In some countries, traffic drives on the right-hand side of the road and in others on the left. In certain cities, trucks are allowed to drive on the right side of the road and bicycles may follow a different set of rules.

In Australia we drive on the left side of the road. The decision on which side of the road to use was made in the early 19th century by Governor Lachlan Macquarie following the British practice. New Zealand drives on the left too, also owing to its British colonial heritage. Most former British colonies, with some exceptions, drive on the left side of the road.

The United States of America was once a British colony too. During the American colonial days, the French colonies kept to the right and all the other colonies kept to the left. It wasn’t until after 1813 that the USA formalized driving on the right. Today all US states and territories except the US Virgin Islands drive on the right.

In driving on the left side of the road, the cars are built so that the driver sits on the right-hand side of the car or truck. The opposite is true for driving on the right side of the road.

81 Countries Driving on the Left Side