10 Weirdest Driving Laws In World Cup Countries

10. Russia

The host nation definitely has some weird laws which its citizens have to abide by, and keeping their cars clean is one of them! This is because, in Russia, cleanliness is considered close to Godliness, so the residents can be fined for having a dirty car. So if you’re travelling to Russia for the World Cup, make sure you keep your car as clean as their captain, Igor Akinfeev’s, goal keeping history!

9. Spain

You might know them for their sunny beaches, sangria, and their footballers Ramos and Iniesta, but now you should remember them for their driving rule.

It is compulsory in our much loved Spain to have an extra pair of glasses in your car at all times – even if you are already wearing some! If you didn’t know this, you might want to check your suitcase on your next holiday with a hire car in the Peninsula.

8. Nigeria

This World Cup team might be fond of the green football kit, but they aren’t a fan of the ‘army green’ colour! In Nigeria, it is illegal to paint a private car in army green, so if you’re a Nigerian citizen and want to restyle your car, you will have to select a more popular silver or black colour. However, it’s not only Nigeria that have a strange paint-related law – in Sweden it’s illegal to repaint your house without a valid painting license issued by the government!

7. Germany

Known for their beer, bratwursts, and beating England in penalty shoot outs, Germany also have a simple, yet baffling, driving law. Their love of order and organization means their citizens have to ensure they always travel on the autobahns with a full fuel tank because it is illegal to run out of fuel when on the autobahn. So, instead of calling the AA, you can expect to be rescued from the hard shoulder by the police!

6. Denmark

As far as bizarre driving laws go, Denmark has an uncanny one. We’re not sure why, but the law in Denmark states you must check for children underneath your car before starting your journey. So Tottenham Hotspur and Danish national player, Christian Eriksen, isn’t the only one the Danes will be looking out for when the World Cup starts!

5. Switzerland

Do you normally save all your chores until the weekend? Is your Sunday designated to your cars maintenance? You might have to change this if you move to Switzerland though, as you’re not allowed to wash your car on a Sunday over there. It’s a good job none of their World Cup games are on a Saturday, so the Swiss can can designate it as a cleaning day and use Sunday’s for watching the footy!

4. Egypt

If you hate the strict parking regulations around Mo Salah’s, Anfield home ground, you’d love living in his native country, Egypt! There are no formal parking regulations, so drivers have to leave the handbrake off their cars so others can push it out the way in order to get into spaces. That’s nearly as random as a relatively warm country like Croatia having to have snow chains and a shovel in their car all year round!

3. Colombia

Colombia – the place of strong coffee, exotic fruits, Radamel Falcao, and also, peculiar laws! Unlike other World Cup countries, Colombia has more than one odd car-related law. So, whilst it isillegal to wash your car in the street, it is also illegal to walk across the front of a car when its engine is on. Although we think these might be a little extreme, there is one rule that we could all adopt…

Nationally, Colombia has one day a year when they are not allowed to use their personal cars and instead must opt for public transport.

2. Costa Rica

We all love a cheeky pint whilst watching the football, but what about when you’re out and about in your car too? Crazy as it might seem, but in Costa Rica it is perfectly legal to drive whilst drinking a beer – in fact, as long as you haven’t had too many, authorities won’t even pull you over! This means in Costa Rica, there’s no quibble over who will be designated driver to and from the pub for the World Cup, which has us wondering why Bryan Ruiz moved to Portugal…

1. England (United Kingdom)

The number one spot for weirdest driving law comes from the UK! Not many residents will realise that British law still commands taxis to not carry rabid animals or corpses. Additionally, the Public Health Act 1984 states that no one, not even David Beckham, with a known disease or illness, like the plague, is allowed to hail a taxi unless the driver gets disinfected immediately after!

So the next time you get frustrated with having to squeeze into a car parking space, remember you would have to get out and push it, like you would if you were in Egypt. When you’re next stuck in traffic and feeling fed up, remember you aren’t forced to walk, like in Colombia. And, when you next break down on the motorway, be glad you won’t be arrested for it, like Germans would.