The division into the right and left sides of the movement began even before the appearance of the first car. Historians are still arguing among themselves which movement in Europe was the initial one. During the existence of the Roman Empire, horsemen rode on the left so that the right hand, in which they held their weapons, was ready to instantly strike the enemy traveling towards them. Evidence was found that the Romans had left-hand traffic: in 1998 in Great Britain, in the Swindon area, a Roman quarry was excavated, near which the left track was broken stronger than the right, as well as on a Roman denarius (dated 50 BC - 50 A.D.), two horsemen were depicted traveling on the left side.
Sitting on a horse in the Middle Ages was more convenient when driving to the left, since the sword did not interfere with the landing. However, there is an argument against this argument - the convenience of riding on the left or right lane when riding on horseback varies depending on the method of riding, and there were not so many warriors compared to the rest of the population. After people stopped taking weapons with them on the road, the movement began to gradually change to right-hand traffic. This was due to the fact that most people are right-handed, and with the advantage of the right hand in strength and dexterity, many things are more comfortable to do while driving on the right side of the road.
When walking (unarmed), when driving a horse and a cart, it is more convenient to keep to the right side. From this side, it is more convenient for a person to be close to oncoming traffic in order to stop for a conversation with oncoming traffic, and it is easier for a person to hold the bridle with his right hand. The knights at the tournaments also rode on the right - they held the shield in their left hand, and the spear was placed on the back of the horse, but there is an argument against this argument - the tournaments were just demonstrative "shows" and had nothing to do with real life.
Depending on the type of horse-drawn carriage, the convenience of right- and left-hand traffic varies: for single-seater carriages with a driver's seat in front, it is preferable to ride on the right side, since when traveling with another carriage, the driver has to pull the reins more with his right hand. Crews with a postilion (a coachman driving a team sitting on one of the horses) also adhered to the right side - the postilion always sits on the left horse in order to facilitate boarding and control with the right hand. Multi-seat and open carriages drove on the left side of the road - so the coachman could not accidentally hit a passenger or a passer-by walking on the sidewalk with a whip.
In Russia, even under Peter I, right-hand traffic was accepted as the norm, carts and sledges drove away, as a rule, keeping to the right side, and in 1752 Empress Elizaveta Petrovna issued an official decree on the introduction of right-hand traffic of carriages and cabbies on the streets of Russian cities. Among Western countries, the first law on the side of movement was issued in England - it was a bill of 1756, according to which traffic on London Bridge should be on the left side, and in the case of "driving into an oncoming lane" a fine of 1 pound of silver was levied. And only 20 years later, the British government issued the historic "Road Act", which spelled out the introduction of left-hand traffic. By the way, the same movement was adopted on the Manchester-Liverpool railroad, which opened in 1830. According to one of the assumptions, England took this from the maritime rules, since it was an island state, and the only connection with the rest of the countries was navigation - through them the ship passed another vessel, which was approaching it from the right.
Great Britain is considered the main culprit of the “leftism”, which then influenced many countries of the world. According to one version, she introduced the same order on her roads from the maritime rules, that is, at sea, another ship passed another, which was approaching from the right.
The influence of Great Britain influenced the order of movement in its colonies, therefore, in particular, in countries such as India, Pakistan, Australia, left-hand traffic of vehicles was adopted. In 1859, the ambassador of Queen Victoria, Sir R. Alcock, persuaded the Tokyo authorities to also adopt a left-hand movement.
Right-hand movement is often associated with France, with its influence on many other countries. During the Great French Revolution of 1789 in a decree issued in Paris, it was ordered to move on the "pro-people" right side. A little later, Napoleon consolidated this position by ordering the military to keep to the right side. Further, this order of movement, as it is not strange, was associated with big politics at the beginning of the XIX century. Those who supported Napoleon - Holland, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain. On the other hand, those who opposed the Napoleonic army: Britain, Austria-Hungary, Portugal turned out to be "leftists". The influence of France was so great that it influenced many countries in Europe and they switched to right-hand traffic. However, in England, Portugal, Sweden and some other countries, the movement remained left-sided. A curious situation has developed in Austria in general. In some provinces, the movement was left-sided, while in others it was right-sided. And only after the Anschluss in the 30s with Germany, the whole country moved to the right-hand side.
In the beginning, there was also a left-hand movement in the United States. But, probably, the Americans' love of freedom was expressed, in contrast to the British, to do the opposite. It is believed that the French General Marie-Joseph Lafayette, who made a significant contribution to the struggle for independence from the British crown, "convinced" the Americans to switch to the right-wing movement. At the same time, Canada maintained a left-hand movement until the 1920s.
At various times, left-hand traffic was adopted in many countries, but they switched to new rules. For example, due to the proximity to the former French colonies with right-hand traffic, the rules were replaced by the former British colonies in Africa. In Czechoslovakia (formerly part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire), left-hand traffic was maintained until 1938. The DPRK and South Korea switched from left-hand traffic to right-hand traffic in 1946 after the end of the Japanese occupation.
Sweden was one of the last countries to switch from left-hand traffic to right-hand traffic. This happened in 1967. Preparations for reform began as early as 1963, when the Swedish Parliament formed the State Commission for the Transition to Right-Hand Traffic, which was to develop and implement a set of measures to ensure such a transition. On September 3, 1967 at 4:50 am, all vehicles had to stop, change sides of the road and continue driving at 5:00. For the first time after the transition, a special speed limitation mode was set.
After the appearance of cars in Europe, there was a real leapfrog. Most of the countries traveled on the right side - this custom has been imposed since the time of Napoleon. However, in England, Sweden and even one part of Austria-Hungary, left-hand traffic reigned. And in Italy, different cities generally had different rules!
As for the location of the steering wheel, on the first cars in most cases it was on the “wrong” right side for us. Moreover, regardless of which side the cars drove on. This was done so that the driver could better see the overtaken car. In addition, with such an arrangement of the steering wheel, the driver could get out of the car directly onto the sidewalk, and not onto the roadway. By the way, the first mass-produced car with the "correct" steering wheel was the Ford T.
Maybe someone else does not know.It is difficult to find an automotive forum in which the dispute about the right and left steering wheel has not flared up. This is due to the increase in the number of right-hand drive vehicles brought to Russia, and the peculiarity of their operation on right-hand traffic.
The division into the right and left sides of the movement began even before the appearance of the first car. Historians are still arguing among themselves which movement in Europe was the initial one. During the existence of the Roman Empire, horsemen rode on the left so that the right hand, in which they held their weapons, was ready to instantly strike the enemy traveling towards them. Evidence was found that the Romans had left-hand traffic: in 1998 in Great Britain, in the Swindon area, a Roman quarry was excavated, near which the left track was broken stronger than the right, as well as on a Roman denarius (dated 50 BC - 50 A.D.), two horsemen were depicted traveling on the left side.
Sitting on a horse in the Middle Ages was more convenient when driving to the left, since the sword did not interfere with the landing. However, there is an argument against this argument - the convenience of riding on the left or right lane when riding on horseback varies depending on the method of riding, and there were not so many warriors compared to the rest of the population. After people stopped taking weapons with them on the road, the movement began to gradually change to right-hand traffic. This was due to the fact that most people are right-handed, and with the advantage of the right hand in strength and dexterity, many things are more comfortable to do while driving on the right side of the road.
When walking (unarmed), when driving a horse and a cart, it is more convenient to keep to the right side. From this side, it is more convenient for a person to be close to oncoming traffic in order to stop for a conversation with oncoming traffic, and it is easier for a person to hold the bridle with his right hand. The knights at the tournaments also rode on the right - they held the shield in their left hand, and the spear was placed on the back of the horse, but there is an argument against this argument - the tournaments were just demonstrative "shows" and had nothing to do with real life.
Depending on the type of horse-drawn carriage, the convenience of right- and left-hand traffic varies: for single-seater carriages with a driver's seat in front, it is preferable to ride on the right side, since when traveling with another carriage, the driver has to pull the reins more with his right hand. Crews with a postilion (a coachman driving a team sitting on one of the horses) also adhered to the right side - the postilion always sits on the left horse in order to facilitate boarding and control with the right hand. Multi-seat and open carriages drove on the left side of the road - so the coachman could not accidentally hit a passenger or a passer-by walking on the sidewalk with a whip.
In Russia, even under Peter I, right-hand traffic was accepted as the norm, carts and sledges drove away, as a rule, keeping to the right side, and in 1752 Empress Elizaveta Petrovna issued an official decree on the introduction of right-hand traffic of carriages and cabbies on the streets of Russian cities. Among Western countries, the first law on the side of movement was issued in England - it was a bill of 1756, according to which traffic on London Bridge should be on the left side, and in the case of "driving into an oncoming lane" a fine of 1 pound of silver was levied. And only 20 years later, the British government issued the historic "Road Act", which spelled out the introduction of left-hand traffic. By the way, the same movement was adopted on the Manchester-Liverpool railroad, which opened in 1830. According to one of the assumptions, England took this from the maritime rules, since it was an island state, and the only connection with the rest of the countries was navigation - through them the ship passed another vessel, which was approaching it from the right.
It is Great Britain that is considered the “parent” of the left-hand movement; this example was adopted by its colonies (India, Pakistan, Australia) and other countries of the world. During the Great French Revolution in 1789, Napoleon issued an order for the military to move on the right side of the road, and subsequently the side of traffic and military columns was determined by the country's political views: the countries - Napoleon's allies (Holland, Germany, Switzerland, Poland, Italy, Spain) established a right-side movement, and the enemy countries (Britain, Potrugalia, Austria-Hungary) - left-sided. In Austria, in different cities, the movement went on different sides, and then this country pulled to the right. In Japan, the second largest country with left-hand traffic, it was adopted in 1859 under the influence of Queen Victoria's Ambassador Sir Rutherford Alcock.
After the end of the Japanese occupation in 1946, South Korea and the DPRK changed left-hand traffic to right-hand traffic. Czechoslovakia, formerly part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, switched to right-hand traffic in 1938. Sweden, on the other hand, became one of the last countries to change the direction of traffic, for this in 1963 the State Commission for the transition to right-hand traffic was created. Its tasks included the development and implementation, and officially right-hand traffic was consolidated in 1967. On this solemn day, September 3, at exactly 4:50 am, all cars and other vehicles had to stop, change lane to the opposite and resume traffic at 5:00. To ensure safety during this change, the authorities briefly imposed a speed limit mode.
In the United States, initially, transport traffic was carried out on the left side, but, according to historians, the love of freedom and contradiction in England forced them to move to the right side. According to one version, the founder of the right-hand movement in America was the French general Marie Joseph Lafayette, one of the most ardent fighters for independence from the British crown. Canada, on the other hand, held out with left-hand traffic until the 20s of the XX century.
And in the future, the formation of the left or right direction of traffic was due to the proximity to certain countries - the former British colonies in Africa (Sierra Leone, Gambia, Nigeria, Ghana) changed left-hand traffic to right-hand traffic, as they were located next to the former French colonies. And the former Portuguese colony of Mozambique changed right-hand traffic to the opposite due to the proximity to the former British colonies.
As for the location of the steering wheel, on the first cars in most cases it was on the “wrong” right side for us. Moreover, regardless of which side the cars drove on. This was done so that the driver could better see the overtaken car. In addition, with such an arrangement of the steering wheel, the driver could get out of the car directly onto the sidewalk, and not onto the roadway. By the way, the first mass-produced car with the "correct" steering wheel was the Ford T.
In some countries, controversial issues arise due to the location of the steering wheel - for example, in the Bahamas, people mainly drive left-hand drive cars, since it is convenient to bring them from the United States, and in the east of our country, on the contrary, most cars are right-hand drive due to the proximity with Japan. Countries with left-hand traffic include Australia, England, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Bermuda, Cyprus, India, Ireland, Japan, Kenya, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, New Zealand, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Saint Island Helena, South Africa, British Virgin Islands, US Virgin Islands, Zimbabwe and many others.
An article about left-hand traffic: countries with this type of traffic, features, interesting facts. At the end of the article - a video about right-hand and left-hand traffic.
What are these countries and why did they choose to drive on the left side of the road?
Historians claim that the inhabitants of the Roman Empire were among the first to introduce the rules of the road, and they used just forward movement on the left side of the road.
In addition, the fact that most of the population was (and still is) right-handed, including horsemen, who needed to hold a weapon in their right hand, also contributed to the left-hand movement at that time.
The popularization of the movement on the right side in European countries is attributed to France, in particular to Napoleon, who approved it and spread it not only in France, but also in all territories of the conquered states, which subsequently decided not to change anything.
At the same time, the popularization of left-hand traffic in a number of Asian countries and Australia is credited with Great Britain - in different parts of the world Britain had many colonies, whose life it has seriously influenced.
In the photo: countries with left-hand traffic
In Britain, the first legislatively recorded document obliging the population of the country to adhere to the left-hand traffic is a bill dated 1756. In it, the authorities obliged everyone to use the right side of the road when moving along the London Bridge. And after 20 years, this rule has spread to the entire country, which is still relevant to this day.
Australia inherited the left-hand drive rule from England. Australia was a British colony from 1770 to 1901, after which it was the dominion of the United Kingdom until 1931. In 1931, Australia received the status of an independent state, although its head (like the head of other countries of the British Commonwealth) formally remains the Queen of Great Britain.
As in the case of Australia, left-hand traffic in India was influenced by the metropolis. Interestingly, almost every city has unique traffic patterns, and the rules for driving on the roads in one settlement may not be applicable in a neighboring one.
In addition, in this country, sheer chaos reigns on the roads in this country, which can cause genuine amazement even among experienced motorists.
Another country that inherited left-hand traffic from England. It is also worth mentioning the fact that in terms of the number of cars per unit of population, New Zealand is in the TOP-10 countries of the world - its indicator is 7 cars per 10 people.
At the same time, control over the observance of traffic rules is entrusted to the surveillance cameras, which are equipped with all roads, without exception.
Ireland is in close proximity to Britain, which no doubt had a direct impact on the direction of traffic in the country.
One of the distinctive features of the country is that travel on most roads, tunnels and bridges is paid here, and it is not always possible to pay for travel in cash.
A small country located in the southeast of Asia, where left-hand traffic is also used.
One of the key features of this country is that it is very, very expensive to own your own car. In addition, the Singapore authorities, in order to combat traffic jams, are closely monitoring the number of cars - according to local rules, the annual increase in the number of vehicles in the country should not exceed 3%.
The history of the emergence of left-hand traffic in Japan has two opinions. According to the first, Japanese samurai carried their swords on the left side, therefore, in order not to cling to each other while riding horses, they adhered to the left-hand movement.
The second suggests that driving on the left side in Japan was facilitated by the country's close trade relations with the same Great Britain.
Be that as it may, a national decree on left-hand driving in Japan was adopted in the 18th century, and finally approved only in 1927.
Photo: road traffic in Sweden
The same principle was taken as a basis by Henry Ford when designing his first car, the steering wheel of which was located precisely on the left side.
Sweden became the last country in continental Europe to switch from left-hand traffic to right-hand traffic. The fact is that all neighboring countries used right-hand traffic, and this created a lot of problems when motorists crossed the border. In addition, the overwhelming majority of cars produced were left-hand drive vehicles.
It is curious that the inhabitants of Sweden have been preparing for the transition to right-hand traffic for 4 years. The very same transition took place on September 3, 1967 - exactly at 04:50 all traffic on the streets was stopped, and already at 05:00 it was resumed, but already according to the rules of right-hand traffic. In the history of Sweden, this day is listed as "Day" H ", where" H "is an abbreviation for the Swedish word" h? Gertrafik ", which literally translates as" right-hand traffic ".
Currently, there are a sufficient number of cities in the world where there are streets with both left-hand and right-hand traffic. Among them are, for example, Odessa and St. Petersburg.
About 33% of all roads in the world are right-handed, and this is not so little. Therefore, just in case, before traveling by car to foreign countries, it is better to study the features of traffic rules of those countries whose territory you are going to visit.
Video about right-hand and left-hand traffic:
Currently, in Russia and many other countries, right-hand traffic is accepted on the roads. There are also countries with left-hand traffic. In the modern world, these are Ireland, Great Britain, Japan, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and a number of African countries. Let's try to figure out why this is the situation.
Traditions of left-hand and right-hand traffic originated long before the invention of the automobile.
According to one of the versions, right-hand traffic arose in Europe during the Middle Ages, when not cars, but riders on horses drove along narrow roads between settlements. They were all armed. In their left hand, the riders held a shield to defend themselves in the event of a surprise attack, so they held on to the right side. There is another version of the appearance of right-hand traffic: when the horse-drawn carriages were leaving, it was easier to direct the carriage to the side of the right, pulling the reins with the right hand, which is more developed in most people. The years have passed, the means of transportation have changed, but the tradition has remained ...
It is believed that left-hand traffic originated in England. This island state was connected with the outside world only by sea routes, and shipping was actively developing. To streamline the movement of ships, the naval department issued a decree, according to which the ships were required to keep to the left. Later, this rule was extended to highways, and also passed to all countries under the influence of Britain. Some people still adhere to it. Another version connects the tradition of left-hand traffic with the fact that when horse carts moved through the streets, the coachman held a whip in his right hand and, while driving the horses, could hurt pedestrians. Therefore, the carriages had to go on the left side.
As for our country, in 1752 the Russian Empress Elizaveta Petrovna issued a decree on the introduction of right-hand traffic for carriages and cabbies on the streets of Russian cities.
At various times, left-hand traffic was adopted in many countries, but they switched to new rules. For example, due to the proximity to the former French colonies with right-hand traffic, the rules were replaced by the former British colonies in Africa. The DPRK and South Korea switched from left-hand traffic to right-hand traffic in 1946 after the end of the Japanese occupation.
Sweden was one of the last countries to switch from left-hand traffic to right-hand traffic. This happened in 1967. Preparations for reform began as early as 1963, when the Swedish Parliament formed the State Commission for the Transition to Right-Hand Traffic, which was to develop and implement a set of measures to ensure such a transition. On September 3, 1967 at 4:50 am, all vehicles had to stop, change sides of the road and continue driving at 5:00. For the first time after the transition, a special speed limitation mode was set.
Tourists who come to a country with an unusual traffic for them are advised, for safety reasons, not to drive a car on their own, but to resort to the services of a driver.
The existence of right- and left-hand traffic for several decades has added work to automakers and headaches for drivers who are forced to drive on the "wrong" side on vacation or business trip. And in this duality that still exists, horses are to blame, as it turns out.
As you might guess, right-hand traffic is no worse and no better than left-hand traffic - if only cars and road infrastructure are fully adapted to it. Novice English or Australian drivers get used to the road no slower and no faster than German and Russian "dummies". Perhaps that is why all the countries of the world cannot come to a single option for so long - and, for example, the small state of Samoa in Oceania, a little over five years ago, switched from a right-sided version to a left-sided one. The fact is that a hundred years ago Samoa was a German colony and when laying roads, the usual right-hand traffic was introduced for the Germans - however, it is more convenient to transport cars to the islands from Australia and New Zealand, where they are overwhelmingly right-handed. Therefore, the local prime minister in the fall of 2009 ordered the country to drive on the other side of the road.
But if the two traffic patterns are equally good (or equally bad), how then did the choice come about? Was it possible that our ancestors at some point trite tossed up a coin? Not at all.
At the end of the last century, archaeologists carried out excavations on the territory of a quarry of ancient Roman times and found, among other things, a road to it. Based on the fact that on one side the track was noticeably deeper than on the other (the reason for which was the difference in weight between empty and loaded cart), experts concluded that left-hand traffic was adopted on the territory of this ancient "enterprise". A number of other finds confirm this conclusion: in ancient times, people clearly preferred to move on the left side.
Jockeys driving the most luxurious carriage available to the British royal family do not have to huddle: no other vehicle will simply be allowed on the streets where the crew must pass.
The fact is that for a motorist there is no fundamental difference in which sides to part. But thousands of years ago the most popular means of transportation on land was the horse, but for a rider or a coachman driving a carriage, there is already a difference. Most people are right-handed, and prefer to mount a horse on the left side, and hold a weapon or, for example, a whip in their right hand. It was because of this that the riders, for example, preferred to disperse with their right sides - in order to be in a more convenient position in case of an attack. And it was more convenient for the coachmen to drive to the left, so that the whip had less chance of catching on bushes or hedges at the edge of the road - or catching someone walking along the side of the road.
Thus, left-hand traffic looks more familiar and natural - but who then came up with the idea of taking the other side of the road? A number of historians believe that the multi-horse teams are to blame for everything, where the coachman was sitting not on a carriage or cart, but directly on one of the horses. The coachman was most comfortable on the left hind horse - however, in this case he did not "feel the dimensions" of the carriage very well, driving away with oncoming carts. Therefore, both the luxurious carriages of the nobility ("six hundredth Merci" of their time) and heavy freight carts (which were more expensive to collide with) began to stick to the right side. Over time, those who drove less cumbersome and prestigious carriages acquired the habit of driving on the right. As a result, in the 18th century, the right-hand traffic pattern was officially enshrined in many European countries: for example, in France it was done in 1794, and in Russia even earlier, in 1752, by decree of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna.
There would be no England - there would be no "right" rudder. The validity of this statement in automotive circles has been arguing for more than a dozen years.
Let's try to figure out why the left-hand traffic pattern took root in the UK and how this affected other countries of the world.
The British authorities legislated the norm to drive on the left side of the road in 1756. Violation of the bill provided for an impressive fine - a pound of silver.
There are two main versions that explain why in the middle of the 18th century England made a choice in favor of left-hand traffic.
In ancient Rome, they adhered to the left-hand traffic. This approach was explained by the fact that the legionnaires held a weapon in their right hand. And therefore, in the event of an unexpected meeting with the enemy, it was more profitable for them to be on the left side of the road. The enemy thus fell directly on the chopping hand. After the Romans conquered the British Isles in 45 AD, Leftism could have spread to England. This version is supported by the results of archaeological expeditions. In 1998, a Roman quarry was excavated in Wiltshire in the southwest of England, near which the left track was broken more than the right.
Previously, the British could only get to Europe by waterway. Therefore, maritime traditions have firmly entered the culture of this people. In the old days, English ships had to bypass the oncoming vessel on the left side. Subsequently, this custom could spread to the roads.
Right-hand traffic is enshrined in modern international shipping rules.
How did English "leftism" spread throughout the world?
Most left-hand countries have chosen this particular traffic pattern due to the following circumstances:
Back in the middle of the last century, Great Britain was an empire over which the sun never set. Most of the former colonies scattered around the world, after gaining independence, decided to keep their usual left-hand traffic.
During the Great French Revolution, a decree was issued, which ordered all residents of the republic to move along the "common" right side of the road. When Napoleon Bonaparte came to power, the scheme of the movement turned into a political argument. In those states that supported Napoleon - Holland, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain - right-hand traffic was established. On the other hand, those who opposed France - Great Britain, Austria-Hungary, Portugal - turned out to be "leftists". Subsequently, left-hand traffic in these three countries was preserved only in the United Kingdom.
Political friendship with Great Britain contributed to the introduction of "leftism" on the roads in Japan: in 1859, the ambassador of Queen Victoria, Sir Rutherford Alcock, convinced the authorities of the island nation to accept left-hand traffic.
In Russia, the norms of right-hand traffic were formed back in the Middle Ages. The Danish envoy under Peter I, Yust Yul, wrote in 1709 that "in the Russian Empire it is everywhere in the custom that carts and sledges, meeting each other, disperse, keeping to the right side." In 1752, Empress Elizaveta Petrovna consolidated this norm by law, issuing a decree on the introduction of right-hand traffic for carriages and cabbies on the streets of the cities of the empire.
East is a delicate matter. And the Far East is generally incomprehensible):
As you probably heard, two streets with left-hand traffic appeared in the center of Vladivostok.
Due to the opening of the bridge over the Golden Horn Bay, the organization of traffic in the city center was changed, "in order to optimize traffic and eliminate the intersection of traffic flows." Including on two streets it is very unusual - in fact, left-hand traffic was introduced there. But now right-hand drive cars look very harmonious on them.
History knows many examples when countries switched from one traffic pattern to another. States did this for the following reasons:
The United States switched to driving on the right side of the road after independence from Britain in 1776.
Korea switched to right-hand traffic after the end of the Japanese occupation in 1946.
Many former British colonies in Africa switched to right-hand traffic in the mid-1960s and early 1970s. Sierra Leone, The Gambia, Nigeria and Ghana did this for convenience: around them were the "right-handed" former French colonies.
Sweden is the last to change direction in Europe. In 1967, the so-called "H" Day * took place there, when all the cars of the kingdom changed to another lane. The reason for the transition to the "right" lay not only in geography, but also in the economy. Most of the countries where cars made in Sweden went to use the left-hand drive.
In 2009, Samoa switched to left-hand traffic. This was due to the large number of used right-hand drive vehicles supplied to the country from Australia and New Zealand.
In right-handed countries, there is room for left-handed exceptions. So, on the small street of General Lemonnier (350 meters long) in Paris, move on the left side. There are small areas with left-hand traffic in Odessa (Vysoky lane), in Moscow (passing to Leskova street), in St. Petersburg (Fontanka river embankment) and in Vladivostok (Semyonovskaya street in the section from Aleutskaya street to the intersection with Okeansky prospect, as well as on the street.Mordovtseva).
According to experts, which side you are driving on does not affect the degree of traffic safety - it is just a matter of habit.
The global ratio of right-hand to left-hand roads is 72% and 28%, with 66% of the world's drivers driving on the right side and 34% on the left.
In North America
Antigua and Barbuda
Bahamas
Barbados
Jamaica
In South America
Guyana
Suriname
Europe
United Kingdom
Ireland
Malta
Asia
Bangladesh
Brunei
Butane
East Timor
Hong Kong
India
Indonesia
Cyprus
Macau
Malaysia
Maldives
Nepal
Pakistan
Singapore
Thailand
Sri Lanka
Japan
Africa
Botswana
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Kenya
Lesotho
Mauritius
Mozambique
Namibia
Seychelles
Swaziland
Tanzania
Uganda
South Africa
Oceania
Australia
Kiribati
Nauru
New Zealand
Papua New Guinea
Samoa
Tonga
Fiji
