Brits Must Understand Road Rules To Avoid Car Crashes Abroad

22nd August 2013

With Brits heading across the continent on long road trips, it is important for people to ensure they understand the driving rules for the countries they are travelling through. Having a road accident abroad can be a very frustrating experience, and claiming car accident compensation afterwards can be a difficult process.

But even though preparing for foreign driving is so important, research has shown that a huge number of drivers never bother looking into how to drive abroad. The RAC Driving Abroad Report 2013 revealed 13% of drivers fail to check drink-drive limits abroad, 17% don’t look into the meaning of foreign traffic signs and 18% fail to investigate national speed limits.

Overall, a total of 20% of British motorists could be driving illegally in Europe and increasing their likelihood of being liable in car accident compensation claims by failing to research their road rules of the relevant countries. Furthermore, of those that actually did do a bit of research, 43% only spent between one and two hours investigating the new country’s road rules, while 14% spent only around half an hour, with 6% spending almost no time at all.

This lack of preparation is apparent in the 68% of drivers who do not know that they must carry a certified breathalyser when driving through France, while 17% haven’t looked at other types of compulsory in-car equipment.

Failing to fully understand the rules of the road when driving abroad could put drivers and their families at additional, unnecessary risk, leading to motor vehicle accidents abroad.

Car accident abroad compensation claims

With ferries, train journeys and the Channel Tunnel simple, efficient and affordable, people are finding it increasingly tempting to cross the sea and take to the open road over the summer. When they do so, they must ensure they are aware of the local rules and regulations. Not only will this prevent car accident claims, but it will also ensure they don’t find themselves being stopped by the police, questioned, arrested and fined.

The police will be unlikely to give Brits any leeway if they argue they are innocent of the law or have just arrived on holiday. Drivers must make every effort to drive legally, considerately and safely to ensure they do not cause any other problems to road users.

But it’s not just researching road rules that drivers should do before setting off on road trips abroad – people should also investigate the processes they should go through after being involved in a road accident in the foreign country. Some nations may require the police to be involved in every car crash investigation, others may call for orange triangles to be put along the roadway to warn other road users about a car crash.

When driving in a foreign country, looking into the rules of the road is just as important as packing bags, buying tickets and planning the journey in advance. Protect your family’s safety and ensure your holiday goes off without a hitch by looking into road rules and avoiding car crashes abroad.