Driving into danger on foreign roads

Foreign Office highlights highway horrors including motorway mugging as part of its ‘Steer Clear’ road safety campaign

More than two thirds of Brits aged over 55 who have driven abroad have run into problems, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) research* reveals today. These range from very serious incidents such as ‘motorway-mugging’ to more common driving errors which can end up having serious consequences, such as driving on the wrong side of foreign roads or getting badly lost.

Crime can be a real issue, with a growing number of British motorists, particularly those towing caravans, being targeted by ‘highway pirates’ and losing their valuables in a ‘motorway mugging’. David Andrews from Brighton found out the hard way in Spain. David said: “My car tyres were slit while I was filling up at a petrol station and when my car rolled to a stop a couple of miles later I was robbed while I was underneath the car replacing a tyre.”

With its research showing that the over 55s are the holidaymakers most likely to drive a car abroad, the FCO is urging them to prepare before they set off. Over half of those who drive their own car abroad don’t take their driving license and car registration documents and nearly two thirds don’t carry details of their breakdown policy. Almost three quarters of over 55s wouldn’t be prepared in an emergency as they don’t carry telephone numbers for local emergency services, breakdown services or the local British Consulate.

Because it’s so easy to hop over the Channel to France, many people take a day trip by car, coach or train. But as it’s such a short trip, they often don’t take out travel insurance. Pamela Deegan, Vice-Consul in Lille, France, says: “A lot of people think that it’s not worth taking out travel insurance just for a day trip, but if you fall ill or injure yourself abroad and require medical treatment it can be extremely costly if you don’t have insurance. Additionally, if you are on medication it’s important to pack extra in case your train or boat home is delayed.”

It’s not just drivers who face problems on foreign roads. Almost half of over 55s have had trouble as a pedestrian with 28% having been annoyed or scared by drivers abroad. Almost a third of coach travellers have felt that the road conditions were not suitable for the vehicle and a fifth have been concerned that a coach was not of a high enough safety standard.

Tips and advice on driving and road safety abroad can be found on the FCO’s website – www.fco.gov.uk/travel. Travel advice by country, which includes specific information on road travel and safety, can also be found on the website, or from the Travel Advice line – 0845 850 2829. The FCO’s ‘Steer Clear of Trouble on Foreign Roads’ campaign will be running throughout the summer in partnership with a number of driving-related travel companies.

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