Even before the invention of the automobile, man noticed that following a common agreement to drive on one side of the road helps to reduce vehicle collisions and traffic jams. As car travel became common, most governments adopted an agreement for drivers to drive on the right side of the road. However, some states, due to various features, have preferred left-hand driving. Read more about how many countries have made such a decision and why - in our review material.

What influences the choice of direction in different countries

Today, a third of the world's population drives on the left side of the road, and almost as many of all the world's freeways are left-handed. Thus, right-hand traffic is used much more often. This is explained by historical traditions and the fact that most people on the planet are right-handed. So, when riding in horse-drawn sleds, the rider could quickly turn to the right (in order, for example, to avoid a collision with another carriage or a traveler on a narrow road) than to the left, since it is the right hand that is stronger and better developed.
Later, when horseless carriages, controlled by a lever, appeared, the drivers also had to make considerable efforts to control. It was better to control with the right hand. Most likely, it was this physiological feature that led to the fact that right-handed driving became traditional, and later normalized.

Important! Despite the assurances of right-hand drive adherents about the greater safety of left-hand drive, experts argue that the direction of movement does not in any way affect the number of accidents. Safety on highways can only be ensured by proper transport and strict adherence to traffic rules.

However, there are other versions that claim that movement along the left side of the road appeared earlier (in particular, this is how they moved in the Roman Empire). And the first documented law that ordered the citizens of the country to keep to the left was the bill of 1756 adopted in England. It talked about the norm to move in this way on London Bridge. The law also established a fine for violation - a pound of silver.
A quarter of a century later, in Britain, at the legislative level, it was prescribed to drive on the left side of all the roads of the state. Later, since Great Britain became a colonial power, all its colonies also had to obey this law and switch to left-hand traffic. So, the tradition of such a ride came to India, Pakistan and Australia, where the influence of England was very high.

If we talk about the factors that influenced the choice of the direction of movement in Europe and the United States, then historians argue that France and its authority among the world community in the era of Napoleon played a huge role here. Thus, countries that supported the policy of the French emperor (in particular, Switzerland, Holland, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain) followed the French and legalized right-hand driving.

Those who did not share it and were in opposition to the head of France preferred to move on the left side. We are talking about such countries as the UK already mentioned above, as well as Austria-Hungary and Portugal.
Historical traditions to influence the choice of direction of movement did not stop at the above countries. Next in line was Japan - the land of the rising sun. According to historians, the samurai fastened their sword on their left side. And in order not to catch each other during horse races, they dispersed, turning to the right. The national rule of left-hand traffic was formed in the 18th century. And finally the Japanese approved it at the legislative level in 1927.

An interesting fact is that at first America was a supporter of "leftism", but under the influence of the French general Marie-Joseph Lafayette in the 18th century, she preferred right-handed driving.

There are a number of countries that, over time and probably under the influence of neighboring powers in the 20th century, changed from left-hand driving to right-hand driving. These include, in particular, Sweden, Czechoslovakia, Korea, Nigeria, Ghana, Gambia, Sierra Leone.
The reverse transition - from the left steering wheel to the right one - was made only by 2 countries: Samoa and Mozambique. The first is because a substantial number of used cars intended for right-hand drive were brought into the state. The second - under the influence of neighboring powers.

Did you know? The Swedes have been preparing to switch to right-hand driving for 4 years. On September 3, 1967, at 4:50 a.m., traffic stopped, and from 5 a.m. all drivers moved to the other side of the freeway. In Swedish history, this date is called "Day "H"": from Swede.« hogertrafik» - « right-hand traffic» .

How the direction influenced the design of vehicles

At the dawn of the automotive industry, there was no clear placement of the steering wheel on the left or right - cars were produced with different placements. However, over time, the tradition of placing the steering wheel on the left became entrenched - it was more convenient to disembark taxi passengers when driving on the right and more comfortable to review when you go to overtake. In addition to the actual placement of the steering wheel and the driver's seat, there are other structural differences in cars that were influenced by this fact. So, the device of the wipers responsible for cleaning the windshield is different. In left-hand drive cars at rest, they are folded to the right side, in right-hand drive cars - to the left. The wiper switch on left-hand drive vehicles is located on the right side of the steering column.

As for the turn switches, today they are located in all cars in the same way (although until recently there were models where they were on the left).

It should be noted that manufacturers of modern cars for the mass buyer do not follow the lead of drivers accustomed to left-hand traffic, and to save costs, cars produce models with only one difference - the location of the driver's seat.
The rest of the parameters for left-hand drive and right-hand drive cars are usually the same (with the exception of certain brands).

Did you know? The manufacturer of sports cars McLaren in 1992-1998 produced a model called the McLaren F1, in which the steering wheel and driver's seat were located in the center of the cabin. In 1993-2005 it was the fastest car in the world.

List of countries with left-hand traffic, relevant for 2018

Below is an up-to-date list of states where only left-hand traffic is legally fixed.
Countries marked in green on the map - with right-hand traffic, yellow - with left-hand traffic

Europe

Among European states, there are only 4 ardent representatives with legalized left-hand driving:

• Great Britain;
• Malta;
• Ireland;
• Cyprus.

Asia

There are quite a few countries in Asia where people drive on the left side of the roads. These include:

• Bangladesh;
• Brunei;
• India;
• Indonesia
• Japan;
• Malaysia;
• Maldives;
• Nepal;
• Pakistan;
• Singapore;
• Thailand;
• Sri Lanka;
• East Timor.

Africa

On the African continent, as well as in Asia, there are 13 powers and island states that adhere to the "leftism" when traveling by car.
Among them are:

• Botswana;
• Kenya;
• Lesotho;
• Mauritius;
• Mozambique;
• Namibia;
• Seychelles;
• Republic of South Africa;
• Swaziland;
• Tanzania;
• Uganda;
• Zambia;
• Zimbabwe.

South America

On the South American continent, the vast majority of powers have rules that require keeping the right side when driving cars.
And only 2 countries prefer driving on the left side of the road:

• Suriname.

Important! If a person going on a trip plans to travel in other countries in his own car or rent a car, then he needs to first familiarize himself with the direction of movement in those areas that he is going to visit.

Oceania

Among the states and islands of Oceania, the left side when driving on freeways adhere to:

• Australia;
• Fiji;
• Republic of Kiribati;
• Republic of Nauru;
• New Zealand;
• Papua New Guinea;
• Samoa;
• Solomon islands;
• Kingdom of Tonga;
• Tuvalu.

In addition, driving on the left side of the road is carried out in the Bahamas, in the Lesser Antilles: in Antigua, Dominica, Barbados, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent, as well as in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, on Virgin Islands, Saint Lucia and Jamaica.
Thus, various historical reasons influenced which half of the road people move in one or another country of the world. Residents of 53 countries adhere to the left side of traffic on highways. Right-hand traffic is considered traditional. Accordingly, much more left-hand drive cars are produced. If a person plans to travel to another state by car, then he definitely needs to familiarize himself with the traffic rules in force on his territory. Switching to the "opposite" steering wheel is not easy - you also need to change road signs.

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Currently, in Russia and many other countries, right-hand traffic is accepted on the roads. There are also countries with left-hand traffic. In the 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 is the situation.
Traditions of left-hand and right-hand traffic originated 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 horseback drove along the narrow roads between settlements. All of them were armed. In the left hand, the riders held a shield to defend themselves in case of a sudden attack, and therefore they kept to the right side. There is another version of the appearance of right-hand traffic: when the horse-drawn carts were driving apart, 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, vehicles have changed, but the tradition remains...

It is believed that left-hand traffic originated in England. This island state was connected with the outside world only by sea routes, shipping was actively developing. To streamline the movement of ships, the maritime department issued a decree according to which the ships were required to keep to the left side. Later, this rule was extended to highways, and also passed to all countries under the influence of Britain. Some still adhere to it. Another version connects the tradition of left-hand traffic with the fact that when horse-drawn carts moved through the streets, the coachman held a whip in his right hand and, driving horses, could hit pedestrians. Therefore, the carriages had to drive on the left side.

As for our country, in 1752 the Russian Empress Elizaveta Petrovna issued a decree on the introduction of right-hand traffic on the streets of Russian cities for carriages and cabbies.

At various times, left-hand traffic was adopted in many countries, but they switched to new rules. For example, due to the proximity to countries that were former French colonies that have right-hand traffic, the former British colonies in Africa changed the rules. 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 left-hand traffic to right-hand traffic was Sweden. This happened in 1967. Preparations for the reform began as early as 1963, when the Swedish parliament formed the State Commission for the transition to right-hand traffic, which was to develop and implement a set of measures to ensure such a transition. On September 3, 1967, at 4:50 am, all vehicles had to stop, change sides of the road, and continue at 5:00 am. For the first time after the transition, a special speed limit regime was established.

Tourists who come to a country with unusual traffic for them are advised, for safety reasons, not to drive a car on their own, but to resort to the services of a driver.

Prerequisites

Walking is on the right side. Most people (unarmed) seem to walk on the right side.

To lead a horse, to drag a cart - right-handed. In this case, it is more convenient for a person to be on the side of the oncoming stream than on the side of the road - on the one hand, this allows you to avoid a collision, on the other, to stop and talk to the oncoming one.

After they stopped driving on the roads with weapons and suspecting every 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 methods of driving heavy horse-drawn carriages drawn by several horses. The peculiarity of the person affected that most people are right-handed. When passing 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 the reins with the right, that is, the strongest hand, holding the horses. It is probably for this simple reason that the tradition arose first, and then the norm of passing on the roads. This norm eventually became fixed as the norm of right-hand traffic.

In Russia, back in the Middle Ages, the right-hand traffic rule developed spontaneously and was observed as a natural human behavior. In 1709, the Danish envoy to Peter I, Just Yul, wrote that “in Russia, it is customary everywhere for carts and sleighs, when meeting each other, to drive away, keeping to the right side.” In 1752, the Russian Empress Elizaveta Petrovna issued a decree on the introduction of right-hand traffic on the streets of Russian cities for carriages and cabbies.

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 was to be on the left side. For violation of this rule, an impressive fine was provided - a pound of silver. And 20 years later, the historic “Road Act” was issued in England, which introduced left-hand traffic on all roads in the country. The same left-hand traffic was adopted on the railway. In 1830, on the first Manchester-Liverpool railway line, traffic was on the left.

There is another theory of the appearance of initially left-hand traffic. Some historians suggest that it was more convenient to ride on the left side at the time when horse teams appeared, where the coachmen sat at the top. So, when they drive horses, the whip of a right-handed coachman could accidentally hit passers-by who were walking along the sidewalk. That is why horse-drawn carriages often rode 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 brought the same order on her roads from the maritime rules, that is, on the sea, an oncoming ship passed another, which was approaching from the right.

The influence of Great Britain affected the order of movement 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.

Right-hand traffic is often associated with France, with its influence on many other countries. During the French Revolution of 1789, a decree issued in Paris ordered to move along the "common" right side. A little later, Napoleon consolidated this position by ordering the military to keep to the right side, so that anyone who met the French army would give way to it. Further, such an 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 the Napoleonic army: Britain, Austria-Hungary, Portugal - turned out to be "leftist". The influence of France was so great that it influenced many countries in Europe, and they switched to right-hand traffic. However, in England, Portugal, Sweden and some other countries, traffic remained on the left. In Austria, a curious situation has developed in general. In some provinces, the movement was left-hand, and in others right-hand. And only after the Anschluss in the 1930s by Germany, the whole country switched to the right-hand side.

At first, left-hand traffic was also 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 French general Marie-Joseph Lafayette, who made a significant contribution to the struggle for independence from the British crown, "convinced" the Americans to switch to the right-hand traffic. At the same time, left-hand traffic remained in a number of Canadian provinces until the 1920s.

At various times, left-hand traffic was adopted in many countries, but they switched to new rules. For example, due to the proximity to countries that were former French colonies that have right-hand traffic, the former British colonies in Africa changed the rules. In Czechoslovakia (formerly part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire), left-hand traffic was retained 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 left-hand traffic to right-hand traffic was Sweden. This happened in 1967. Preparations for the reform began as early as 1963, when the Swedish parliament formed the State Commission for the transition to right-hand traffic, which was to develop and implement a set of measures to ensure such a transition. On September 3, 1967, at 4:50 am, all vehicles had to stop, change sides of the road, and continue at 5:00 am. For the first time after the transition, a special speed limit regime was established.

After the advent of cars in Europe, a real leapfrog was going on. Most of the countries drove on the right side - this custom has been imposed since the time of Napoleon. However, in England, Sweden and even one part of Austria-Hungary, left-hand traffic reigned. And in Italy in different cities there were generally 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. And regardless of which side the cars were driving on. This was done so that the driver could better see the overtaken car. In addition, with this arrangement of the steering wheel, 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, left-hand traffic was adopted in many countries, 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 in history was H-Day in Sweden, when the country switched from driving on the left to driving on the right.

Also, the former British colonies in Africa, Sierra Leone, Gambia, Nigeria and Ghana, were changed from left-hand drive to right-hand drive due to their proximity to countries - former French colonies that have right-hand traffic. Conversely, the former Portuguese colony of Mozambique changed from right-hand drive to left-hand drive due to its proximity to the former British colonies. North Korea and South Korea changed from left-hand traffic to right-hand traffic in 1946, after the end of the Japanese occupation.

Countries with left-hand traffic

Changing sides at the border

On the borders of countries with different directions of movement, 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 has not yet been finally determined: often the driver's seat was made from the side of the sidewalk (that is, they made the right wheel for right-hand traffic and the left one for left-hand traffic). In the future, the location of the steering wheel on the side opposite the sidewalk became the standard - this provides a better view when overtaking; in addition, when using the car as a taxi, it makes getting in and out of the passenger more convenient and safer.

post cars

Cars for extracting mail are often made with a “wrong” 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 to the sidewalk and is not exposed to unnecessary danger.

Bahamas

Historically, the Bahamas have left-hand drive, but most cars drive around the islands with 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 curb - in order to illuminate pedestrians and not blind oncoming drivers.

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

Other modes of transport

Aircraft

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

With the improvement of ignition systems, rotary engines gave way to two-row and star-shaped, which have many times less reverse torque. Pilots (already peaceful) navigated along the existing roads (and in the desert area, where there are no roads, furrows were made). When the planes (with a well-established left seat), flying along the road towards each other, needed to pass each other, the pilots gave back to the right - hence the 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, controls the engine using the throttle. With this position, it is more convenient to look down on the left side, since the right hand placed in front of you prevents you from leaning to the right.

Helicopters and ships

Almost everywhere (except inland rivers) left-hand traffic with the right seat is used. This allows you to see traffic on the starboard side (which must be skipped).

The seat of the main pilot on the only serial tiltrotor V-22 Osprey on the right, "like a helicopter."

Railroad and metro

The pioneer of rail transport is Great Britain, which has imposed left-hand rail traffic on many countries (France, Israel, Russia). Later, Russia switched to right-hand traffic, but even now some of the old Russian lines are left-hand traffic. In Germany, railway traffic has historically been on the right. Therefore, in Alsace-Lorraine (belonging to Germany until the First World War), trains still run on the right side.

Often there is a left-hand movement of escalators in order to reduce the mutual intersection of human flows, or for the convenience of organizing the upper lobby.

If on the world map we paint over countries with left-hand and right-hand traffic in different colors, then we will see that there are much more of the latter. This is also evidenced by statistics: 66% of the population move on the right side of the road, while the remaining 34% move on the left.

It is interesting that in ancient times the situation was the opposite: it was mostly left-hand traffic that was observed. It is known that throughout the territory of the Roman Empire, left-hand traffic was used, for which a lot of evidence has been found, ranging from ancient Roman images to studies of the track of ancient Roman roads. This can be explained by the fact that most people are right-handed, which means that, having caught up with a stranger on the road, in case of danger it was more convenient to grab a weapon with your right hand and immediately be ready for a skirmish. Probably, this rule, adopted for the movement of Roman troops, was soon picked up by other citizens of the empire. Imitating the Romans, left-hand traffic was used in most ancient states.

Modern division of the world into left-hand traffic (blue) and right-hand traffic

After the fall of the Roman Empire, some general norms that had previously regulated traffic over a vast territory ceased to exist, so the physiological characteristics of a person came to the fore: charioteers, most of whom were right-handed, it was more convenient to drive on the right side, so that on narrow roads with when passing with oncoming traffic, it is more confident to control the horses with a strong hand, directing them to the side. Over the centuries, this habit has become established as a social movement norm in many countries.

In 1776, the first traffic regulation was issued in Europe. The country that adopted it was Britain, which established on its territory ... left-hand traffic. Historians are still arguing what exactly caused this decision. Perhaps this was done in order to "separate" from the rest of the right-wing Europe, with the leading countries of which Britain was in confrontation. Or, perhaps, the officials simply adopted the law from the army naval admiralty, which ordered the oncoming ships of the English crown to disperse to starboard.

The introduction of left-hand traffic in a geographically small metropolis influenced the vast territories of the colonies of the British Empire, as well as allied countries. First of all, these are the territories of present-day India, Australia and Pakistan, where, by analogy with Britain, left-hand traffic is still used.

September 3, 1962 - Sweden switches to right-hand traffic. On that day, a terrible confusion arose on the streets of Swedish cities

On the other side was France with the allies, who began to use the right-hand traffic. Legislatively in many European countries it was established during the time of Napoleon. As usual, the colonies of European states followed their center, which divided the world into two camps, the echoes of which we are seeing to this day.

In Russia and neighboring countries, the rule of right-hand traffic developed spontaneously, and, interestingly, the country adopted the law on right-hand traffic earlier than European states - in 1756 during the reign of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna.

Illustration: depositphotos | lunamarina

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This question is, of course, a burning one. It becomes especially relevant when, after a short stay in Japan, you suddenly catch yourself thinking that you can’t part with the Japanese out of the blue - you constantly collide. Moving along the Japanese streets on a bicycle, you feel an internal need to "take to the right." Over time, this sad habit passes, but sometimes at the most inopportune moment it makes itself felt. Sometimes this leads to sad consequences; personally, I was almost hit by a car once in Kyoto.

I began to dig into the question of the leftism of the Japanese gradually, without fanaticism; word for word - something gradually managed to collect. Asking the Japanese themselves is a disastrous business. First, it doesn't occur to most of their nation that other countries can drive on the right side of the road. You tell them - they will open their eyes and nod their heads with a zero expression on their faces.

A friend of mine, once visiting Japan on business, was sitting in a bar with a Japanese friend. For the sake of his curiosity, he asks: where did they come to Japan from? Ours answers him, they say, from the country closest to you (it takes place in Sapporo - the main city of the northernmost island - Hokkaido). The Japanese thought for a long time, looked at the Russian for a long time, then said: “From Korea?”. This is the kind of good knowledge about the outside world that most of the Japanese are famous for. Let's get back to our sheep.

The history of accepting the left side of the road as the main one is a strange story. Its roots go back to Japanese antiquity, when samurai rode through the mountainous Japanese terrain on frisky horses with swords on their left sides. No one wore a katana (Japanese sword) on a sling, they plugged it into a belt, so that it stuck out from the left side, sticking out about half a meter. Apparently, fearing to be caught by swords and thereby provoke a fight, the samurai began to use the principle of left-hand traffic. In general, they were nervous people, not understanding jokes.

It is rational to assume that in addition to the samurai warriors, whose heroic images are pathetically sung in modern Japanese cinema by director Takeshi Kitano, there were also ordinary people: peasants, artisans, merchants. How were they supposed to walk? This people did not carry swords and quite calmly used any side of the road. The main joy was to get away from the approaching samurai in time. The latter could easily kill a tradesman for a sidelong glance or for some other “disrespectful” act.

At the beginning of the Edo period (1603-1867), a tradition was already established that indicated to everyone who was heading towards the capital (Tokyo was called Edo at that time) to keep to the left. It seems that such a system has become attached to the Japanese and gradually began to spread throughout the country. We can say with certainty that by the end of the 18th century, the custom of driving on the left side of the road had already formed as a general rule for moving around Japan.

In the middle of the 19th century, Japan was almost stormed into opening up to the world. Here the Japanese realized the power of Western technology and decided to borrow everything totally. Many Japanese teenagers have been sent to study wits in Western universities; most went to England. There, by the way, they also drive on the left side.

Probably, the Japanese would still drive on the right side if the Americans or the French won the tenders for the construction of the first railways on the islands of the Japanese archipelago. But the British were ahead of them. The first train was launched in 1872, and, sadly, the locomotives kept to the left.

Further more. The first horse-drawn trams also moved on the left side of the road. How can such an organization be explained? Probably, the appearance of steam locomotives made such an indelible impression on the Japanese that they simply could not conceive of a different order of traffic. At the beginning of the twentieth century, horses were replaced with an electric drive, and they did not change the routine of movement - traditionalists, after all!

The most interesting thing is that for fifty years no one has bothered to legislate which side of the road should be kept. The maximum that the police department in Tokyo did was to issue an order that horses and cars should keep to the left side, and when meeting with military detachments, to the right. The Japanese army - a special case - walked on the right side of the road until 1924.

The rulers of the city of Osaka, without thinking twice, obliged all horse and "car" vehicles to move on the right side of the road. Osaka is the second largest city in Japan, the authorities of which showed enviable independence in resolving their issues. Ordinary Japanese probably “liked” this state of affairs even more. In Tokyo - on the left side of the road, in Osaka - on the right, you do not get bored.

In 1907, in Japan, the first time a pedestrian was crushed to death by a car. It took the authorities another nearly 20 years to legalize left-hand traffic and put an end to the confusion. Although in Japan no one ever gets confused about anything, culture and its customs very tightly regulate every aspect of social activity and human behavior in a group.

It is clear that any foreigner does not care much about the cultural realities of Japan, unless he is a professional researcher. But for us Russians, it is extremely important to quickly figure out which side of the road you should drive on. There are plenty of funny stories about left-hand traffic. There are many tales about how the Russians drove onto the highway without cars, drove on the right side, and then began to honk the cars that were driving towards them, swear loudly when they did not immediately figure out which nation representatives were driving. Basically, these tales are designed in the style of "Peculiarities of the National Hunt".

However, here's a real-life practice for you. When an accident occurs without casualties, the Japanese prefer to figure it out themselves and not to interfere with the traffic police. They usually exchange business cards quickly and go about their business. It is difficult to say why they do this - those who speak the language and have lived in Japan for quite a long time, I think, will explain. The Japanese really trust what is written on paper, and only after the exchange of business cards do they begin to perceive the interlocutor and behave with him in accordance with his rank.

This Japan is a mysterious land, and surprisingly beautiful, and cars are made there - just stunned!