Is driving in South Africa right-hand or left-hand? Driving on the left: how to get used to it, driving features

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 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 car roads, and also passed 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. September 3, 1967 at 4:50 a.m. everyone vehicles had to stop, change sides of the road and continue driving at 5:00. 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.

It's no secret to avid travelers that in many countries the traffic vector on the roads differs from the way they are used to. Before traveling abroad, it is important to remember which countries drive on the left, especially if you plan to rent a car.

Reasons influencing the choice of direction

There is practically no historical evidence of how our ancestors moved. Apparently, this topic seemed obvious, so chroniclers and ordinary people did not consider it important to make notes on it. The rules of behavior on state transport routes were first regulated legislatively only in the 18th century.

Currently, 28% of highways around the world are oriented to the left, and 34% of the world's population travels along them. The reasons why these territories have retained their traditional methods of regulating traffic are the following:

• Historically, they were colonies or dependent regions of Great Britain and Japan;
• The main transport used was carts with a driver sitting on the roof.

The list of regions changed rapidly after the United Kingdom lost its status as an “empire where the sun never sets” and the end of World War II. The last country to adopt the new orientation was the Independent State of Samoa in 2009.

Full list, current for 2018:

1. Australia and New Zealand, including external territories and states in free association (Cocos, Norfolk, Christmas, Tokelau, Cook, Niue);
2. Continental southeast Africa (Kenya, Mozambique, Zambia, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Tonga, Tanzania, Uganda, South Africa, Swaziland, Lesotho, Botswana, Malawi);
3. Bangladesh;
4. Botswana;
5. Brunei;
6. Butane;
7. Great Britain;
8. Overseas Territories of the United Kingdom (Anguilla, Bermuda, Saint Helena and Ascension, Cayman, Montserrat, Maine, Pitcairn, Turks and Caicos, Falklands);
9. British and American Virgin Islands;
10. East Timor;
11. Guyana;
12. Hong Kong;
13. India;
14. Indonesia;
15. Ireland;
16. Independent countries of the Caribbean;
17. Cyprus;
18. Mauritius;
19. Macau;
20. Malaysia;
21. Maldives;
22. Malta;
23. Micronesia (Kiribati, Solomon, Tuvalu);
24. Nauru;
25. Nepal;
26. Channel Islands;
27. Pakistan;
28. Papua New Guinea;
29. Samoa;
30. Seychelles;
31. Singapore;
32. Suriname;
33. Thailand;
34. Fiji;
35. Sri Lanka;
36. Jamaica;
37. Japan.

Traditions of movement

Road driving methods for ordinary people in ancient times depended purely out of convenience because the population density was low. Peasants and artisans carried loads on the right shoulder and walked so as not to touch each other, while warriors preferred the opposite side in order to be able to protect themselves from enemies by drawing the sword from the sheath on the left thigh.

With the advent of vehicles, driving rules also changed. Carts with one horse and a driver on the front goats were more convenient to control with the working hand, as the stronger one, and at the same time maintain maneuverability on the left.

This type of transport was common in France, and during Napoleon's reign, driving on the left spread to all the regions of his conquests.

How did the movement influence vehicle design?

Due to differences in behavior on the highway depending on orientation, different countries use cars with the steering wheel on the side farthest from the curb. At the same time, the location of the control levers remains the same in all models.

However, for the convenience of specialized machines, this rule may be broken. For example, In the official transport of postal employees, the driver's seat was located on the side closest to the sidewalk so that the postman delivers letters and parcels without leaving the car. So in the USSR, since 1968, the Moskvich 434P with right-hand drive was produced.

Another important aspect related to the direction of traffic is crossing the border in states with opposite accepted traffic rules. In such cases, there may be a simple displacement on the route if the road is narrow, as between Laos and Thailand, or a large-scale labyrinth of paths if we are talking about large-scale crossings, such as between Macau and China.

Why do people drive on the left in England?

Since there is no written evidence of how people traveled on roads in ancient times, researchers are turning to archaeological methods. At an old quarry near Swindon, Wiltshire, traces of a Roman-era street were discovered, the degree of subsidence of which indicated that traffic was driven on the left.

Historians also associate this direction of traffic in Great Britain with traditional carts, including cabs, on which the right-handed driver sat on the roof and, accordingly, held a whip in his strongest hand.

First legislative act, which regulated the rules of movement around the city, became a law in 1756, which obligated vehicles to drive on the left side of London Bridge, and violators were subject to a fine of a whole silver pound. Later, in 1776, the Road Act was adopted, extending the rule to all streets in England.

Since it was the British who became the first railway power, many countries still have similar traffic in the subway and at railway stations, with the opposite rules for cars.

Which traffic in Russia is right-hand or left-hand?

For a long time, there were no rules in Russia that would tell people exactly how they should drive carts so as not to collide with each other. In 1752, the first Russian Empress Elizabeth ordered the drivers move along the right side streets inside cities.

And so it happened, throughout Russian Federation accepted right-hand traffic . However, in large cities you can find certain sections where the direction of traffic flow is changed, which is usually associated with the convenience of the interchange in a particular place.

Examples of such places are:

• Leskova Street in the Bibirevsky district of Moscow;
• Embankment of the Fontanka River in St. Petersburg;
• Semenovskaya and Mordotsveva streets in Vladivostok (August 2012 - March 2013).

It is interesting to see how political and economic reasons have influenced which countries drive on the left and which drive on the right. One simple point on which people cannot agree and come to a common decision creates differences in economic trends and poses major challenges for architects and administrations of cities and regions.

Video: Which part of the road is used in different countries?

In this video, Oleg Govorunov will tell you why different countries it is customary to move around to different parties roads:

All over the world, even before the invention of the first car, it was customary to stick to one side of the road to avoid a collision. The clear majority chose the right side, and about 34% - the left. We will explain further where this difference comes from and what is connected with it.

What influences the choice of destination in different countries

In fact, the choice of one side of the road or another does not in any way affect the convenience of driving and, therefore, it can only be explained by historically established traditions.

Many have tried to figure out why some countries drive on the left and have proposed several theories. First of all, they remembered the Roman Empire, where exactly this order of movement was in place, and expressed the opinion that after its collapse, the former provinces continued to observe the usual rules. However, this does not apply to all of Europe: in England, driving on the left is entrenched, and in France, driving on the right.

There is also a theory that driving on the right is more logical since most people have a dominant right hand, but some countries have changed the driving order to spite others. A striking example of such an act is the United States, which first took the example of Great Britain, and then switched to the rules adopted in France and began to stick to the right side of the road.

Now almost all former British colonies practice driving on the left, except for those countries where the giants of the global automobile industry massively supply cars with left-hand drive, which is why there are exceptions with right-hand drive.

In Russia, the demarcation of oncoming flows with a direction to the right was recorded under Elizaveta Petrovna, a little earlier than it happened in Great Britain. Why this choice was made is unknown.

The main differences between right- and left-hand traffic

The most important difference is that when driving on the right, the driver must stick to the right side of the road, and when driving on the left, the driver must stick to the left. Cars are designed accordingly: for right-hand drive cars, the driver's seat and steering wheel are on the left, and for left-hand drive cars, on the right. The gear selector, pedals and other controls are located in the same order for both types of machines.

At the same time, living in a country where it is customary to drive on the right side, no one forbids using a car with a reverse steering wheel. It takes some skill to get used to the controls, but then it doesn't affect it in any way.

List of countries with left-hand traffic

Let's take a closer look at which countries drive on the left and how such a tradition developed in the world.

Countries of Europe

There are not many countries in Europe that drive on the left. These include:

• United Kingdom;
• Malta;
• Ireland;
• Cyprus.

It is believed that all countries adopted the tradition of sticking to the left side of the road from Great Britain. There it was enshrined in law from the middle of the 18th century, but it is not known why in England it was considered convenient to drive on the left. In addition to the version imitating the Romans, there is a theory that road traffic was regulated by the same rules as maritime traffic. English ships bypassed each other, guided by the logic of left-hand traffic.

As for Cyprus, it was also occupied by British troops in the middle of the 19th century and was under their rule for quite a long time - more than 80 years. That is why in Cyprus, driving on the left is also accepted, although in Crete and neighboring Greece it is on the right.

For some reason, not all countries in Europe followed the lead of Great Britain - some took the example of France, which was also an influential power in those days when traffic rules were legislated. Most likely, this is due to the active foreign policy of those years, the formation of military alliances and the redistribution of colonies. For example, in Italy there was no uniform order; each city had its own rules of movement, but with the entry into the Triple Alliance, initiated by Germany, the Italian government legalized right-hand traffic.

Asian countries

There are many more countries in Asia that drive on the left side of the road than in Europe. These are states such as:

• Bangladesh;
• India;
• Hong Kong;
• Japan;
• FDRN;
• Dhivehi Rajje;
• Pakistan;
• Timor-Leste;
• Sri Lanka;
• Indonesia;
• Singapore;
• Thailand;
• Malaysia;
• Brunei Darussalam.

Many of these countries were colonies and borrowed travel rules from their former mother countries. The Japanese samurai themselves decided to stay on the left side of the road. They wore the nihonto on their left side, and the weapon could inadvertently hit an oncoming traveler, which is why left-hand traffic is established in Japan.

In the Far East, due to its proximity to Japan, there are a lot of cars in which the steering wheel is located on the right, despite the fact that in Russia it is customary to drive on the right. Some Russian cities have also introduced left-hand traffic on certain streets to reduce the load on the roads.

As for Thailand, it has always been an independent state, but still adopted left-hand traffic from its neighbors. History is silent about what exactly this is connected with; apparently, mutual migration and trade with neighboring countries require uniform rules.

In the PRC, despite the influence of neighboring and European states, traffic is oriented to the right: in China such a system developed a very long time ago, they did not even hesitate which direction to choose - right-hand or left-hand.

Vietnamese roads shock travelers with the ability to drive in any direction: because of this, at first glance it is not clear what kind of traffic is accepted in Vietnam, but still it is on the right. The driver may not be driving in his own lane, but then he is obliged to give way to those moving towards him. Fortunately, wide concrete shoulders provide...

The DPRK and South Korea used to stick to the left side of the road, but in the mid-20th century they changed the rules and switched to driving on the right.

India and Pakistan were under British rule for so long that they managed to get used to driving on the left and did not change it, freeing themselves from the “suzerain”.

African countries

In African countries, driving on the left is also common, in particular in:

• Kenya;
• Botswana;
• Tanzania;
• Lesotho;
• Mauritius;
• Seychelles;
• Northern and Southern Rhodesia;
• Swaziland;
• Uganda;
• Mozambique;
• Namibia.

Here, “drive on the left” also developed under the influence of the British colonialists.

Americas

Northern and South America Most people prefer driving on the right, except:

• Guyana;
• Suriname.

In the USA, driving on the left was legalized for some time, but then an active struggle began in America with the British government with the support of France and other powers. Lafayette, who led the allied forces, proposed his right-hand traffic control system. Canada, on the other hand, was a French colony and initially adhered to the approach adopted in the metropolis.

Oceania countries

The following countries drive on the left in this region:

• Australia;
• Tuvalu;
• Fiji;
• Line, Sporades and Gilbert Islands;
• Samoa;
• Nauru;
• Tonga;
• New Zealand;
• Papua New Guinea;
• Melanesia.

Disadvantages and advantages of driving on the left

Driving on the left does not have any significant advantages or disadvantages. They are noticed only by those who previously drove on the right. At first they are lost in an unfamiliar environment, but then they get used to it.

How the direction influenced vehicle design

At first, car designers did not place the steering wheel in accordance with the orientation of the road, but then they began to pay attention to this. The windshield wipers were also positioned differently: for left-hand drive cars they were deployed to the right, and for right-hand drive cars - to the left. Now the difference is only in the location of the steering wheel and.

Prerequisites

Walking is on the right side. Apparently, most people (unarmed) walk to the right.

Leading a horse and pulling a cart is right-handed. In this case, it is more convenient for a person to be on the side of oncoming traffic than on the side of the road - on the one hand, this allows him to avoid a collision, on the other hand, he can stop and talk with the oncoming person.

After they stopped driving on the roads with weapons and suspecting everyone was an enemy, right-hand traffic spontaneously began to take shape on the roads, which was mainly due to human physiology, a significant difference in the strength and dexterity of different hands in the techniques of driving heavy horse-drawn carriages pulled by several horses. The peculiarity of man affected that most people are right-handed. When driving 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 with the right, that is, the most strong hand, reins, holding 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 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 many countries of the world. According to one version, she introduced the same 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.

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 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. 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. A generally curious situation has developed in Austria. 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. 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.

After the advent of cars in Europe, real leapfrog was happening. Most countries drove on the right side - this custom has been imposed 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 generally had different rules!

As for the location of the steering wheel, on the first cars in most cases it was on the “wrong” right side for us. Moreover, regardless of which side the cars were driving on. This was done so that the driver could better see the car being overtaken. In addition, with this steering wheel arrangement, the driver could get out of the car directly onto the sidewalk, and not onto the roadway.

The first mass-produced car with a “correct” steering wheel was the Ford T.

Countries that changed the movement

At various times, many countries adopted left-hand traffic, but due to the inconvenience associated with the fact that the neighbors of these countries had right-hand traffic, they switched to right-hand traffic. The most famous day in history was H-Day in Sweden, when the country switched from driving on the left to driving on the right.

The former British colonies in Africa Sierra Leone, Gambia, Nigeria and Ghana also changed their left-hand drive to right-hand drive due to their proximity to former French colonies that drive on the right. Conversely, the former Portuguese colony of Mozambique changed from right-hand drive to left-hand drive due to its proximity to former British colonies. 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.

Countries with left-hand traffic

Changing sides at the border

At the borders of countries with different directions of traffic, road junctions are built, sometimes quite impressive.

Special cases

First cars

On cars produced at the beginning of the 20th century, the location of the steering wheel had not yet been completely determined: often the driver’s seat was made from the sidewalk (that is, they made the steering wheel on the right when driving on the right and on the left when driving on the left). Later, the standard became the location of the steering wheel on the side opposite the sidewalk - this ensures best review when overtaking; In addition, when using the car as a taxi, it makes boarding and disembarking passengers more convenient and safe.

Postal cars

Cars for collecting mail are often made with an “incorrect” steering wheel position (for example, such an IZH van was produced in the USSR). This is done for the convenience of the driver, who can now go directly onto the sidewalk and not be exposed to unnecessary danger.

Bahamas

Historically, the Bahamas drives on the left side of the road, but most cars drive on the islands on the left hand drive due to the proximity of the United States, from where such cars are constantly imported.

Russia - East

Regardless of the position of the driver's seat, the headlights are adjusted so that the light is directed slightly towards the side of the road - in order to illuminate pedestrians and not blind oncoming drivers.

However, the Vienna Convention on traffic says that a car temporarily entering a country must comply with the technical standards of the country in which it is being driven registered.

Other types of transport

Aircraft

For a number of reasons (imperfect ignition systems and carburetors, which often caused engine stalls, strict weight restrictions), aircraft of the First World War had exclusively rotary engines - the engine star rotates with the propeller, and the fuel-oil mixture is supplied through a hollow, stationary crankshaft. In such engines, the heavy crankcase played the role of a flywheel. The screw, as a rule, was used on the right, rotating clockwise. Due to the large mass of the engine, a reverse torque arose, tending to create a left bank for the aircraft, so turns to the left were performed more energetically. Because of this, many aviation maneuvers were based on left turns - hence the left seat of the pilot.

With the improvement of ignition systems, rotary engines gave way to two-row and star-shaped ones, in which the reverse torque is many times less. The pilots (already peaceful) navigated along the existing roads (and in desert areas where there were no roads, they made furrows). When planes (with an established left seat) flying along the road towards each other needed to miss each other, the pilots turned to the right - hence right-hand traffic with the left seat of the main pilot.

There is another reason related to anatomy: the pilot holds the control stick with his right hand in front of him at chest level, his left hand is lower, approximately at the level of the armrest, and controls the engine using the throttle. In this position, it is more convenient to look down from the left side, since the right hand extended in front of you prevents you from leaning to the right.

Helicopters and ships

Almost everywhere (except for inland rivers) driving is on the left with the seat on the right. This allows you to see traffic on the starboard side (which should be skipped).

The chief pilot's seat on the only production tiltrotor V-22 Osprey is on the right, “helicopter-style.”

Railroad and metro

The pioneer of railway transport is Great Britain, which imposed left-hand railway traffic on many countries (France, Israel, Russia). Later, Russia switched to right-hand drive, but even now some of the old Russian lines are left-hand drive. In Germany, railway traffic has historically been on the right. That's why in Alsace-Lorraine (which belonged to Germany before the First World War), trains still travel on the right.

It is not uncommon for escalators to move on the left side in order to reduce the intersection of human flows, or for the convenience of organizing the upper lobby.

Notes

see also

Links

Wikimedia Foundation.

2010.

When I started traveling, for example, it was a discovery for me that there are corners of our world where driving on the left is common, in addition to, of course, well-known countries such as England, Japan and Australia.

I think few of us have wondered why in some places it is left-handed and in others right-handed.

WHY?
Many people I asked about this phenomenon answered: “Because these countries are former colonies of England.” To which I immediately asked the question: “What about Japan?”

I would like to note that the answer is partially correct if we are talking about countries that were colonies of England.

Currently, 66% of the world's population drives on the right side and 34% on the left. 28% of all roads are left-hand and 72% are right-hand.

Having wandered around the Internet, I came across a number of interesting versions that contributed to the emergence of this or that movement in different countries.

The traditions of driving on the left and on the right began long before the invention of the automobile. Here are some versions of this phenomenon:

In Europe, right-hand traffic arose 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.

Another version of the emergence of right-hand traffic: when horse-drawn carts passed each other, it was easier to direct the carriage 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...

In England, driving on the left is talked about as the reason why the British sea ​​nation, and the sailors, they say, find it more convenient to pass on port tacks.

In Japan, the version of the appearance of left-hand traffic is as follows: the fact is that the samurai carried the sword on the left side (this made it more convenient to grab the sword with the right hand). According to the samurai code, no one could touch his sword. Otherwise, whoever touched the sword would immediately die. And therefore, already in the 19th century, in order to avoid the unnecessary death of ordinary people, left-hand traffic was adopted.

Historical fact:

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.

Warning:

Tourists who come to a country where traffic is unusual for them may not be allowed to drive a car on their own for safety reasons, but may resort to the services of a driver.

Having studied this issue in more detail, I was surprised that the list of countries with left-hand traffic turned out to be quite impressive!

Below is full list those countries whose roads make up that same 28%.

Antigua and Barbuda

Bahamas
Bangladesh
Barbados
Bermuda
British Virgin Islands
Butane
Botswana
Brunei
Great Britain
East Timor
Guyana
Hong Kong
Grenada
Dominica
Zambia
Zimbabwe

Indonesia
Ireland
Cayman islands
Kenya
Cyprus
Kiribati
Cocos Islands
Lesotho
Macau
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Malta
Mauritius
Montserrat
Mozambique
Namibia
Nauru
Nepal
Niue
Norfolk

Cook Islands
Christmas Island
Saint Helena
Pakistan
Papua New Guinea
Pitcairn
Samoa (2009)
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
St. Thomas (island, US territory)
Seychelles
Singapore
Solomon islands
South Africa
Suriname
Swaziland
Tanzania
Thailand
Turks and Caicos
Tokelau
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
Tuvalu
Uganda
Fiji
Sri Lanka
Japan

P.S. Be extremely careful on the roads in these countries! From my own experience, I can say that at first such movement really confuses the situation, even with a seemingly simple road crossing.