eli5: How do countries just allow tourists/visitors from places where they drive on the other side to just rent a car and get behind the wheel without any sort of test?

Question

I just saw a headline about an American tourist in the UK who hit a cyclist because she drove on the wrong side of the road. I’ve always wondered why it is so easy for one to just rent a car and drive in a country where the road laws are all backwards from what they’re used to. Seems like there should be some kind of test involved but it feels like most countries will just give you the keys and let you take to the streets without any worries. I’m learning to drive and the thought that I could just go to England and rent a car seems crazy to me

In: 29

Answer 1

It’s not a common issue. I drive on the left in my country and we do get people during tourist season driving on the wrong side of the road, but it’s rare. Most people are capable of swapping sides.

I went to Hawaii and rented a car. Driving on the right was really not that big of an adjustment, what I should’ve done was read up on some of the more obscure local rules. I didn’t even know four-way stops existed before I went to Hawaii, and being able to turn right on red lights was also not something I knew about. But those little things weren’t likely to cause any accidents.

It’s only the outliers who get it wrong, and implementing some sort of test would deter a lot of tourists who otherwise would’ve brought decent money into the country