Right Hand Drive

[Chef]

What countries other than Britain, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand drive on the "wrong side" of the road and why? Sweden used to but changed several years ago.

[outinforce]

Just An Observation, Chef

"The Wrong Side" of the Road?

You may want to consider a different way of expressing this thought.

There are folks in the UK, and other countries who would suggest that the rest of the world drives on "The wrong side of the road".

[Chef]

6. Right Side

I kinda thought by putting "wrong side" in quotes I had taken care of it. When I was in the service, I went to Australia. We met some young ladies who were driving a Holden. When I got in the passenger's seat I commented that I had always liked foreign cars. She said, "foreign?" We all laughed at how silly that was.

[Mari333]

1. Notice the island status of many

It was , as I recall reading, based on the paths that people used in ancient times to walk or drive their herds...I remember reading about it on the web..Ireland also drives on the other side then we in the US do..
in their countries, its the correct side of the road..thats why I cant drive in Ireland..I would kill someone LOL

[outinforce]

2. It's Kind Of Like ----

You're onto something here, Mari333.

The island status of places like Britain gives rise to a sort of independence that has the following sort of effects:

Some time ago, in the time before wireless and satellite communications, the primary commuinication link between Great Britain and the European Continent was a cable that ran under the English Channel. During a violent storm on the Channel, the cable was somehow severed.

The headline on at least on British newspaper the next day read as follows: "Cable Severed. Continent Isolated."

[reprobate]

9. Mari, I've heard it had to do with the sword hand.

Most people being right handed, when meeting they would grasp right hands to show they were not intending to fight (the origin of the handshake). This would also put them on the left side of any road or pathway.

Seems reasonable. Follow most traditions and you'll find some ancient reason that has no bearing on today's world.

[Maeve]

15. If I could get the hang of it, it would be safer for me over there

Studies show that left-handed types (moi) are less likely to have accidents in left-side drive countries. Seems that when you react to a possible crisis you tend to turn toward your dominant hand. In the US, that means lefties turn into on-coming traffic.

Didn't try driving in Ireland last summer (Hubby can't stand being a passenger!), but I will next trip.

[Fovea]

3. A sparring partner of mine always used to call me a 'wrong hander'

But that was when he could not stop my lefty punch.

[trotsky]

4. Here's an interesting writeup.

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Valley/8414/drive-right.htm

[Jokerman]

5. Jamaica

They seem to have very few rules for traffic but they do drive on the "other" side of the road.

[mike1963]

12. Jamaica is scary to drive in, most of the cars are old American heaps

with left-hand driver seats. Makes passing a somewhat interesting
enterprise. :D

[stevedeshazer]

7. India

All the former British colonies, save Canada.

[AngryAmish]

8. Well, are not several of our states former British colonies?

Neither changes because the cost of change is very high. left hand drive seems "right" to me because it is the way I learned. Much easier to change the steering wheel at manufacture than all the road signs, interchanges, etc.

[Zero Gravitas]

10. Bermuda, Jamaica, Fiji

South Africa, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Kenya all drive on the left.

[ma4t]

11. U.S. Virgin Islands

In the USVI they drive on the left side in cars equiped for right-side driving, how's that for confusing?

[JohnyCanuck]

13. Barbados, Trinidad, Grenada, St. Lucia , Antigua, St. Vincent, Dominica

St. Kitts, and all the other Caribbean colonies and former colonies of England which I might have overlooked. Note that Dominica is an Engish speaking island in the Lesser Antilles NOT the Dominican Republic. North Americans often confuse Dominica with the Dominican Republic.

[elifino]

14. Right Hand Drive

South Africa, in 1970, don't know about now.

[silverpatronus]

16. i was under the impression...

that driving on the right side of the road was started in rebelling populations to 'thumb their noses' at the establishment. for example, the americans revolted against the british. the british drove on the left so the americans decided to drive on the right. britain and all former british colonies except canada drive on the left as far as i'm aware. as a matter of fact, i only know of america, canada and france as right-driving countries.

[Maeve]

17. No, Europeans drive on the right for the most part

In Ireland, all the warning signs in the rental cars are in German ("Achtung!" with and arrow pointing to the left)Which also says where a lot of their tourists are from...

[Aristus]

18. The Cayman Islanders drive on the other side.

That took some getting used to when I went there. I felt like James Bond half the time.

[Avonrepus]

19. Napoleon had something to do with it

He was left handed and changed the side of the road people used when he conquered Europe, before then i think all of Europe was onn the left. This was only something I was told once so I got no idea if its true. Obviously Britain wasn't conquered so it stayed left. :)

[Kellanved]

20. few

Very good page about it:
http://www.travel-library.com/general/driving/drive_which_side.html#cars