Countries That Drive on the Left

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Introduction

Driving on the left side of the road is a unique practice followed by a relatively small number of countries worldwide. The historical origins of this driving tradition can be traced back to ancient times, where the practice of keeping to the left side of the road was prevalent. Over time, as civilizations developed and transportation methods evolved, this preference for left-hand traffic persisted in certain regions.

One possible explanation for the prevalence of left-hand driving can be attributed to the influence of British colonialism. Many countries that drive on the left were once under British rule or had significant historical ties to the British Empire. The British introduced left-hand traffic in their colonies, and even after gaining independence, these countries continued the tradition.

The practice of left-hand traffic was reinforced further by the standardization of vehicle designs. In the early days of automobiles, vehicles were often right-hand drive. This meant that drivers had a better view of the road when driving on the left side. As manufacturing standards evolved, countries with left-hand traffic maintained their preference, while right-hand traffic became the global norm.

Interestingly, there are a few geographical clusters where left-hand traffic is particularly prevalent. The majority of left-hand driving countries can be found in the Caribbean, Oceania, and Southeast Asia. This can be attributed to the historical presence of British colonies in these regions. Additionally, several island nations, such as Bermuda, Malta, and Japan, drive on the left side of the road, possibly due to their unique geographic characteristics and historical influences.

It is worth noting that driving on the left or right side of the road is not just a matter of tradition or preference. It also has implications for road safety and traffic management. Consistency in traffic flow helps reduce confusion and improve road safety, especially for tourists or individuals accustomed to driving on the opposite side. As a result, countries with left-hand traffic typically have right-hand drive vehicles, while countries with right-hand traffic have left-hand drive vehicles.

List of Countries That Drive on the Left

CountryDriving Left Traffic
AnguillaLeft
Antigua and BarbudaLeft
AustraliaLeft
BangladeshLeft
BarbadosLeft
BermudaLeft
BhutanLeft
BotswanaLeft
British Virgin IslandsLeft
BruneiLeft
Cayman IslandsLeft
CyprusLeft
DominicaLeft
East TimorLeft
FijiLeft
GrenadaLeft
GuernseyLeft
GuyanaLeft
Hong KongLeft
IndiaLeft
IndonesiaLeft
IrelandLeft
Isle of ManLeft
JamaicaLeft
JapanLeft
JerseyLeft
KenyaLeft
LesothoLeft
MacauLeft
MalawiLeft
MalaysiaLeft
MaldivesLeft
MaltaLeft
MauritiusLeft
MontserratLeft
MozambiqueLeft
NamibiaLeft
NauruLeft
NepalLeft
New ZealandLeft
Norfolk IslandLeft
PakistanLeft
Papua New GuineaLeft
Saint HelenaLeft
Saint Kitts and NevisLeft
Saint LuciaLeft
Saint Vincent and the GrenadinesLeft
SeychellesLeft
SingaporeLeft
Solomon IslandsLeft
South AfricaLeft
Sri LankaLeft
SurinameLeft
TanzaniaLeft
ThailandLeft
The BahamasLeft
Trinidad and TobagoLeft
Turkish Republic of Northern CyprusLeft
Turks and Caicos IslandsLeft
UgandaLeft
United KingdomLeft
United States Virgin IslandsLeft
ZambiaLeft
ZimbabweLeft

Countries That Drive on the Left Side of the Road

The 64 countries that drive on the left are Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bangladesh, Barbados, Bermuda, Bhutan, Botswana, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Cayman Islands, Cyprus, Dominica, East Timor, Fiji, Grenada, Guernsey, Guyana, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Isle of Man, Jamaica, Japan, Jersey, Kenya, Lesotho, Macau, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mauritius, Montserrat, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, New Zealand, Norfolk Island, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Saint Helena, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Seychelles, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Tanzania, Thailand, The Bahamas, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Turks and Caicos Islands, Uganda, United Kingdom, United States Virgin Islands, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Here is the list of the 64 left driving countries :

1. Anguilla
2. Antigua and Barbuda
3. Australia
4. Bangladesh
5. Barbados
6. Bermuda
7. Bhutan
8. Botswana
9. British Virgin Islands
10. Brunei
11. Cayman Islands
12. Cyprus
13. Dominica
14. East Timor
15. Fiji
16. Grenada
17. Guernsey
18. Guyana
19. Hong Kong
20. India
21. Indonesia
22. Ireland
23. Isle of Man
24. Jamaica
25. Japan
26. Jersey
27. Kenya
28. Lesotho
29. Macau
30. Malawi
31. Malaysia
32. Maldives
33. Malta
34. Mauritius
35. Montserrat
36. Mozambique
37. Namibia
38. Nauru
39. Nepal
40. New Zealand
41. Norfolk Island
42. Pakistan
43. Papua New Guinea
44. Saint Helena
45. Saint Kitts and Nevis
46. Saint Lucia
47. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
48. Seychelles
49. Singapore
50. Solomon Islands
51. South Africa
52. Sri Lanka
53. Suriname
54. Tanzania
55. Thailand
56. The Bahamas
57. Trinidad and Tobago
58. Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
59. Turks and Caicos Islands
60. Uganda
61. United Kingdom
62. United States Virgin Islands
63. Zambia
64. Zimbabwe

Left Side Driving Countries

Anguilla

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Antigua and Barbuda

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Australia

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Bangladesh

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Barbados

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Bermuda

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Bhutan

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Botswana

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British Virgin Islands

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Brunei

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Cayman Islands

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Cyprus

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Dominica

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East Timor

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Fiji

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Grenada

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Guernsey

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Guyana

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Hong Kong

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India

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Indonesia

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Ireland

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Isle of Man

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Jamaica

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Japan

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Jersey

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Kenya

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Lesotho

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Macau

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Malawi

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Malaysia

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Maldives

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Malta

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Mauritius

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Montserrat

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Mozambique

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Namibia

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Nauru

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Nepal

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New Zealand

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Norfolk Island

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Pakistan

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Papua New Guinea

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Saint Helena

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Saint Kitts and Nevis

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Saint Lucia

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Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

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Seychelles

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Singapore

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Solomon Islands

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South Africa

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Sri Lanka

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Suriname

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Tanzania

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Thailand

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The Bahamas

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Trinidad and Tobago

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Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus

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Turks and Caicos Islands

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Uganda

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United Kingdom

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United States Virgin Islands

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Zambia

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Zimbabwe

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FAQs

How many countries drive on the left side of the road ?

There are a total of 64 countries that drive on the left.

Which countries drive on the left ?

The countries that drive on the left are Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bangladesh, Barbados, Bermuda, Bhutan, Botswana, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Cayman Islands, Cyprus, Dominica, East Timor, Fiji, Grenada, Guernsey, Guyana, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Isle of Man, Jamaica, Japan, Jersey, Kenya, Lesotho, Macau, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mauritius, Montserrat, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, New Zealand, Norfolk Island, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Saint Helena, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Seychelles, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Tanzania, Thailand, The Bahamas, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Turks and Caicos Islands, Uganda, United Kingdom, United States Virgin Islands, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

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