In most European countries, there has been mandatory vests for several years. Thus, both the use of the safety vests in breakdowns and entering the lane (duty of carriage), as well as the carrying of the safety vest prescribed. However, what needs to be considered where and in detail and which juicy buses there are is extremely different.

Not all commercially available vests to comply with the law. Only approved safety vests may bear the EN 471 control mark. The sign is on a patch on the inside of the cloth.

European Standard

The European standard, for example, requires that the safety vest has a sufficient reflector surface so that wearer is easy to see even in poor visibility.

These countries require a safety vest with reflective tape

In 2004, Italy and Spain were the first European countries to adopt a safety vest duty. Later, Belgium, Bulgaria, Finland, France, Croatia, Luxembourg, Montenegro, Austria, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Hungary followed suit. In Norway and Portugal the obligation concerns only vehicles registered in these countries.

Recommendation: always take two vests

Like all traffic regulations, details of the reflective safety vests requirement can change quickly. This applies, for example, to the contradictory rule that in Spain no safety vest needs to be carried, but that it must be worn in the event of an accident. Auto-reise-welt.de recommends taking at least two vests when traveling to the countries mentioned – one for the driver, one for the passenger. Safety vests cost only a few Euros per piece in the automotive aftermarket.