Unusual road rules from around the world

31 July, 2023

Hiring a car while holidaying overseas gives you the opportunity to immerse yourself in local culture and can give you access to places and experiences you may otherwise miss. But getting behind the wheel in a foreign country can also be challenging, especially in countries where the road rules are less familiar than our own.

It’s worth swatting up on the essential rules in any country where you’re planning on hiring a car. Remember to also have an International Drivers' Permit on you.

RELATED: WA road rules you may not know »

While you may never fall foul of some of the more unusual international road rules, it’s important to keep in mind that things can sometimes work very differently on the roads outside of your own country. Here are just a few examples:

Keep your shirt on in Thailand

In addition to requiring visitors to dress appropriately when visiting sites of religious importance, such as temples, in Thailand you also need to stay decent in your car. Both women and men should wear clothing that covers the upper part of their bodies. That extends to those riding bikes, scooters or motorcycles.

Although the rule may not be regularly enforced in popular tourism areas, it’s a good idea to respect the rule just in case you’re picked out and also to be respectful of Thai customs and culture.

No splashing pedestrians in the UK

No matter where you are, driving on wet roads requires extra care and attention. In the UK, it’s not just to keep you and other road users safe, but also to keep pedestrians dry.

With a good amount of rain hitting roads across the UK year-round, making a splash, in a way that won’t make you popular with the locals, is an ever-present danger.

If you plough through a puddle and end up spraying a pedestrian with water, you could be up for a fine, and if you’re a local, you may also earn penalty points against your licence. The UK’s Road Traffic Act 1988 specifically calls out driving through puddles causing pedestrians to be splashed as an offence.

Driving through a puddle deep enough to leave someone soaking wet is not only inconsiderate, it can also be dangerous for you other drivers, so this is one slightly quirky road rule that is actually quite sensible.

Driving naked in Germany is okay

This one isn’t actually a rule, so don’t think you need to get naked on a German autobahn to keep the police off your tail. But it is permissible to drive a vehicle wearing absolutely no clothes in Germany.

Germany’s renowned Free Body Culture (Freikoerperkultur) means it’s acceptable to get naked in a number of public spaces, but there are limits.

When driving, provided you’re enclosed within a vehicle, you’re considered to be in your own private space, much like in your home. But before you strap yourself in for a ride in the raw, you may also need to take into consideration that if you break down or crash and need to get out of the car, you’ll then be naked in a public space where it’s not actually okay to go naked. So the bottom line? Dress for all eventualities.

You can turn right at a red light in the US

In many states across the US, it’s legal to make a right-hand turn at a set of traffic lights even when you’ve got a red light, provided the way is clear. In states where this is legal, the only exception is if there is a ‘No Turn on Red’ sign. In this instance you’ll need to wait for the green light.

When legally turning right on a red, the law requires you to come to a complete stop at the intersection, check that the way is clear in each direction, and then make the turn. You should also ensure the way is clear of pedestrians and cyclists who may be crossing the intersection.

The law was amended to allow right turns across red lights during the fuel shortages of the 1970s, to keep vehicles from idling and wasting fuel when stopped for no reason. Today, it’s also seen as a way of helping to reduce traffic congestion.

No driving allowed depending on your licence plate in Manila

To reduce the volume of traffic on the heavily congested roads in the Philippines’ capital Manila, during weekday peak hours, passenger vehicles with licence plates ending in a certain number are not allowed to enter Metro Manila.

Monday to Friday, from 7am-10am and from 5pm-8pm, passenger vehicles with a licence plate ending with the numbers 1 and 2 are barred from entering Metro Manila. On Tuesdays, it’s licence plates ending with 3 and 4, Wednesdays it's 5 and 6, Thursdays 7 and 8 and Fridays 9 and 0.

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority introduced the scheme, known as the Unified Vehicular Volume Reduction Program, back in the mid-1990s. It was temporarily suspended during the COVD-19 pandemic and then reintroduced in August 2022.

Vehicles such as those carrying essential goods and emergency services vehicles are exempt from the regulation.

Passengers fined for having drunk drivers in Japan

In addition to being illegal to drive a car while under the influence of alcohol in Japan, it’s also illegal to ride in a car as the passenger of a drunk driver. The law is intended to make those riding with a drunk driver take some responsibility for the person's actions and ensure they don’t get behind the wheel. It also extends to someone who allows another person to drive their car while under the influence of alcohol, even when the car owner is not in the car themselves.

You’ll need pollution clearance in India

This rule is not that unusual - it's actually quite essential. To help combat high vehicle emissions in India, drivers must carry a pollution control certificate with them at all times. The certificate shows that the vehicle has been assessed and that its emissions levels are within the standards set by the government.

Every vehicle needs to undergo the test to receive a Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate. The PUC is also mandatory for all three- and two-wheeled vehicles.

Don’t leave your car unlocked in Western Australia

We’re wrapping up our unusual road rules list with one of our very own. In WA, it is illegal to leave your car unlocked. The only exception is if you’ve walked away from it to pay for parking or if someone 16 years of age or older is staying in the car.

Legally, you should stop the engine, remove the key from the ignition (unless it's keyless), and lock the car before you walk away. ‘Leaving’ your car is defined as being more than 3m away from it. A similar rule also exists in Victoria, NSW and Queensland.