8 of the World’s most unusual Driving Laws you never knew about

Carl Wilson

3rd July 2017

Bizarre, Auto

If you’ve passed your test then you should be aware of all of Britain’s driving laws. Most of them seem fairly sensible here, even though there are still many lesser known ways you can still land a fine.

Multiple countries around the world have some super odd driving laws though. A lot of them may not even enter your head in the first place, but since they’re illegal there that’s probably a good thing. Let’s look at some of the most unusual driving laws and where they apply.

Driving Shirtless

Any motorists in Thailand that are caught driving without a shirt on will find themselves on the wrong side of the law. I’m not really sure why this is, but it can land you a ticket and a small fine.

Surely it would be uncomfortable with the seat-belt across your bare skin anyway?

Women Drivers

This is actually a fairly known fact here, mainly because a lot of us find it ridiculous. In Saudi Arabia, women are allowed to own a car but they’re not allowed to drive one.

It’s not fair, and pretty sexist. Depending on the area and circumstance the punishment can vary. If they’re working or in rural areas then police will generally ignore it, but in cities it can lead to arrests.

However, as of June 2018 women will be allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia. They have to be accompanied by a man apparently, but it’s a step in the right direction.

Sleeping Children

All drivers in Denmark, by law, must check for sleeping children under their car before going anywhere. If you fail to do this, you’ll be given a stern word, apparently.

I’ve witnessed sleeping animals under a car, but children? Seems a little strange…

Image: Gearshead

Headlights

If it’s clear as day then you don’t need to worry about your headlights. It’s a waste of power really. That’s unless you’re driving in Sweden.

They require that you have your headlights on 24 hours a day, no matter what the weather is. If you fail to do this you’ll be given an on-the-spot fine.

Speed Camera Notifying

You may have your sat-nav to notify you of upcoming speed cameras. It’s great, since you can save yourself a small fine and keep an eye on your speed. Unless you’re French that it is.

If you’re discovered to have this setting on there, you’ll lose your license and have your vehicle taken away. Probably because you’re stopping the government from robbing your money in speeding tickets.

Cattle Priority

We have Cattle crossings in the UK but it’s not often that you’ll have to stop for them. There’s usually a farmer there to make sure it all goes smoothly anyway.

South Africa are a bit more serious. Any bovine animal – which includes cattle, horses and ostriches etc. – gets right of way. If you’re not kind to them, you’ll be looking at a $600 fine.