Which side is the driver's seat in Taiwan?
3 Answers
In Taiwan, the driver's seat is on the left side of the car, and vehicles drive on the right side of the road. In Asia, apart from Japan, Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia, and Indonesia, most regions and countries follow the same regulations as mainland China. Road traffic directions can be divided into two categories: driving on the left side of the road and driving on the right side of the road. Thirty-four percent of countries drive on the left, while sixty-six percent drive on the right. If calculated by road mileage, twenty-eight percent of the world's passable roads are left-hand traffic, and seventy-two percent are right-hand traffic. It is worth noting that, except for Japan, Thailand, Macau, and Indonesia, most countries and regions that drive on the left were formerly British colonies and have maintained left-hand traffic after gaining independence.
I've been driving for over 20 years. In Taiwan, the driving direction is the same as in mainland China and the US - we drive on the right side of the road. The steering wheel is on the left, and the driver sits closer to the center of the road, which provides excellent visibility. I remember asking my instructor when I first learned to drive why we don't use right-hand drive. He said it's related to history: after WWII, influenced by the US, Taiwan switched to right-hand traffic with left-hand drive, while Japan and Hong Kong maintained left-hand traffic with right-hand drive. This design is indeed safe and practical - it offers better left-side visibility for lane changes and overtaking, and the right-side mirror provides a clear view of pedestrians. Nowadays, all vehicles on the road are left-hand drive, even imported cars come with left-hand drive configurations.
As an enthusiast who frequently follows traffic culture, I've discovered that the unified placement of the driver's seat on the left side of vehicles in Taiwan is no coincidence. This directly relates to the right-hand traffic rule established in 1946—the left-sided steering wheel aligns with ergonomics, allowing drivers to clearly observe the road ahead and oncoming lanes. Compared to Japan's right-hand drive design, left-hand drive vehicles have a smaller inner wheel difference, offering better blind spot control during turns. Interestingly, even the height of highway guardrails and the placement of toll booths are designed to accommodate left-hand drive. Although Taiwan once had right-hand drive vehicles during the Japanese colonial period, the current traffic system is entirely based on a left-hand drive framework, including optimized turn signal positions and rearview mirror angles.
