Big differences in Europe: Traffic rules abroad - special and expensive

Many Germans go on vacation by car, including abroad.

Big differences in Europe: Traffic rules abroad - special and expensive

Many Germans go on vacation by car, including abroad. Traffic rules and behavior there often deviate from those at home - it's good to know them in order not to fall into the trap of fees. Daytime running lights, smoking ban, special rules for novice drivers - an overview for European countries.

If you travel abroad by car, you should also follow the traffic rules there. And above all, know them. Because the penalties can be significantly higher than in this country.

In a European comparison, Norway has the highest fee for speeding: 20 km/h too much costs 480 euros there. At 170 euros, the fines are also high in Italy and Switzerland, Great Britain collects 115 euros, as the ADAC reports. Exactly how high the speed limits are on each type of road can be read on large boards at the border crossing.

Many countries have special regulations for novice drivers. In France, they are allowed to drive at a maximum speed of 80 km/h on country roads, 100 km/h on expressways and only 110 km/h on motorways for the first three years. In Italy, novice drivers are allowed to drive at a maximum of 100 km/h on motorways and 90 km/h on country roads. There are also special rules for mobile homes or teams with trailers. Anyone using such a vehicle should obtain detailed information beforehand.

While driving with daytime running lights is voluntary in Germany, it is mandatory in many European countries, such as Denmark, Estonia and Norway. In Italy it must be switched on outside urban areas and on the motorway. Those who do not have special daytime running lights use the low beam. Breaking the rules can be expensive.

The same applies if you ignore the smoking ban in the car. This applies to minors traveling with you in England, France, Greece, Austria, Luxembourg and Italy. The age limits differ in some cases, but there are sometimes exceptions for convertibles. There is an unusual traffic rule in Tyrol. There, bypassing motorway traffic jams on country roads in summer and at Whitsun is temporarily prohibited.

Drivers abroad must also pay attention to driving ban zones. In many French cities such as Paris, Grenoble or Lyon there are environmental zones that can only be entered with the "Crit'Air" vignette, which must be visibly attached to the car. It can be ordered including shipping costs for around 5 euros. In Belgium, there are environmental zones in Antwerp and Brussels, for example. Violations of the regulations are punished with a fine of between 150 and 300 euros.

Fines for traffic violations committed in other EU countries can be collected in Germany since 2010. With the exchange of owner data within the EU, traffic safety-related violations such as speeding, overtaking or cell phone violations can be quickly tracked.

However, there are no points in Flensburg for traffic violations committed abroad. Even a driving ban issued by a foreign authority does not affect your driving license in Germany.