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

  • Latin America road safety plan proposed
    June 14, 2019
    A new report suggests key strategies to cut road deaths and injuries in Latin America. The report was commissioned by Bloomberg Philanthropies and shows that more than 25,000 Latin American lives could be saved and over 170,000 serious injuries prevented by 2030 if United Nations (UN) vehicle safety regulations were applied by four key countries in the region—Argentina, Chile, Mexico and Brazil. The report was prepared by the UK-based Transport Research Laboratory (TRL). The aim of the study was to estimat
  • Concrete barriers help to minimise accidents
    July 12, 2012
    Concrete barriers offer a highway safety solution - Mike Woof writes. Concrete safety barriers are being installed on many of Europe's major highways, particularly for use as centre lane dividers. The strength and durability of concrete barriers can help reduce the risk of cross over accidents, one of several topics raised at a conference in Brussels on concrete highway barriers organised by the European Concrete Paving Association, EUPAVE. The conference was opened by Yves Deceoene of the IRF's Belgian ex
  • Improving road safety in Europe?
    July 24, 2012
    New plans by the European Commission are being proposed in a bid to reduce accident levels on the road. The changes are being made in a bid to reduce accident levels caused by defective vehicles. Under the new rules, all motorcycles and scooters would require technical inspections at regular intervals.
  • India's road safety management innovations
    February 27, 2012
    Rohit Baluja is a man with a mission, and that is to help reduce the grim accident toll on India's roads, the worst in the world. Baluja, a shoemaker by trade, has been studying for a PhD in civil engineering, and this has involved regular trips to Birmingham, UK, to complete his doctorate. All this seems far removed from 18 years ago when in December 1991, using much of his own money, he founded the Institute of Road Traffic Education (IRTE), the only organisation in India that conducts accident investiga