Driving abroad this year? Here’s what you need to know!

Familiarise yourself with the local driving laws and compulsory equipment requirements of your intended destination

Remember that driving laws can differ massively from Country to Country. There can be significant differences in fundamental laws such as drink drive limits and speed limits, not to mention the basic equipment which must be present within the vehicle just to be legal on the road.

Fortunately, the AA have compiled a series of Country specific guides which outline the main legal requirements for driving in any given destination, along with a table displaying the compulsory equipment required for driving in the most popular destinations for British motorists.

Prepare in advance, and take a copy of any relevant driving laws to your destination for reference.

Hiring a car abroad? Generate your driving record in advance

Prior to June  last year, most hire car companies required drivers to show their counterpart driving licence before agreeing to hire a car. However, since the counterpart driving licence was abolished in June last year, this is no longer the case.

Now, hire companies rely on the DVLA’s online “share driving licence service” to view the current status of a driving licence and check for any endorsements such as penalty points. In order for this service to run smoothly once you’re at your destination, there are a few initial steps which must be taken in advance.

Step one: Log onto the DVLA’s “View Driving Licence” service at www.gov.uk/view-driving-licence

Step two: Enter your driver number, postcode and national insurance number

Step two: Generate a unique access code via the “share your driving licence section”

Step three: Make a note of the code and print the PDF summary of the record

Step four: If the car hire company won’t accept the PDF, give them the code. They will then put the code and the last 8 digits of your driver number into the DVLA’s “share driving licence” service to gain an instant summary of your licence.

*** A word of caution***

The single use access code is only valid for 21 days, so to avoid expensive roaming charges once you’re abroad, be sure to generate the code as close to departure as possible.  Although 5 codes can be generated within 24 hours, each code can only be used on 1 occasion.

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Article written by Expert Motoring Lawyer, Alison Ashworth; Managing Director of Ashworth Motoring Law Ltd.

Ashworth Motoring Law is a national firm of expert motoring lawyers who defend all types of motoring offences. If you would like to discuss your case in confidence with a specialist motoring law solicitor, call our motoring law helpline on 0330 33 22 770 for free initial advice. Lines are open round the clock so get in touch whenever’s best for you.