Drivers on holiday ‘must be prepared’

British motorists who are planning on taking their car with them on a foreign holiday have been advised to bone up on laws, regulations and facts in other countries to avoid getting into any difficult situations.

According to GEM Motoring Assist, aside from knowing that they need to drive on the other side of the road, many British motorists are not prepared for driving abroad.

Many drivers, for instance, are unaware of the fact that the whole of Europe uses 112 as its emergency number.

David Williams, chief executive of GEM, said that 112 has been Europe’s emergency number for over a decade, but many Brits believe that "999 will work everywhere".

"More than 100 million Europeans travel between EU countries every year and they cannot be expected to know or remember the emergency number of every member state. That is why learning 112 is so important," Mr Williams added.

"Using it could save at least 5,000 lives around Europe every year."

GEM has produced a free guide on driving in Europe, informing drivers of certain facts, such as it being illegal to run out of fuel on a motorway in Germany and against the law to carry a petrol can in a car in Greece.