Around 75 countries and territories, roughly a third of the world, drive on the left. The list is dominated by former British territories (the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, India, South Africa, Kenya, Jamaica) plus a few that never were, most notably Japan, Thailand and Indonesia.
How many, and why the left
About 75 countries and dependent territories keep left, which is close to a third of the world by both count and population. Population is where it gets lopsided: India, Indonesia, Japan, Pakistan and Bangladesh alone push well over a billion people onto left-hand roads, so the “third of the world” figure holds even though the left-driving countries are outnumbered on a map.
The reason is mostly one empire. Britain formalized keep-left for horse traffic in the 1700s, and every territory it administered inherited the convention, which is why the pattern tracks the old map of British influence more than any geography. The interesting cases are the ones that were never British. Japan drives on the left because its first railways were built with British engineering in the 1870s and the road rule followed the rail, made law in 1924. Thailand kept left through its own choice and its neighbours. Indonesia, a Dutch colony where the Netherlands itself drives on the right, still runs left-hand traffic. The takeaway for a traveler is simple: you cannot guess a country’s driving side from its region or its colonizer. You check it.
Key takeaways
- Roughly 75 countries and territories drive on the left, about a third of the world by population.
- Most are former British territories; the notable exceptions are Japan, Thailand and Indonesia.
- The hard part is not the rule, it is the reflexes: roundabouts, the gearstick hand, and looking the wrong way as a pedestrian.
- Book an automatic early. Manual is the default rental in most left-driving countries and the shift-with-your-left-hand adjustment is the one people fumble.
The major left-driving destinations by region
These are the places a traveler is actually likely to rent a car in and meet left-hand traffic for the first time. Grouped by region, with the one thing about each that matters once you have the keys.
| Destination | Region | What to know before you drive |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Europe | Constant roundabouts and narrow rural lanes; automatics rent out fast and cost more |
| Ireland | Europe | Single-track roads with passing places in the west; manual is the norm |
| Cyprus | Europe | Former British; wide, easy roads and the gentlest place to learn left-hand driving |
| Malta | Europe | Left-hand traffic in dense, fast, horn-heavy island driving |
| Japan | Asia | Disciplined drivers and clear English expressway signage; among the easier left-drive countries |
| Thailand | Asia | Heavy scooter traffic that filters from every side; city driving is the challenge, not the side |
| India | Asia | Chaotic and horn-led; most visitors hire a car with a driver rather than self-drive |
| Indonesia (Bali) | Asia | Scooter-dominated; left-hand rule, minimal lane discipline |
| Malaysia | Asia | Good highways and orderly traffic; an easy self-drive introduction to keeping left |
| Australia | Oceania | Long, empty highways where fatigue and drifting right are the real risks |
| New Zealand | Oceania | Winding scenic roads; overseas drivers cause a notable share of crashes here, so take it slow |
| South Africa | Africa | Good roads on the tourist routes; self-drive is common along the Garden Route |
| Kenya | Africa | Left-hand traffic; most safari visitors travel with a driver-guide |
| Jamaica | Caribbean | Left-hand rule on often potholed, mountainous rural roads |
Japan is the destination that surprises people who assumed left-hand driving is a British quirk. It runs some of the most disciplined traffic on this list, with lane markings and expressway signs a visitor can read, which makes it far less stressful than the country’s reputation for density suggests. At the other end, Thailand and Bali are not hard because of the side of the road but because of the volume of scooters, which is a separate skill from switching hands on the wheel. The steadiest places to get used to keeping left are the wide, quiet roads of Cyprus, Malaysia and rural New Zealand, provided you respect how much slower unfamiliar mountain roads demand you go.
Comparing two destinations before you book?
Line up driving side, road quality, costs and best months for up to four countries side by side before you commit to a route.
What actually trips up a tourist
The side of the road is the part people worry about and the part they adapt to fastest, usually within a day of concentration. The genuine mistakes come from three specific reflexes that do not switch as quickly as your steering does.
The classic tell is the windscreen wipers coming on mid-turn, because the indicator and wiper stalks are mirrored from what you know and your hand reaches for the wrong one. It is harmless, and it is a good early sign you are still on autopilot. The dangerous version of the same autopilot is at junctions and roundabouts, where an unthinking driver looks left for oncoming traffic that is actually coming from the right.
Do
- Take roundabouts clockwise and give way to traffic coming from your right.
- Say “stay left” out loud after every turn, junction and fuel stop until it stops feeling necessary.
- Book an automatic in advance if you have never driven a manual with your left hand.
- As a pedestrian, look right first, then left, then right again. Painted “look right” reminders exist on UK crossings for exactly this reason.
Don’t
- Drift toward the centre line when tired on long, empty highways; that is how head-on incidents happen in Australia and New Zealand.
- Start on your first day in a city. Pick up the car outside the busiest zone if you can.
- Assume your home license is enough. Several left-driving countries want an International Driving Permit.
- Overtake until you are fully comfortable judging distance from the mirrored driving position.
The pedestrian point deserves its own line, because it is the one that hurts travelers who never even rent a car. Stepping off a kerb and checking the direction traffic comes from at home is the single most common way visitors are injured in the UK, Australia and Japan. Your eyes go to the wrong side of the road out of pure habit.
Before you rent: the verdict
Driving on the left is a manageable adjustment for any confident driver, and in orderly countries like Japan, Cyprus and Australia it becomes second nature within a day. The practical decisions that make it painless are made before you land, not at the rental desk.
- Reserve an automatic transmission early. Manual is the default rental across most left-driving countries, the fleet of automatics is smaller, and shifting with your non-dominant hand is the adjustment most people fumble. Booking ahead is cheaper than upgrading on arrival.
- Check whether you need an International Driving Permit. Countries such as Japan and Thailand expect one alongside your national license, and rental firms and police can refuse you without it.
- Plan a gentle first drive. Collect the car away from the airport crush or the city center where possible, and give yourself a quiet route for the first hour.
- Match the destination to your comfort. If it is your first time keeping left, a wide-road country beats a scooter-dense city or a single-track mountain pass for the debut.
Get those four right and the side of the road stops being a story you tell nervously and becomes a footnote to the trip. The roundabout at the airport exit is the hardest one you will face, and it is downhill from there.
FAQ
01How many countries drive on the left?
Around 75 countries and dependent territories drive on the left, which is close to a third of the world by both count and population. India, Indonesia, Japan, Pakistan and Bangladesh account for most of the people on the left-hand side.
02Why do some countries drive on the left?
Mostly the British Empire. Britain codified keep-left for horse traffic in the 1700s and every territory it administered inherited it. Japan, Thailand and Indonesia drive on the left without that colonial history, in Japan’s case because its railways were built with British help.
03Is it hard to drive on the left as a tourist?
Most confident drivers adapt within a day. The side of the road is easy; the real adjustments are taking roundabouts clockwise, reaching for the gearstick with your left hand, and remembering which way to look for oncoming traffic at junctions and as a pedestrian.
04Which popular holiday destinations drive on the left?
The United Kingdom, Ireland, Japan, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Malaysia, Bali in Indonesia, Kenya, Cyprus, Malta and Jamaica are among the most-visited left-driving destinations.
05Do I need a special license to drive on the left?
No special license, but several left-driving countries including Japan and Thailand require an International Driving Permit alongside your national license. Rental companies and police can turn you away without one, so check the specific country before you travel.
06Are rental cars in left-driving countries manual or automatic?
Manual is the default across most left-driving countries. Automatics exist but the fleet is smaller and more expensive, and they book out. If you have never shifted gears with your left hand, reserve an automatic well in advance.
Image credits: Holborn Viaduct, London: Martin Ruthe’s Transport Photos / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0). Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan: David Kernan / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0). Chapman’s Peak Drive, South Africa: kallerna / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).
