A Scotsman on 4 January caused a serious accident in Estonia by forgetting which side of the road most of the world drives on, injuring six people.

The Scotsman drove into the oncoming lane on the Pärnu–Viljandi road in Rihkama Parish, Viljandi County, local newspaper Sakala reported. He failed to return to his lane before colliding with an oncoming vehicle.

Scotland, like the rest of the United Kingdom, drives on the left. Estonia, like most of the world, drives on the right.

According to Sakala, the accident happened on 4 January around 9:30 AM. Six people were injured, including two children.

Road conditions didn’t play a major role

“According to preliminary data, a Toyota driven by a 56-year-old man was travelling from Kõpu towards Viljandi when it was struck by a Citroën driven by a 34-year-old man coming from the opposite direction,” Airo Ibrus, field commander of the Viljandi Police Department, told the local newspaper.

“In addition to the driver, the Toyota was carrying one passenger, while the Citroën had a passenger and two children in the back seat. All six people were taken to hospital by ambulance.”

According to Sakala, both drivers were sober and held valid driving licences. Maido Kolk, head of the patrol service at the Viljandi Police Department, told the newspaper that road conditions did not play a major role in the accident. “The foreign driver failed to take account of the local driving direction and drove into the oncoming lane,” he said.

An image of the aftermath of the crash can be viewed on the Sakala website.