Hong Kong Crossing, Hong Kong, China
See an image of a pedestrian crossing from the top deck of a tram in Hong Kong. Road markings and traffic signs in Hong Kong are identical to British standards because the territory was a British colony for over 150 years (1841-1997). Following the 1997 handover, Hong Kong retained this left-hand drive, British-based system due to high implementation costs of change and the difficulty of altering ingrained driving habits. During the British colonial period, the Transport Department of HK standardized road signs and markings based on the UK Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions (TSRGD). The cost of changing all signs, markings, and traffic lights to a different standard was considered too high, and local drivers are accustomed to the British system. Therefore Hong Kong retained the British Left-Hand Traffic (LHT) system, whereas Mainland China uses Right-Hand Traffic (RHT).
