Aeroflot001 From Argentina, joined Oct 2009, 384 posts, RR: 0 Posted (3 years 6 months 2 weeks 1 day 21 hours ago) and read 4298 times:
Let me start of by saying that the whole subject between driving on the right and the left interests me a bit for some reason and how they have to make a strange bridge or Intersection on the border with countries that have different driving sides. I beleive that all (correct me if Im wrong) countries except Gibraltar and a few in Northern Africa drive on the left even the Falklands which are thousands of miles from a left driving country. What surprises me the most is that in Canada and the US we drive on the right and Canada really surprises me because they still have the British Monarchy in place (I dont know exactly how this stands politically). Gibraltar is very small and because of its border with spain it feels that its best for it to drive on the right. On the same token however the Virgin Islands drive on the left. Does canada have any territories that drive on the left? Thanks guys and I hope some light can be shed on the subject.
I found this a bit interesting from wikipedia (yes I know wikipedia )
Research in 1969 by J. J. Leeming showed countries driving on the left have a lower collision rate than countries driving on the right. It has been suggested this is partly because humans are more commonly right-eye dominant than left-eye dominant
It all makes sense now the country wanted to keep its population control methods going . On a serious note it really is sad how unsafe the roads are nowadays
Airstud From United States of America, joined Nov 2000, 1855 posts, RR: 1 Reply 1, posted (3 years 6 months 2 weeks 1 day 21 hours ago) and read 4284 times:
As far as I know, most countries in the world drive on the right-hand side.
The exceptions are
UK
Ireland
Australia
New Zealand
South Africa & much (maybe all?) of sub-Saharan Africa
Japan
The US and Canada got their independence from Britain in 1776 and 1867 respectively; and the automobile didn't come round for a long time thereafter.
Whereas the African colonies remained under British rule well into the 20th century, during the rise and rise of the automobile. That's the explanation for why US and Canada's road systems developed without regard to the British one.
Vikkyvik From United States of America, joined Jul 2003, 8214 posts, RR: 28 Reply 2, posted (3 years 6 months 2 weeks 1 day 21 hours ago) and read 4283 times:
AIRLINERS.NET CREW PHOTO SCREENER
Quoting Aeroflot001 (Thread starter): I beleive that all (correct me if Im wrong) countries except Gibraltar and a few in Northern Africa drive on the left even the Falklands which are thousands of miles from a left driving country.
I'm not sure if this is the way you intended to word this. Because no, all countries except Gibraltar and a few in Northern Africa do NOT drive on the left.
To make it simple, this is why the US and Canada drive on the right:
Ajd1992 From UK - England, joined Jul 2006, 2645 posts, RR: 6 Reply 3, posted (3 years 6 months 2 weeks 1 day 21 hours ago) and read 4276 times:
Malta drives on the left too, as well as a few Asian countries.
It doesn't really matter what side of the road you drive on as long as there isn't somebody coming the other way on your side of the road
Must be honest though, I'm English and I prefer being on the right rather than left. I hate driving in the UK because it just feels.... wrong. I've spent so long being on the right it feels more right than not being on the right
TLG From United States of America, joined Jul 2005, 324 posts, RR: 0 Reply 4, posted (3 years 6 months 2 weeks 1 day 20 hours ago) and read 4272 times:
Quoting Airstud (Reply 1): As far as I know, most countries in the world drive on the right-hand side.
Texan From New Zealand, joined Dec 2003, 4204 posts, RR: 53 Reply 5, posted (3 years 6 months 2 weeks 1 day 20 hours ago) and read 4268 times:
Quoting Airstud (Reply 1): UK
Ireland
Iceland
Australia
New Zealand
South Africa & much (maybe all?) of sub-Saharan Africa
Japan
Don't forget the U.S. protectorate of the U.S. Virgin Islands. As well as St. Kitts & Nevis, Antigua, the British Virgin Islands, and a few other places in the Caribbean.
Texan
"I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library."
Airstud From United States of America, joined Nov 2000, 1855 posts, RR: 1 Reply 6, posted (3 years 6 months 2 weeks 1 day 20 hours ago) and read 4254 times:
Baroque From Australia, joined Apr 2006, 15380 posts, RR: 60 Reply 7, posted (3 years 6 months 2 weeks 1 day 20 hours ago) and read 4249 times:
As I understand it, you mount a horse from its LHS. If Sir wishes to stay out of the mud you would have the horse on the LHS and have the servant wander out into the mud. As the horse was moored to the LHS, it then made sense to stay on that side of the road. There is an explanation of why the US changed sides related to poor roads, but no idea why the French did not follow the horse logic.
Explanation from a 1977 program on PBS so if a fiction, it is not a Aus fiction, but rather a US fiction. Heard the program while driving across S Dakota.
Flighty From United States of America, joined Apr 2007, 7445 posts, RR: 2 Reply 8, posted (3 years 6 months 2 weeks 1 day 20 hours ago) and read 4206 times:
Quoting Baroque (Reply 7): you mount a horse from its LHS.
This is correct, with English riding at the very least.
Many terms we still use today come from stagecoach and sailing ship days. Stage length for example, in the airline industry, descends from the era of the stagecoach, going from "station" to "station."
EL-AL From Israel, joined Oct 2001, 1120 posts, RR: 5 Reply 9, posted (3 years 6 months 2 weeks 1 day 19 hours ago) and read 4183 times:
Not all areas rulled by Britain drive on the left; In the middle east, Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Sudan & Iraq all rulled by Britain in the past, and all drive on the right.
I have no Idea why Japan is on the left. Cyprus, at least the greek part, drive on the left too, I think.
"In our country, those who do not believe in miracles are irrational" - David Ben Gurion.
Baroque From Australia, joined Apr 2006, 15380 posts, RR: 60 Reply 10, posted (3 years 6 months 2 weeks 1 day 19 hours ago) and read 4147 times:
Quoting Flighty (Reply 8): This is correct, with English riding at the very least.
Many terms we still use today come from stagecoach and sailing ship days. Stage length for example, in the airline industry, descends from the era of the stagecoach, going from "station" to "station."
Well FWIW, the explanation for the cross in the US, was that the roads had more branches and these tended to knock off the guy at the front LHS of the coaches - hard to believe that US roads were worse than UK roads in the 18th century but I guess they could have been!! So rather than move the guy on the coaches over to the RHS, they ran the coaches on the RHS and the rest, as they say, followed.
A bit like the Indonesian system, always described as the cars drive on the left and the trucks and buses on the right. On the old road from Jakarta to Bandung you quickly got the hang of how that worked!!!
Never have found anyone to tell me why Indonesia nominally drives on the LHS. Possibly explanations are Japanese influence - the Indonesian security system I understand still uses one set up in WWII by the Japanese of RT and RW police areas - or maybe still a hang over from Raffles and the Napoleonic wars.
LTU932 From Germany, joined Jan 2006, 13864 posts, RR: 51 Reply 12, posted (3 years 6 months 2 weeks 1 day 16 hours ago) and read 4092 times:
Quoting Texan (Reply 5): Quoting Airstud (Reply 1):
UK
Ireland
Iceland
Australia
New Zealand
South Africa & much (maybe all?) of sub-Saharan Africa
Japan
Don't forget the U.S. protectorate of the U.S. Virgin Islands. As well as St. Kitts & Nevis, Antigua, the British Virgin Islands, and a few other places in the Caribbean.
Texan
Add Samoa, Jamaica, Hong Kong, Cyprus (both in the Republic of Cyprus and in the Northern area) and Macau.
Gordonsmall From UK - Scotland, joined Jun 2001, 1995 posts, RR: 24 Reply 14, posted (3 years 6 months 2 weeks 1 day 15 hours ago) and read 4070 times:
ArniePie From Belgium, joined Aug 2005, 1265 posts, RR: 1 Reply 15, posted (3 years 6 months 2 weeks 1 day 13 hours ago) and read 4041 times:
Quoting EL-AL (Reply 9): Cyprus, at least the greek part, drive on the left too, I think.
I call BS on this, from personal experience, I can safely say that the Greek drive both on the left and right side of the road, also on the middle of the road, over the sidewalk and basically everywhere else they can think of.
Same goes for China, Iran, Southern Italy and parts of Russia.
I would say all of Russia. What's also interesting in Russia is that in the Russia Far East where they buy lots of used Japanese cars, they use right had drive cars on the right hand side of the road, stupid.
Lewis From Greece, joined Jul 1999, 3448 posts, RR: 5 Reply 17, posted (3 years 6 months 2 weeks 1 day 10 hours ago) and read 3977 times:
Quoting ArniePie (Reply 15): I call BS on this, from personal experience, I can safely say that the Greek drive both on the left and right side of the road, also on the middle of the road, over the sidewalk and basically everywhere else they can think of.
You are exagerating..... And we do not drive on the sidewalks, we just park there!!!
CXfirst From Norway, joined Jan 2007, 2696 posts, RR: 1 Reply 18, posted (3 years 6 months 2 weeks 1 day 10 hours ago) and read 3963 times:
Here is a map of countries driving on left and right sides of the roads.
Red is right.
Orange was left, but is right now.
Blue is left.
Purple was right, but is left now.
Green had varying rules inside the country, now is right.
Sweden changed their rules over one day. Here is a link to some information about that event.
Mayor From United States of America, joined Mar 2008, 9192 posts, RR: 14 Reply 19, posted (3 years 6 months 2 weeks 1 day 9 hours ago) and read 3928 times:
Quoting Baroque (Reply 7): Heard the program while driving across S Dakota.
On the right, I would hope!
"A committee is a group of the unprepared, appointed by the unwilling, to do the unnecessary"----Fred Allen
Aero145 From Iceland, joined Jan 2005, 3070 posts, RR: 23 Reply 20, posted (3 years 6 months 2 weeks 1 day 8 hours ago) and read 3892 times:
Quoting TLG (Reply 4): Iceland drives on the right.
But has driven on the left for a longer period of time:
In June 1904, the first car came to Iceland. In September 1968, the traffic was changed from LHD to RHD. That makes 64 years LHD and 41 years RHD. Which means that that although people drive on the right now, the LHD of Iceland is also important. And don’t forget the H-Day.
Quoting CXfirst (Reply 18): Sweden changed their rules over one day.
BMI727 From United States of America, joined Feb 2009, 14336 posts, RR: 26 Reply 22, posted (3 years 6 months 2 weeks 1 day 8 hours ago) and read 3888 times:
Quoting Mayor (Reply 19): On the right, I would hope
In South Dakota it doesn't really matter, since there is so little traffic.
Why do Aerospace Engineering students have to turn things in on time?
Andz From South Africa, joined Feb 2004, 8298 posts, RR: 11 Reply 24, posted (3 years 6 months 2 weeks 1 day 8 hours ago) and read 3868 times:
Quoting KiwiRob (Reply 16): What's also interesting in Russia is that in the Russia Far East where they buy lots of used Japanese cars, they use right had drive cars on the right hand side of the road, stupid.
I'm watching Amazing Race right now, they are in some snowy part of eastern Russia and the taxis they are in are all old right hand drive cars.
After Monday and Tuesday even the calendar says WTF...
25 LTU932: Then how do you explain this? http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=862100
26 VC10: So I was told, the reason for LHD and RHD is as follows In the UK a pistol holder was carried on the LH side of the horse , so if the pistol was drawn
27 Mortyman: Cook Islands Indonesia Malaysia Singapore Cyprus[Edited 2009-11-09 10:33:48]
28 Texan: In the U.S. Virgin Islands, the cars drive on the left side, but the steering columns are ALSO on the left side. Not a good combination. Texan
29 ArniePie: Clearly photoshopped to clean things up. This is more like it
30 DocLightning: The version I heard was that if you are driving on the left and you need to draw your sword at the man coming at you (who will be on your right), you
31 JFKMan: The US wanted to be different than Britain? I don't know... Why is most of the world on the right? Maybe the British wanted to be different.
32 Pilotsmoe: That's because the Danish drove on the left in the past.
33 Max550: This sounds like a plausible reason, not sure how accurate it is, but interesting nonetheless. http://www.2pass.co.uk/goodluck.htm I've also noticed t
34 Gordonsmall: Indeed, though that doesn't necessarily mean anyone respects what little authority she actually has. I consider myself master in my own home, however
35 LTU932: That's nothing. You should see how people drive in Costa Rica, that's even worse. BTW: Costa Rica has RHD and officially, no LHD cars are allowed unl
36 Shamrock321: Malta drives on whatever side of the road it feel likes!
37 United Airline: Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand too.
38 Texan: I understand that, but it is still a potentially dangerous combination I'd be much happier with the steering column on the right. Texan
39 Tiger119: - When I arrived in The Bahamas for "Holiday" I exited the airport terminal and got on a bus for a ride to the hotel where I was staying. The bus' st
40 Signol: Here's a good article about this: http://users.telenet.be/worldstandards/driving%20on%20the%20left.htm Basically, about 1/3 of countries and 1/3 of to
41 Lewis: Well, they are still on the correct side, just doing the classic 1 normal lane + 1 emergency lane = 2 lanes!
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. On a serious note it really is sad how unsafe the roads are nowadays
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