Traffic laws are pretty straightforward in most places: stop at red lights and go at green lights. However, there are some driving rules around the world that seem totally bizarre.
Whether it’s what you can wear while driving or who technically has the right of way, here are ten of the weirdest traffic laws from around the world. And yes, you can actually get fined for breaking these.
You can drive naked (but keep your shoes on) – Germany
A car in Germany is officially considered to be a private space. That means that under German law, you’re allowed to drive nude.
The only catch is that you have to wear “appropriate footwear.” Getting into an accident barefoot or with flip flops can revoke your insurance or result in negligence fines.
So if you’re going commando in your car in Germany, you’d better make sure you leave your sneakers on.
No eating or drinking (even water) – Cyprus
Make sure to eat and drink before you drive through Cyprus. The law states that drivers must keep their hands on the steering wheel unless operating the vehicle requires otherwise.
This means you’d better finish that soda and those fries before you get on the road or you’ll be slapped with around a €85 fine. Even drinking water is illegal, as the government feels taking your eyes off the road for one second could cause an accident.
Don’t splash the pedestrians – Japan
Splashing someone with your car while driving through a puddle isn’t considered polite in most places. But in Japan, it’s actually against the law.
Japanese traffic laws state that you must drive with “mudguards” or take caution when driving in the rain so you don’t splash pedestrians on the sidewalk. In fact, you can be fined several thousand yen if you get caught washing someone walking on foot.
It is illegal to run out of gas – Germany (Autobahn)
The Autobahn is famous for having sections with no speed limit signs. However, there is one rule they take very seriously: don’t stop.
You are not allowed to stop on the Autobahn under any circumstances. Stopping is dangerous at such high speeds and can cause pileups.
If you run out of gas on the Autobahn, you’re seen as driving negligently because you can prevent running out of fuel. If you do run out, you’ll be fined.
No driving without a shirt – Thailand
Even if it’s sunny and 100 degrees out with humidity in Thailand, you still need to keep your shirt on while driving.
This shirt law actually applies to both men and women drivers in Thailand. It includes motorbike drivers too. Thailand’s reasoning is that driving shirtless is public indecency.
Keep a breathalyzer in your car – France
Until very recent times, French drivers were required to keep their own breathalyzer device in their car at all times. If you stopped by a restaurant for dinner and wanted to drive home, you were expected to perform your own breathalyzer test to see if you were good to drive.
Thankfully, they stopped fining drivers who didn’t have one, but it is still on the books as a law.
No dirty cars allowed – Russia
Driving a filthy car in Russia is more illegal than you might think. The law states that you cannot drive a car that is “considerably dirty.” While it started as a law to keep number plates visible at all times, officers now use it for dirty cars.
If they decide your car is too covered in mud/slush and “unsightly,” they can fine you 2,000 rubles. Russian cities have a booming car wash industry because of winter.
“The last digit” driving ban – Philippines
The Philippine government created the “Unified Vehicular Volume Reduction Program” due to traffic. There are too many cars in Manila, and this law restricts you from driving based on your license plate.
For example, if the last digit of your plate ends with a 1 or 2, you cannot drive on Mondays. It sounds confusing, but it helped prevent Manila’s serious traffic from coming to a grinding halt.
Don’t slam your car door – Switzerland
Swiss people value their “quiet hours.” If you live in Switzerland, there are noise laws called Nachtruhe. Between the hours of 10 PM and 6 AM, you cannot make any loud noises that could disturb someone’s sleep.
According to the law, slamming your car door is too noisy and unacceptable. You must be gentle when closing your door overnight in Switzerland.
You must give way to birds – Utah, USA
While some countries give pedestrians the right of way, drivers in Utah must give way to birds. Birdies on the highway have the right of way according to Utah state law.
So if you come across birds on the road, you must wait for them to clear the road. Don’t honk or drive around them because you could be fined for violating the birds’ rights.
The following sources were consulted in the preparation of this article:
