Currently reading: Samoa to drive on the left
Island will make the switch from the right next month

The small Pacific island of Samoa will become the first country since Ghana in 1974 to switch from driving on the right hand side of the road to the left on 7 September.

Many Samoan ex-pats reside in nearby Australia and New Zealand, both of which drive on the left.

The Samoan prime minister claims it would be easier for the country to import cars and would even help the country avoid the effects a tsunami, although this is not backed up with any evidence.

Islanders against the move have set up a group called People Against Switching Sides (PASS). It claims that 14,000 of the island’s 18,000 cars are designed for driving on the right and buses will have to be reengineered to change their door access.

The prime minister responded to these claims by saying: “The only thing to fear is fear itself.”

Twitter - follow autocar.co.uk

Join the debate

Comments
5
Add a comment…
ukcar 5 September 2009

Re: Samoa to drive on the left

There are plans to buy up left hand drive cars in Samoa and export them to the Russian far east, where many cars are right hand drive being used imports from Japan. - http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=39322

East Timor changed from right to left when Indonesia took over in 1976, and still does as an independent country. Okinawa in Japan changed from right to left in 1978, six years after the US returned it to Japan. However, many European cars in Japan are left hand drive - even British ones like Jaguars and Minis!

J400uk 26 August 2009

Re: Samoa to drive on the left

Surely the switch will create more problems than it solves?

daddy 3 26 August 2009

Re: Samoa to drive on the left

Autocar wrote:
The Samoan prime minister claims it would be easier for the country to import cars and would even help the country avoid the effects a tsunami, although this is not backed up with any evidence.

Erm What ? tsuanmi ?

Ok which autocar jurno went out for a liquid lunch today.