Driving Rules by Country

Each country guide covers the rules you actually need before getting behind the wheel abroad: the speed limits that apply to your vehicle type, the documents police can ask for, what equipment must be in the car, and how bad the fines get when something goes wrong.

Speed limits are the most common question — and the most varied. Motorway limits run from 80 km/h in certain Pacific island nations up to no general limit on German Autobahn sections. Urban limits cluster around 50 km/h in Europe and most of Asia, but 30 km/h zones are expanding fast in France, Spain, Belgium and the UK.

Equipment requirements catch a lot of drivers by surprise. France wants the hi-vis vest within the driver’s reach rather than in the boot, most of Eastern Europe requires a first aid kit and warning triangle, and several countries impose reflective vest rules that apply even if you are a passenger who gets out after a breakdown.

For visitors driving across borders, the country comparison tool lets you check two countries side by side. For tyre-specific rules — including mandatory winter tyre seasons — see the tyre laws section.