Going abroad by car? Safety vests are often mandatory!

When you are abroad you have to deal with different traffic laws. In many countries safety vests are mandatory when you drive the car. Below is an overview of countries where you are required to have a safety vest(s) in the car and how many vests this must be.

Mandatory in France and other European countries

Since 2008, it has been mandatory in France to have a reflective yellow safety vest to have in the car. The driver and the occupants of the car must wear the vest as soon as they are outside the car in the event of a breakdown or accident. This means that there must be a safety vest in the car for all occupants. This obligation now also applies to other European countries. The countries where a safety vest is mandatory are (information March 2019) Belgium, Denmark, Germany, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Croatia, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia, Spain, Czech Republic, Turkey , Sweden and Switzerland.

High fines

In most countries where it is mandatory, there are fines for not having a safety vest. These fines can be very high, so it is better to be well prepared and put a safety vest in your car.

What color safety vest in which country?

In most countries the yellow vest is mandatory and in some countries orange is accepted. To be safe, it is best to opt for a yellow vest.

Overview per country:

*Does not apply to cars with a Dutch license plate (but does apply to cars that you rent on site)

1. Only mandatory for the driver of the car

2. Keep within easy reach mandatory