Countries drive on different sides of the road mostly because of history: old habits from the age of horses and carts, the influence of France and Napoleon in Europe, wagon design in the United States, and British and Japanese traditions of keeping left. Today about a third of the world’s people live in countries that drive on the left, including Japan, the UK and much of eastern and southern Africa.
Key takeaways
- Keeping left is often described as the older habit; right-hand traffic spread through France, Napoleon’s Europe and the United States.
- Countries that drive on the left use right-hand-drive cars, the same layout as cars built for Japan.
- Changing sides is very costly, so few countries have done it; Sweden (1967) and Samoa (2009) are well-known examples.
- If you import from Japan, check whether your country requires right-hand drive before you buy.
Why people first kept to the left
A common explanation is that, before cars, travellers on foot or horseback kept to the left. Most people are right-handed, so this kept the right hand free towards passing strangers.
Riders also usually mount a horse from the left side. Keeping left let them mount at the roadside rather than in the middle of the road.
How France switched to the right
Around the time of the French Revolution, keeping to the right became the norm in France. As Napoleon’s armies spread across Europe, many of the territories they controlled adopted right-hand traffic too.
Countries that stayed outside Napoleon’s influence, such as Britain, kept to the left.
Why the United States drives on the right
In the United States, large freight wagons such as the Conestoga wagon had no driver’s seat. The driver often rode the rear left horse, holding the whip in the right hand. Keeping to the right let the driver see oncoming wagons clearly.
The first US keep-right law, in 1792, applied to the Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike in Pennsylvania, and other states followed. When the Ford Model T arrived in 1908 with the steering wheel on the left, left-hand-drive cars for right-hand traffic became the American standard.
Why some countries still drive on the left
Many former British colonies kept left-hand traffic, including India, Australia and many countries in eastern and southern Africa and the Caribbean.
Japan was never a British colony but also drives on the left. The custom is older than the railway age; it was officially recognised in 1872, the year Japan’s first railway opened with British help, and written into law in 1924. Thailand also drives on the left.
Countries that switched sides
Switching is rare because it means changing road markings, signs, junctions and buses all at once.
- Sweden (1967): on “Dagen H”, 3 September 1967, Sweden moved from left to right to match its neighbours. Hundreds of thousands of road signs had to be changed.
- Okinawa (1978): after US administration ended, Okinawa returned to Japan’s left-hand traffic in 1978.
- Samoa (2009): Samoa moved from right to left, partly so people could use right-hand-drive cars from nearby Australia and New Zealand. A two-day public holiday was declared to help people adjust.
How borders handle the change
Where neighbours drive on opposite sides, road designers use crossover lanes or roundabouts so drivers can change sides safely. The Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge over the Mekong is a well-known example.
What this means when you import a car from Japan
Japanese cars for the home market are right-hand drive, which suits countries that drive on the left, such as Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique, Jamaica, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Australia and the UK.
Some countries go further and set rules on steering side. Kenya accepts only right-hand-drive used vehicles, and Trinidad and Tobago requires right-hand drive for used imports. In Zimbabwe right-hand drive is the norm; check with ZIMRA before buying a left-hand-drive car. Always check your country’s rules in our import rules section before you buy.
You can browse all right-hand-drive stock from Japan on our main site.
Frequently asked questions
Are all cars from Japan right-hand drive?
Cars built for the Japanese market are right-hand drive. Some imported models in Japan are left-hand drive, so check the listing if steering side matters for your country.
Which African countries drive on the left?
Many countries in eastern and southern Africa drive on the left, including Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Mozambique. Check your own country’s road and import rules.
Is it hard to drive a right-hand-drive car?
Not in a country that drives on the left, because that is what the car is built for. Most people who switch between countries adjust after some practice.
For more buying advice, read our guide to buying Japanese used cars online and browse all our car guides.
