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In the UK we tend to think ourselves lucky that our rules of the road are relatively straightforward and ‘normal’ compared to elsewhere in the world – even nipping over to Europe and abiding by their rules isn’t too bad! However, are some of these crazy rules enforced in Asia and the Middle East really that bizarre when compared to our own? Let’s see…
Japan
A fun fact that many people have heard before is that it’s illegal to deliberately splash pedestrians by driving through muddy puddles in Japan. However, what most people don’t realise is that this rather bizarre rule of the road is actually enforceable back in the UK, too! Although we’re not as specific as to single out splashing as an offence, Section 3 of the Road Traffic Act 1998 states the following; “If a person drives a mechanically propelled vehicle on a road or other public place without due care and attention, or without reasonable consideration for other persons using the road or place, he is guilty of an offence”.
This includes splashing, and, believe it or not, British Police have reported a huge rise in the number of people reporting these sorts of offences in recent years. In England, 63 instances have been reported to Police since 2009, and there have been 38 cases in Wales. Some perpetrators have been given advice for driving more considerably, while others have been issued with a fixed penalty notice.
Dubai
In Dubai, it’s reported that between 1200 and 1400 warnings are issued by UAE Police, forcing car owners to clean their vehicles – and keep them clean! In the Emirates, it is against the law to drive a dirty car and while an estimated half of those warned do take appropriate measures, the other half see their vehicles towed and are issued with a Dh500 fine – roughly equivalent to around £90.
This may seem wacky, but it’s not all that different from the rules of the road we have in the UK. While it’s common in Britain to see ‘Wash Me’ signs etched into inch-thick dust on the backs of lorries, dirty number plates which obscure the plate or make it difficult to read are actually illegal. If you allow your car to get this dirty, you could be hit with a £1000 fine!
Manila
One rule that we certainly don’t have over in the UK is time-based driving restrictions based on individual vehicles. In Manila, high volumes of traffic were a major cause for concern – an issue that is being tackled through the Unified Vehicular Volume Reduction Program, or UVVRP. Based on the last digit of a car’s number plate, cars are prohibited from driving in Metro Manila on a specific day of the week between 7am – 10am, and 3pm – 7pm.
Although this rule sounds completely weird, it does seem to have been somewhat successful. Research suggests that since the scheme was implemented back in 1995, traffic volumes have fallen by 2.2 percent, while speeds have managed to increase by 1.1 percent due to a reduction in traffic jams. While the UK has not introduced such measures, our neighbours across the Channel have a somewhat similar program in place which prohibits large lorries from travelling on French motorways on Sundays.
