WHY do we drive on the left (or right)?

[@azert52b39]

Austria used to drive on the left side, but when a well known naughty austrian painter gained power in germany and invaded the country, he made a law that makes driving on the right side mandatory, a law that is still active today in austria.

[@ChrisBrengel]

We can't change the side of the road we drive on because it would be too hard to retrain the camels. Lol!

[@sanchoodell6789]

Plus the camels would get a right hump about it! 😄

[@sidsid9808]

For your kind ignorance, camels don't use roads. You might be confused with cows roaming Indian roads.

[@pedroemn]

​@@sidsid9808did you watch the entire video?

[@clément_scz]

I've always driven on the right-hand side of the road in France and Europe with a LHD vehicle, and the idea of driving on the left seems not only unimaginable but also quite dangerous to me. However, I don't believe there's necessarily a "right" side of the road to drive on; it really depends on what you're accustomed to. It’s all about how you've always seen cars behave and the side you’ve been used to driving on. That said, there are several advantages to driving on the right-hand side. First, when driving on the right, our eyes naturally scan from left to right, the same direction in which we read, which helps in gauging the width of the vehicle and the road more easily. Secondly, with the gearshift on the right, you can use your dominant hand (for the majority, it's the right hand) to change gears. This can make the movement more precise and quicker compared to using the left hand, allowing for smoother driving. Another advantage is psychological-many people intuitively feel more in control when their dominant hand is on the side closest to the action. This might also give a sense of being more grounded or connected to the road, given that about 90% of people are right-handed. Finally, the whole concept of driving on the right can be linked to how most societies are structured for right-handed individuals, making it feel more intuitive to use the dominant hand for essential actions like shifting gears, which can ultimately contribute to safer driving.

[@DK-ue5ks]

The reason Thailand is left hand drive is because of neighboring British colonies and the royal family importing cars from Britain.

[@軍曹-n6j]

There are various theories as to why the right side of the road became the mainstream in the world, but it is a common theory that the reason lies in France in the 1800s. However, there are various theories as to the details, such as "because of Napoleon's unique war tactics," "from an anti-Catholic standpoint (the Pope recommended driving on the left)," and "because French carriage drivers at the time sat on horses on the left side and driving on the right side was safer. However, there is no doubt that Europe was unified on the right side of the road under the influence of France, which was a powerful country at that time. On the other hand, in England, which was an island nation, the left side of the road was used because "in those days, the coachman rode in the center of the carriage and used the whip with his dominant hand (right), so it was easier to handle the carriage on the left. Later, during the colonial period, French-ruled countries and regions were driven on the right side of the road, while British-ruled areas were driven on the left side.

[@cadifan]

Thailand is not left hand drive, their cars are right hand drive, they drive on the left side of the road.

[@Banom7a]

yup, and back then, Myanmar/burma was a LHT country as well before the dictator had a divine dream to change it to RHT

[@WiwatChang]

@@DK-ue5ks Thailand's first cars were German imports bought by the royal family although I haven't found out when we decided to drive on the left.

[@polyaplus]

Driving on the left hand side is relatively better than right hand side and the reason is, 90% of the people uses their right hand so when i am driving in South Africa, my less dominant hand (left) can operate the Gear Lever (in manual) while my more dominant hand steer the car since the Gear is located on my LHS.

[@pb59codename81]

I was about to say that

[@polyaplus]

@@pb59codename81 just beat you to it, glad my logic is sound

[@EpicThe112]

Are you quoting this traffic engineer in the 1960s J.J Lemming because he was the one that actually did the test about that drive on the left is safer than drive on the right

[@polyaplus]

When @pb59 says " i was about to say that." he meant he was about to say what i just said independent of any reference, meaning, it's an analytical mind thing to connect information with everything you know. And, i don't need an experiment to know my right hand is more effective and reliable than my left when it comes to hand to eye coordination. But i suppose, thanks for proving my point, you learn something new everyday. J.J Lemming, i'll be sure to look him up, thank you!!!

[@NazriB]

Lies again? Standardised driving to avoid confusion

[@ryanglass2778]

I'm Australian, living in the US, and visit South Africa and Aus often while driving there too, and have driven throughout Europe, UK, and Japan. So I've constantly switched between both sides. Both have their pros and cons, but I do find driving on the left easier. Maybe it's bias, but also, I find it easier to gauge the road as my eyes naturally scan from left to right while driving. Either way, both come naturally after a day or so. The worst part is the reversed turn signal and wiper stalks on the steering column

[@Lando-kx6so]

Driving on the left is statistically safer

[@yuriydee]

Shifting gears with the left is pretty weird for me when driving a RHD car (aside from the turn signals), but youre right other than that an experienced driver can get used to it in a day or even few hours.

[@LexlutherVII]

Nope, Right is way better and plus it makes the interior of the car better looking,

[@LexlutherVII]

@@Lando-kx6so probably the opposite,

[@ksd9756]

My dad had a Ford Cortina which was actually built in Germany and not Britain. The signal stalk and the wipers were a nightmare to operate. Yes, like you I have driven both in the US and in Australia (where we drive correctly LOL). I definitely prefer the UK/Australian right-hand drive steering.

[@martinjonkhoff3957]

As most people are right handed , using your gear stick with your right hand is more logical therefore is driving at the right most comfortable .

[@Michael-yi4mc]

Since most people are right handed, it makes sense to have a left handed drive with a manual transmission. It’s easier to shift with your dominant hand. Just saying from Hawaii.

[@xcoder1122]

Almost all countries that still drive on the left are former British colonies, or imported British cars or railroad technology, or imported cars and railroad technology from (former) British colonies, or had some other common history with UK, or were surrounded by countries that did, and thus adopted exactly what their neighbors have been doing. It's basically British influence that keeps driving on the left alive to this day. Even Japan would probably have changed if they had not imported railway technology from the UK in the 19th century, and if the first cars imported to Japan were not all British. And India and Australia are former colonies. Sure, the video is correct that horses initially drove on the left in most countries, but without that British influence, other countries would surely have moved to the right over time for economic (making it easier to import/export cars) and other practical reasons (like making it easier to drive into neighboring countries).

[@Rakso-bq1lb]

Yep, I’m from Sweden and even though the switch to right-hand driving occurred almost 60 years ago, it’s still a subject that raises nostalgia and memories. My grandparents all learned to drive on the left and quite amusingly one of my grandmothers always continued to insist that left-hand driving had been much better ;) I also own an older car from 1964 and it still has that H-sticker on the dashboard.

[@LexlutherVII]

Sweden did the right thing, big respect to them,

[@xyes]

You've said it in opposite way for right hand drive vs right hand traffic... 😂

[@DD-gz9ut]

I’ve driven on the right side all my life. I’ve driven on the left side a couple of times. Once in Ireland and another time in Japan. You get used to the switch after a couple of days. Perhaps the most difficult thing when switching driving sides was how to measure the vehicle’s dimensions. I’m used to driving with the steering wheel on the left. This means my brain is used to measuring the car’s width from left to right. However, if the steering wheel is on the right (Japan/Australia,etc.) your brain needs to measure the car’s width from right to left. As such, any car becomes “wider” to your brain. This new sense of driving an “immense” vehicle is something that becomes truly challenging when switching driving sides from what you’re normally used to.

[@danielkalu5923]

I can relate to this 100%. I'm a Nigerian living in Malaysia. Nigeria drives on the right side of the road while Malaysia drives on the left side. Nowadays, I only visit Nigeria few times within a year and I'm grappling with measuring the car dimensions especially in a crowded street. I usually find myself hitting pedestrians and incoming traffics with my side mirror. Now, I know why.

[@itinerantislander]

The United States Virgin Islands drive on the left but import cars from the US, so have left hand drive cars driving on the left! ( the opposite of Myanmar)

[@cadifan]

Both US and British Virgin Islands drive on the left in LHD vehicles.

[@pieter1102]

This is true for all British West Indies islands in the Caribbean.

[@philhawley1219]

@@pieter1102 Guiana in south America is still driving on the left.

[@frederickma2193]

The U.S. Virgin Islands were originally Danish! They are bordered by the British Virgin Islands!

[@pieter1102]

@@philhawley1219 Interesting, but Guyana is not a BWI Island.

[@dieseldragon6756]

British resident and driver-trained here, so I've always been educated to work in left-hand traffic. Curiously enough however, I find *right* hand traffic (Most of my experience being from France, Germany and the US) feels more natural to me compared to driving on the left. I've been on bicycles only for the past decade though, so I don't have any vehicle-based bias (i.e: What side the steering wheel is on) to influence me in that regard, and the French approach to road use works a lot better for me than the British. ⬅🇬🇧➡😇 *Little-known info byte:* In the 1970s - Probably as a part of intended EEC integration - The UK Department for Transport investigated the possibility of changing the UK over to right-hand traffic. The initiative was dropped after analysis of the motorway/trunk road network showed that many junctions - Which had asymmetric designs to keep construction costs down during the motorway expansion programme of the 50s/60s - Would not adapt to right-hand traffic at all well, in many cases resulting in drivers having to accelerate quickly when joining motorways and having dangerously short distances in which to merge into traffic. 🛣💨⚠

[@DWREV]

Thank you for watching the video and for the interesting bit of trivia you've left us with!

[@JH-jm8ib]

Canada and U.S. being a British Colony used to drive on the left side of the road, and since U.S wants to be rebellious, it changed to the right, and since Canada imports American vehicles, Canada has to switch to the right in favor of the US made vehicles.

[@DWREV]

Yes, the National Road was LHT until 1850!

[@Lando-kx6so]

Rwanda & Burundi are likely to be the next set of countries to change the side of the road they drive on from the right to the left.

[@DWREV]

Although, that debate has been going on for a while, with no clear date being set for a change, correct?

[@majorlaff8682]

@@DWREV They're waiting until they get some cars.

[@1111EKA]

A lot of used cars from Japan end up in Myanmar. That's why they drive rhd cars on the right side of the road.

[@frederickma2193]

Most Canadians find that it is dangerous see people here in Vancouver who own and drive imported Japanese, British, etc RHD cars on the wrong/opposite side of the road and want to ban the import ofthem!

[@eddielong8663]

Driving on the left makes logical sense as your master hand is then grabbing your takeaway at the drive-through.

[@vitormiranda5796]

In Brazil, cars with right-hand drive are prohibited from being sold, except for embassy cars and old cars over 30 years old that are imported as ‘collectible vehicles.’ It is very rare to find any vehicle with the steering wheel on the wrong side.

[@DWREV]

Oh! That's interesting to know. In India, for example, left-hand-drive cars that have been imported can be driven, but need a special sticker on them that distinguish them from right-hand-drive cars. Of course, they are few and far between.

[@happyatheists9361]

You mean right side😂

[@DWREV]

Actually, when we say "left-hand drive", we mean cars with the steering wheel on the left. That makes them unusual in India, where cars are driven on the right side of the road.

[@maishjunior4651]

Right or left, accidents will always occur if there's no road discipline, road rules and vehicle maintenance!!!

[@ZadieBear]

In 2007, I spent 5 weeks driving in the UK in a left hand drive car. When I came back to America, I struggled with driving on the right side of the road for the first 2 weeks back. Many accidents almost occurred.....

[@DWREV]

We've heard of people who now have trouble switching back to the side of the road they were once used to driving on, as a result of which, they no longer drive in their home countries!

[@dieseldragon6756]

+1 this! After any trip to France - Where the style of driving and use of the road feels a *lot* more natural to me than how my native UK does it - It takes me _ages_ to switch back to „British mode“ again. Curiously enough, the changeover *to* « Mode Français » is always instant. 🔀 I am probably the *only* British person in the entire world who has a « _Tenez à Gauche_ » reminder on his bicycle handlebars. And with good reason... 🚔🚵💨😳

[@PanAfricanist1963]

In Zambia, we drive on the left, and I have never imagined what a nightmare it will be to drive in a country that drives on the right.

[@clément_scz]

For me, it is reverse🤣🤣

[@fldon2306]

Great vid! In the USA, the horse-drawn Conestoga wagon had one break, on the left rear wheel, so the driver, walking with the horse and wagon had to be on the left to better see oncoming traffic; the habit stuck! In Japan, an Emperor’s decree, some time around 600 AD(?), made passing on the right, so being on the left side of the road.

[@frederickma2193]

The word is Brake - not Break - which means breaking something like a glass bottle!

[@connclissmann6514]

We drive in the left, as Ireland is the only country with a land border with the UK. I learned to drive in a left-hand-drive VW, purchased by my parents from a departing German embassy official. Never had any issues driving either side of the road or either side of the car.

[@Kerleem]

As an American driver now living in mainland Europe, I am of course biased to cars configured to Left Hand Drive, driving on the right side of the road. That being said, I have driven Right Hand Drive, on the left side of the road many times. And I have even driven my LHD car from Amsterdam (LHD) to the UK (RHD) swapping sides. The MOST important thing is to be comfortable as a driver and understand the challenge and differences, and learn from them. And if you do that, swapping sides is no problem. Being ignorant to the differences is the problem.

[@DWREV]

Do you have a trick to handling swapping sides? We've been told reminding oneself that the driver is always meant to be close to the median is one way of handling the change.

[@Kerleem]

@@DWREV yes, exactly that.

[@chenyansong]

Just curious, for RHD car is the gas pedal still on the right of brake pedal or it is reversed? Do you still use right foot to drive or you use left foot? If it uses manual transmission, what is the position of crutch pedal?

[@Kerleem]

@@chenyansong it’s the same

[@konarider1215]

All countries drove on the left originally, with the exception of Napoleonic France and the Russian Empire. Through historical discourse Europe slowly switched over. The last major power being Austria-Hungary, who were LHT till the end, and its remaining constituent countries were changed over by Germany during World War II. Other counties, including the USA, Burma, parts of the Middle East, actually chose RHT as it was seen as anti imperialistic, the original reason why napoleonic France switched. Oddly, a lot of European powers, including Portugal and the Netherlands changed sides, but didn’t change over their colonies. Hence why much of Africa and SE Asia is still LHT

[@BenelliMr]

during Covid, many countries also introduced the rule to walk on the right side . It was so funny to observe British tourists in southern Europe to collide ion shopping centers

[@greall]

We drive on the left side of the road here in Trinidad and Tobago though the steering wheel's on the right side in most cars. Most of our new and used cars are imported from Japan or Thailand or Indonesia. We do get some vehicles imported from countries where they drive on the right like Korea, etc.

[@leonardowynnwidodo9704]

I didn’t know Indonesia imports cars, since most of them are Japanese cars

[@sahilsalvi8672]

Even though I live in India I had love to drive at right hand side of the road in America. It gave me more confidence and good road presence at same time.

[@thunderb00m]

That's more to do with the road condition and rest of traffic than the side. Go drive in Australia and then decide.

[@yuriydee]

Just from totally anecdotal experience (since Ive driven on both sides), using the less dominant hand to steer and more dominant hand to shift gears (or whatever else) is the more logical solution since more people are right handed. But overall its not difficult for an experienced driver to use either side.

[@DWREV]

We've actually come across a lot of people who said the opposite. That it's easier to control the steering wheel with the dominant right hand, while shifting gears with the non-dominant left hand. Yours is an interesting take!

[@thecomment9489]

Yes but as cars become increasingly automatic and now even autopilot that may be less of an issue.

[@WiwatChang]

Most comprehensive explanation on this topic ever, excellent research - well done!

[@DWREV]

Thank you for watching!

[@nigethesassenach3614]

@ WiwatChang I agree completely.

[@protograde2723]

India has RHD. It's really easy to use the center console to support my left knee while releasing the clutch. Something that I can't imagine on LHD cars.

[@wordsmith52]

That is very true! Left hand drive cars seem more uncomfortable for me and very irritatinting with less leg room and sometunes painful for the right knee. It is also supporting evil people like Hitler, Napolean and other ruthless wicked tyrants to drive on the right side! Lol!

[@diablow1411]

I think it is LHD, not RHD. Most cars in India are positioned in a way the gear stick is positioned for the left hand, and the layout you mentioned, that definitely is LHD.

[@protograde2723]

@@diablow1411 I meant, the steering wheel is on the right side.

[@DWREV]

India is in fact "Right Hand Drive" but "Left Hand Traffic". So the steering is on the right side of the car, while the traffic runs on the left side of the road. Although the terms certainly are confusing!

[@DWREV]

You make a very valid point. We've encountered that it's also really tricky to parallel park on the side opposite of what you're used to. Since your brain isn't accustomed to measuring the dimensions from that side.

[@Chaff_flare]

As an indian living in canada. driving through left strangely gave me a sense of more control over vechicle. even though i spent equal time driving both in canada and india. maybe its because i am right handed. steering iwth right hand while shifting with left was way easier, than driving my CVT while steering with left hand. maybe its just me

[@DWREV]

Our reporter agrees with you. As someone used to driving on the left side of the road, and someone who is right-hand-dominant, it feels easier to control the steering wheel with the right hand and shift gears with the left. Although with time, the switch does become easier. What do you think?

[@kasuleronald3317]

but I am confused which one is which ,let's say from Uganda inside a car steering positioned on right side ,but on road we use left side when driving ,but let's say here in Qatar steering is on right side in a car but driving on left side on the road ,now the question is which one is which left or right ,still

[@frederickma2193]

@@kasuleronald3317 Uganda and Qatar are both former colonies and drive the same way. A Right-hand drive car on the left-hand side of the road. Meaning that you steer with your right hand and shift gears with your left if using stick-shift. Here in Canada, although we are a Commonwealth country like Uganda, we drive on the Right like our American neighbours. But in the U.S. Virgin Islands - an American territory - people drive American cars on the British side of the road if you know what I mean. In Uganda you are driving on the British side of the Road - not the French or American side! A CVT is a computer controlled Auto-trans with one constantly-variable forward/reverse that goes the same speed backwards/forwards which was invented by DAF in the Netherlands! Volvo took over DAF but Renault used it's 20% equity in Volvo to get controls of the patents to CVT when Ford took over Volvo. Renault ceded control of Volvo and DAF Cars to Ford.

[@Claro1993]

The Philippines used to drive at the left side of the road until the end of World War II when Executive Order no. 34 of the year 1945 was enacted to Drive on the right side of the road to take advantage of American surplus vehicles as the nation was heavily ravaged during the war.

[@darwinqpenaflorida3797]

Before EO 34, Right Hand Drive was used for Military Vehicles at the time when Manila was liberated

[@freecon144]

I have been driving French car in Japan. It keeps signal lever and wiper lever set opposite side to Japanese car.

[@gordonandhollinewhite2214]

Driving on the right works with vehicle controls on the left, which allows for gear selection using the right hand. That determines my preference.

[@ZHAOJINXIAN]

For me, the best bit of driving on the left (side of the road) is that when you are checking the priority, you have "On the right, in the right." This phrase is from aviation, however, it works perfectly well on British roads. If you visit countries like China, where you are driving on the right side of the road, but still need to give way to the traffic on the right, you will immediately find the problem, trust me.

[@DWREV]

That's an interesting observation. Thanks for sharing!

[@akbrahma7739]

From what I understood by reading through the comment section, it's easier for a RHD person to drive a LHD car, but not vice versa. RHD comes naturally I guess.

[@DWREV]

Perhaps it's just a matter of getting used to things over time.

[@fialra1]

As an Eastern-European who moved to Britain, I drove cars on both sides and the adjustment is actually taking place much quicker than one could imagine. What I found was that the state of the roads, illumination, signs, etc, play a much more important role in the safety of the driving than the side of the road you need to drive on. If the roads are in good shape and the other drivers are considerate, it really doesn't matter that much where your steering wheel is located.

[@Normalaatsra]

Indonesia used to drive on the right but switched to the left under Japanese occupation. When it became independent it has kept left side driving as all immediate neighbour countries by land or sea drive on the left. Strangely this has never affected rail. But car manufacturing doesn't have to deal with expenses for changing steering sides these days, Indonesia exports their LHD vehicles to other markets like Philippines with ease.

[@軍曹-n6j]

Why does Indonesia drive on the left side of the road? The Dutch, the original rulers of Indonesia, initially drove on the left side of the road, and this custom was also adopted in Indonesia as a colony. However, when the ” Napoleonic Empire ” was established in Europe at the beginning of the 19th century, the countries that came under its rule followed France's example and changed their traffic from the left side to the right side. When Napoleon annexed the Netherlands, the mainland of the Netherlands replaced the right side of the road. The East Indies (Indonesia) was occupied by the British and ruled by Stamford Raffles for five years. Since Indonesia was under British rule during this period, there seems to have been no change to the left-hand traffic as in the UK.

[@leonardowynnwidodo9704]

No, Indonesia never drove on the right side of the road. The Dutch used to drive on the left, and they brought this infrastructure to most of their colonies (i.e. Indonesia and Suriname). But when Napoleon conquered Europe, including the Netherlands, they began driving on the right; their overseas territories also followed the same infrastructure. This didn’t affect their other colonies, which continue driving on the left to this day

[@JanLion-zb1bd]

We learned in school that Napoleon let his armies walk on the right side of the road to confuse his enemies. Walking on the left would mean his armies would come closer while walking on the right would mean they were leaving. His armies however came closer, walking on the right side of the road.

[@vineethg6259]

01:06 Why is Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan shaded in dark? All those countries have Left-Hand Traffic too just like India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

[@DWREV]

Thanks for pointing this out to us, we appreciate the feedback.

[@avimech8546]

I got pulled over for driving on the wrong side of the road once, I told the officer I was observing “opposites day” (January 25th), he was inclined to agree with me and let me go. He then took the lead and we both continued driving down the opposite side of the road together, it was beautiful.

[@shaclo1512]

beautiful ❤

[@mdsiambrac]

1:06 it's totally wrong map. For example - in the map Bangladesh isn't blue. But in this country drive in left.

[@DWREV]

Yes, you are right. We've already had this pointed out before, but thanks for watching so carefully!

[@cadifan]

In NZ we drive on the left in RHD cars, but I've owned many LHD American imports so am just as comfortable driving from either side of the car.

[@baits9301]

Clock moves from left to right , you hope on a horse from the left. Most people are right-handed , holding the steering wheel with the right hand makes sense .

[@jinglejazz7537]

I read a book called Traffic, explaining why countries drive the way they do. Accidents etc, all according to government statistics. It was very interesting. Writing by someone in an Ontario University, check it out. Japan reason for left side was from their history. Warriors would attack the opponent from the left side, so it was dominate side, whereas the UK did left hand for a completely different reason. Throwback from the Roman Empire. Canada was left handed since cars came out with right hand drive, however with the USA next door it was adopted as right side driving. Australia, its because their upside down, everything is backwards. Too much blood going to their heads, lmao!

[@tomhalla426]

Arguably, this is something that should have been settled by international agreement after the first world war, along with AC cycles. It is a mostly arbitrary choice.

[@DWREV]

Not to mention plugs, outlets and voltage!

[@tomhalla426]

@@DWREV Doing something like normal computer power cords would settle plugs, and transformers are simple. Changing the frequency is much more of a problem.

[@GonzoTehGreat]

2:30 People in Roman times didn't usually travel on horseback! Horses were expensive (to purchase and own) and riding was a rare and privileged skill, which took years to learn. Instead, most people traveled on foot, or by cart/wagon. According to a few historical sources, Roman soldiers did march on the left, but we don't know why. However, we do know it had nothing to do with being able to draw their swords more easily, because they carried pilla (javelins) as their main weapon, but also because their short sword (gladius) was worn on their RIGHT hip and when marching to battle, they carried a large shield (scutum) in their left hand. During the late medieval and early modern period, travel by horse gradually became more common, but horses were usually led (by the reins) and mounted/dismounted from the LEFT side. Also, swords were longer, so they had to be worn on the LEFT hip. Hence, it's possible that keeping to the left of the road became more popular, as a result.

[@LexlutherVII]

The Right side is way better and plus it makes the interior of the car better looking, i hope the UK and some other few countries do the same,

[@Alex-pj8nz]

For a left hander

[@LexlutherVII]

@@Alex-pj8nz nope, but for majority of the world's population and the interior of the vehicle,

[@Alex-pj8nz]

@@LexlutherVII Which is why driving on the right kills more people

[@CO84trucker]

I've been to the Bahamas which is a 🇬🇧Commonwealth member & drives on left, and while there are quite a few cars from the states imported to the islands, the biggest danger doesn't come from tourists from the rest of the world that drives on what Brits call the wrong side of road, but rather pedestrians who fail to look to the right first!

[@raymondscott8619]

Riding a motorcycle is more difficult when changing sides because, in a car, all you have to remember is the driver should be in the middle of the road. On a motorcycle you're in the middle of the vehicle! I found when coming out of someone's drive, I blanked out as to which side to ride on. Excellent video, thanks...

[@obelic71]

Correct as a continental European i almost had an accident with my motorcycle in the UK. I pulled over to a petrolstation and after refueling automaticly got on the right side of the road . I just evaded a Public transport bus and had a big scare. Its easier to get used to drive on the left in a RHD car then on a motorcycle. The "odd" placing for us LHD drivers of the steeringwheel remembers you to stay on the left lane.

[@bogdan7826]

When I moved to UK and bought a car first time,I went to a petrol station thinking in my mind ,keep left, keep left, while I drove on the right side😂 a guy coming from front flashing me and beeping .and I was like wtf does he want and why is on my side of the road. Was funny when I realised 😂

[@Lando-kx6so]

12:15 Myanmar is not the only country where right hand drive cars mainly drive on the right side of the road. There's also Mongolia, Somalia, South Sudan, the Russian far east, Burundi, eastern & southern Democratic Republic of Congo, Palau, Marshall Islands, & Vanuatu. There's also US Virgin Islands where it's the opposite (drive on the left all cars are left hand drive)

[@thomaswagner3885]

Ukraine too and Europe too

[@leonardowynnwidodo9704]

Where does Mongolia import RHD cars from? I mean, their only neighbours Russia and China drive on the right side of the road, so why do they need RHD cars? I would get Somalia (partially) and South Sudan since they have LHT neighbours, but Mongolia is surprising

[@Ubique2927]

In the Philippines many people drive on the most convenient side at the time. Officially they should be on the right side.

[@shiyang2030]

I've been holding a Chinese driving license (LHD) for over 25 years and a British license (RHD) for over 22 years. I found no difficulties switching between the two sides. However, I personally feel that RHD is more comfortable and, more importantly, much easier to balance ourselves. The reason may be that as the heart of most of us resides slightly to the left side of our body, our centre of gravity (so to speak) is a bit towards the left: perhaps that is the reason why tracks such as running and cycling are always anti-clockwise. Most people (with left-sided hearts, of course) would agree that running clockwise is a bit awkward. As for driving, I find it is much easier to find the centre of the lane for a RHD vehicle than a LHD one.

[@curtisthomas-eg4th]

China drives on the right, except Hong Kong.

[@shiyang2030]

@@curtisthomas-eg4th I assume we both agree that RHD means Right-Hand Drive, and an RHD vehicle drives on the left side, and vice versa, yeah? And Macau also drives on the left with RHD cars, FYI

[@ceng4804]

英国行人是靠右走路还是靠左走路?

[@emiliorodenasgonzalez8568]

The video has not said why the Britons prefered to use the right instead of the left when yet the romans thought the correct and why is better to the left!

[@gpierre90]

Hi, our little island nation, I'm talking about the little gem in the Indian Ocean the Seychelles drives on the left and we never had a road switch to my knowledge, we still drive to the left and our vehicles are right hand drive.

[@DWREV]

Lovely to hear from a viewer from Seychelles! Thanks for watching our video, and do subscribe to our channel if you'd like to see more of our content.

[@frederickma2193]

Well, the Seychelles is your typical former British colony and member of the Commonwealth!

[@norbitonflyer5625]

In a right hand drive car the dominant hand (for the majority) remains in control of the steering whilst the less delicate and less safety-critical functions of changing gear, adjusting the radio and heating etc, are done with the left hand. It also makes gear/clutch co-ordination easier when they are both done with the same-side limbs. (For the dame reason, throttle and brake - whether in right- or left-hand drive - are managed by the dominant side whilst the binary operation of the clutch is left to the , erm, left)

[@Śiśna3633]

You didn't explain why Japan which is not a colony of Britain drives left side. The answer is Britain helped Japan in its quest to manufacture automobiles and they were stuck with some British standards.

[@cadifan]

Nope. The British helped the Japanese with their rail system and later that transferred to road driving when cars came into being.

[@CrystalClearWith8BE]

I'm a Filipino and back then, we used to drive on the left during the colonial days and WW2. After WW2, it was official for Filipinos to drive on the right. In 2010, the Philippine National Railways was also switched to RHT. However, we still use LHT vehicles for motorsports which is okay in the Philippines, but not for transportation in the public.

[@darwinqpenaflorida3797]

The Philippines is the only archipelago country in Asia still drive to the right, the other was Taiwan

[@CrystalClearWith8BE]

@@darwinqpenaflorida3797, the Philippines is one of 5 countries in South East Asia to drive on the right. Others are in Indochina which are Myanmar, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. Therefore, the Philippines is the only island country in South East Asia to drive on the right.

[@CrystalClearWith8BE]

For some odd reason, in Metro Manila, the EDSA Carousel uses LHD buses and those buses are meant for RHT, but for some reasons, the bus stations are on the left while LHD buses have doors on the right so passengers get on and off the bus on the right side of the carousel. It would've been better for the EDSA Carousel buses to be RHD, but unfortunately, in accordance to Republic Act 8506 of 1998, it's illegal to register and operate a RHD vehicle for ordinary use, but RHD vehicles are okay and used for motorsports only.

[@darwinqpenaflorida3797]

@@CrystalClearWith8BE Yeah Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia are Right Hand Drive borders the left hand drive Thailand where some land borders have switched lane

[@DWREV]

Thanks for sharing this with us. It's really interesting to know that there are exceptions to the rule, and that the exception includes machines used for motor racing. Just to clarify though - are the machines used in races specifically only LHT vehicles, or is it a mixed grid of both LHT and RHT machines?

[@cadifan]

Myanmar drive RHD on the right side of the road and Both US & British Virgin Islands drive LHD on the left side of the road.

[@Mike40M]

The switch in Sweden did result in some accidents. Hard to tell how many. The year after the change, I had a high speed encounter with a car going on the wrong side of a highway. One of the most scary things in my life.

[@talhaabdullah2859]

Pakistan should make the switch not to get away from the colonial past but to make travel easier to the Middle East

[@mr.commenter7953]

Wannabe arabs lol

[@jptv5726]

suriname in south America also drives on the left

[@wonniewarrior]

There can be momentary confusions when driving a Australian car built for left hand side road driving with indicator on right and wipers on left versus a work van imported with indicator on left side of steering wheel and wipers on right side of steering wheel. And the bonnet handle on left side passenger floor versus Australia right side driver door. Want to open the bonnet on work van ? Get out, walk around to passenger door, open and pull handle. But it helps that non-dominant hand and foot are used for gear changes and clutch use. Now if only we could standardized what side fuel tank doors open on.

[@DWREV]

We hadn't thought of the bonnet handle! Surely some vans now have the bonnet release underneath the steering wheel? So, on the driver's side essentially?

[@wonniewarrior]

@@DWREV It depends if it was a original left hand drive steering wheel (european) marketed to right hand side steering wheel market. They moved the steering over but kept the bonnet handle on original side and reversed the control stalks which can make it awkward.

[@rmar127]

Napoleon wasn’t a little man. He was about 5’6”, which was fairly average in the late 1700’s to early 1800’s. The myth that he was short comes from the fact that a French inch was slightly longer than a British inch and therefore to total height was expressed by a smaller number. He was 5’2” in French imperial measurements.

[@Sharkbite-k5z]

I'm originally from Australia, so I grew up driving on the left side of the road. When I moved to Canada 20 years ago, it was a bit of an adjustment switching to the right side. Now, after all this time, I wonder if I could retrain my mind to drive on the left again if I moved back to Australia!

[@denisplouffe514]

I found your comments on Canada most interesting in light that we are an exemption to most countries of the Commonwealth. Canada being a federation had the issue of each province had different policies affecting their citizens. Thank you for your explanations. 🚘🚌🚦🇨🇦

[@juanantoniobunoan3013]

I love left hand driving cause I was borned in Hong Kong as the former British Colony even I'm a Filipino

[@stkjjke]

Being a German living in Kenya I found the switch quite easy. In fact not being stuck with my right foot at the center console. The only concession I'll never make: Japanese cars the insist of having the turn signal on the outer side of the steering wheel instead of European and US cars that have the turn signal on the left always. In domestic markets that's outside as well, but you don't have to adjust on RHD cars.

[@alanmcgowan3457]

I drive a Mitsubishi Pajero for work. It's Japanese and has the turn signals on the left, wipers on the right, so no different than my own VW. I do get annoyed with the reverse, Mitsubishi is down and right, my VW is up and left.

[@frederickma2193]

In Japan and Hong Kong they drive the British way. So Japanese cars position switches to their advantage. Just like the a way the position the Auto shifter lever. When sold here in North America, Japanese cars have levers that are psoitoned to their preferred right side -very awkward for Canadians like me. Although I don't drive.

[@eugp4198]

With all the latest infotainment system operates through touch screen these days, seems Right Hand side is easier for our right hand to operate the touch screen..

[@alessioartioli3323]

Except the former UK colonies, I think Japan is the only countriy where people drive on the left, with the steering on the right (not counting minor small states and/or small islands). This has always facinated me! For the most of the countries today driving on the left side, iot's pretty much eveident that it's just a colonial legacy from the british

[@Sams_Uncle]

Due to our right hand dominance, left hand driving is almost 10% more safer than RHD. Collision avoidance is naturally sharp in driving left. However, for minority it may not work.

[@Yoshi-yw7tg]

Taiwan used to be a part of Japan and cars drove on the left until 1945, since which Taiwan has been right hand traffic

[@cadifan]

Taiwan used to be part of China and the Chinese government think it still is. Taiwan switched left side of the road to the right in 1946 because mainland China did. The Japanese occupation of Taiwan only lasted for 50 years.

[@Yoshi-yw7tg]

Fifty years, so what? It’s still a fact that Taiwan used to be a part of Japan for fifty years.

[@jimgorycki4013]

I learned to drive cars with both standard shift and automatic transmission. The right hand shift gears, while the left foot pushes the clutch pedal. I drove in UK on holiday, so the left hand shift gears, and the left foot depresses the clutch pedal. That's kind of a moot point considering more and more cars have automatic transmission. I got the hang of driving on the left so I don't have a preference of one over the other.

[@joshuahill6153]

Japan imports too many old cars to New Zealand because of the right hand drive. We also import tonnes of old buses. We clock millions of kilometers on buses from the 80s-2000s from Japan because of their great reliability as school buses.

[@cadifan]

Japan EXports to NZ, NZ IMports from Japan. NZ also imports 500 cars a year from the USA.

[@joshuahill6153]

Most American car related imports are surprisingly Truck, Bus, and Diesel Car cummins engines.

[@cadifan]

@@joshuahill6153 That's just the commercial machines. There's literally thousands and thousands of American cars in New Zealand. Has been since the start of the 1900s.

[@Embargoman]

It will be switching sides on one country could be interesting over territorial disputes of a country unified.

[@jessiedelosreyes4261]

Here in Micronesia as a United State treaty, we use to drive in the right side of the road even thought all cars here we use is imported from japan the steering wheel is in the right side.

[@heronimousbrapson863]

Newfoundland didn't switch to the right until 1947, two years before it joined Canada.

[@Darkhorse0000]

Very well reseached and nice presentation. Thx.

[@RohanXVII]

TLDR: world drives on the right-side. British colonies drive on the left side (and few others).

[@whistlingdiesel]

What is the body count on which side of the road? I know it sounds cynical but maybe we should ignore all sub-factors like speed limits or insurance damage claims or average age and car size of the fleet...

[@DWREV]

That's a very interesting statistic to look into.

[@nigethesassenach3614]

I’m from the UK and have driven thousands of miles now in a RHD van and on my motorcycle all over RHT Europe, especially Germany, France & Spain. Had two near misses when tired, completely my fault. Both when relatively unused to RHT. I found it more difficult driving a LHD car in a RHT situation to be honest. Maybe getting used to RHT in a vehicle you’re familiar with (especially with a high sight line in a van or on a bike) helps too, is easier than an unfamiliar road bias AND getting used to driving from an unfamiliar side of the car compounds the issue.

[@DWREV]

Well, at least if one is in an unfamiliar car, driving on an unfamiliar side of the road, one can still try and orient oneself in a way that the driver always needs to be closest to the median. That seems like a safe-ish way to remember not to drive on the wrong side of the road. But swap things around -- so driving a familiar vehicle on an unfamiliar side of the road -- now that just seems really hard to adapt to!

[@d.e.7467]

I think it's interesting that regardless of which side of the vehicle that the steering wheel is on, the accelerator pedal is to the right of the brake pedal. But that's just me, I guess.

[@nigethesassenach3614]

By the way, the Bridge shown in your piece whilst speaking of London Bridge was actually of Tower Bridge while it was being built.

[@DWREV]

Thanks for pointing that out to us!

[@paulsz6194]

@DW REV , why no mention of why the Kingdom of Thailand drives to the right? Have you completely forgotten about that country?

[@DWREV]

Sorry, we were under the impression that people drive on the left side of the road in Thailand. Have we missed something?

[@paulsz6194]

@@DWREV Yes. you sure have. I guess no one from DW has been to Thailand? Not to Forget Indonesia either, which was once a Dutch colony up until after the end WW2. So it’s unique that Indonesia too would drive on the right.

[@DWREV]

Well, I have spent some time in Thailand and they definitely drive on the left side of the road. The same with Indonesia. Perhaps you mean that the steering wheel is on the right side of the car in those countries? The terms can get confusing....

[@cadifan]

Thailand drives on the left since the Japanese occupation in WWII. A friend of mine was married to Thai man and he told me "Cars here same as Thailand" (I'm in New Zealand)

[@Adivergentmind]

There are two things that your hands do while driving a car - Steer and Shift. Unlike open wheels, cars have a steering that rotates twice to either side. Humans are primarily right handed and it is preferred to have their better right hand on the steering rather than the stick shift.

[@DWREV]

I guess it depends what you're used to. Others would say it's easier to shift with your right hand.

[@oneoftheordinary]

12:06 most truck drivers in Jamaica have their trucks imported from the US, so they have left hand drive trucks driving on the left

[@niceguy100000]

The video says we drive on the left or right for reasons.

[@HomesteadAce]

0:30 that guy that got ejected in the head-on collision had me cracking in tears 😭

[@madfly8082]

Don’t think he got ejected from the car. There appears to have been a motorbike in the mix.

[@DWREV]

You've got keen eyes! The entire scene is also sort of mirrored in cartoon form later on in the video. Let's see if you figure out what we are talking about.

[@ShubhamSinghBelhari]

You are using wrong map of INDIA at 1:08 sec. Kindly correct it.

[@desidesigning]

My right eye is dominant. I've driven both sides for donkeys years. However, I feel more natural when I'm driving on the left side of the road due to being Rt side dominant.

[@mrspook388]

I DRIVE LHD IN DUBAI WHERE I WORKING AND I DRIVE RHD IN MY HOME COUNTRY INDIA I DON'T HAVE ANY ISSUES DRIVING LEFT OR RIGHT EXCEPT INDICATOR & WIPER BLADES STICKS

[@TJSaw]

Driving on the left is the best. Makes it easier to smoke a joint while driving.

[@everbravo3116]

I really miss to drive at the left side as I did whilst living in the UK, now I'm leaving in Canada so I had to switch to right, so bloody weird!

[@darwingraeme3310]

When I go to visit my wife & kids in The Philippines, (I'm an Aussie) at least once or twice during my holiday I'll go to get in the right side of our car to drive & my wife & kids laugh so hard. Then it's the walk of embarrassment around to the left side of the car. Hahahaha. 😂

[@alphajed7700]

Then why Canada (a British colony) drive at the right?

[@huss1205]

That was a nice program...

[@DWREV]

Glad you liked it. Please pass it on to a friend!

[@musakh_]

i didnt know about the Pakistani part as a Pakistani. Weird and interesting.

[@DWREV]

Thanks for watching! We also learnt new facts while researching

[@ananwongpinyochit4919]

Thank you for sharing. I've observed an increase in Indian reporters on the DW channel, which indicates that the network embraces perspectives from across the globe.

[@shashangshrestha]

is it just me or her voice is really hard to hear not because of the volume level (if you know what i mean) lol