It is not a secret for avid travelers that in many states the traffic vector on the roads differs from the way they are used to. Before traveling abroad, it is important to remember which countries drive on the left hand side, especially if you plan to rent a car.

Reasons for choosing a direction

There is practically no historical evidence of how our ancestors moved. Apparently, this topic seemed obvious, so the chroniclers and the townsfolk did not consider it important to make notes on this. Legislatively, the rules of conduct on transport routes of the state were first regulated only in the 18th century.

At the moment, 28% of the tracks in the world are oriented to the left, 34% of the world's population moves along them. The reasons why these territories have retained their traditional ways of regulating traffic are as follows:

• Historically they have been colonies or dependencies of Great Britain and Japan;
• Wagons were used as the main transport, on which the coachman sat on the roof.

The list of regions was actively changed after the United Kingdom lost its status of "an empire where the sun never sets" and the end of the Second World War. The last country to switch to a new orientation in 2009 was the Independent State of Samoa.

Complete list for 2018:

1. Australia and New Zealand, including external territories and states in free association (Cocos, Norfolk, Christmas, Tokelau, Cook, Niue);
2. Continental Southeast Africa (Kenya, Mozambique, Zambia, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Tonga, Tanzania, Uganda, South Africa, Swaziland, Lesotho, Botswana, Malawi);
3. Bangladesh;
4. Botswana;
5. Brunei;
6. Butane;
7. Great Britain;
8. Overseas Territories of the United Kingdom (Anguilla, Bermuda, Saint Helena and Ascension, Cayman, Montserrat, Maine, Pitcairn, Turks and Caicos, Falklands);
9. British and American Virgin Islands;
10. East Timor;
11. Guyana;
12. Hong Kong;
13. India;
14. Indonesia;
15. Ireland;
16. Independent countries of the Caribbean;
17. Cyprus;
18. Mauritius;
19. Macau;
20. Malaysia;
21. Maldives;
22. Malta;
23. Micronesia (Kiribati, Solomons, Tuvalu);
24. Nauru;
25. Nepal;
26. Channel Islands;
27. Pakistan;
28. Papua New Guinea;
29. Samoa;
30. Seychelles;
31. Singapore;
32. Suriname;
33. Thailand;
34. Fiji;
35. Sri Lanka;
36. Jamaica;
37. Japan.

Traditions of movement

Ways of driving on roads for ordinary people in ancient times depended purely for convenience because the population density was low. Peasants and artisans carried loads on their right shoulder and walked so as not to hurt each other, and warriors preferred the opposite side in order to be able to protect themselves from enemies, drawing a sword from a scabbard on their left hip.

With the advent of vehicles, the rules of driving have also changed. Carts with one horse and a driver on the front goats were more convenient to manage with the working hand, as a stronger one, and at the same time maintain maneuverability on the left.

This mode of transport was common in France, and during the reign of Napoleon, left-hand traffic spread to all regions of his conquests.

How has the direction influenced vehicle design?

Due to differences in behavior on the track, depending on the orientation, different countries use cars in which the steering wheel is on the side farthest from the curb. At the same time, the location of the control levers remains the same in all models.

However, for the convenience of specialized machines, this rule may be violated. For instance, at the official transport of postal employees, the driver's seat was on the side closest to the sidewalk so that the postman delivers letters and parcels without leaving the car. So in the USSR, since 1968, the Moskvich 434P was produced with a right-hand drive.

Another important aspect related to the direction of traffic is crossing the border in states with opposite traffic rules. In such cases, there may be a simple shift on the track if the road is narrow, as between Laos and Thailand, or a large-scale labyrinth of tracks if it is a large-scale siding, such as between Macau and China.

Why does England drive on the left?

Since there is no written evidence of how roads were driven in antiquity, researchers are turning to archeological methods. At an old quarry near Swindon, in Wiltshire, traces of a Roman era street were found, the degree of subsidence of which indicated left-hand traffic.

Also, historians associate this direction of traffic in the UK with traditional carts, including a cab, on which a right-handed driver sat on the roof and, accordingly, held a whip in his strongest hand.

The first legislative act regulating the rules of movement in the city was a law in 1756, which obliged vehicles to drive on the left side of London Bridge, while violators were expected to be fined a whole silver pound. Later, in 1776, the "Road Act" was passed, extending the rule to all the streets of England.

Since it was the British who became the first railway power, many countries still have similar traffic in the subway and at railway stations with reverse rules for cars.

What kind of traffic in Russia is right-hand or left-hand?

For a long time, there were no rules in Russia that would tell people exactly how they should drive the carts so as not to collide with each other. In 1752, the first Russian Empress Elizabeth ordered the drivers move along the right side streets within cities.

And so it happened, throughout the Russian Federation it is accepted right-hand traffic . However, in large cities, you can find separate sections where the direction of the flow of cars changes, which, as a rule, is associated with the convenience of an interchange in a particular place.

Examples of such places are:

• Leskova Street in the Bibirevskiy district of Moscow;
• Embankment of the Fontanka River in St. Petersburg;
• Semyonovskaya and Mordotsveva streets in Vladivostok (August 2012 - March 2013).

It is interesting to see how political and economic reasons influenced which countries drive on the left and which drive on the right. One simple point, on which people cannot agree and come to a unified decision, creates differences in economic trends, sets major tasks for architects and administrations of cities and regions.

Video: on what part of the road do they move in different countries?

In this video, Oleg Govorunov will tell you why in different countries it is customary to move on different sides of the road:

Left-hand traffic is the hallmark of England, as well as some other countries. But in Europe, Great Britain is considered the only country where it is customary to drive on the left. What is the reason for this phenomenon?

Left-hand traffic: historical background

According to historians, the left side of the road was chosen back in the days when horse-drawn carts traveled around London. Driving on the right, the driver could accidentally hit people on the sidewalk with a whip. Therefore, everyone drove on the left.

Some researchers believe that left-hand traffic came to the British Isles from the Romans, who once conquered them. It was also more convenient to ride a horse on the left, and hold the sword in the right hand. This would allow for a quick rebuff to the attackers with the strongest hand.

In addition, the English bill, introduced in 1756, worked in favor of the "left" movement. It said that on London Bridge now there is only traffic on the left. There was a heavy fine for breaking the rule.

Exactly 20 years after the bill, a law on left-hand traffic was passed throughout England. This method of transportation by car is still relevant today.

Maritime explanation

For a long time the fate of Great Britain was connected with the sea. After all, only steamboats and ships went to the islands. They then were the link between England and the rest of the world. Therefore, maritime traditions are closely intertwined with the way of life of the British.

Previously, ships bypassed ships on the left. And for a country so closely associated with the sea, it is not surprising that this custom has become land.

Today, overtaking on the right is accepted in navigation, but what happened before is a completely different story.

Countries following the UK

The states that use left-hand traffic made their choice under the influence of the following factors:

• colonial reason. Even in the last century, England had many colonies under its control. Therefore, after the abolition of colonization, many states retained the usual traffic pattern as the only true one;
• political reason. Thanks to Napoleon, France set the tone among other countries in choosing the side of the road. Those who supported Napoleon also introduced the right-handed scheme. And those who were against, chose the left side.

The friendship between England and Japan turned into the introduction of a left-hand drive scheme for the second country. A new law was passed in 1859. And it works today.

When the colonies of England in the USA received freedom, they switched to right-hand traffic, but before that they also drove there, keeping to the left side. This was the answer of the Americans to the invaders.

How are things with left-hand traffic in the world?

The global community is 72% percent of those who choose to travel on the right. And only 28% of those who drive on the left.

In North America, the Bahamas, Jamaica, and Barbados drive on the left.

In South America, this is the state of affairs in Suriname and Guyana.

And in Europe, England, Ireland and Malta go to the "left". In Asia, 17 countries are committed to driving on the left.

In Africa, there are 13 such countries. And in Oceania, their number is 8. Not so few, if considered in general.

The rest of the world chose the right side of the road to drive. But what is the reason for this choice?

Left and right: reasons for the transition

Going from one side to the other is not easy. For example, in Sweden they switched to right-hand traffic due to the large number of cars suitable for this. We made the transition on a specially designated day.

The former colonies of England in the USA made their choice in protest against the former occupiers.

South Korea, escaping from Japanese oppression, also changed “left” to “right”. The same was done in China.

Driving features on the left

Tourists who first arrived in a country where left-hand traffic operates, note the inconvenience of switching to a different driving style.

Some experience fear when changing sides of the movement. If the above factors are present, you should refrain from independent trips by car. After all, you can always use public transport or a taxi. And overdoing yourself behind the wheel is life-threatening.

It is not difficult to drive on the left side, the main thing is to carefully look at the signs and markings, and also take your time. A few days of practice along the youthful streets - and now you can go to the main avenues of London.

To facilitate the task, you can build a route in detail in the navigator, as well as search in advance on the map for detours and parking spaces. In addition to all this, in each country there are courses where they help to learn how to ride from a new angle.

The consequence of driving on the left is simpler traffic rules, as well as a certain freedom for those who wish to show courtesy along the way.

For example, there are stories that English gentlemen advocated left-hand traffic, as it allowed them to freely shake hands at low speed, and then drive away without problems.

About what is better: driving on the right or on the left, millions of motorists argue. But the UK made its choice a long time ago, and it seems that it is not going to change it.

England is very different from many other European countries. It has a special culture, a rich history and its own traditions that have turned into habits. And left-hand traffic for the British is as natural as oatmeal for breakfast. In the UK, they even believe that this is the only way to travel is the most reliable, convenient and safe.

Let's take it to the left

We know very little about the organization of traffic in antiquity. The Roman ancestors of modern drivers left several evidence of left-handed preferences (the left-hand track at the quarry, broken more than the right, images of horsemen on denarii dispersing), and some historians also focus on the left-hand method of driving warriors.

On the other hand, the road system developed, the number of horsepower in the carriages grew, and right-hand traffic began to form on the roads. - For most people, being right-handed, it is more convenient to direct the carriage with a stronger right hand.

Strengths

Historically, Russia did not hesitate in choosing, and even in the Middle Ages it was supposed: the right side! “In Russia, it is customary everywhere for carts and sleighs, meeting each other, to drive around, keeping to the right side,”- appears in the report of Just Yul, the Danish envoy under Peter I (1709). In 1752, right-hand traffic for city carriages and cab drivers was designated by the imperial decree of Elizabeth Petrovna.

A little later, on another part of the continent, the right-handed way was fixed by the influence of France.

The Paris Decree of 1789, issued against the background of the events of the French Revolution, directed the movement along the "common" right side. A little later, Napoleon Bonaparte also ordered the military to keep to the right, so that other people, having met the French army, would give way. After some time, the choice of the traffic pattern began to be influenced by the political situation, and Napoleon's allies adopted right-hand traffic (Poland, Spain, Holland, Italy, Switzerland, Germany), and the opponents switched to left-hand traffic (Portugal, Britain, Austria-Hungary) . For a long time left-hand traffic remained in Sweden.

In Austria, depending on the province, both options could be found, until in the 1930s, after incorporation into Germany, a full transition to right-hand traffic was made.

Now let's take it to the left. England, 1756: A bill is issued that fixes left-hand traffic on London Bridge and a fine for violating this rule. After 20 years, the "Road Act" comes out, regulating traffic on the left side on all English roads, including railways.

According to one theory, left-hand traffic was set by cautious coachmen who were afraid to hit passers-by on the right with a whip and therefore allowed their carriage on the left side of the road.

Following Great Britain itself, left-hand traffic was adopted in its colonies (for example, in India, Pakistan and Australia). In 1859, under the influence of the Ambassador of Queen Victoria, Sir R. Alcock, the corresponding rules were adopted in Tokyo.

Whose side are you on?

Some countries have changed from one side of the road to the other over time.- mainly under the influence of neighboring countries with the opposite scheme.

On September 3, 1967, Sweden made such a transition from left-hand traffic to right-hand traffic. This day has gone down in history as Day H (Dagen H). Early in the morning, at 4:50, all the cars stopped, changing the side of the road in order to continue driving at 5:00, but according to a new scheme.

Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Gambia and Ghana, former British colonies in Africa, have switched to the right side of the road, as their neighbors include countries that were French colonies in the past and, accordingly, used the right-hand traffic pattern.

And in Mozambique, a Portuguese colony in the past, the proximity to the former British colonies influenced the reverse transition.- from left to right.

Korea switched to right-hand traffic in 1946 after the end of the Japanese occupation.

In Italy, right-hand traffic is now, but there was a time when different schemes could be found in different cities.

The United States switched from left-hand traffic to right-hand traffic by the end of the 18th century; in Canada, left-hand traffic was partially present until the 1920s.

Unusually happened in Samoa. There, the shift to left-hand traffic was influenced by the vast majority of used right-hand drive vehicles on the roads.

Left rudder, right rudder!

The steering wheel on the first cars was usually located on the right. With this arrangement, the driver was better oriented when overtaking, and also had the opportunity to get out of the car not onto the roadway, but onto the sidewalk.

Based on materials from the portal drive.ru and Wikipedia.

This question is, of course, a burning one. It becomes especially relevant when, after a short stay in Japan, you suddenly catch yourself thinking that you can’t part with the Japanese out of the blue - you constantly collide. Moving along the Japanese streets on a bicycle, you feel an inner need to "take to the right." Over time, this sad habit passes, but sometimes at the most inopportune moment it makes itself felt. Sometimes this leads to sad consequences; personally, I was almost hit by a car once in Kyoto.

I began to dig into the question of the leftism of the Japanese gradually, without fanaticism; word for word - something gradually managed to collect. Asking the Japanese themselves is a disastrous business. First, it doesn't occur to most of their nation that other countries can drive on the right side of the road. You tell them - they will open their eyes and nod their heads with a zero expression on their faces.

A friend of mine, once visiting Japan on business, was sitting in a bar with a Japanese friend. For the sake of his curiosity, he asks: where did they come to Japan from? Ours answers him, they say, from the country closest to you (it takes place in Sapporo - the main city of the northernmost island - Hokkaido). The Japanese thought for a long time, looked at the Russian for a long time, then said: “From Korea?”. This is the kind of good knowledge about the outside world that most of the Japanese are famous for. Let's get back to our sheep.

The history of accepting the left side of the road as the main one is a strange story. Its roots go back to Japanese antiquity, when samurai rode through the mountainous Japanese terrain on frisky horses with swords on their left sides. No one wore a katana (Japanese sword) on a sling, they plugged it into a belt, so that it stuck out from the left side, sticking out about half a meter. Apparently, fearing to be caught by swords and thereby provoke a fight, the samurai began to use the principle of left-hand traffic. In general, they were nervous people, not understanding jokes.

It is rational to assume that in addition to the samurai warriors, whose heroic images are pathetically sung in modern Japanese cinema by director Takeshi Kitano, there were also ordinary people: peasants, artisans, merchants. How were they supposed to walk? This people did not carry swords and quite calmly used any side of the road. The main joy was to get away from the approaching samurai in time. The latter could easily kill a tradesman for a sidelong glance or for some other “disrespectful” act.

At the beginning of the Edo period (1603-1867), a tradition was already established that indicated to everyone who was heading towards the capital (Tokyo was called Edo at that time) to keep to the left. It seems that such a system has become attached to the Japanese and gradually began to spread throughout the country. It is safe to say that by the end of the 18th century, the custom of driving on the left side of the road had already formed as a general rule for moving around Japan.

In the middle of the 19th century, Japan was almost stormed into opening up to the world. Here the Japanese realized the power of Western technology and decided to borrow everything totally. Many Japanese teenagers have been sent to study wits in Western universities; most went to England. There, by the way, they also drive on the left side.

Probably, the Japanese would still drive on the right side if the Americans or the French won the tenders for the construction of the first railways on the islands of the Japanese archipelago. But the British were ahead of them. The first train was launched in 1872, and, sadly, the locomotives kept to the left.

Further more. The first horse-drawn trams also moved on the left side of the road. How can such an organization be explained? Probably, the appearance of steam locomotives made such an indelible impression on the Japanese that they simply could not conceive of a different order of traffic. At the beginning of the twentieth century, horses were replaced with an electric drive, and they did not change the routine of movement - traditionalists, after all!

The most interesting thing is that for fifty years no one has bothered to legislate which side of the road should be kept. The maximum that the police department in Tokyo did was to issue an order that horses and cars should keep to the left side, and when meeting with military detachments, to the right. The Japanese army - a special case - walked on the right side of the road until 1924.

The rulers of the city of Osaka, without thinking twice, obliged all horse and "car" vehicles to move on the right side of the road. Osaka is the second largest city in Japan, the authorities of which showed enviable independence in resolving their issues. Ordinary Japanese probably “liked” this state of affairs even more. In Tokyo - on the left side of the road, in Osaka - on the right, you do not get bored.

In 1907, in Japan, the first time a pedestrian was crushed to death by a car. It took the authorities another nearly 20 years to legalize left-hand traffic and put an end to the confusion. Although in Japan no one ever gets confused about anything, culture and its customs very tightly regulate every aspect of social activity and human behavior in a group.

It is clear that any foreigner does not care much about the cultural realities of Japan, unless he is a professional researcher. But for us Russians, it is extremely important to quickly figure out which side of the road you should drive on. There are plenty of funny stories about left-hand traffic. There are many tales about how the Russians drove onto the highway without cars, drove on the right side, and then began to honk the cars that were driving towards them, swear loudly when they did not immediately figure out which nation representatives were driving. Basically, these tales are designed in the style of "Peculiarities of the National Hunt".

However, here's a real-life practice for you. When an accident occurs without casualties, the Japanese prefer to figure it out themselves and not to interfere with the traffic police. They usually exchange business cards quickly and go about their business. It is difficult to say why they do this - those who speak the language and have lived in Japan for quite a long time, I think, will explain. The Japanese really trust what is written on paper, and only after the exchange of business cards do they begin to perceive the interlocutor and behave with him in accordance with his rank.

This Japan is a mysterious land, and surprisingly beautiful, and cars are made there - just stunned!

Left-hand traffic or right-hand traffic ... How to find out which is better, more convenient, what is more rational in operation, finally?

First time in England

In fact, there is not much difference between right- and left-sided. Left-hand traffic was first carried out in England (in many European countries, on the contrary, right-hand traffic is accepted). And so it went that in the former English colonies left-handedness was preserved, since the change required a reformatting of the psychology of the inhabitants and, moreover, was quite expensive!

Also rail traffic. In Argentina - left-hand drive, and in many European countries, although cars obey the right-hand drive! That's the way it is, that's the tradition.

Countries where cars drive on the left

Most people in the world are right-handed. Therefore, the very expediency of most of the right-hand traffic is not in doubt. But it turns out that there are not so few countries in which left-hand traffic is legal. 28% of all roads on the planet are left-handed. 34% of the world's population travels on the left side, and this is not so little. As already mentioned, the main reason for this was the colonial policy in England. Left-hand traffic has spread in the former British colonies and territories once dependent on Great Britain.

Here are the countries of Europe where the traffic is on the left-hand side: Great Britain, Malta, Ireland, Cyprus. In Asia, these are Japan, India, Indonesia, Maldives, Macau, Pakistan, Thailand, Nepal, Hong Kong, Singapore and some others. As you can see, there are quite a few of them! In Oceania: Australia, Fiji, Zealand. In Africa: South Africa, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Kenya, Mozambique. In Latin America: Jamaica, Bahamas, Barbados, Suriname. Still driving on the left in Japan. You can list and list!

A bit of history

There were even precedents in history when entire states switched from left-handed to right-handed and vice versa. The country of Sweden replaced the left-hand traffic of cars with the right-hand one in one day. This happened in 1967. America, in an effort to disown its "English dependence", made it easier - not in the same way as in England. Namely, this country has made an indisputable contribution to the development of the global automotive industry. And many countries of the world took an example from her!

We add that in modern cars, the driver's seat is closer to the side of the oncoming traffic: on the right in places of left-hand traffic, on the left in countries with right-hand traffic, respectively. This creates additional convenience for the driver, expands the field of view and gives the ability to respond faster.

And from history: in Russia in the Middle Ages, the rules of traffic (right-hand) developed by themselves and were observed as the most natural. And Empress Elizabeth in the distant 1752 issues a decree on right-hand traffic on the streets of Russian cities for cab drivers and carriages.

And in the west, the first law that would regulate traffic on the streets was the English bill of 1756, in which traffic was to be carried out on the left side.