Motorists in the dark on driving abroad

With the peak of the winter ski season just around the corner, thousands of families and friends will be packing up their cars and driving to Europe in search of snow-covered mountains.

But alarmingly, only 50% of drivers say they check driving rules and regulations before they leave and 1 in 10 believe the driving laws are the same in every country*.

Kate Rock-Rees, PR & Corporate Communications Manager at Goodyear Tyres, comments: “Several changes have been made to driving laws across Europe over the past few years, many of which, drivers in the UK are unlikely to be familiar with. It’s essential for motorists who are planning on driving abroad this half-term to therefore ensure they not only have all the compulsory or recommended equipment, but that they have checked their tyres also comply with European legislation, which can differ from country to country.

“In Germany, for example – in addition to the now-obligatory M + S symbol – it is now compulsory for all tyres manufactured after January 2018 to be marked with the Three-Peak-Mountain-Snowflake symbol, if they are being used in snowy and icy conditions.

“Before drivers head off, we advise they familiarise themselves with the rules of the road, prepare themselves for wintery road conditions and ensure they have all the correct documents, including insurance and European breakdown cover.

“To help avoid a breakdown abroad, we would advise drivers to check their car before they leave – tyre pressure and tread depth, oil levels, windscreen wash, brakes etc.”

Goodyear’s Winter Tyre range has been designed to perform not just in ice and snow, but at temperatures of 7 degrees or below. They offer better responsiveness and braking distances due to a softer compound than Summer Tyres. Head over to Goodyear’s dedicated winter tyres page for additional information.

*Data gleaned from a 2015 GoCompare survey of 1,820 randomly selected British adults.