Driving in Europe: Laws Brits need to know to avoid fines
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Holidaymakers are being warned that they could face fines of up to £6,000 for failing to obey the rules of the road abroad.
To avoid an European getaway costing thousands more than expected, it’s recommended that motorists study the driving laws of a country well in advance of a trip to ensure you comply with the regulations.
For example, there are fines of £1,270 in Germany for vehicles that don’t have safety equipment. Any motorist pulled over by the police that is found to be without a reflective jacket, hazard triangle and a first aid kit, will be fined.
Carrying safety equipment is also a legal requirement in Spain, where fines go up to £635, and France, where the penalty is £170.
France is also strict on Sat Nav settings, especially for systems that flag up where speed cameras are.
If your vehicle is found to have a speed camera alert when you’re driving in France, perhaps to your summer beach holiday or your countryside camping trip, it could set you back £1,270 in fines.
To avoid this unwanted expense, it’s recommended that you check the settings of your Sat Nav and turn off the alerts feature.
However, the highest potential fine is for road rage.
In the UK, it is possible to receive a £1,000 penalty for making rude hand gestures or beeping a horn aggressively. However, Gernany takes this much more seriously with a range of fines, depending on the severity of the offence.
Giving another motorist the middle finger is an offense worth £3,390 while calling someone an “idiot” could cost you £593. However, saying someone is a “pig” is seemingly not as bad at £400.
And it’s not just what your car contains that could lead you to receiving a fine, but how your car looks.
If your car is registered in the UK, it’s a requirement to display a ‘national identifier’ in the form of a sticker.
Not having the correct identifier could mean you receive an on the spot fine of up to £120 in Spain and Cyprus, or £85 in Germany.
Motoring experts LeaseCar.uk has compiled a list of the five most expensive fines to help you avoid making mistakes when driving abroad. These are:
- Swearing or rude gestures behind the wheel, which risk fines of £3,400
- Not carrying safety equipment, which risks fines of £1,270
- Having speed camera alerts on the Sat Nav, which risks fines of £1,270
- Failing to have a spare pair of prescription spectacles in case your primary pair are damaged, which risks fines of £170
- Not having UK stickers to identify a vehicle, which risks fines of £120
Looking for a complete checklist of rules to be aware of when driving abroad? Read our guide to the new driving laws to know about in 2024
