At what age are you able to receive your driver’s license? What might it look like to drive on a road in another part of the world? How do people drive, and how does it vary from our own experience here in the United States?
The laws and traffic regulations surrounding driving throughout the world are surprisingly interesting to dive into, especially if you plan on traveling or moving to a different country and want to know exactly what to expect. In some cases, the experiences may be surprisingly similar. Other times, car and driving laws can seem extremely strange or foreign to us, causing even the most fool-proof itinerary to fall apart if we’re taken by surprise. Let’s examine how the driving age and norms vary throughout the world to get a better idea of how our own laws differ from countries elsewhere.
What Are the Legal Driving Ages Around the World?
For those of us in America, most states allow young drivers to obtain their license at 16 years old (18 in some), though most can begin learning how to drive with a learner’s permit as early as 14 years old. So, how does this vary from the driving age in other countries?
What you may be surprised to learn is that the legal driving age in various countries isn’t too far off from our own legal driving age here in the United States. Countries like China, Brazil, Japan, South Africa, India, and Singapore, just to name a few, all have a legal driving age of 18. Meanwhile, Australia (16-18 in some parts), Malaysia, and Indonesia allow beginning drivers to get their licenses at 17, while New Zealand and Canada will let you get your license at 16. Ethiopia allows you to get your license at 14.
Of course, education is very much an important aspect of obtaining a license and being a safe driver. Knowing how to navigate the roads, adapt to the driving culture in the area, and properly care for your car by conducting repairs with high-quality performance products is critical.
“The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that there are an average of 45,000 automobile accidents per year as a result of poor maintenance on the driver’s part,” Jonathan Fiello, Chief Engineering Officer at K&N Engineering Inc., states. “Continued maintenance, especially with high-quality performance products, is critical to road safety.”
What Are the Driving Norms You Might Encounter Elsewhere?
If you’re accustomed to driving only in America, going to another country and driving might be a bit of a culture shock. Take, for example, driving on the left side of the road. While this is something that we expect to encounter in the United Kingdom, driving on the left side of the road is also common in Australia, New Zealand as well as India, Nepal, Malaysia, Indonesia, South Africa, Thailand, Kenya, and Tanzania. Additionally, when you’re driving within Europe Economic Areas, you won’t have to fill out any additional paperwork to be able to drive. Drivers can move freely with their licenses from different countries as long as they’re traveling within these areas.
Of course, these norms might seem relatively tame. Things like the validity of licenses, which side of the road you drive on, and even speed limit laws only scratch the surface. There are a lot of strange laws in different countries that you should know long before you travel there as they’re essential to driving without breaking the law and highly interesting to learn about.
For example, did you know that it’s illegal for men to drive without a shirt in Thailand? Would you have suspected that it would be illegal to stick any limbs out of the window in Australia (unless you’re signaling another driver)? What about the fact that you’re not allowed to smoke and drive in Greece? There is no shortage of strange driving laws, and learning more about these cultural norms can be fascinating!
The Driving Culture Across the World Can Vary Dramatically
We share many things in common with other countries and how they navigate the road, but there are a lot of differences as well—everything from the laws to the types of roads you’re driving on. Cruising in a car on day trips around Santa Teresa, Costa Rica is much different than driving through traffic in Paris, which was named one of the cities with the worst traffic in the world. Understanding the similarities and differences is critical to being able to safely drive in other countries if we ever plan on going abroad and driving and exploring the country for ourselves. Don’t let this overwhelm or discourage you, just take it one step at a time. The information above can help you discover some of the fascinating driving laws that other countries rely on to keep their roads safe!
Jordan McDowell is a writer and automotive enthusiast. He specializes in content that helps car and truck owners get the most from their vehicles through aftermarket upgrades.
Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author.
