A recent report by the RAC suggests that British motorists heading abroad are running the risk of breaking the law because they don’t know the rules of the road in the country they’re visiting.
As many as 20% of holidaymakers don’t do their homework properly, from the 3 million who take their cars from Britain to destinations in Europe and beyond. Those who are unaware of the laws face fines and confrontations with the local police – something that most would want to avoid on their holiday.
Statistics from the RAC Driving Abroad Report 2013 indicate:
- 18% of British tourists won’t have checked national speed limits in the country they’re going to
- 17% won’t have researched foreign traffic signs
- 13% will have failed to check the legal alcohol limits
- 43% of those doing any research on foreign traffic laws spend 1-2 hours on the task
- 14% spend just 30 minutes on research and planning
- 6% spend no time at all learning the rules of the road in the foreign country they’re about to visit
- 17% of British drivers won’t have checked what they need to carry in their cars
- 68% of British drivers don’t know that it’s compulsory to carry a French authority-certified breathalyzer in their vehicle when driving in France.
Luckily, we’ve got our European Driver’s Guide to help you swot up on what you need to know before you take your car abroad, for any of you who are planning a late summer holiday.