neighbouring countries drive on opposite sides of the road, drivers from one to the other must change sides when crossing the border. Therefore, to help the drivers easily cross over without feeling a sudden change, various types of roads are constructed. Around the world there are more than 15 changing sides at borders.

Which side of the road do most people drive on?

Some countries in Africa, Asia and South America have land borders where drivers must change to the other side of the road. 66\% of the world’s population lives in countries that drive on the right side of the road while the remaining 34\% live in countries that drive on the left side.

Where do right-hand drive countries meet left-hand-drive countries?

There are surprisingly few land borders on Earth where right-hand-drive countries meet left-hand-drive ones. Thanks largely to the British Empire, a majority of the world used to drive their cars and carriages on the left—including the U.S. until the early 19th century, and parts of Canada into the early 20th.

Which countries border each other on the left?

In fact, most of the remaining major drive-on-the-left countries (Britain, Japan, Australia) are islands, so the border problem doesn’t really come up. Other major exceptions (southeast Africa, the nations that were once British India) come in clusters that mostly border each other.