Driving in Netherlands

If you're driving in the Netherlands, your checklist requirements are:

• A valid UK driving licence.
• A GB sticker on the back of your car – unless your car has 'Euro-plates' (number-plates that show a circle of 12 stars on a blue background).
• Your motor insurance certificate and V5 registration document or hire car paperwork.
• Headlamp converters (stickers you put on your headlights when you're driving on the right, so your lights don't dazzle motorists coming the other way).

Going away? Remember to take RAC Travel Insurance with you.

You must also:

• Drive on the right, overtake on the left.
• Be 18 or over.
• Wear your seatbelt at all times (this applies to everyone in the car).
• Wear a crash helmet if you're riding a motorcycle.

It's a good idea to have:

• Spare bulbs for your car's external lights.
• A fire extinguisher.
• A first aid kit.
• A warning triangle - it is not compulsory to carry a warning triangle but a vehicle other than a motorcycle which is  insufficiently lit either by its own lights or street lighting when parked at night must be indicated by a red reflectorised warning triangle.
• A Camping Card International to give you additional proof of identity, third party liability insurance, plus discounts at a wide range of campsites and tourist attractions.
• A Green Card – it's a useful back-up to your motor insurance documents and shows you've got the minimum legal level of cover. If you'd like to find out more, contact your insurance company.

Other things you should know:

• You don't have to pay motorway tolls when driving through the Netherlands.
• Petrol, diesel and LPG are readily available, along with Super (98 Octane), which contains a lead replacement additive.
• Children under age 3 must travel in the back, using a suitable seat restraint. Children aged 3 to 12 can travel in the front or back, as long as they're using an appropriate child seat.
• Speed limits vary across the Netherlands, so check the signposts for maximum speeds.
• If you're caught committing a motoring offence you'll be given an on-the-spot fine.
• It's illegal to carry or use any radar detection equipment.
• Trams have priority at the intersection of roads.
• The drink driving limit is 50mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood for most drivers (less than the UK limit of 80mg per 100ml). If you've been driving less than five years, the limit is 20mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood - it's the same for moped riders up to the age of 24.
• A driver suspected of being under the influence of alcohol will be asked to take a breath test.  In some cases a blood test may be necessary.
• Trams have priority at the intersection of roads.
• At roundabouts, drivers must yield right of way to vehicles on the left.
• Cycles and mopeds have right of way over cars. Watch out for cycle lanes - mopeds aren't supposed to use them but often do.
• If you're in a built-up area, you can only use your horn in cases of extreme danger. Flash your lights instead at night.
• At junctions, you have right of way where there's a yellow and white diamond-shaped sign - and you have to give way where there's a row of white triangular signs on the road.
• Don't cross a solid white line, even if you're turning off a road.

Useful numbers:

112 - Here's a really important bit of knowledge; you can dial 112 from anywhere in Europe and an operator will connect you to an emergency service in the country you're visiting. Operators can answer your call in their native language, English, and French. 

UK Government travel advice

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