Spot fines for motorists without snow chains and safety gear in Europe

British motorists driving abroad this winter should beware of breaking European motoring laws – ignoring the law risks fines, refusal of entry and an abrupt end to their holiday.

Motorists driving to most European ski destinations need to carry a set of snow chains to be allowed access up to mountain resorts. Drivers can be stopped, turned away and fined for attempting to drive up mountains without having a set of snow chains. Many European countries also insist on various motoring accessories not normally needed in the UK. The French laws are very strict and Brits should be aware of this as soon as they leave the ports to avoid hefty fines.

Mail order specialist, Car Parts Direct supplies a “Three minute snow chain kit” that, as the name implies, has been designed to fit quickly and easily if required. The snow chain kit is supplied in a compact carry case to fit neatly in the boot or under the car seat taking up minimal space – the fast fit snow chains are available for virtually every vehicle at a cost of £69.

Mark Cornwall from Car Parts Direct said, “The French police make the British bobbies look like Father Christmas. One of our customers travelled without snow chains, a French policeman stopped him, insisted he abandon his car at 2am. He had to walk two miles up a mountain with wife, kids and luggage to his hotel because he was not carrying snow chains - there was no offer of a taxi ride.”

A complete travel kit is also available which includes legal motoring products required when driving through Europe. The new “Rossini European Travel Kit” includes a warning triangle, spare bulb and fuse kit, high visibility safety jacket, first aid kit, fire extinguisher, headlamp deflector kit and a GB sticker which is essential for driving on the continent.

Also included in the new kit is tyre fix aerosol that can seal a flat tyre in seconds without needing to remove the wheel. Whilst tyre-fix is not a legal requirement it is highly recommended as around 10% of all vehicle breakdowns are due to a flat tyre. The “Rossini European Travel Kit” is supplied in a compact carry case with Velcro backing to secure it in the boot of any vehicle and costs £69.

The “Three minute Snow Chains” and the “Rossini European Travel Kit” is available online from carparts-direct.co.uk.