African Country Bans RHD Cars To Improve Safety

The nascent government of Democratic Republic of Congo has banned right-hand-drive cars from the roads — although a large swath of the country relies on RHD vehicles purchased from former British colonies nearby and from Asia.

The nation's roads are set up like those in the United States and continental Europe, with vehicles on the right side. Since Congo was once a Belgian colony, a large number of cars here are European imports and left-hand drive. The head of the Congolese road commission told Reuters news service that "a lot of accidents" are caused by RHD vehicles being driven on the nation's roads.

But Congo has greater issues with its transportation system than steering wheel placement; there are few passable roads outside the main cities, and the Southern and Eastern parts of the country are also politically volatile, with various rebel and militia-style groups active in the area.

Reuters reports that the ruling has met with strong opposition from drivers who live in the part of Congo that borders Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia — all once British colonies — where right-hand-drive cars predominate. The government has offered a 12-month grace period before the ban takes effect.