Do Vehicles in Hong Kong Drive on the Left or Right?
1 Answers
In Hong Kong, vehicles drive on the left side of the road. This is because the traffic rules were established during the British colonial period, and the UK follows left-hand driving. Consequently, the initial road infrastructure was built for left-hand driving, a practice that has continued to this day. Whether vehicles drive on the left or right side of the road was not fixed from the beginning but evolved over time. According to British accounts, left-hand driving in Hong Kong can be traced back to the Roman Empire. In medieval Europe, the choice between left and right driving was initially influenced by the habits of knights. Currently, there are two main driving conventions worldwide. Most Commonwealth countries drive on the left, while the majority of other countries drive on the right. Japan is a notable exception; during its modernization, it adopted British practices, so vehicles in Japan also drive on the left. Generally, if a country follows left-hand driving, vehicles will have right-hand drive configurations, and vice versa. It is said that the custom of left-hand driving originated during the era of knights. Knights would mount their horses by stepping into the stirrup with their left foot first, then swinging their right leg over. They held weapons in their right hand and reins in their left, necessitating left-hand driving to allow the right hand to function effectively.
