Europe travel guide

Safety rules increased on French roads

If you are driving through France to Nice this summer, make sure you follow the new rules. From 1st July, all vehicles must carry a warning triangle plus a reflective jacket in case you break-down. If you fail to do so, and you're caught, expect to be fined €90 (£75).

The French police are also cracking down on speeding. If you are caught speeding you could face an on-the-spot fine and have your UK driving licence confiscated. You will then need another driver in the car, with a licence, to take over behind the wheel. If you can't do that, your vehicle may be impounded.It's also illegal to carry a radar detector, even if it's not switched on.

France does have a much worse road safety record than, say, Britain and the authorities are clearly trying to tackle the carnage on the roads. While driving in the Riviera area can be pretty frustrating in the height of summer because the roads are packed, the drive down south can be risky, particularly at the beginning of August when most of France seems to take to the nation's roads.

This article was written for TravelSavvy Europe by Bob Cartwright. If you know of an interesting European travel related news story, please get in contact.