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The wrong stuff?

Holidaymakers to Spain are realising to their cost that driving a vehicle while not carrying their license risks a fine from the police if caught. Meanwhile in France, drivers can be fined by police for not carrying a reflective jacket or a hazard warning triangle in their vehicles. Exactly how these measures are expected to tackle factors that provide a major source of road accidents in both countries, such as driving under the influence of alcohol or overtaking dangerously, remains to be seen.
July 19, 2012 Read time: 1 min
Holidaymakers to Spain are realising to their cost that driving a vehicle while not carrying their license risks a fine from the police if caught. Meanwhile in France, drivers can be fined by police for not carrying a reflective jacket or a hazard warning triangle in their vehicles. Exactly how these measures are expected to tackle factors that provide a major source of road accidents in both countries, such as driving under the influence of alcohol or overtaking dangerously, remains to be seen.

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