The strangest traffic regulations in the world

Every country has its own traffic regulation or road traffic law. Today we wanted to focus on the most unusual points. Would you like to know what the strangest traffic regulations in the world are?

Do you know how many potatoes you can legally carry in your vehicle?

Most likely you won’t need to know, since there is no limit where you live. But this used to be a major concern, with costly consequences for drivers in New South Wales, Australia. Traffic laws are shaped by the cars in a given nation, the people who drive them and the environment in which they operate.

While almost every country prohibits driving and driving under the influence of alcohol, some enforce seemingly stranger rules written to address specific local problems. This is how lawmakers around the world ended up having to take potatoes, headphones and mudguards into account.

Australia: lock your car

In some Australian states, such as New South Wales, the law requires drivers to lock their vehicle immediately after leaving it if they are going to wander more than ten metres away. They are also obliged to secure the windows, a term that means closing them or leaving them open no more than about two fingers. Of course, these laws do not apply to cars that have no locks or windows, such as a Moke or a Jeep Wrangler

with no roof.

Australia: register your potatoes

The Potato Marketing Act passed in Australia in 1946 prohibits drivers who are not part of the Potato Marketing Corporation or one of its agents from carrying more than 100 kilograms of potatoes. Law enforcement officers do not need to carry a scale; they are allowed to estimate the weight by looking at the pile.

Those who broke this law in the 1940s risked heavy fines, but there is no evidence that it is still enforced in 2020.

Bahrain: going to jail

In Bahrain, enforcement officers can hand down prison sentences for almost all traffic offences

. Anyone who runs a red light risks spending up to six months in jail, paying a fine of 1,000 euros, or receiving both penalties. Damaging property while running a red light is punishable by up to one year in prison and a fine that can reach 6,000 euros.

China: betting on driving

Chinese authorities limit new car sales by fuel type in an attempt to curb air pollution and traffic congestion. In 2019, the Beijing Transport Commission allowed 60,000 new-energy vehicles (mostly electric cars) and 40,000 combustion models to enter the city’s roads. Drivers take part in a lottery system to win the right to buy a car

; the odds of winning are one in 500.

Cyprus: eat before you go

Cyprus prohibits drivers from drinking while driving

, even if it is from a water bottle. Eating while driving is also illegal, because drivers must keep both hands on the wheel at all times. And, like many Scandinavian countries, Cyprus requires drivers to keep their headlights on at all times.

France: bring your own breathalyser

French drivers must carry an unused breathalyser in their car

since 2013. Although drivers who chose not to buy one originally risked a fine of €11, the penalty did not make it into the final version of the law, so there is no penalty. Traffic control officers are required to say something like “it’s the law” and use their own breathalyser to check alcohol levels.

France: no licence, no problem

It is perfectly legal to drive without a driving licence in France. The catch is that you must be over 14 and hold a permit to operate what is essentially a moped on four wheels. Unlicensed cars are limited to 10 CV and 50 km/h.

Manufacturers must also observe weight restrictions. These small, noisy, astonishingly slow and overpriced machines are common on French roads.

Germany: keep your tank full

It is illegal to run out of fuel on the Autobahn network in Germany

. The authorities consider running out of fuel a foreseeable problem and point out that stopping at the side of a road that often has no speed limit is extremely dangerous. The fine for running dry can reach €70.

Japan: be careful when wet

Japanese drivers should think twice before driving through a puddle

. The law requires them to have mudguards fitted to their car, to reduce their speed and/or take other measures before ploughing through water or mud to make sure they don’t spray pedestrians with it.

Japan: don’t ride with a drunk

Japan takes drink driving extremely seriously. Driving under the influence of alcohol is obviously illegal

, but passengers risk up to three years in prison and a maximum fine of 3,500 euros if they get into a car driven by a drunk driver.

Mongolia: drive whatever you like

Mongolians drive on the right-hand side of the road, but around 48% of cars registered in the country are right-hand-drive vehicles. That figure rises to 55% in Ulaanbaatar, the capital. A mixed combination of right-hand and left-hand-drive cars is as chaotic

as it sounds, and officials are considering import restrictions.

Spain: no headphones

Driving with headphones

on is dangerous anywhere in the world; in Spain, it is illegal regardless of whether you are listening to music or talking on the phone with a hands-free kit. The law states that driving with headphones is only acceptable when you hold a motorcycle licence and need to receive instructions from an instructor.

South Africa: stay put if you break down

While it is more a suggestion than a law, authorities in some of the tougher parts of South Africa urge drivers to not look under the bonnet if they break down.

It is safer to stay in the car and ask for help than to wander along the side of the road and risk being robbed, beaten, or both.

Russia: keep your car clean

You may have read that it is illegal to drive a dirty car in Russia; that is not true. In Moscow, drivers risk being stopped and fined if their number plate is covered in dirt,

salt or road grime, but they are not responsible for keeping the rest of their car clean. Curiously, police officers have sometimes taken advantage of the rumour to fine (or receive bribes from) drivers who have not been through a car wash in weeks. This practice was widespread enough at one point that radio stations began telling drivers their rights.

Sweden: keep your lights on

Swedish law requires every car to have its headlights on 24 hours a day

, regardless of the type of road or weather conditions. Drivers do not need to switch on their rear lights until visibility decreases, so drivers of recent models can get away with using only daytime running lights when the sun is out.

Switzerland: don’t wash at home

In Switzerland, where what is not illegal is generally mandatory, drivers are not allowed to wash their vehicle on their driveway or in front of their residence. The government has nothing against clean cars; the law simply prohibits Swiss citizens from releasing anything that could contaminate water into the sewer system, including, among other things, the soap used to wash cars. Cleaning a car in Switzerland requires going to the nearest car wash

and paying to use its equipment.

Thailand: keep your shirt on

Thailand is hot and humid, but that is not a valid excuse to drive without a shirt.

It is illegal to go shirtless in a car, on a scooter or even on a bicycle. In 2014, authorities warned sun-hungry tourists that the law also applies to them, describing going shirtless as both illegal and rude.

United States: no inspections

In the United States, states and counties have the power to decide whether vehicles must pass a regular safety and emissions inspection.

Some exempt certain cars based on their age or body style, while others have dropped testing altogether. Michigan, Montana and North Dakota are entirely free of testing.

United States: ride in the back

Hawaiian drivers may carry passengers in the back of their pickup truck when certain conditions are met.

They must be at least 12 years old, and all the seats in the cabin must be occupied. It is a common and controversial practice in the state. Some argue it is harmless and part of the state’s tradition, while others point out that it is a spectacularly dangerous way to move people.

United States: keep your tyres quiet

You are a rebel if you burn rubber in Derby, Kansas. This town of 25,000 people has banned wheel spinning, whether in a straight-line drag-racing style or in donut shapes in circles. Anyone found guilty of what Kansas lawmakers call “squealing tyres

” risks a fine of 500 euros or a 30-day prison sentence.

France: yellow lights

For decades, cars registered in France had to be fitted with yellow headlights. This law has its roots in 1936 and was reportedly passed so that soldiers could tell French and enemy cars apart during a war. Some argue it had nothing to do with geopolitics and the lights were made yellow to avoid dazzling oncoming motorists. Either way, yellow bulbs remained mandatory until 1993.

Japan: two switches

In the early 20th century, it was illegal for cars registered in Japan to have a single switch controlling the lights.§h127§ The dashboard-mounted switch could turn on the headlights, but manufacturers needed to install a second, separate switch at the rear of the car for the tail lights. The idea was that drivers would know whether their tail lights were working or not if they had to get out and switch them on.