I heard a news item on the radio the other day about British holidaymakers being chased down by a specialist firm tasked with collecting unpaid traffic fines.
Apparently some people think that once they’re home, they can forget about the traffic-related naughties they committed on holiday. But you’ll have to pay your fines eventually, so it’s much better to avoid car trouble in the first place!
Every European country has slightly different traffic regulations whether it’s for drink driving, dangerous driving, speeding or parking offences. If you’re taking a driving holiday this summer, the experts recommend you familiarise yourself with the driving regulations of the country in question before you leave the UK.
Take France. When you’re driving in France you’re required by law to carry spare bulbs, two high visibility jackets, a warning triangle, an alcohol breathaliser (from July 2012), headlamp converters and a GB sticker / GB Euroflag number plate. They also ‘recommend’ you keep a first aid kit and fire extinguisher in your car, which seems sensible.
The AA website is full of useful advice about driving abroad, including alerts about clear and present current dangers. As I write they’re covering driving in France, Belgium and the Netherlands, where there’s been a spate of nasty robberies and kidnappings along a major tourist route. Good to know. Here’s a link to the AA European Driving page where they also cover driving requirements by country, general advice for driving abroad, information about European low emission zones and more.
If you already have AA recovery insurance you can extend it to cover driving abroad, just in case. If not, the AA is one of our special partner companies and we usually have a collection of generous AA discount codes on board.
Here’s to glorious, exciting, trouble-free driving holidays!
