RHD or LHD?

[pasogrande]

I live in the US and here it is assumed that apart from us Brits everybody has LHD cars and drives on the right. In fact it must be close to the opposite - with more RHD than LHD cars.

The number of cars in China now is similar to that in USA. Add India, Japan, Thailand and much of the English speaking world, I wonder what is the balance.

Anybody have up-to-date numbers?

Wilf.

[Thehandshake]

pasogrande said:

I live in the US and here it is assumed that apart from us Brits everybody has LHD cars and drives on the right. In fact it must be close to the opposite - with more RHD than LHD cars.

The number of cars in China now is similar to that in USA. Add India, Japan, Thailand and much of the English speaking world, I wonder what is the balance.

Anybody have up-to-date numbers?

Wilf.

China is LHD

[406highlander]

Add Indonesia to the list of RHD countries. Most cars in Indonesia are imports from Japan - typically Honda, Suzuki, and Toyota. There are far more motorbikes than cars there; it's reckoned that there are 21 cars for every 100 people, so roughly 46 million RHD cars for a population of over 229 million.

Edited by 406highlander on Wednesday 16th October 14:22

[LukeR94]

Thehandshake said:

pasogrande said:

I live in the US and here it is assumed that apart from us Brits everybody has LHD cars and drives on the right. In fact it must be close to the opposite - with more RHD than LHD cars.

The number of cars in China now is similar to that in USA. Add India, Japan, Thailand and much of the English speaking world, I wonder what is the balance.

Anybody have up-to-date numbers?

Wilf.

China is LHD

Japan Is RHD however, which is where the OP is getting confused I imagine.

[KTF]

Wikipedia says (via the medium of google):



Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right-_and_left-hand_...

Blue = RHD
Red = LHD

[Robert Elise]

i recall that roads started as driving on left (hence RHD) as horse-drawn vehicles were best driven that way. It was therefore a definite change when motors started to drive on the right. Anyone know the specifics?

[Robert Elise]

found this:
http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2010/06/wh...
seems that we can blame both the Americans and the French...

[Finlandia]

In Sweden cars are LHD, but up until 1967 they were driven on the left side of the road. Beat that.

[confused_buyer]

And you also have oddballs such as:

US Virgin Islands: US Territory which drives on the left.
Gibralter: UK Territory which drives on right.

[Vanya]

Cars towards the east side of Russia may skew the numbers too.

From my own observations in Novosibirsk, maybe 8 years ago though, around 50% of the cars were RHD, this in an LHD country.
It has to do with geography, economy for those not wanting locally produced cars and maybe other less than legitimate reasons.
I wouldn't be surprised if that ratio increased in favour of RHD cars the further east you travelled.

I don't think this is taken into account in the Wikipedia map, amazingly.

[pasogrande]

Thanks for correction about China. I have only been to Hong Kong and just assumed. . .

So that answers my question. LHD wins (although there is more logic for RHD)

Wilf.

[Ozzie Osmond]

In terms of global population - almost everyone lives in a country where LHD is the norm.

[Northernchimp]

Robert Elise said:

i recall that roads started as driving on left (hence RHD) as horse-drawn vehicles were best driven that way. It was therefore a definite change when motors started to drive on the right. Anyone know the specifics?

You "recall"? How old are you?

[Robert Elise]

Northernchimp said:

You "recall"? How old are you?

Must have been a Roman soldier in a previous life. Hence the need to hold my horse with left hand, and sword in right

[scs1]

I have a 1923 Michelin Guide with a section at the back giving information about touring abroad.
According to their information concerning Italy you "Drive on the right on all country roads and some towns , but in most large towns the rule is drive on the left".
How the hell did that work ! Oh hang on a minute , I drove in Naples last year , some drivers seem to think this rule still applies.
Also listed as driving on the left in 1923 are Austria (except the Tyrol) ,Czechoslovakia, ,Portugal, Sweden, Hungary and Luxembourg.

[veevee]

First day of driving side change in Sweden...