Brits on holiday in Europe this summer at risk of £640 speeding fines if they fail to convert MPH to KPH
Police across Europe have the power to access DVLA records and track you down if you are caught on camera committing a traffic offence - and they can nab you for more than just speeding
BRITS need to exchange more than just their foreign currency when on holiday this summer.
Drivers who don't do their speed calculations properly could be slapped with a hefty fine in Europe.
A large number of Brits struggle to convert KPH to MPH when driving in Europe, leaving them open to speeding penalties.
Drivers can be charged for European driving offences if they break the law while on holiday, with regulations introduced in May last year giving EU countries the power to track down Brits.
Old legislation meant UK motorists could only be fined in Europe if they were stopped by police or were driving a hire vehicle - where their details then became available for police record.
But this summer will be the second holiday season where European police have access to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), allowing them to chase motorists guilty of incidents caught on camera.
Speed limits in the UK and Europe
UK
- Motorways: 70mph
- Dual Carriageways: 70mph
- Single Carriageways: 60mph
- Restricted Roads: 30mph
Europe
- Autobahn roads: No limit
- Motorways: 120kph (74mph)
- Rural Roads: 80kph (50mph)
- Urban Roads: 50kph (31mph)
Drivers caught above the speed limit can be fined up to £640 - far more than what motorists in Britain would likely pay for a minor speeding charge.
According to a study conducted by Green Flag last year, millions of Brits could be in line for fines as over a third said they didn't know what speed the limits were, on top of those who didn't know how to convert it.
If you've got a calculator at hand, to convert MPH to KPH multiply the speed by 1.6 - for the reverse multiply by 0.6.
But if you're driving your own car abroad, take care to not rely on the regular speedo but use the alternative KPH markings.
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In a left hand drive hire car, KPH will be standard on the dial, while most modern right-hand drive cars will also have KPH readings on the inside of the main dial reading.
It's important to note motorways are fractionally faster in most of Europe - including derestricted sections in Germany - but rural roads have a slower national speed limit.
In built up areas the 30mph limit remains the same.
And the laws aren't just restricted to speeding.
Cops can also nab drivers for other offences caught on camera, including running red lights, driving in restricted lanes, mobile phone use, and motorcyclists not wearing a helmet.
The road laws you need to know
The laws will be in place until March 2019 at least, when Britain is due to leave the EU.
When the ruling first came into force last year, a spokesperson for the Department for Transport said: "While the UK is still a member of the EU, we are obliged to bring in rules on cross-border enforcement.
"Once we have left the EU, our Parliament will have the power to amend the law."