British drivers steering towards danger when abroad
A quarter of British motorists are oblivious to foreign road rules when driving abroad.
One in five also admit to driving on the ‘wrong side’ of the road and a further 20% say they fear driving in other countries, according to a survey.
The poll of 1,021 people found that 38% of younger drivers (16 – 24 years old) are unaware of foreign road rules and one in ten say they take more risks when driving abroad.
Yet 40% of British motorists also stated that they find foreign drivers much worse than their UK counterparts.
A quarter of women said they become scared when driving abroad. Only two per cent of those surveyed found women were more confident driving abroad than men.
However, women are more careful than men when driving in other countries – 15% claimed to have driven on the ‘wrong side’ versus 21% of men and none of the women surveyed had been arrested or fined for driving abroad versus five per cent of men.
Differences in driving/road rules highlight the problems British drivers experience when not familiar with the country they are driving in:
· Many European countries require drivers needing glasses to carry a spare pair in the glove box – there are on-the-spot fines for those who don’t.
· In Spanish residential areas there is a strict speed limit of 12 mph, on Italian motorways the speed limit is 80 mph, where as in Cyprus its 62 mph.
· In Portugal, if you have held your license for less than 12 months then you must not exceed 55mph.
· In Greece, drivers can be fined for using their horn without good reason.
· It is completely illegal to drink and then drive in Croatia.
Rory Sexton managing director of broker Economy Car Hire, which commissioned the survey, said: “We urge British drivers to always prepare themselves for the journey they are about to make.
“Unwittingly committing offences by, for example, overtaking a stationary school bus while it lets off children in Malta or driving without dipped headlights in Slovenia are offences committed on holiday that British drivers could be pursued for.
“It makes sense to familiarise yourself with the road rules of the country you will be driving in. These are easy to find from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website, or by consulting your car hire agent when booking a vehicle abroad.â€
by Phil Davies
Phil Davies
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