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Around one in seven British company car drivers takes a company car abroad each year but research shows few know the implications for their fleet managers - or what they need to arrange and take with them. Company Car Driver offers advice…
Driving in Europe
Unsure of what you need to do when one of your drivers says they want to take their company car abroad? Our A-Z guide to driving in Europe is here to help.
Accessories
Drivers may need to be equipped with a warning triangle, first aid kit, set of spare bulbs and fire extinguisher – and several countries also now require a reflective jacket to be carried and worn if a driver or passenger has to exit the car on a motorway or other main road. In Spain, the jacket has to be carried in the cabin rather than the boot so that you can put it on before exiting the car.
The necessary accessories are summarised in the table below: all are recommended, whatever the destination. In any case, it makes sense to keep a kit containing all these items for use at home and abroad.
Breakdowns
It can cost more than £2,000 to have a stranded car and four passengers brought home from southern Europe, so adequate breakdown cover is essential. Some manufacturers provide this cover on new vehicles, so check if this applies to you and make sure you have the relevant documentation and helpline numbers. In particular, it’s critical to check you are covered for full repatriation expenses should your car need to be returned to the UK on the back of a lorry.
Car care
A long overseas trip can put extra strain on your car so it should be given a check-up before leaving. A service should be arranged beforehand if there’s any likelihood of it becoming due during the trip, and tyres approaching the legal tread limit should be replaced. Check your service schedule with your fleet manager and take the appropriate action.
Documents
Company car drivers must carry with them the registration document plus an official letter from their employer authorising them to take their vehicle overseas; if your car is on contract hire you’ll need to obtain a vehicle-on-hire certificate (form VE103) from the leasing company.
If the vehicle has an MOT certificate that should be taken too. Drivers who hold a photocard or pink UK driving licence can use it throughout the EC, but if driving further afield, or if they still have the old green licence, they may need an International Driving Permit.
EU enlargement
Drivers heading for the newer member countries in the EU should be warned to expect some unfamiliar driving conditions and road rules: in Estonia, for instance, speed limits vary on certain roads from summer to winter, headlights must be used at all times and winter tyres must be fitted from October to April.
Fuel
Unleaded fuel (sans plomb in France) and diesel (gazole) are widely available throughout Europe, but LPG is harder to find in some countries, such as Spain. Carrying a can of spare fuel in the boot is not advisable and is illegal in some countries, including Greece. Gas-powered cars are not permitted to use the Eurotunnel.
GB sticker
Vehicles fitted with the Europlate (a number plate that incorporates the EU symbol plus the letters GB) no longer need to display a separate GB sticker when visiting other EU countries. If a car doesn’t have Europlates, a GB sticker must be fitted as close to the rear number plate as possible – and if towing a trailer or caravan, a separate GB sticker is needed for that too.
Headlights
Headlights need adjusting to avoid dazzle when driving on the right. Beam deflectors are available for some headlights, others can be adjusted manually, but in the case of the latest high-intensity discharge or xenon lamps a trip to your dealer is usually needed. Scandinavian countries have required daytime running lights for years, but drivers should also be aware that Italy has recently made it a legal requirement that headlights are used at all times out of town, and this is recommended practice in France too.
Insurance
Check with your company car insurer that your motor policy gives fully comprehensive coverage for cars taken abroad (if covered for the EU, double check that this extends to the new EU states if these are the destination).
A green card, which gives immediate proof that a car is insured to at least the minimum requirement, is no longer a strict requirement in Europe but it is still worth asking the insurer to supply one to avoid any confusion in the event of an accident. There is no longer any need to take a Bail Bond to Spain.
Junctions
British motorists can come to grief in countries such as France where a give-way-to-the-right (priorité à droite) rule applies. Drivers must be prepared to give way to vehicles joining from the right at roundabouts unless signs indicate otherwise. On main roads, look for the yellow diamond road sign which indicates traffic on your road has priority; a diamond crossed out means traffic joining has right of way.
Kilometres
The UK is now the sole European country using miles. Even Ireland has now adopted km for distances and km/h for speed limits (it has also resurrected Gaelic place names in An Gaeltacht, the Irish-speaking region, so that towns such as Ballydavid, Castlegregory and Ventry are now signposted as Baile na nGall, Caislean Ghriaire and Ceann Tra.
Loading
Many drivers head to France to take advantage of low-priced alcoholic drinks. But loading a car to bursting point to accommodate all those cases of vin ordinaire is a bad idea. French police are alert to the hazard and will prosecute drivers of overloaded vehicles.
Mobile phones
A mobile phone can be a good way to keep in touch with home while overseas, but remind drivers never to use one while driving. As in the UK, many countries have introduced legislation that specifically outlaws this dangerous habit.
Night driving
It’s tempting to press on through the night when heading to the South of France, but you need to be wary about trying to keep driving when your body thinks it should be in bed. One in five motorway accidents is blamed on drivers falling asleep at the wheel.
On the spot fines
In many countries when the police pull over a speeding driver, they will demand the fine to be paid there and then. French police, for instance, are empowered to collect up to 375 Euros on the spot. Exceed the speed limit by more than 40km/h and they’ll confiscate your driving licence too, leaving you and your car stranded.
Parking
Drivers must always check carefully before parking in foreign towns as local rules vary enormously. On some French streets parking is allowed only on one side of the road for the first half of the month, after which it switches to the other side; in Austria at night you must leave sidelights on where street lights aren’t lit – and watch out for those street lights that turn off at midnight.
Queues
If traffic starts queuing where two lanes merge into one, in Germany the Reissverschluss or ‘zipper law’ applies. It means vehicles from each lane must give way one at a time, a more orderly solution than the free-for-all we have in the UK.
Radar detectors
These devices are strictly outlawed in many European countries. In France, even having a detector in the car is punishable by a large fine and possible confiscation of your vehicle.
Speeding
Despite EU harmonisation, speed limits remain as variable as ever across the continent. Parts of Germany’s Autobahn network famously have no legal limit at all. In Italy, some motorways have recently had their limit raised to 150km/h – but drivers must watch their speed in Norway where the motorway limit is just 90km/h (55mph). In France the motorway limit reduces when it’s raining, from 130km/h to 110km/h.
Theft
Foreign number plates make a car a tempting target for thieves, so drivers should park whenever possible off the road in a secure car park.
Stay alert for thieves when on the move too: keep doors locked to prevent valuables being snatched while stationary at traffic lights, and be alert in Spain where ‘highway pirates’ prey on foreign registered cars, especially those towing caravans, tricking their victims into stopping on the hard shoulder by gesturing that there is something wrong with their vehicle.
Unfamiliarity
Getting used to driving on the ‘wrong’ side of the road can catch out the most experienced drivers. Drivers should take special care when rejoining the carriageway after halting in a lay-by or fuel station. Keep in mind the advice given by the Institute of Advanced Motorists to ‘think right – look left’ when driving abroad.
Vignette
To drive on the motorway in Austria, Switzerland, and the Czech and Slovak Republics, it’s necessary first to purchase a ‘vignette’, or motorway tax disc, and display it on the windscreen. These are available at border crossings and fuel stations, and there are hefty fines for not complying.
Winter
Drivers heading to Europe for a winter skiing holiday should anticipate harsh weather conditions. Top up antifreeze and windscreen washer fluid to the recommended concentration for sub-zero temperatures and take snow chains. If a driver is on an extended business trip during the colder months, winter tyres (compulsory in some Scandinavian countries) may be a necessity.
X-rated
Road rage should always be discouraged but in Germany making a rude gesture or shouting obscenities will earn the offending driver a fine.
Young drivers
Drivers can pass the UK driving test at 17, but are not permitted to drive in France until they are aged 18. For the first two years after passing their test drivers must stay below 110km/h on French motorways, too.
Zero…
…is the limit for alcohol in the blood while driving in Hungary and Slovakia, and almost all European countries have a lower blood-alcohol limit than the UK’s 0.08%. The best advice is: if you’re driving, don’t drink any alcohol (see chart below).
For further information, we recommend the guidebook Driving Abroad by Robert Davies (Haynes Publishing, £12.99, ISBN 1 84425 0482).
