Planning to get away for the May Day Bank Holiday? Here is some advice from IAM’s chief examiner, Peter Rodger, to drivers who are considering a trip into Europe for a spring break:
1. Always carry your driving licence, vehicle registration document, insurance certificate and breakdown cover when travelling abroad.
2. When driving in France you must carry a portable breathalyser, warning triangle and hi-visibility jacket. And in Spain you are required to carry two warning triangles that should be placed in front of and behind the car.
3. You must display a GB sign on your vehicle. Failure to comply could result in an on-the-spot fine.
4. If you’re taking your own car, the headlights will have to be converted for driving on the right hand side. On some cars this may involve a trip to a garage.
5. In some countries it is illegal to use a sat-nav system that gives you speed camera locations so be prepared to disable that function.
6. In France and Germany you will find E10 petrol on sale; this contains more ethanol than petrol in the UK, which is E5. Older car models cannot use E10 as it causes damage to the petrol engines.
7. Reading different road signs and driving on the right-hand side can be challenging. Share the drive if possible.
As ever, good preparation will ensure that any minor problem doesn’t turn into a drama. Be aware, road rules can be very different from country to country, so plan accordingly. Driving in Europe can be a great pleasure, so bon voyage!
