02 April 2007

Driving Abroad Guide Helps Avoid Holiday Horrors | Cheap Car Insurance and Home Insurance from Confused.com

Confused.com - the UK's leading online insurance search engine has launched a comprehensive guide to driving abroad in Europe, timed to coincide with the first big get-away of the year. Over half a million Brits are expected to make channel crossings this Easter, many of whom will take their cars*. The guide 'Hitting the Holiday Highway' includes detailed information on essential laws, local knowledge and star drives in 12 European countries and can be obtained free by logging onto www.confused.com.

Often essential laws are unintentionally broken by British drivers unaware of rules and regulations on the continent. For example, in France radar detectors are illegal, in Spain you can be fined for running out of petrol on a main road, or for failing to indicate before overtaking, and in Portugal it is illegal to strap cycles to the back of a car!

Once familiarised with the laws, drivers can use the guide to find star drives throughout Europe, such as the Douro valley in Portugal. Or, if you plan to visit Italy why not take one of the most scenic Mediterranean routes along the Amalfi coast road between Sorrento and Salerno.

The guide has been developed following research which revealed that, of those who have driven abroad, a staggering 55% admit to being confused by foreign signposts and road systems and 23% admit to having driven on the wrong side of the road. Moreover, the research showed almost one third of Brits are unsure if their current insurance policy covers them outside of the UK.

'Hitting the Holiday Highway' aims to provide drivers with detailed information on how to prepare for their trip before leaving the United Kingdom. This will help to avoid potential holiday horrors.

Debra Williams, Managing Director of Confused.com said: 'These statistics are worrying. Many drivers believe they are automatically fully insured to drive abroad, when in fact they may only be covered for basic Road Traffic Accident (RTA) insurance. If you are planning to drive abroad, always check first with your insurer that you have sufficient cover before you leave. It's also a good idea to research the Highway Code for different countries, helping to prevent unnecessary and embarrassing fines and accidents.'

Of the 21 suggested countries, France was the most popular country to drive in (28%), followed by Germany (16%) and Ireland (at 15%). However, France was also perceived to be Europe's most intimidating country to drive in, followed by Italy, Spain and Portugal.

Editor's notes

• Based on a survey of 635 people undertaken by Confused.com
• Confused.com searches over 97% of the online car insurance market
• On average people using Confused.com can save £150 on their car insurance.
• Confused.com provides a real-time service for car insurance, bringing back results in less than two minutes.

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