Traffic rules arose a long time ago. And, as you know, there are now two types of roads all over the world, with right-hand and left-hand traffic. For most people, driving on the right is closer and more natural, since almost everyone is right-handed by nature.
History of left-hand traffic
The preferences and choices for countries are based on established habits, mentality of the population and historical characteristics.
Even in ancient times, when there were carriages and horsemen, the road was divided into right and left sides. It was better for the carts to stick to the left roads, as well as riders. When swinging the whip with your right hand, there was no need to be afraid of hitting any of the passers-by walking along the road.
In modern times, driving on the right is more acceptable for most countries. But there are also a number of countries that prefer driving on the left. This Ireland, UK, Thailand, Japan, Australia, Malta, Barbados, Brunei, India. If you look at it in percentage terms, then up to 35% of all road routes planets prefer left-hand movement. More 66% of the world's population drives on the right side. More than 72% of all roads are based on right-hand traffic. As you can see, most people on the Planet prefer left-hand drive.
There are countries that, for their own reasons and greater comfort, have changed the left side to the right, this Nigeria and Sweden. But Samoa changed direction in the opposite direction. Ukraine, as well as the CIS countries, also adhere to right-hand traffic.
Why do some countries prefer the left side? Let's take the UK for example. It is known from history that in 1776 a law was passed according to which it was allowed to move across London Bridge only on the left side. This was the reason for the order of left-hand traffic, which still exists today. Great Britain was the first country in Western Europe to officially adopt driving on the left and influenced several other countries.
History of steering wheel position
As a rule, in all cars, the driver's seat is located on the side of the oncoming traffic. In countries with right-hand traffic, it is on the left. In places where left-hand traffic is used, the driver's seat is on the right.
Right-hand drive and right-hand traffic existed in European countries until the end of World War II. For example, in Russia and the countries of the USSR until 1932, all cars were produced with right-hand drive. Why did everything change later? Everyone knows the name of the designer Henry Ford, after whom a popular car brand is named.
It was the car that was first produced with left-hand drive. This model was in production from 1907 to 1927. Now it can be seen in the museum. Before this, all cars in America were produced with right-hand drive. The reason for placing the steering wheel on the left side was very simple - Henry Ford designed this car with frequent commuters in mind..
This was much more convenient, and he placed the gearbox not on the outside of the car, but on the steering column. So gradually, with the advent of American cars in Europe, the traffic system began to change, and many countries gave preference to left-hand drive, due to convenience and rationality.
The situation in Europe, Asia, Africa, America, Australia
Most European countries prefer to drive on the right. Ireland and the UK drive on the left. This also applies to some countries - British colonies, for example Australia, India.
In Africa, right-hand drive was changed to left-hand drive. British Colonies, Ganna, Gambia, Nigeria and Sierra - Leone. But Mozambique gave preference to left-hand drive, due to its proximity to countries - British colonies.
Korea (South and North) changed from right hand drive to left hand drive after the end of Japanese rule, in 1946. In the USA they drive on the right. Previously, until the end of the 18th century in the United States of America, driving was on the left, but then it changed to right-hand drive.
In North America, some countries use left-hand drive - this is Bahamas, Barbados, Jamaica, Antigua and Barbuda. As for Asian countries, the list is significant: Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Cyprus, Macau, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Japan, Brunei, Bhutan, East Timor.
Australia has inherited driving on the left since the British colonies.. Currently in Australia they drive on the left and drive on the right.
The main differences between right- and left-hand traffic
The difference between left- and right-hand traffic lies in the location of the steering wheel and the driving principle. Drivers who, for example, are used to driving in a country with left-hand traffic will find it a little difficult adapt to some nuances of right-hand traffic. If, for example, a traveler rents a car in a country with excellent traffic, then he needs to adapt a little and get used to this principle. In general, there is no significant difference. But there are nuances.
An interesting fact is that not only the car movement system developed in this direction. Railway traffic also has the same rules. Rail traffic throughout Europe is characterized by driving on the left, but cars in most European countries drive on the right.
Actually, the difference between left and right movement is that the whole process occurs in reverse. (in one case - from left to right, and from right to left) This concerns driving, crossings, driving rules. Everything is exactly the same only in reverse order. Like a mirror image.
Disadvantages and advantages of driving on the left
Most people agree that driving on the right is more convenient for people, even from purely physiological reasons. After all, many people are right-handed. Why do some countries still prefer driving on the left? It is difficult to answer this question with precision. Maybe, this is how it happened historically, such as in the UK.
Driving on the left has one important advantage: right handicap rule. In England, where people prefer to drive on the left, roundabouts movement occurs clockwise, not at all like ours. This means that all entrances to the roundabout allow access to all those who are already on the roundabout. Therefore, most intersections in the UK look like small squares where there is no need to install traffic lights.
This saves time. It is very convenient and comfortable. The movement is clear and logical. Most maneuvers on the road do not occur through oncoming traffic. This is much safer and more convenient for the driver.
Some motorists believe that the principle of driving on the left is much more logical and absolutely consistent with correct common sense. However, Due to mentality and historical characteristics, this is not suitable for all people. Therefore, it is impossible to talk about any specific disadvantages and advantages. After all, everything is relative and can be used depending on personal preferences.
I’m sitting in Cyprus now and thinking that I don’t know history well if I can’t remember how Cyprus ended up driving on the left. In general, this division in the world into right-hand and left-hand is very strange. Why not come to a general agreement despite some historical prerequisites. It's both simpler and safer. YES, and in any case, is it more convenient in one version or is it absolutely the same, does it all depend on habit? I didn’t dare rent a car here - I was afraid that I would get confused along the way!
By the way, let me find out, and you will remember how the division into two types of traffic arose in the first place and how left-hand traffic turned out to be in Cyprus.
It is not known for certain which side they traveled on in ancient Greece, Assyria, etc. (as stated above, the rules for traveling soldiers are not a decisive argument). There is only evidence that the Romans drove on the left. Around 1998, a Roman quarry was found in the Swindon area (Great Britain), in which the left (from the quarry) track was much more broken. Also on one of the issues of the Roman denarius, dated 50 BC. e. - 50 AD e., two horsemen are depicted riding along the left side.
Cyprus
After we stopped driving on the roads with weapons and suspecting everyone as an enemy, right-hand traffic spontaneously began to take shape on the roads, which was mainly due to human physiology, the significant difference in strength and dexterity of different hands in the techniques of driving heavy horse-drawn carriages drawn by several horses. The peculiarity of man affected that most people are right-handed. When traveling on a narrow road, it was easier to direct the carriage to the right to the side of the road or the edge of the road, pulling the reins with the right, that is, stronger hand, holding the horses. It is probably for this simple reason that the tradition and then the norm of passing on the roads arose first. This norm eventually became established as the norm for driving on the right.
In Russia, back in the Middle Ages, the rule of right-hand traffic developed spontaneously and was observed as natural human behavior. The Danish envoy to Peter I, Just Yul, wrote in 1709 that “in Russia everywhere it is customary for carts and sleighs, when meeting each other, to pass each other, keeping to the right side.” In 1752, the Russian Empress Elizaveta Petrovna issued a decree introducing right-hand traffic for carriages and cab drivers on the streets of Russian cities.
In the West, the first law regulating left- or right-hand traffic was the English Bill of 1756, according to which traffic on London Bridge had to be on the left side. Violation of this rule was subject to an impressive fine - a pound of silver. And 20 years later, the historical “Road Act” was published in England, which introduced left-hand traffic on all roads in the country. The same left-hand traffic was adopted on the railway. In 1830, traffic on the first Manchester-Liverpool railway line was on the left.
There is another theory about the appearance of initially left-hand traffic. Some historians suggest that it was more convenient to ride on the left side in the days when horse-drawn teams appeared, where the coachmen sat on top. So, when they were driving the horses, the whip of the right-handed coachman could accidentally hit passers-by who were walking along the sidewalk. That is why horse-drawn carriages often drove on the left.
Great Britain is considered the main “culprit” of “leftism,” which then influenced some countries of the world (its colonies and dependent territories). There is a version that she introduced such order on her roads from maritime rules, that is, at sea, an oncoming ship allowed another one to pass, which was approaching from the right. But this version is erroneous, since to miss a ship approaching from the right means passing on the left sides, that is, according to the rules of right-hand traffic. It is right-hand traffic that is adopted for the divergence of ships following oncoming courses in the line of sight at sea, which is recorded in international rules.
The influence of Great Britain affected the order of traffic in its colonies, therefore, in particular, in countries such as India, Pakistan, Australia, left-hand traffic was adopted. In 1859, Queen Victoria's ambassador, Sir R. Alcock, persuaded the Tokyo authorities to also adopt left-hand traffic.
Driving on the right is often associated with France, with its influence on many other countries. During the French Revolution of 1789, a decree issued in Paris ordered that people move along the “common” right side. A little later, Napoleon Bonaparte consolidated this position by ordering the military to keep to the right, so that anyone who met the French army would give way to it. Further, this order of movement, oddly enough, was associated with big politics at the beginning of the 19th century. Those who supported Napoleon - Holland, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain - right-hand traffic was established in those countries. On the other hand, those who opposed 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 driving on the right. However, in England, Portugal, Sweden and some other countries, traffic remains on the left. In Austria, a curious situation has developed. In some provinces, traffic was on the left, while in others it was on the right. It was only after the Anschluss in the 1930s by Germany that the entire country switched to right-hand drive.
At first, there was left-hand traffic in the USA. But by the end of the 18th century there was a gradual transition to right-hand traffic. It is believed that the Americans were “convinced” to switch to driving on the right by the French general Marie-Joseph Lafayette, who made a significant contribution to the fight for independence from the British crown. At the same time, in a number of Canadian provinces, left-hand traffic remained until the 1920s.
At various times, many countries adopted driving on the left, but they switched to new rules. For example, due to the proximity to countries that were former French colonies and drive on the right, the rules were changed by the former British colonies in Africa. In Czechoslovakia (formerly part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire), left-hand traffic was maintained until 1938.
One of the last countries to switch from driving on the left to driving on the right was Sweden. This happened in 1967. Preparations for the reform began back in 1963, when the Swedish parliament formed the State Commission for the Transition to Right-Hand Driving, which was supposed to develop and implement a set of measures to ensure such a transition. On September 3, 1967, at 4:50 a.m., all vehicles were required to stop, change sides of the road, and continue driving at 5:00 a.m. For the first time after the transition, a special speed limit mode was installed.
After the advent of automobiles in Europe, different countries had different driving regulations. Most countries drove on the right side - this custom has been adopted since the time of Napoleon. However, in England, Sweden and even part of Austria-Hungary, driving on the left reigned. And in Italy, different cities had different rules.
It turns out that there are cats in Cyprus too:
And now a few words about the English history of Cyprus.
In 1878, the Cyprus Convention of 1878 was concluded between the British Empire and Turkey, a secret Anglo-Turkish treaty on a “defensive alliance” directed against Russia. The treaty was signed on June 4, 1878 in Istanbul before the opening of the 1878 Berlin Congress. Great Britain pledged to help the Ottoman Empire “by force of arms” if Russia, having retained Batum, Ardahan and Kars, tried to acquire new territories in Asia Minor. In exchange, Türkiye agreed to the British occupation of the island of Cyprus. The convention was annulled by the British on November 5, 1914 due to Turkey's entry into World War I on the side of Germany and the annexation of Cyprus by Great Britain.
The island was finally annexed in 1914 during the First World War. Real power in Cyprus passed into the hands of the British governor, and a self-government body was formed - the Legislative Council.
In 1925, Great Britain officially declared Cyprus its crown colony. Already in 1931, riots broke out among the Greek population demanding enosis (unification with Greece), resulting in the death of 6 people and the arson of the British administration building in Nicosia. During the suppression of the unrest, 2 thousand people were arrested.
The colonial authorities, resorting to divide and rule tactics, maneuver between the two main communities of the island; To suppress the October Uprising of 1931, which engulfed the Greek Cypriots, “reserve police” recruited from Turkish Cypriots were used.
During World War II, Greek Cypriots took part in the British war effort, fighting alongside the British. This raised widespread expectations that Britain would recognize the island's independence at the end of the war, but these hopes were dashed.
After World War II, there was a growing movement among the Greek population to unite the historical Greek territories, including Cyprus, with Greece (enosis, Greek for “reunification”). In January 1950, a referendum was held in which the Greek majority voted for enosis. Britain refused to recognize the results of the referendum.
The position of the Communist Party of Cyprus (AKEL) is strengthening. However, the communists are accused by many Greek Cypriots of abandoning enosis.
During British rule, a railway was built in Cyprus (en: Cyprus Government Railway), which operated from 1905 to 1951 and had 39 stations. On December 31, 1951, the railway was closed for financial reasons.
In 1955, the first armed conflict between the Greeks and the British led to the founding of EOKA (Greek Ethniki Organosis Kyprion Agoniston, a union of fighters for the liberation of the nation). During the first series of attacks on British military personnel and officials, up to 100 Britons were killed, as well as a number of Greek Cypriots suspected of collaboration. The EOKA attacks did not affect the Turkish Cypriot reserve police, but caused increasing tensions between the two communities.
In September 1955, Greek pogroms took place in Turkey, and the Volcan paramilitary group was formed to fight EOKA. In 1956, Britain increased the number of its troops in Cyprus to 30 thousand and carried out massive repressions.
In 1957, with direct help from Turkey, Turkish Cypriots formed the TMT military organization. Britain supports the emergence of TMT as a counterweight to the Greek EOKA.
By 1959, the EOKA movement managed to get rid of the British, but the main goal - joining Greece - was not achieved.
Britain's heritage in Cyprus includes driving on the left and two remaining military bases that are under British sovereignty.
The island's electrical networks are built according to British standards. They have British style sockets (see BS 1363) and the voltage is 250 volts. I had to buy this adapter:
Currently, in Russia and many other countries, driving on the roads is on the right. There are also countries that drive on the left. 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 particular situation has arisen.
The traditions of driving on the left and on the right began long before the invention of the automobile.
According to one version, right-hand traffic arose in Europe during the Middle Ages, when not cars, but riders on horses rode along narrow roads between settlements. They were all armed. The riders held a shield in their left hand to protect themselves in case of a surprise attack, which is why they stayed on the right side. There is another version of the emergence of right-hand traffic: when horse-drawn carts passed each other, it was easier to direct the crew to the side of the road to the right, pulling the reins with the right hand, which is more developed in most people. Years have passed, the means of transportation have changed, but the tradition remains...
Driving on the left is believed to have 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 maritime department issued a decree according to which ships were required to keep to the left. Later, this rule extended to highways and also to all countries under British influence. Some still adhere to it. Another version connects the tradition of driving on the left with the fact that when horse-drawn carriages moved along the streets, the coachman held a whip in his right hand and, while driving the horses, could hit pedestrians. Therefore, the crews had to drive on the left side.
As for our country, in 1752, the Russian Empress Elizaveta Petrovna issued a decree introducing right-hand traffic for carriages and cab drivers on the streets of Russian cities.
At various times, many countries adopted driving on the left, but they switched to new rules. For example, due to the proximity to countries that were former French colonies and drive on the right, the rules were changed by the former British colonies in Africa. North Korea and South Korea switched from driving on the left to driving on the right in 1946, after the end of the Japanese occupation.
One of the last countries to switch from driving on the left to driving on the right was Sweden. This happened in 1967. Preparations for the reform began back in 1963, when the Swedish parliament formed the State Commission for the Transition to Right-Hand Driving, which was supposed to develop and implement a set of measures to ensure such a transition. On September 3, 1967, at 4:50 a.m., all vehicles were required to stop, change sides of the road, and continue driving at 5:00 a.m. For the first time after the transition, a special speed limit mode was installed.
Tourists who come to a country where traffic is unusual for them are advised not to drive a car themselves for safety reasons, but to use the services of a driver.
In the 19th and early 20th centuries, the steering wheel on the first cars was installed in the center of the cabin. With the increase in the number of vehicles, the driver’s attention became increasingly focused on oncoming cars, and it is more convenient to do this when the driver sits closer to the side of oncoming traffic. This was the main reason for placing the steering wheel on the right or left side. In addition, when using the car as a taxi, the steering wheel on one side makes boarding and disembarking passengers more convenient and safe. 
Why do most roads drive on the right?
There is no clear answer. This may be due to the fact that most people are right-handed. Ordinary residents walked on the right side of the road to protect their property, which, as a rule, was carried on their right shoulder, from oncoming people.
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Why do people drive on the right in Russia?It is believed that the direction of transport traffic in Russia was determined on February 5, 1752. Then the Russian Empress Elizabeth I signed a decree, which clearly stated that carts and carriages in the city must keep to the right side of the road.
Why do people drive on the right in America?
At first, the United States drove on the left, but by the end of the 18th century there was a gradual transition to driving on the right. It is believed that this is the merit of the French politician Marie-Joseph Lafayette. After the Ford T became the first mass-produced left-hand drive car, other automakers were forced to choose a similar steering wheel arrangement.
Why do people drive on the left in Japan?
In 1945, the American occupiers organized right-hand traffic in the country. In 1977, the Japanese prefecture of Okinawa, by decision of the Japanese government, switched from right-hand to left-hand traffic. The traffic shift was dictated by the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic, which requires member countries to have only one transport system.
Why do people drive on the left in England?
The left side of traffic was defined by law in 1756. It stated that traffic on London Bridge was to be on the left. 20 years later, the “Road Act” was published, which introduced left-hand traffic on all roads in the country.
Why do countries change car traffic from one side to the other?
Most often, a change in movement occurs due to inconvenience. When the country is surrounded by neighbors who drive on the right, it is logical to also become a right-hand driver. For example, Sweden did this when on September 3, 1967, the country switched from driving on the left to driving on the right (H-Day). 
Another example, Samoa switched to left-hand drive in 2009 due to the large number of used right-hand drive cars (in this country, 99% of cars were brought from “left-hand drive” Australia). 
By the way, do you know that during the Victory Parade on May 9, cars drive on the left side of the road, and not on the usual right-hand side? Another feature of our country is
The short answer is that it’s not scary, and those who have never driven in countries with left-hand traffic don’t need to be afraid. It all depends on your experience and desire. Anyone with normal driving experience can get used to changing direction.
At the same time, you shouldn’t relax too much, especially at first. You must always remember that the direction of movement has changed and control your actions.
Rule #1
When driving on the left:
- when turning left, do not cross the oncoming lane (as when driving on the right, we turn right)
- when turning right, we cross the oncoming lane (as when driving on the right, we turn left)
It all seems banal and obvious; even after a couple of weeks behind the wheel, from time to time there was a desire to turn into the wrong lane when turning at intersections. In both cases, the main thing to remember is that if when driving on the right, when turning right, you do not need to cross the oncoming lane, then when driving on the left, it’s exactly the opposite. You turn left without crossing the oncoming traffic, but when turning right, you cross.
There is another very important nuance with the car - this is the feeling of the dimensions of the car relative to the driver. When you change from a car with a left-hand drive to a car with a right-hand drive, the sensations change. I'll explain in more detail. When driving on the right, you sit on the left and are already accustomed to the fact that there is no space on your left, but on the right there is a passenger seat, creating a space of about a meter from the driver to the edge of the car. And while driving: leaving the parking lot. When driving along a lane or changing lanes, you already subconsciously remember this and leave a margin of distance between the right edge of the car and objects on the road. When you change into a right-handed car in a country with left-hand traffic, the space you are accustomed to being on your right turns out to be on your left. At the same time, you get the feeling that the left edge of the car is to your left. But that’s not true, there’s now a passenger on your left!
And you should always remember this and not forget until you get used to this change. In my case, this led to the fact that when driving along the lane, I often pressed too hard either to the side of the road in the case of one lane in the direction or to the adjacent lane if there were two or three of them. Also, when leaving the parking lot along the road, if there was a car in front, sometimes there was catastrophically little space left between my hood on the left side and its rear fender. I almost struck it several times. When driving a scooter or motorcycle, this feature does not arise, since the distribution of vehicle dimensions relative to the driver does not change.
This time, there was a small road incident that cost the left mirror on our iron horse torn off.
This was partly led to by what I described above, but probably excessive self-confidence played a big role. In the city limits, with heavy traffic, I made maneuvers at speed. The quieter you go, the further you'll get.)
All this happens because you forget that the distribution of car dimensions relative to the driver has changed. It takes from several days to a couple of weeks to get used to, depending on the frequency of driving and the experience of the driver. All this time you need to remember this and mentally control it until it is deposited in the subconscious. When returning to the usual right-hand traffic, it also takes time to get used to, but in this case it happens much faster.
Another point is that this is not the usual arrangement of car controls.
In right-handed cars, control of light, headlights and turn signals is located on the right side of the steering wheel, control of wipers and windshield washer is located on the left. In the usual left-handed cars, the opposite is true. In practice, when changing the location of the steering wheel, this leads to the fact that before or during a maneuver, turning or changing lanes, you want to turn on the turn signal, but the wipers turn on. When you want to blink your high beams, the windshield washer turns on.
And vice versa, if you want to turn on the windows, turn on the washer or wipers, then the lighting elements, headlights, turn signals, etc. are activated.
These are perhaps the main points; I didn’t notice any other nuances or things that you have to get used to when changing from right-hand traffic to left-hand traffic.
If you have questions about driving a car or motorcycle in countries with left-hand traffic, feel free to ask in the comments.
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