Skip to main content

Road rules

Different road rules are in place in many parts of the world, with some proving rather peculiar. In the US state of Kentucky, women are permitted to drive while wearing a bikini, as long as they either have a weapon to hand for self-defence or are sitting alongside two police officers. Meanwhile in Germany, driving in the nude is permitted as a car is regarded legally as a private space. Should the driver be at the wheel barefoot however, making insurance claims in the event of a crash would be difficult. I
September 11, 2015 Read time: 2 mins
Different road rules are in place in many parts of the world, with some proving rather peculiar. In the US state of Kentucky, women are permitted to drive while wearing a bikini, as long as they either have a weapon to hand for self-defence or are sitting alongside two police officers. Meanwhile in Germany, driving in the nude is permitted as a car is regarded legally as a private space. Should the driver be at the wheel barefoot however, making insurance claims in the event of a crash would be difficult. In the US state of Massachusetts, drivers may take a gorilla in their vehicle, as long as the animal is in the passenger seat. And in Italy, dogs travelling in vehicles are required to wear a safety belt, but not in Germany where animals are classed as cargo. When driving in the UAE those behind the wheel are expected to give priority to camels, while in India drivers have to yield to cows on the road.

English drivers meanwhile are permitted to urinate at the side of the road, as long as they are beside the vehicle’s rear tyre and are touching their vehicle with their right hand. And visitors to Iceland wishing to rent a car will be asked to take out insurance cover against damage from volcanoes.

Related Content

  • Skidmarks: Scaring speeders
    February 6, 2020
    Our Skidmarks page is highly rated by readers. Your input could help make this page even more entertaining. If you come across any amusing road-related stories or pictures email me at [email protected]
  • Love hurts
    May 20, 2015
    A British woman had rather a nasty shock while taking her young child to see African wildlife at a safari park in the UK. An amorous male rhinoceros first sniffed at her car and then repeatedly bashed into it, apparently mistaking it for a female of the species. Around €693 (£500) worth of damage was caused to the car, a grey Mitsubishi Warrior pick-up truck, although the woman and her toddler were unharmed. Luckily her choice of vehicle gave her and her child some protection against the over-excited creatu
  • India’s road to safety
    September 5, 2012
    India's growth rate is the envy of the world, and its infrastructure is rapidly improving, but its road safety record is the world's worst. Patrick Smith reports on a conference aimed at finding answers to the problems Ambling through the gardens and marble magnificence that is the Taj Mahal or gazing down on the city of Jaipur from the hilltop Jaigarh Fort is far removed from the world outside.
  • Music on the go
    January 7, 2019
    Our Skidmarks page is highly rated by readers. Your input could help make this page even more entertaining. If you come across any amusing road-related stories or pictures email me at [email protected] MUSIC ON THE GO Video footage shot in Spain recently reveals the driver of a car playing guitar while at the wheel. The passenger in a car driving past shot the video clip as the vehicles travelled along a major highway route. The strumming driver was presumed to be steering with his knees at the time. Qui