Category: warning triangle

Mandatory safety equipment on abroad

“Frequently, drivers think that they are just as mandatory safety equipment as in the Czech Republic and argue either with the Vienna Convention or with the Geneva Convention. The problem is that these conventions only mention the technical equipment of the vehicle, not the mandatory equipment. Therefore, we have to equip the vehicle in every state,” explains Aldrich Vanier, who is a lawyer.

 

For example, reflective vests for everyone in a vehicle are mandatory in Italy, France, Slovenia, Hungary, and again in Poland and, under certain circumstances, in Slovakia. Reflective jackets must be in the vehicle and not in the trunk. This is fine for example in Austria or Germany. In Austria, the safety vest is compulsory only for drivers, but for others in the vehicle it is recommended. However, if they have to stop and get out of the vehicle on the local road or motorway, everyone who leaves the car must wear a reflective vest. Similarly, in Bulgaria or Estonia, the vest is mandatory for anyone leaving the vehicle during an emergency, in Bulgaria this is also true for bikers.

 

Unlike in the Czech Republic, the warning vest is in some countries subject to traffic regulations and not to a prescription for vehicle equipment. In Finland, the visors are mandatory for pedestrians as well as reflective elements in the Czech Republic and other countries, for example in Slovakia. The fire extinguisher is in turn required in Poland, Ukraine or Greece and Bulgaria.

 

The Croatian specialty is that vehicles with a trailer must have 2 triangles. In a popular Czech destination, children under the age of 12 must not travel to the front seats. The exception is children up to two years old placed in an “egg” and with an airbag off. In Cyprus, it is forbidden to carry a child under five years of age in the front seat. It is forbidden there for drivers to consume food and drink while driving.

 

And each vehicle must have two warning triangles as required, which is also required in Turkey. Children under the age of 12 and less than 1.35 m cannot be transported in the front seats of cars, this is in Lithuania. In Luxembourg, a child aged 3 to 17, measuring less than 1.50 m, must be transported in the car seat only in the rear seats. In France, a child younger than 10 years of age may not travel in the front seat if the rear seats are free.

 

Hungary is often the transit country for those heading for the Adriatic. “Please note that the rear position lights must also be illuminated in retrofitting for daytime running lights,” warns ÚAMK. In Spain, you can have a fixed navigation on the windscreen, whatever else is forbidden. A driver with dipodic glasses or contact lenses must have one with them as a replacement.

 

Mandatory safety car equipment abroad

According to Polish regulations, the vehicle registered in the country must be equipped with a warning triangle and a fire extinguisher. Our law does not agree with the regulations of the vast majority of the European Union. So what should we do when we go abroad? It turns out that in some cases we do not have to buy missing items at all. Sometimes it is worthwhile though.

 

Although Poland is a member of the European Union, not all road regulations in force in our country are reflected in other Member States. This includes, among other things, the list of obligatory car equipment. Each country has its own list of accessories that must be on board the vehicle registered in it. How does it look in detail? Current data on mandatory vehicle equipment is published by the European Commission.

 

Do we, however, need to buy equipment that other countries require when traveling abroad? After all, it is hard to suspect that the Germans or Czechs who come to Poland buy fire extinguishers for this circumstance. The Vienna Convention on Traffic is exempt from the obligation to purchase equipment in other countries. The 1968 International Law Group was adopted by all EU member states. In one of the points says that when leaving the car abroad, we must have only what we are obliged to domestic law.

 

In practice it is not always easy to explain your reason to a policeman wear safety vest in a foreign country, and attempts to award a mandate for a lack of local lawful equipment are still occurring. What to do in this case? If we accept a mandate, the penalty will have to be paid on site or after visiting an ATM. If we do not accept the mandate, legal assistance may be required in the state. It is always a good idea to inform the Polish consulate in the country where you are staying. It is best to call there right away at check-in. This can cool the police officer.

 

What about car rental? It is almost certain that such a vehicle has all that is required in the country of its registration. For peace, however, you can check it by picking up the car. If we go to the country where we rented the car, the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic will again protect us from the mandate.

 

Regardless of European conventions, before leaving on a long journey with your own car, it is worth getting at least the elements that will provide us with safety. – We recommend equipping the car with at least elements that repeat in the legislation of most European countries – says Cesar of the Polish Motor Show. – It’s about a first aid kit and a reflective vest. It is true that according to the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic we are not obliged to do so, but in practice it happens that the police abroad are trying to give such a mandate for failure to do so. It’s better to save yourself trouble. In practice, however, it should be punished with mandates for the absence of spare bulbs or fuses. Such events took place years ago in Slovakia, for example, and this was an abuse of national anachronism.

 

– When purchasing a first aid kit, it is worth paying attention to its equipment. – It is best to buy a set that meets the requirements of the country we go to. As for the vest or reflective vest, it is true that according to the Vienna Convention we do not have to have them in the car, but in many countries the law states that when leaving a car, for example in the event of a puncture, we must wear a vest. This convention is no longer included – our correspondent says.