Right- and left-hand traffic facts for kids

The driving side of a road is the side where all the cars, bikes, and trucks travel. Think of it like a rule that helps everyone drive safely and smoothly. Each country decides if its traffic will drive on the right-hand side or the left-hand side of the road. This important rule is sometimes called the rule of the road.

     Right-hand traffic      Left-hand traffic

This rule helps prevent crashes, especially head-on collisions where two vehicles hit each other from opposite directions. It makes sure everyone knows where they should be on the road.

Today, most people in the world drive on the right. About 66.1% of people live in countries where traffic keeps to the right. The other 33.9% live in countries where traffic keeps to the left.

A sign on Australia's Great Ocean Road reminding foreign drivers to keep left.

Images for kids

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  Parts of Canada used to drive on the left until the 1920s, like here in Saint John, New Brunswick, 1898.

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  Cars change sides at the Lotus Bridge when entering or leaving Macau.

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  A special crossover bridge near the Takutu River Bridge connects Guyana (left-hand traffic) and Brazil (right-hand traffic).

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  This map shows which side trains drive on around the world.

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  The steering area of a Philippine Marine Corps patrol boat.

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  Cars driving on the right-hand side on the A2 in Germany.

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  Right-hand traffic on Jamsil Bridge in South Korea.

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  Left-hand traffic on the M1 motorway in the UK.

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  Left-hand traffic on Kwun Tong Road in Hong Kong.

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  Left-hand traffic in Vienna, Austria, around 1930.

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  Gibraltar has driven on the right since 1929.

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  A sign in Ireland reminding drivers to keep to the left.

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  A road sign in Kent, England, placed on the right side of the road.

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  Traffic changes direction at the Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge.

See also

In Spanish: Sentido de la circulación para niños