Are you planning to visit another country in Europe? If so, you should remember that all European countries have their own rules about what equipment a vehicle is obliged to carry at all times.
While there are some international laws, countries all have their own rules concerning vehicle equipment as well. In the United Kingdom, you only require four items:
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A spare bulb set
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A first-aid kit
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A warning triangle
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A fire extinguisher
Of course, this is just for equipment, as cars in the UK are required to have a tread depth of at least 1.6 mm, fastened seatbelts on all drivers and passengers, special seats for children under 3 years old and suitable child seats for children aged 3-12 (if travelling in the front seat). Other countries all have their own rules, so it helps to know what the requirements are before you travel.
A car journey will be successful if you make the right preparations (photo: travelvivi.com)).
How The Vienna Convention Affects Road Traffic Regulations
Regardless of where you are driving in Europe, you should naturally be aware of the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, which lays down minimum requirements for motor vehicles and trailers travelling between countries. Its four fundamental principles are that:
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All motor vehicles and trailers must be roadworthy
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Vehicles must have their registration number displayed at the front and rear - for motorcycles, just the rear is required.
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On the rear they should display a mark identifying the country which issued the registration number
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Vehicles must carry identifying marks. For automotive vehicles, this includes the manufacturer’s trademark or name, the factory number or manufacturer’s batch number on the body or chassis and the engine number. For trailers, this will include the trade mark or name of the manufacturer, the factory number or manufacturer’s batch number and the factory number of the manufacturer's batch number on the body or chassis.
Annex 5 to the Convention also lays down basic technical conditions which must be enforced by all signatory countries. However, there can be a few exceptions (as outlined in Annex 1). Furthermore, the Convention also explicitly states that any country is welcome to extend or tighten the basic rules found in Annex 5. This can happen so long as:
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Doing so is not inconsistent or against the terms of the annex
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It is a condition for safety on the roads of the country in question
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It is encompassed by the list of exceptions given in Annex 1.
Since any country that has signed the Vienna COnvention may either require only what the Convention lays down, or else impose additional requirements, it is best to prepare for a journey by analysing the detailed regulations currently enforced in the country you are travelling to.
If you are stopped by police in that country, they might not always insist that you must have the equipment required by local regulations yet, on the other hand, there are a number of different ways they may treat a foreign-registered vehicle. Because of this, there is no practical point in arguing when faced with this situation. Refusing to accept a ticket, for instance, will likely to lead to additional problems when the matter goes to court. For peace of mind, it is best to obtain the appropriate amount of equipment for your vehicle - it doesn’t much to buy a few bulbs or fuses - then just simply enjoy the journey.
Select a country to find out what equipment is required
Here, we have compiled the basic obligations for driving in various european countries. Simply click the country in question to see what you need to carry in your car.
Countries:
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Reflective jacket
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First-aid kit
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Warning triangle
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Fire extinguisher
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Reflective jacket
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First-aid kit
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Warning triangle
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Fire extinguisher
+ children up to 3 years old should travel in special protective seats
+ a minimum permitted tyre tread depth of 1.6 mm
+ seatbelts must be fastened in front seats, and in rear seats when fitted
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First-aid kit
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Warning triangle
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Fire extinguisher
+ seatbelts must be fastened
+ children up to 10 years old and less than 1.50 m in height must travel in a protective seat or wear safety belts adjusted to their size
+ minimum tyre tread depth 1.6 mm (in vehicles up to 3.5 t)
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Warning triangle
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Fire extinguisher
+ driver and passengers must wear seatbelts if the vehicle has them
+ a minimum tread depth of 1.6 mm
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Spare bulbs
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Warning triangle
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Anti-theft protection
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Fire extinguisher
+ Seatbelts must be fastened in front seats (and in back seats when fitted)
+ Minimum tread depth 1.6 mm on summer tyres
+ A vehicle pulling a trailer must have two exterior rear-view mirrors
+ Children less than 1.35 m in height may travel in a protective seat, adjusted to their size
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One of the basic pieces of equipment that a car should carry is the warning triangle (photo: Skoda)
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Reflective jacket
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Warning triangle
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First-aid kit
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Fire extinguisher
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Spare bulbs
+ seatbelts must be fastened in front seats, and in rear seats when fitted
+ minimum tread depth 1.6 mm
+ a vehicle pulling a trailer must have two special mirrors
+ children up to 4 years old should travel in a special protective seat adjusted to the child’s size
+ children above 4 years old may travel in a special seat or wear safety belts adjusted to their size.
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First-aid kit
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Warning triangle
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Fire extinguisher
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Spare bulbs
+ a minimum tread depth of 1.6 mm, although the recommended minimum is 3.0 mm
+ seatbelts must be fastened in front seats, and in rear seats when fitted
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Warning triangle
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First-aid kit + rubber gloves
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Fire extinguisher
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Spare bulbs
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Anti-theft protection
+ seatbelts must be fastened in front seats, and in rear seats when fitted
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Spare bulbs
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Spare fuse
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First-aid kit + rubber gloves
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Warning triangle
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Spare wheel
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Wheel spanner
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Reflective jacket, jack
+ seatbelts must be fastened in all seats (if fitted)
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First-aid kit
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Warning triangle
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Fire extinguisher
+ children up to 12 years old must travel in a child seat
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Spare bulbs
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Spare fuses
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First-aid kit
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Warning triangle
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Spare wheel
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Wheel spanner
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Reflective jacket
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Jack
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Towing cable
+ spare fuses must be carried if they are used in the vehicle’s electrical system
+ the reflective jacket must be carried in the passenger compartment, not in the boot
+ seatbelts must be fastened in front seats, and in rear seats if fitted
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Warning triangle
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First-aid kit
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Spare bulbs
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Helmet
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Anti-theft protection
+ front seatbelts must be fastened, and rear seats if fitted
+ minimum tread depth 1.6 mm
+ motorcycle drivers and passengers must have a safety helmet
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Spare bulbs
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Fire extinguisher
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First-aid kit
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Warning triangle
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Towing cable
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Reflective jacket
+ seatbelts must be fastened in front seats, and in rear seats when fitted
+ minimum tread depth 1.6 mm
+ children less than 3 years old may travel in the front seat only on a safety seat, backwards-facing only if the vehicle does not have airbags (the same rules apply to children travelling in rear seats)
+ children aged at least 3 years and up to or over 1.35 m in height may travel in rear seats with a safety belt fastened
+ children up to 1.50 m in height may travel in the front seat only on a protective seat adjusted to the child’s weight
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Rreflective jacket
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First-aid kit
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Warning triangle
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Vehicle maximum speed plate
+ seatbelts must be fastened in all seats
+ the vehicle maximum speed plate must be displayed on the rear of the vehicle
+ if basic equipment is missing and/or the vehicle is in poor technical condition, the driver may be subject to a very large fine, or the vehicle may even be impounded
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A motoring first-aid kit is another essential part of a vehicle’s equipment.
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Reflective jacket
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First-aid kit
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Warning triangle
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Fire extinguisher
+ the reflective jacket may be bright yellow, orange or red
+ seatbelts must be fastened in front seats, and in rear seats when fitted
+ a minimum tread depth of 1.6 mm
+ children up to 3 years old may travel in the front seat only with a child seat certified for use in the front of a vehicle
+ children in rear seats must travel on a child seat adjusted to their size
+ children aged 3–12 travelling on any seats must have a special safety system or seatbelts adjusted to the child’s size
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Warning triangle
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Anti-theft protection
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Spare bulbs
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Exterior rear-view mirror
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Reflective jacket
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Vehicle maximum speed plate
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First-aid kit
+ the reflective jacket may be bright yellow, orange or red, and must be carried in the passenger compartment
+ seatbelts must be used in front seats, and in rear seats when fitted
+ the vehicle maximum speed plate should be displayed on the rear of the vehicle
+ a minimum tread depth of 1.6 mm
+ the driver is obliged to ensure that all passengers up to 18 years old travel safely, including providing them with safety devices appropriate to their age and size
+ children aged from 9 months to 3–4 years should travel in special seats (“cradles”)
+ children must not travel facing backwards if the vehicle is fitted with airbags
+ children up to 10 years old travelling in the front seat must have a child seat or wear safety belts adjusted to the child’s size
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Spare bulb set
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First-aid kit
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Warning triangle
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Fire extinguisher
+ a minimum tread depth of 1.6 mm
+ children aged 0-3 years should travel with safety devices compliant with the ECE 44/03 or ECE 44/04 standard
+ car passengers up to 1.35 m in height should travel with special safety devices compliant with ECE 44/03 or ECE 44/04
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Spare bulb set
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First-aid kit
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Warning triangle
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Fire extinguisher
+ seatbelts must be worn in front and rear seats
+ children up to 12 years old must travel on a booster or in a child seat adjusted to their size
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Vehicle maximum speed plate
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First-aid kit
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Warning triangle
+ seatbelts must be worn
+ a tread depth minimum of 1.6 mm
+ the maximum speed plate should be displayed on the rear of the vehicle
+ children below 1.5 m in height aged up to 12 years must not travel in the front seat without a special safety system or a child seat adjusted to their size
+ if the vehicle does not have a rear seat adjusted to a child’s height, they must be secured with safety belts (the belt must be at stomach level if the child’s height is less than 1.5 m)
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Spare bulb set
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First-aid kit + rubber gloves
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Warning triangle
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Reflective jacket
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Fire extinguisher
+ the reflective jacket may be bright yellow, orange or red
+ in addition to a warning triangle, vehicles above 3.5 t must carry a portable yellow pulsating lamp for use together with the warning triangle
+ seatbelts must be fastened at all times in front seats (and in rear seats when fitted)
+ minimum tread depth 1.6 mm
+ children up to 3 years old must be provided with safety devices adjusted to their height
+ children up to 1.5 m in height should travel in a seat or child seat suitable for their size
+ if the vehicle is not fitted with the above safety devices, a child may travel only on a rear seat, secured by safety belts or other systems
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Besides the first-aid kit and warning triangle, it is a good idea to carry a towing cable, jack, and wheel change spanners.
+ a warning triangle must be carried
+ seatbelts must always be fastened in front seats, and in rear seats when fitted
+ children up to 7 years old may travel in the front seat only on a child seat adjusted to the child’s size
+ children aged 7–12 travelling in front or rear seats must be secured by safety belts or in a child seat adjusted to the child’s size
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● Spare bulb set
● First-aid kit
● Warning triangle
● Fire extinguisher
+ minimum tread depth 1.6 mm
+ the driver and all passengers must have seatbelts fastened
+ children up to 3 years old must travel in special seats
+ children aged 3-12 may travel in the front seat only on a suitable child seat
+ passengers over 12 years old may travel without child seats, but should wear safety belts adjusted to their size
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Spare bulbs
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Two warning triangles
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Tools
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Reflective jacket
+ in case of an accident, the two warning triangles should be placed in front of and behind the vehicle
+ it is recommended that a spare pair of glasses be carried (this only applies to drives with defective vision)
+ the reflective jacket should be used after exiting the vehicle
+ seatbelts are required to be worn in front seats only
+ children may travel only on specially adapted seats
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Spare bulbs
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Anti-theft protection, first-aid kit + rubber gloves
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Warning triangle
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Helmet
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Fire extinguisher
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Reflective jacket
+ seatbelts must always be fastened
+ a minimum tread depth of 1.6 mm
+ motorcycle drivers and passengers must have safety helmets
+ both cars and motorcycles should have two exterior rear-view mirrors (on the left and right sides)
+ cars whose interior mirror provides very good visibility are not required to have an additional exterior mirror
+ children up to 3 years old must travel in special “cradle” seats
+ children must not travel facing towards the rear of the vehicle if airbags are fitted
+ children up to 12 years old and less than 1.5 m in height must be provided with child seats or other systems adjusted to their size
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One of the common types of obligatory vehicle equipment is child safety seats for children of specified ages (photo: Recaro).
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Reflective jacket
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First-aid kit
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Warning triangle
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Fire extinguisher
+ cars should have interior and exterior rear-view mirrors (on the right-hand side)
+ a minimum tread depth of 1.6 mm
+ foreign-registered vehicles are subject to the rules on the carriage of children that apply in their own country
+ children weighing less than 36 kg and less than 1.5 m in height travelling in the front seat must have a child seat (or other safety device) adjusted to the child’s size
+ seatbelts must be fastened in front seats (and in rear seats when fitted)
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Spare bulb set
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First-aid kit
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Warning triangle
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Reflective jacket
+ children up to 14 years old and 1.5 m in height must not travel in the front seat without appropriate safety systems adjusted to their size
+ children above 14 years old and taller than 1.5 m must wear adult seatbelts in all seats
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First-aid kit
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Warning triangle
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Fire extinguisher
+ children aged 3 years and less than 1.5 m in height must not travel in the front seat
+ children of at least 1.35 m in height may be secured with safety belts
+ children aged less than 3 years must travel in child seats adjusted to their size
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First-aid kit + gloves
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Warning triangle
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Fire extinguisher
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Anti-theft protection
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Helmet
+ front seatbelts must be used, and rear seats if fitted
+ minimum tread depth 1 mm
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Spare bulbs
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First-aid kit
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Warning triangle
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Helmet
+ front seatbelts must be used, and rear seats if fitted
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Spare bulbs
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Anti-theft protection
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First-aid kit + rubber gloves
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Warning triangle
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Towing cable
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Helmet
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Fire extinguisher
+ a minimum tread depth of 1.6 mm
+ children up to 12 years old must not travel in the front seat
+ front seatbelts must be used, and rear seats if fitted
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