We're bad drivers abroad

At least half of all British motorists driving abroad this summer will break the law within one mile of starting their journey on foreign soil, new figures reveal.

They include those who go at 50mph when signs refer to 50 kilometres per hour, and 17-year-olds who don't realise they are a year too young to drive in many countries on the Continent.

Nine in 10 British motorists do not recognise the yellow diamond "priority" road sign used in Europe, and four in 10 cannot recognise a "give way" sign in France.

Others will not have the legally required spare light bulbs and warning triangle in the boot of the car.

Insurance giant AXA conducted a "safety audit" of 1,000 drivers at Dover as they were about to leave in one of the busiest periods of the year. A third of cars did not have a GB sticker, despite the legal requirement for one on a vehicle, and more than a third of drivers thought drink-drive limits were more generous on the Continent when, in fact, they are lower.

Simon Baker, Motor Manager of AXA Insurance, said: "It only takes a short while to familiarise yourself with the road rules of the country you're visiting."