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{{short description|Directionality of traffic flow by jurisdiction}}
{{short description|Directionality of traffic flow by jurisdiction}}
{{redirect|Left Hand Drive|the album by the Angels|Left Hand Drive (album)}}
{{redirect|Left Hand Drive|the album by the Angels|Left Hand Drive (album){{!}}''Left Hand Drive'' (album)}}
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'''Left-hand traffic''' ('''LHT''') and '''right-hand traffic''' ('''RHT''') are the practices, in [[bidirectional traffic]], of keeping to the left side or to the right side of the road, respectively. They are fundamental to [[traffic flow]], and are sometimes referred to as the ''rule of the road''.<ref name="kincaid">{{Cite book |last=Kincaid |first=Peter |title=The Rule of the Road: An International Guide to History and Practice |publisher=Greenwood Press |date=December 1986 |pages=50, 86–88, 99–100, 121–122, 198–202 |isbn=978-0-313-25249-5}}</ref> The terms right- and left-hand drive refer to the position of the driver and the [[steering wheel]] in the vehicle and are, in automobiles, the reverse of the terms right- and left-hand traffic. The rule also extends to where on the road a vehicle is to be driven, if there is room for more than one vehicle in the one direction, as well as the side on which the vehicle in the rear overtakes the one in the front. For example, a driver in an LHT country would typically overtake on the right of the vehicle being overtaken.
'''Left-hand traffic''' ('''LHT''') and '''right-hand traffic''' ('''RHT''') are the practices, in [[bidirectional traffic]], of keeping to the left side or to the right side of the road, respectively. They are fundamental to [[traffic flow]], and are sometimes referred to as the ''rule of the road''.<ref name="kincaid">{{Cite book |last=Kincaid |first=Peter |title=The Rule of the Road: An International Guide to History and Practice |publisher=Greenwood Press |date=December 1986 |pages=50, 86–88, 99–100, 121–122, 198–202 |isbn=978-0-313-25249-5}}</ref> The terms right- and left-hand ''drive'' refer to the position of the driver and the [[steering wheel]] in the vehicle and are, in automobiles, the reverse of the terms right- and left-hand ''traffic''. The rule also extends to where on the road a vehicle is to be driven, if there is room for more than one vehicle in the one direction, as well as the side on which the vehicle in the rear overtakes the one in the front. For example, a driver in an LHT country would typically overtake on the right of the vehicle being overtaken.


RHT is used in 165 countries and territories, with the remaining 75 countries and territories using LHT.<ref name="chartsbin">{{cite web|title=Worldwide Driving Orientation by Country|url=http://chartsbin.com/view/edr|access-date=13 December 2016}}{{Circular reference|date=November 2020}}</ref>
RHT is used in 165 countries and territories, with the remaining 75 countries and territories using LHT.<ref name="chartsbin">{{cite web|title=Worldwide Driving Orientation by Country|url=http://chartsbin.com/view/edr|access-date=13 December 2016}}{{Circular reference|date=November 2020}}</ref>
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==History==
==History==
[[Image:Driving standards historic.svg|thumb|upright=1.35|Countries with left- and right-hand traffic, currently and formerly. Changes since 1858 when [[Finland]] changed to the right are taken into account.<br/>{{legend|#cc0000|Drives on the right}}{{legend|#f57900|Formerly drove on the left, now drives on the right}}{{legend|#204a87|Drives on the left}}{{legend|#5c3566|Formerly drove on the right, now drives on the left}}{{legend|#4e9a06|Formerly a mix of LHT and RHT in various parts of the country, now drives on the right}}]]
[[Image:Driving standards historic.svg|thumb|upright=1.35|Countries with left- and right-hand traffic, currently and formerly. Changes since 1858 when [[Finland]] changed to the right are taken into account.<br/>{{legend|#cc0000|Drives on the right}}{{legend|#f57900|Formerly drove on the left, now drives on the right}}{{legend|#204a87|Drives on the left}}{{legend|#5c3566|Formerly drove on the right, now drives on the left}}{{legend|#4e9a06|Formerly a mix of left and right in various parts of the country, now drives on the right}}]]


Historically, many places kept left, while many others kept right, often within the same country. There are many myths that attempt to explain why one or the other is preferred.<ref name="mcmanus"/> About 90 percent of people are [[handedness|right-handed]],<ref>{{cite news |last1=Searing |first1=Linda |title=The Big Number: Lefties make up about 10 percent of the world |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/the-big-number-lefties-make-up-about-10-percent-of-the-world/2019/08/09/69978100-b9e2-11e9-bad6-609f75bfd97f_story.html |newspaper=Washington Post |access-date=27 November 2019 |language=en}}</ref> and many explanations reference this. Horses are traditionally mounted from the left, and led from the left, with the reins in the right hand. So people walking horses might use RHT, to keep the animals separated. Also referenced is the need for pedestrians to keep their swords in the right hand and pass on the left as in LHT, for self-defence. It has been suggested that wagon-drivers whipped their horses with their right hand, and thus sat on the left-hand side of the wagon, as in RHT. Academic Chris McManus notes that writers have stated that in the year 1300, [[Pope Boniface VIII]] directed pilgrims to keep left; however, others suggest that he directed them to keep to the right, and there is no documented evidence to back either claim.<ref name="mcmanus"/>
Historically, many places kept left, while many others kept right, often within the same country. There are many myths that attempt to explain why one or the other is preferred.<ref name="mcmanus"/> About 90 percent of people are [[handedness|right-handed]],<ref>{{cite news |last1=Searing |first1=Linda |title=The Big Number: Lefties make up about 10 percent of the world |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/the-big-number-lefties-make-up-about-10-percent-of-the-world/2019/08/09/69978100-b9e2-11e9-bad6-609f75bfd97f_story.html |newspaper=Washington Post |access-date=27 November 2019 |language=en}}</ref> and many explanations reference this. Horses are traditionally mounted from the left, and led from the left, with the reins in the right hand. So people walking horses might use RHT, to keep the animals separated. Also referenced is the need for pedestrians to keep their swords in the right hand and pass on the left as in LHT, for self-defence. It has been suggested that wagon-drivers whipped their horses with their right hand, and thus sat on the left-hand side of the wagon, as in RHT. Academic Chris McManus notes that writers have stated that in the year 1300, [[Pope Boniface VIII]] directed pilgrims to keep left; however, others suggest that he directed them to keep to the right, and there is no documented evidence to back either claim.<ref name="mcmanus"/>
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In the [[Kingdom of Ireland]], a law of 1793 (1793 [33 Geo. 3] c. 56) provided a ten-[[shilling]] fine to anyone not driving or riding on the left side of the road within the [[county of the city]] of [[Dublin]], and required the local road overseers to erect written or printed notices informing road users of the law.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6oZRAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA798 |title=Statutes Passed in the Parliaments Held in Ireland |volume=1789-1793|date=14 August 1799|publisher=George Grierson, printer to the King's Most Excellent Majesty|via=Google Books}}</ref> The Road in Down and Antrim Act of 1798 (1798 [38 Geo. 3] c. 28) required drivers on the road from Dublin to [[Donadea]] to keep to the left. This time, the punishment was ten shillings if the offender was not the owner of the vehicle, or one [[Irish pound]] (twenty shillings) if he/she was.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0G9BAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA416 |title=Statutes Passed in the Parliaments Held in Ireland ...: From the Third Year of Edward the Second, A.D. 1310 [to the Fortieth Year of George III A.D. 1800, Inclusive].|date=14 August 1799|publisher=G. Grierson, printer to the King's Most Excellent Majesty|via=Google Books}}</ref> The [[Grand Juries (Ireland) Act 1836]] mandated LHT for the whole country, violators to be fined up to five shillings and imprisoned in default for up to one month.<ref>{{cite book |title=A collection of the public general statutes |date=1836 |publisher=Eyre and Spottiswoode |location=London |pages=1030–1031 |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/acollectionpubl01britgoog/page/1030 |chapter=6 & 7 Will. 4 c.116 s.156 |via=Internet Archive}}</ref>
In the [[Kingdom of Ireland]], a law of 1793 (1793 [33 Geo. 3] c. 56) provided a ten-[[shilling]] fine to anyone not driving or riding on the left side of the road within the [[county of the city]] of [[Dublin]], and required the local road overseers to erect written or printed notices informing road users of the law.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6oZRAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA798 |title=Statutes Passed in the Parliaments Held in Ireland |volume=1789-1793|date=14 August 1799|publisher=George Grierson, printer to the King's Most Excellent Majesty|via=Google Books}}</ref> The Road in Down and Antrim Act of 1798 (1798 [38 Geo. 3] c. 28) required drivers on the road from Dublin to [[Donadea]] to keep to the left. This time, the punishment was ten shillings if the offender was not the owner of the vehicle, or one [[Irish pound]] (twenty shillings) if he/she was.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0G9BAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA416 |title=Statutes Passed in the Parliaments Held in Ireland ...: From the Third Year of Edward the Second, A.D. 1310 [to the Fortieth Year of George III A.D. 1800, Inclusive].|date=14 August 1799|publisher=G. Grierson, printer to the King's Most Excellent Majesty|via=Google Books}}</ref> The [[Grand Juries (Ireland) Act 1836]] mandated LHT for the whole country, violators to be fined up to five shillings and imprisoned in default for up to one month.<ref>{{cite book |title=A collection of the public general statutes |date=1836 |publisher=Eyre and Spottiswoode |location=London |pages=1030–1031 |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/acollectionpubl01britgoog/page/1030 |chapter=6 & 7 Will. 4 c.116 s.156 |via=Internet Archive}}</ref>


An oft-repeated story is that [[Napoleon]] changed the custom from LHT to RHT in [[France]] and the countries he conquered after the [[French Revolution]]. Scholars who have looked for documentary evidence of this story have found none, and it should be assumed untrue unless contemporary sources surface.<ref name="watson" /> In 1827, long after Napoleon's reign, Edward Planta wrote that, in [[Paris]], "The coachmen have no established rule by which they drive on the right or left of the road, but they cross and jostle one another without ceremony."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jGMDAAAAQAAJ&q=%22drive+on+the+right%22&pg=RA1-PA118|title=A New Picture of Paris, Or, The Stranger's Guide to the French Metropolis: Also, a Description of the Environs of Paris|first=Edward|last=Planta|date=30 June 1831|publisher=S. Leigh and Baldwin and Cradock|via=Google Books}}</ref>
An oft-repeated story is that [[Napoleon]] changed the custom from LHT to RHT in [[France]] and the countries he conquered after the [[French Revolution]]. Scholars who have looked for documentary evidence of this story have found none, and contemporary sources have not surfaced, as of 1999.<ref name="watson" /> In 1827, long after Napoleon's reign, Edward Planta wrote that, in [[Paris]], "The coachmen have no established rule by which they drive on the right or left of the road, but they cross and jostle one another without ceremony."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jGMDAAAAQAAJ&q=%22drive+on+the+right%22&pg=RA1-PA118|title=A New Picture of Paris, Or, The Stranger's Guide to the French Metropolis: Also, a Description of the Environs of Paris|first=Edward|last=Planta|date=30 June 1831|publisher=S. Leigh and Baldwin and Cradock|via=Google Books}}</ref>


Rotterdam was LHT until 1917,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.engelfriet.net/Alie/Hans/rechtsrijden.htm|title=De geschiedenis van het linksrijden|publisher=Engelfriet.net|access-date=14 May 2014}}</ref> although the rest of the Netherlands was RHT.
Rotterdam was LHT until 1917,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.engelfriet.net/Alie/Hans/rechtsrijden.htm|title=De geschiedenis van het linksrijden|publisher=Engelfriet.net|access-date=14 May 2014}}</ref> although the rest of the Netherlands was RHT.
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===Africa===
===Africa===
[[File:SADC road sign R137.svg|thumb|right|100px|[[Southern African Development Community]] LHT roundabout sign]]
[[File:SADC road sign R137.svg|thumb|right|100px|Left roundabout sign]]
[[File:SADC road sign R137-RHT.svg|thumb|right|100px|RHT roundabout sign]]
[[File:SADC road sign R137-RHT.svg|thumb|right|100px|Right roundabout sign]]
LHT was introduced in [[British West Africa]]. All of the countries formerly part of this colony border with former French RHT jurisdictions and have switched to RHT since decolonization. These include Ghana, Gambia,<ref name="TBD Gambia">[https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=22wMAQAAIAAJ&dq=gambia+drive+right+1965&q=%22drive+on+the+right%22 ''Tourist and Business Directory – The Gambia''], 1969, page 19</ref> Sierra Leone, and Nigeria. Britain introduced LHT to the [[East Africa Protectorate]] (now Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda), [[Rhodesia]], and the [[Cape Colony]] (now Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa). All of these have remained LHT. Sudan, formerly part of [[Anglo-Egyptian Sudan]] switched to RHT in 1973, as most of its neighbours were RHT countries, with the exception of Uganda and Kenya, but since the independence of [[South Sudan]] in 2011, all of its neighbours drive on the right. Despite it sharing land borders with two LHT countries, South Sudan has retained RHT.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/acc_e/ssd_e/wtaccssd6_leg_51.pdf|title=LAWS OF SOUTH SUDAN, ROAD TRAFFIC AND SAFETY BILL, 2012}}</ref>   
LHT was introduced in [[British West Africa]]. All of the countries formerly part of this colony border with former French RHT jurisdictions and have switched to RHT since decolonization. These include Ghana, Gambia,<ref name="TBD Gambia">[https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=22wMAQAAIAAJ&dq=gambia+drive+right+1965&q=%22drive+on+the+right%22 ''Tourist and Business Directory – The Gambia''], 1969, page 19</ref> Sierra Leone, and Nigeria. Britain introduced LHT to the [[East Africa Protectorate]] (now Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda), [[Rhodesia]], and the [[Cape Colony]] (now Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa). All of these have remained LHT. Sudan, formerly part of [[Anglo-Egyptian Sudan]] switched to RHT in 1973, as most of its neighbours were RHT countries, with the exception of Uganda and Kenya, but since the independence of [[South Sudan]] in 2011, all of its neighbours drive on the right. Despite it sharing land borders with two LHT countries, South Sudan has retained RHT.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/acc_e/ssd_e/wtaccssd6_leg_51.pdf|title=LAWS OF SOUTH SUDAN, ROAD TRAFFIC AND SAFETY BILL, 2012}}</ref>   
The [[Portuguese Empire]], then LHT, introduced LHT to [[Portuguese Mozambique]] and [[Portuguese Angola]].{{Citation needed|date=February 2020}} Although Portugal itself switched to RHT in 1928, [[Mozambique]] remained LHT as they have land borders with former British colonies. Other former Portuguese colonies in Africa including [[Portuguese Angola]], [[Guinea-Bissau]], [[São Tomé and Príncipe]], and [[Cape Verde]] switched to RHT in 1928.
The [[Portuguese Empire]], then LHT, introduced LHT to [[Portuguese Mozambique]] and [[Portuguese Angola]].{{Citation needed|date=February 2020}} Although Portugal itself switched to RHT in 1928, [[Mozambique]] remained LHT as they have land borders with former British colonies. Other former Portuguese colonies in Africa including [[Portuguese Angola]], [[Guinea-Bissau]], [[São Tomé and Príncipe]], and [[Cape Verde]] switched to RHT in 1928.
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Some special-purpose vehicles in the United States, including certain postal service trucks, garbage trucks, and parking-enforcement vehicles, are built with the driver's seat on the right for safer and easier access to the curb. A common example is the [[Grumman LLV]], which is used nationwide by the [[United States Postal Service]].
Some special-purpose vehicles in the United States, including certain postal service trucks, garbage trucks, and parking-enforcement vehicles, are built with the driver's seat on the right for safer and easier access to the curb. A common example is the [[Grumman LLV]], which is used nationwide by the [[United States Postal Service]].


[[File:Nb-stj-1899.jpg|thumb|Parts of Canada were LHT until the 1920s, shown here in [[Saint John, New Brunswick]], 1898]]
[[File:Nb-stj-1899.jpg|thumb|Parts of Canada were left until the 1920s, shown here in [[Saint John, New Brunswick]], 1898]]
As former French colonies, the provinces of [[Quebec]] and [[Ontario]] were always RHT.<ref name="cbc">{{cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/new-brunswick-driving-laws-1.4925856|title=The day New Brunswick switched to driving on the right|website=CBC|access-date=11 April 2019}}</ref> The province of [[British Columbia]] changed to RHT in stages from 1920 to 1923.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.th.gov.bc.ca/publications/roadrunners/1966/1966_03_march.pdf|title=Change of Rule of Road in British Columbia 1920|date=March 1966|work=The British Columbia Road Runner|access-date=27 August 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://vancouversun.com/life/week+history+switching+from+left+right+thing/11625241/story.html|title=Week in History: Switching from the left was the right thing to do|last=Griffin|first=Kevin|date=1 January 2016|work=[[The Vancouver Sun]]|access-date=26 August 2017}}</ref> [[New Brunswick]], [[Nova Scotia]], and [[Prince Edward Island]], changed to RHT in 1922, 1923, and 1924 respectively.<ref name="ns1758.ca">{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180808012644/http://ns1758.ca/auto/automobiles.html|url=http://ns1758.ca/auto/automobiles.html|title=Highway Driving Rule Changes Sides|last=Smith|first=Ivan|work=History of Automobiles – The Early Days in Nova Scotia, 1899–1949|archive-date=August 8, 2018|access-date=27 August 2017}}</ref> [[Newfoundland and Labrador|Newfoundland]], then a British colony,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Snyder |first1=Timothy |last2=Rowe |first2=F.W. |title=Newfoundland Bill |url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/newfoundland-bill |website=The Canadian Encyclopedia |access-date=30 July 2019}}</ref> changed to RHT in 1947, two years before joining Canada.<ref name="A triumph for left over right">{{cite news|url=https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/columnists/a-triumph-for-left-over-right-56169697.html|title=A triumph for left over right|last=Dyer|first=Gwynne|date=30 August 2009|newspaper=[[Winnipeg Free Press]]|access-date=27 August 2017}}</ref>
As former French colonies, the provinces of [[Quebec]] and [[Ontario]] were always RHT.<ref name="cbc">{{cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/new-brunswick-driving-laws-1.4925856|title=The day New Brunswick switched to driving on the right|website=CBC|access-date=11 April 2019}}</ref> The province of [[British Columbia]] changed to RHT in stages from 1920 to 1923.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.th.gov.bc.ca/publications/roadrunners/1966/1966_03_march.pdf|title=Change of Rule of Road in British Columbia 1920|date=March 1966|work=The British Columbia Road Runner|access-date=27 August 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://vancouversun.com/life/week+history+switching+from+left+right+thing/11625241/story.html|title=Week in History: Switching from the left was the right thing to do|last=Griffin|first=Kevin|date=1 January 2016|work=[[The Vancouver Sun]]|access-date=26 August 2017}}</ref> [[New Brunswick]], [[Nova Scotia]], and [[Prince Edward Island]], changed to RHT in 1922, 1923, and 1924 respectively.<ref name="ns1758.ca">{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180808012644/http://ns1758.ca/auto/automobiles.html|url=http://ns1758.ca/auto/automobiles.html|title=Highway Driving Rule Changes Sides|last=Smith|first=Ivan|work=History of Automobiles – The Early Days in Nova Scotia, 1899–1949|archive-date=August 8, 2018|access-date=27 August 2017}}</ref> [[Newfoundland and Labrador|Newfoundland]], then a British colony,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Snyder |first1=Timothy |last2=Rowe |first2=F.W. |title=Newfoundland Bill |url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/newfoundland-bill |website=The Canadian Encyclopedia |access-date=30 July 2019}}</ref> changed to RHT in 1947, two years before joining Canada.<ref name="A triumph for left over right">{{cite news|url=https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/columnists/a-triumph-for-left-over-right-56169697.html|title=A triumph for left over right|last=Dyer|first=Gwynne|date=30 August 2009|newspaper=[[Winnipeg Free Press]]|access-date=27 August 2017}}</ref>


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LHT was introduced by the [[Portuguese Empire]] in [[Portuguese Macau]] (now [[Macau]]) and [[Portuguese Timor]] (now [[East Timor]]). Both places are still LHT, despite Macau now being part of RHT [[People’s Republic of China|China]], requiring a right-to-left switching interchange at the Lotus Bridge that connects the two. East Timor shares the island of [[Timor]] with Indonesia, which is also LHT, although the former (then Portuguese Timor) switched to RHT along with Portugal in 1928<ref name="kincaid" /> before changing back to LHT in 1976 during the [[Indonesian occupation of East Timor]].
LHT was introduced by the [[Portuguese Empire]] in [[Portuguese Macau]] (now [[Macau]]) and [[Portuguese Timor]] (now [[East Timor]]). Both places are still LHT, despite Macau now being part of RHT [[People’s Republic of China|China]], requiring a right-to-left switching interchange at the Lotus Bridge that connects the two. East Timor shares the island of [[Timor]] with Indonesia, which is also LHT, although the former (then Portuguese Timor) switched to RHT along with Portugal in 1928<ref name="kincaid" /> before changing back to LHT in 1976 during the [[Indonesian occupation of East Timor]].


[[Mainland China]] is RHT except the [[Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China|Special Administrative Regions]] of Hong Kong and Macau. LHT was uniform in the 1930s, then the [[Manchuria|northern provinces]] were RHT. [[Republic of China (1912–1949)|Nationalist China]] adopted RHT in 1946. This convention was preserved when the [[Communist Party of China|CCP]] took the mainland and the [[Kuomintang|KMT]] refuged to [[Free area of the Republic of China|Taiwan]].
[[Mainland China]] is RHT except the [[Special administrative regions of China|special administrative regions]] of Hong Kong and Macau. LHT was uniform in the 1930s, then the [[Manchuria|northern provinces]] were RHT. [[Republic of China (1912–1949)|Nationalist China]] adopted RHT in 1946. This convention was preserved when the [[Communist Party of China|CCP]] took the mainland and the [[Kuomintang|KMT]] refuged to [[Free area of the Republic of China|Taiwan]].


[[Taiwan]] uses RHT.  [[Taiwan under Japanese rule|When it was governed by Japan]], LHT was used, but the KMT government switched the island to RHT in 1946, and it remains in place today.
[[Taiwan]] uses RHT.  [[Taiwan under Japanese rule|When it was governed by Japan]], LHT was used, but the KMT government switched the island to RHT in 1946, and it remains in place today.
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|-
|-
| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Algeria}}
| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Algeria}}
| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.adcidl.com/Driving-in-Algeria.html|title=Driving in Algeria|last=http://www.nyszone.com|website=adcidl.com|language=en-us|access-date=2019-04-03}}</ref>
| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.adcidl.com/Driving-in-Algeria.html|title=Driving in Algeria|website=adcidl.com|language=en-us|access-date=2019-04-03}}</ref>
|
|
|[[French Algeria]] until 1962.
|[[French Algeria]] until 1962.
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| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
|
|
|
|Was under [[Colony of Liberia|American control]].
|-
|-
| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Libya}}
| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Libya}}
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| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
|
|
| Most passenger vehicles are RHD due to them being imported from Australia and Japan.{{cn|date=October 2021}}
| Most passenger vehicles are RHD due to them being imported from Australia and Japan.{{cn|date=October 2021}} Palau was under [[Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands|American control]].
|-
|-
| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Palestine}}
| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Palestine}}
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| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Suriname}}
| colspan="2" | {{Flagcountry|Suriname}}
| style="background: lightskyblue;"| LHT
| style="background: lightskyblue;"| LHT
| 1920s
|
| [[Surinam (Dutch colony)|Dutch colony]] until 1975. One of the only two countries in continental America which are in LHT, the other being Guyana. Did not switch sides, unlike the Netherlands itself.
| [[Surinam (Dutch colony)|Dutch colony]] until 1975. One of the only two countries in continental America which are in LHT, the other being Guyana. Did not switch sides, unlike the Netherlands itself.
|-
|-
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| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
| style="background: lightcoral;"| RHT
|
|
|The largest island, [[Diego Garcia]], was leased to [[US Navy]] as [[US Navy bases|military bases]] which is RHT.
|The largest island, [[Diego Garcia]], was leased to the [[US Navy]] as a [[US Navy bases|military base]]; the USA is RHT.
|-
|-
| {{flagcountry|British Virgin Islands}}
| {{flagcountry|British Virgin Islands}}
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| style="background: lightskyblue;"| LHT
| style="background: lightskyblue;"| LHT
|
|
|Most passenger vehicles are LHD due to imports from the United States, which had RHT.<ref name="turks and caicos"/>
|Most passenger vehicles are LHD due to imports from the United States, which has RHT.<ref name="turks and caicos"/>
|-
|-
| rowspan="8" | {{Flagcountry|United States}}
| rowspan="8" | {{Flagcountry|United States}}
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| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
|
|-
| {{Flagcountry|Australia}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|
|
|-
|-
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| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|<ref name="bahamas"/>
|<ref name="bahamas"/>
|-
| {{Flagcountry|Bangladesh}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|
|-
|-
| {{Flagcountry|Belgium}}
| {{Flagcountry|Belgium}}
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| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|
|-
| {{Flagcountry|Brazil}}
| {{yes}}
| {{unknown}}
| {{unknown}}
|
|
|-
|-
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| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|<ref name="Fodor"/>
|<ref name="Fodor"/>
|-
| {{Flagcountry|Brunei}}
| {{unknown}}
| {{unknown}}
| {{no}}
| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.agc.gov.bn/AGC%20Images/LOB/PDF/Cap68subRg1%282.8.07%29.pdf|title=Road Traffic Act|publisher=Government of Brunei}}</ref>
|-
|-
| {{Flagcountry|Burundi}}
| {{Flagcountry|Burundi}}
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|
|
|-
|-
| {{Flagcountry|France}}
| {{Flagcountry|Finland}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{unknown}}
| {{unknown}}
|
|
|-
|-
| {{Flagcountry|Georgia}}
| {{Flagcountry|France}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|
|
|-
| {{Flagcountry|Georgia}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| <ref>{{cite journal|title=The causal effect of wrong-hand drive vehicles on road safety|doi=10.1016/j.ecotra.2017.10.002|first=Felix|last=Roesel|journal=Economics of Transportation|via=ScienceDirect|volume=11|pages=15-22|year=2021}}</ref>
|-
|-
| {{Flagcountry|Germany}}
| {{Flagcountry|Germany}}
Line 1,463: Line 1,493:
|-
|-
| {{Flagcountry|Greece}}
| {{Flagcountry|Greece}}
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
|
|-
| {{Flagcountry|Guernsey}}
| {{yes}}
| {{unknown}}
| {{unknown}}
|
|
|-
|-
Line 1,475: Line 1,511:
|-
|-
| {{Flagcountry|Hong Kong}}
| {{Flagcountry|Hong Kong}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|
|-
| {{Flagcountry|Hungary}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
Line 1,481: Line 1,523:
|-
|-
| {{Flagcountry|Iran}}
| {{Flagcountry|Iran}}
| {{yes}}
| {{unknown}}
| {{unknown}}
|
|-
| {{Flagcountry|Ireland}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{unknown}}
| {{unknown}}
Line 1,502: Line 1,550:
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|
|-
| {{Flagcountry|Jersey}}
| {{yes}}
| {{unknown}}
| {{unknown}}
|
|
|-
|-
Line 1,527: Line 1,581:
| {{unknown}}
| {{unknown}}
|
|
|-
| {{Flagcountry|Lithuania}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| <ref name=pl-lt/>
|-
|-
| {{Flagcountry|Macau}}
| {{Flagcountry|Macau}}
Line 1,580: Line 1,640:
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|
|-
| {{Flagcountry|Northern Cyprus}}
| {{yes}}
| {{unknown}}
| {{unknown}}
|
|
|-
|-
Line 1,616: Line 1,682:
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|
| <ref name=pl-lt>{{cite EU law
| title        = C-639/11 - Commission v Poland
| url    = https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/en/TXT/?uri=CELEX:62011CJ0639
}}</ref>
|-
| {{Flagcountry|Romania}}
| {{yes}}
| {{unknown}}
| {{no}}
| <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.digi24.ro/stiri/sci-tech/auto/masinile-cu-volan-pe-dreapta-aduse-din-marea-britanie-nu-mai-pot-fi-omologate-in-romania-de-la-1-ianuarie-2021-1427339|date=2021-01-02|title=Mașinile cu volan pe dreapta aduse din Marea Britanie nu mai pot fi omologate în România de la 1 ianuarie 2021|lang=ro}}</ref>
|-
|-
| {{Flagcountry|Russia}}
| {{Flagcountry|Russia}}
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| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|<ref name="Fodor"/>
|<ref name="Fodor"/>
|-
| {{Flagcountry|Venezuela}}
| {{yes}}
| {{unknown}}
| {{unknown}}
|
|-
|-
| {{Flagcountry|Vietnam}}
| {{Flagcountry|Vietnam}}
Line 1,756: Line 1,825:
|
|
|}
|}
According to the [[Vienna Convention on Road Traffic]], which mostly covers Europe, if having a vehicle registered and legal to drive in one of the Convention countries, it is legal to drive it in any other of the countries, for visits and first year of residence after moving. This is regardless if it does not fulfil all rules of the visitor countries. This convention does not affect rules on usage or registration of local vehicles.


==Gallery==
==Gallery==
<gallery mode="packed">
<gallery mode="packed">
File:Blick auf A 2 bei Raststätte Lehrter See (2009).jpg|Right-hand traffic on the [[Bundesautobahn 2|A2]] in [[Germany]]
File:Blick auf A 2 bei Raststätte Lehrter See (2009).jpg|Right-hand traffic on the [[Bundesautobahn 2|A2]] in [[Germany]]
File:Jamsil Bridge viewed from Gwangjin-gu to Songpa-gu.jpg|Right-hand traffic on [[Jamsil Bridge]] in [[South Korea]]
File:Traffic on M1 viewed from Pleasley Road, Whiston near Rotherham. - geograph.org.uk - 111945.jpg|Left-hand traffic on the [[M1 motorway]] in the UK
File:Traffic on M1 viewed from Pleasley Road, Whiston near Rotherham. - geograph.org.uk - 111945.jpg|Left-hand traffic on the [[M1 motorway]] in the UK
File:觀塘道 - panoramio.jpg|Left-hand traffic on [[Kwun Tong Road]] in [[Hong Kong]]
File:觀塘道 - panoramio.jpg|Left-hand traffic on [[Kwun Tong Road]] in [[Hong Kong]]
Line 1,774: Line 1,846:
*[[World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations]]
*[[World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations]]


==Notes==
== Explanatory notes ==
{{notelist}}
{{Notelist}}


==References==
==References==
Anonymous user
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