European driving laws, regulations and requirements

Even though I (the editor) am fairly wised up on European driving laws it is only fair that you who may well be driving in France, Spain, Italy etc have access to a professional advice channel such as the AA. We are not lawyers, so that is why we have linked this page to the AA to give you best advice.

Once again the good old AA has come to our aide in that they have produced pages on their website which supply us with information about the latest European driving laws and requirements. It is refreshing to see that they have picked up on the latest French driving law which requires drivers to have 1 reflective jacket or vest in the car per person - the law is from July 1st 2008 and was enforceable from 1st October 2008. The driver needs to have his/her vest located somewhere in the vehicle so that it can be put on inside i.e. Before the driver leaves the car.

We have approached no end of manufacturers of high visibility clothing to ask if we could add their company details here, but none of them wanted to know. All we can say is that theirs is a recession proof business! However, we have recently been approached by Vispack who are our saving grace in that area. We are most happy to promote their business on this page and we ask that you have a look at their site by clicking here

Drivers also need a reflective triangle, and that is in addition to your hazard flashers.

You can access the AA page you need here

The link takes you to the main page where you select the country(ies) you will be driving in and then click on View Advice

Most people drive through Europe quite happily year after year with no ill consequences and no reason to have been checked by the police in any country. However, those same law abiding people in the UK may well be breaking a multitude of European driving laws without realising it.

You/your car may be stopped for whatever reason, the favourite being speeding, and even though we have no reason to believe that foreign police in general make a point of stopping Brit motorists, there are certainly some individuals who do. If you are stopped you can bank on being asked to produce certain things, some of which will have to be produced whilst you are still in the car.

Though we recommend checking the AA website the basics that you will need to take with you to comply with European driving laws are:-

1) Your driving documents. They should include proof of ownership of the vehicle, or proof of hire if you have hired the car/van whatever, MOT if applicable, and most certainly your Insurance Certificate. Keep these handy in the car in case you are stopped for any reason.

2) A comprehensive first aid kit (as opposed to a box of plasters and a bandage)

3) Fire extinguisher

4) A complete set of replacement bulbs and fuses. Please note that your headlight bulbs must dip to the right - the opposite of the UK so you need to have Headlamp Beam adaptors fitted for continental driving, even if you are travelling during  daylight.

5) At least 1 high visibility vest or jacket. For the driver this must be kept IN the vehicle so he/she can put it on whilst still IN the vehicle. It is recommended that you carry 1 vest/jacket per person, though the law is rather grey about this, so for the sake of a few pounds we recommend 1 vest/jacket per person. This law came into force in France July 2008 and is being rigorously enforced, and there is a hefty on the spot fine for non compliance.

6) Reflective triangle in case of breakdown

We recommend

1) That your vehicle is fully serviced before you go abroad

2) That you have European breakdown insurance which will cover bringing you/your family and car home

3) That your vehicle insurance is fully comprehensive

4) That you note the difference in drink drive laws: Drink driving limits are 50 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood, not 80 mg as in the UK. This is slightly less than a pint of beer or a glass of wine.