Brits driving abroad warned to bring one thing with them or risk a fine

Britons driving abroad have been warned to ensure they have one crucial thing with them – or risk a fine.

Holidaymakers visiting France this summer could be penalised if they do not purchase a windscreen emissions sticker before setting off, a leading motoring services company has warned as more areas now require them.

RAC reported that the number of areas across the country requiring drivers to display a Crit’Air sticker rose to 12 in July, with Bordeaux and Clermont-Ferrand joining the list.

The stickers – of which there are six types based on a vehicle’s air pollutant emissions – cannot be purchased locally and must be ordered in advance from the French government website. Costing €4.61, the scheme helps motorists to avoid a fine of €68, rising to €180 if not paid within 45 days.

The cost will skyrocket further next year, reaching €750 after camera-based enforcement is rolled out.

However, the RAC has warned drivers to avoid falling for third-party websites which will charge customers up to six times as much as the official sticker.

The cleanest electric and hydrogen vehicles use a green “0” sticker, whilst the most polluting vehicles require a “5” sticker, with certain areas in France restricting vehicle movements based on a car’s sticker rating.

Paris operates on the strictest policy, with certain roads only open to cars with “0”, “1” or “2” stickers at certain hours.

Meanwhile, other European countries – Spain and Switzerland included – also employ increasingly strict emissions regulations, but a sticker from one country is not valid in another.

From January 2023, all cars in Spain were required to have an eco-sticker classifying its emission rating. Blue stickers are used to identify the most efficient vehicles, whilst yellow indicates the least, and must be displayed in the lower-right corner of the windscreen.

Likewise, from January 2020, Switzerland banned the most polluting vehicles from driving through the centre of Geneva during pollution peaks, using Stick’AIR stickers or vignettes as part of the capital’s differentiated traffic scheme.

RAC spokesman Rod Dennis said: “Many UK drivers will be familiar with clean air zones such as London’s ultra-low emission zone, but they should also be ready to encounter them abroad this summer.

“It’s vital anyone travelling to Europe does their homework to see whether an emissions-based windscreen sticker is needed – and give themselves enough time to order one before their trip.

“Anyone without the right sticker or driving a non-compliant car into a low-emissions zone risks an on-the-spot fine.

“In France, six years after Crit’Air emissions stickers were first introduced in a bid to improve air quality, there are now 12 locations where British drivers’ movements can be restricted based on how much their cars emit.

“As time goes on, the regulations also get stricter and within a few years all but zero-emission vehicles will be banned from some city centres.”