How to buy righthanddrive cars in the usa automoblog. Why did america choose to have the driver on the left seat. Because a person in the leftside passengers seat and a driver on the right. In both cases, the seat positions the driver close to the middle of the road for better visibility. Britain and indiabecause of british rule drive on the left side. If youre in a right country, then dont drive on the left. So why does 65% of the worlds population drive on the right side of the road. Heres a definitive guide to the countries that drive on the left and. In most countries, cars are set up to put the driver s seat in the centre of the road, to give them improved visibility. Why japanese people drive on the left side of the road. Lefthand traffic lht and righthand traffic rht are the practice, in bidirectional traffic. The most important rule of the road concerns which side to drive on. British horseback riders used to ride on the left hand side of the road.
Curious any foreign countries with left hand driver seat. Heres how to drive a righthand drive nissan skyline gtr. Apr 29, 2015 the map above shows which countries drive on the wrong side of the road. This world map shows which side of the road traffic drives on. Jan 11, 2019 this is a summary of countries who drive on the left side of the road. Standard design for vehicles in countries that require driving on the lefthand side is to have the drivers seat located on the right side of the vehicle, and vice versa for countries where you drive on the righthand side. Your opinion about which is the correct side to drive on, likely depends on where you live. About two thirds of the countries in the world drive on the right including the usa, china and russia. Jan 09, 2017 here is the list of rightdriving countries. Mar 01, 2020 in some countries, automobile recycling is one of the largest industries. Why do different countries drive on different sides of the. Esham via wikimedia the map above shows which countries drive on the wrong side of the road. During training, the student sits in the left seat, and the trainer on the right.
When henry ford unveiled his model t in 1908, the drivers seat was on the left, meaning that cars would have to drive on the right hand side of the road to allow front and back passengers to exit the car onto the curb. Ive noticed that carsautomobiles manufactured for countries with righthand traffic where vehicles drive on the right hand side of the road place the drivers seat on the left hand side of the car from the drivers perspective, and carsautomobiles manufactured for countries with lefthand traffic where vehicles drive on the left hand side of the road place the drivers seat on the right. Canada used to drive on the left but changed to the right to make border crossings with the usa more manageable. Oct 16, 2015 standard design for vehicles in countries that require driving on the lefthand side is to have the drivers seat located on the right side of the vehicle, and vice versa for countries where you drive on the righthand side. If youre from america or any other country that drives on the right hand side, its important to know you will be driving on the opposite side in japan. This frees his right hand to hold a tool or at need a weapon. Why do we have all of these vehicles in india with the drivers seat on the right side. Many countries, such as britain, drive on the left side of the road, with the drivers seat on the right of the car. Rht is used in 165 countries and territories, with the remaining 75 countries. Why americans and brits drive on opposite sides readers. Funnily enough, though, driving on one side of the road isnt only a. These countries are the most dangerous for drivers. Around 66% of the world s nations are right hand traffic countries and 34% are lefthand traffic countries.
Keeping these two points in mind, why does the captain always sits on left. In which countries are vehicles drivers seats on the. Throughout the world, countries observe either lefthand traffic lht or righthand traffic rht. This designates what side of the road a driver will stay on. But today majority of traffic in the world drives on the righthand side of the road. Now the question becomes, why do some countries drive on the left while others drive on the right. Oct 31, 2018 lefthand side traffic was actually the worldwide norm for a long time, and the split boils down to two main factors the fact that most people are righthanded, and the fact that countries. Most former british colonies drive on the left side of the road, whereas the united states of america, latin american countries and european countries drive on the right. Why do cars in some countries outside the us have the driver. If you plan to rent a car in the uk or any other country that drives on the left and you usually drive on the right, you should take extreme care for the first few miles until comfortable with driving on the other side fo the road. In most of the world s countries, including the united states, people drive on the righthand side of the road. Heres how to drive a righthand drive nissan skyline gtr in. The following is a list of countries of the world whose inhabitants drive on the righthand side of the road. Lefthand traffic lht and right hand traffic rht are the practice, in bidirectional traffic, of keeping to the left side or to the right side of the road, respectively.
He would also want to walk between the horse and oncoming traffic, which automatically shifted the horse to the lhs of the road. Why do some countries drive on the left and others on the. Most of the drivers of these countries use lefthanddrive vehicles. Except for some helicopters, the right seat in the cockpit of an aircraft is the seat used by the copilot. Britain went on to introduce the lefthand side driving convention in all colonised countries. In most countries, cars are set up to put the drivers seat in the centre of the road, to give them improved visibility. Throughout the world, countries observe either lefthand traffic lht or right hand traffic rht. Driving on the left or right mcgill university school of. May 31, 20 that is, if youre from the roughly 75 percent of countries that drive on the right side of the road.
Countries that drive on the left side of the road aceable. Countries that drive on the right driving test tips. May, 2020 almost always, in countries where one drives on the righthand side of the road, the cars are built so that the driver sits on the lefthand side of the car. Currently around 66% of the worlds population live in countries which drive on the right side of the road, usually but not always in vehicles with the drivers seat. Map of countries who are driving on the left or right side. When henry ford unveiled his model t in 1908, the drivers seat was on the left, meaning that cars would have to drive on the right hand side of the road to allow front and back passengers to. In total, there are 76 countries and territories that follow lefthand traffic laws or 34 percent of the worlds population. A photo of a highway in england, showing traffic driving on the left hand side. Below it you can also find the full list of countries that drive on the left or the right. Many countries, such as britain, drive on the left side of the road, with the driver s seat on the right of the car. Map of the world showing the driving directions for all countries and any changes that have occurred, beginning with finlands change in 1858 drives on right drove on left, now drives on right drives on left drove on right, now drives on left had different rules of the road within borders, now drives on right. But did you know that there are countries that allow drivers the option of using either a right or lefthand vehicle.
Why do some countries drive on the left side of the road. Apr 07, 2020 the other two thirds of the countries in the world drive on the right including the usa, china and russia. The driver seat is on the right side in countries or regions that drive on the left of the road. Conversely, driving on the lefthand side of the road usually implies that the drivers seat is on the righthand side of the car. Now the question becomes, why do some cars have their steering wheels on the left or right side of the car. On the right side of the road general highway history. Apr 22, 20 here is the list of rightdriving countries.
The tradition has been maintained to this day, with the copilot on the right hand side. The other two thirds of the countries in the world drive on the right including the usa, china and russia. That is, if youre from the roughly 75 percent of countries that drive on the right side of the road. That puts the right eye, which tends to be stronger, in a better position to see oncoming traffic. But in some parts of the world, like the united kingdom and southern asia, its actually wrong to drive on the right. For almost every airline, the captain sits in the left seat, and the first officer on the right. Previously, nearly all manufacturers placed the driver on the outer, curbside of the car so that an alighting driver could step out onto a grassy verge or. In countries with right side driving, the drivers seat is on the left, while left hand countries have drivers seats on the right. In lht areas, drivers will stay to the left side of the road, while rht areas require drivers to stay on the right side of the road. Number of countries drive on the lefthand side of the road. Conversely, driving on the lefthand side of the road usually implies that the driver s seat is on the right hand side of the car. Wrong in this case is relative, depending on where youre from. 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. The world economic forum is an independent international organization committed to improving the state of the world by engaging business, political, academic and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas.
Guide to which countries drive on the left left hand. Guide to which countries drive on the left left hand drive cars. Hello, 78 countries and territories drive on the left side of the road. Europe drives on the right hand side apart from the united kingdom, ireland, malta and cyprus. In some countries, automobile recycling is one of the largest industries. Jul 30, 2008 a right handed man walking and leading a horse naturally walks on the rhs of the horses head, holding the bridle in his left hand. Apr 12, 2020 in countries with right side driving, the driver s seat is on the left, while left hand countries have drivers seats on the right. One central characteristic of the model t now generally forgotten is that it was the first car of consequence to put the drivers seat on the lefthand side. Drive left or right which countries drive on the left or right. Nevertheless, with the rise of the automobile, many countries have switched to the right to fit in with their neighbors. There are about 50 countries in the world where the right handles are common.
Those marked in red drive on the right and those in blue drive on the left. Conversely, driving on the lefthand side of the road usually implies that the drivers seat is on the righthand side. That puts the driver nearest the centerline of the roadway. Left hand drive vehicle vs right hand drive vehicle. Why is the drivers seat on the right side in europe. Why the driver seat is in the left side in some countries. Why do different countries drive on different sides of the road. We know that in most countries rightside traffic and some have leftside. Aug 30, 2018 nevertheless, with the rise of the automobile, many countries have switched to the right to fit in with their neighbors. Lefthand side traffic was actually the worldwide norm for a long time, and the split boils down to two main factors the fact that most people are righthanded, and the fact that countries. No matter what side of the road one drives on, in most countries, cars are specifically engineered to drive on a specific side of the road. Why some people drive on the right, and some on the left. Countries that use lht account for about a sixth of the worlds area with about a third of its population and a. The reasons for driving on different sides of the road are historical.
A righthanded man walking and leading a horse naturally walks on the rhs of the horses head, holding the bridle in his left hand. Drive left or right which countries drive on the left or. Nearly 75% of countries in the world require drivers to drive on the right side of traffic. In the past, the vast majority of countries traveled on the leftside of the road. Why do some countries drive on the left and others on the right. Thus, most american cars produced before 1910 were made with right side driver seating, although intended for right side driving. In most countries, cars are set up to put the drivers seat in the centre of.
In which countries are vehicles drivers seats on the right side. About a 35% of the world population drives on the left. These are some of the best tips for driving abroad from driving in over 20 countries around the world. So when you get in a righthand drive car, you instinctively start to do the very same thing. A fundamental element to traffic flow, it is sometimes referred to as the rule of the road rht is used in 165 countries and territories, with the remaining 75 countries and territories using lht. May 15, 2017 when henry ford unveiled his model t in 1908, the drivers seat was on the left, meaning that cars would have to drive on the right hand side of the road to allow front and back passengers to exit the car onto the curb. Thus, most american cars produced before 1910 were made with rightside driver seating, although intended for rightside driving. Is there a reason why drivers seats are located on the right side of the car in some countries.
Uk, australia, ireland, japan, india, thailand, new zealand, south africa, jamaica, hong kong, malta, kenia, malaysia, cyprus, singapore a. Incorporated as a notforprofit foundation in 1971, and headquartered in geneva, switzerland, the forum is tied to no political, partisan or national interests. The captain or pilot in command sits in the left seat, so that they can operate the throttles and other pedestal instruments with their right hand. Almost always, in countries where one drives on the righthand side of the road, the cars are built so that the driver sits on the lefthand side of the car. Jun 25, 2010 britain and indiabecause of british rule drive on the left side. Why do cars in some countries outside the us have the. In total, there are 76 countries and territories that follow lefthand traffic laws or 34 percent of the world s.
Canada abandoned the left side of the road in the 1920s to facilitate. Old british bikes have the gear shift lever on the right side this arrangement is correct for left driving countries because when you make a very tight uturn on a bike turning to the right, you occasionally place the right foot on the ground. Such vehicles remained in common use until 1915, and the 1908 model t was the first of fords cars to feature a leftside driving position. In asia bangladesh bhutan brunei east timor hong kong india indonesia japan macau malaysia maldives nepal pakistan singapore sri lank. Initially most traffic drove on the left side of the road. Such vehicles remained in common use until 1915, and the 1908 model t was the first of fords cars to feature a left side driving position. This is a summary of countries who drive on the left side of the road.
It just happens that sweden, austria and poland etc. At the turn on the 20th century, the majority of countries around the world still had no rules or laws in place for what the preferred ridingdriving side was. The majority of countries now drive on the right, in left hand drive vehicles. This map shows worldwide which side of the road traffic drives on by country. About two thirds of the countries in the world drive on. Although the majority drive on the right, there is no global standard driving system which causes some.
Several decades ago, japan was the world s leading car manufacturer. According to national geographic, this influenced a change in many countries. In the absence of a driver s seat inside the wagon, the driver sat on the rear left horse, with his right arm free to use his whip to keep. Aug 03, 2009 in the united states and other countries in which motorists drive on the right side of the road, it is easier to turn right than to turn left across oncoming traffic. When it comes to japan, dont let the right hand side steering wheel fool you, japan drives on the left side. The drivers seat is always on the same side of the car as the steering wheel. Old british bikes have the gear shift lever on the right side this arrangement is correct for left driving countries because when you make a very tight uturn on a bike turning to the right, you occasionally place the right foot on. The first vehicle ever built was designed to be driven on the lefthand side of the road. Why have many countries in the world chosen to be driving on the right hand side of. In the united states and other countries in which motorists drive on the right side of the road, it is easier to turn right than to turn left across oncoming traffic. Number of countries drive on the righthand side of the road. Why americans and brits drive on opposite sides readers digest.
View interior photos, exterior photos, 360 tours and colors. Why some countries drive on the right and some countries. A fundamental element to traffic flow, it is sometimes referred to as the rule of the road. I know that japan, uk and australia have right side 04 09 prius driver seats with height adjust. 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 lefthand side of the car. However, if you are from a place where they drive on the left side, youre aokay. Countries that drive on the right around 70% of the world s countries drive on the right, with a little over 66% of the world s people population driving on the right. In which countries are vehicles drivers seats on the right.
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