Switch to right hand traffic in Czechoslovakia
Encyclopedia
The switch to right hand traffic in Czechoslovakia describes changes in the rules of the road in 1938/1939.
Before 1938, Czechoslovakia
drove on the left. In about 1925, Czechoslovakia accepted the Paris convention and undertook to change to right hand traffic "within a reasonable time frame". In 1931, the government decreed to change over within 5 years, which did not happen. The main obstacles were financial cost and widespread opposition in rural areas. In November 1938, parliament finally decided to change to right hand traffic with effect from May 1, 1939.
(Austria had already been forced to switch after its 1938 annexation
by Germany.)
by Germany
on March 15, 1939, sped up the change. A few places switched the same day (e.g. Ostrava
), the rest of the area of the Protectorate on March 17, and Prague
got a few more days to implement the change and switched on March 26.
Tramway infrastructure in Prague had been modified since November 1938. In the final days there were daily reminders of the change in newspapers and large warnings were painted on the streets and on tramway cars. Drivers adapted quickly and only a small number of traffic accidents happened due to the switch with only one recorded fatality in Prague.
by a decree of the government of "autonomous Slovakia" within Czechoslovakia in late 1938. Buses in the capital Bratislava
were adapted in 1939, and the last roads in Slovakia switched to the new system in 1940/1941.
The area which is now Southern Slovakia was occupied by Hungary then and so would not have changed until Hungary
changed in 1941.
Before 1938, Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
drove on the left. In about 1925, Czechoslovakia accepted the Paris convention and undertook to change to right hand traffic "within a reasonable time frame". In 1931, the government decreed to change over within 5 years, which did not happen. The main obstacles were financial cost and widespread opposition in rural areas. In November 1938, parliament finally decided to change to right hand traffic with effect from May 1, 1939.
(Austria had already been forced to switch after its 1938 annexation
Anschluss
The Anschluss , also known as the ', was the occupation and annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany in 1938....
by Germany.)
Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia
The occupation of the Protectorate of Bohemia and MoraviaProtectorate of Bohemia and Moravia
The Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia was the majority ethnic-Czech protectorate which Nazi Germany established in the central parts of Bohemia, Moravia and Czech Silesia in what is today the Czech Republic...
by Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
on March 15, 1939, sped up the change. A few places switched the same day (e.g. Ostrava
Ostrava
Ostrava is the third largest city in the Czech Republic and the second largest urban agglomeration after Prague. Located close to the Polish border, it is also the administrative center of the Moravian-Silesian Region and of the Municipality with Extended Competence. Ostrava was candidate for the...
), the rest of the area of the Protectorate on March 17, and Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
got a few more days to implement the change and switched on March 26.
Tramway infrastructure in Prague had been modified since November 1938. In the final days there were daily reminders of the change in newspapers and large warnings were painted on the streets and on tramway cars. Drivers adapted quickly and only a small number of traffic accidents happened due to the switch with only one recorded fatality in Prague.
WWII Slovakia
Right hand traffic had already been introduced in SlovakiaSlovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
by a decree of the government of "autonomous Slovakia" within Czechoslovakia in late 1938. Buses in the capital Bratislava
Bratislava
Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia and, with a population of about 431,000, also the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two independent countries.Bratislava...
were adapted in 1939, and the last roads in Slovakia switched to the new system in 1940/1941.
The area which is now Southern Slovakia was occupied by Hungary then and so would not have changed until Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
changed in 1941.