How a simple mistake abroad could see you fined £584 on holiday
BRITS have been warned about a simple mistake that could see them fined as much as £584 on holiday.
Different countries have different laws, which can lead to Brits having to stump up fines they might not be expecting.
Included in that are big fines for those caught cycling without wearing a helmet.
Safety equipment is not legally required for cyclists in the UK, although it is recommended by the highway code.
However, the law surrounding wearing helmets whilst cycling varies across the globe, with some countries handing out fines to those spotted without the correct safety gear.
To help Brits stay on the right side of the law and avoid any related fines, Legal Team Leader at Cycle SOS, Lena Farnell, has revealed where Brits could face penalties for not wearing helmets.
Of those places, Singapore that has the strictest rules about helmet use while cycling, with short-term jail sentences sometimes even handed out to those not wearing one.
Lena said: “When riding on roads in Singapore, if you’re found to be cycling without a helmet on, you can be fined up to $1,000 (£584) and/or jailed for up to three months upon conviction of the first offence.”
Fines can be handed out in other nations as well, although they’re not as steep as those found in Singapore.
Lena continued: “Cyclists are legally required to wear a helmet in Cyprus, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Costa Rica, Japan, Uruguay, Argentina, and Namibia.
“Cyclists in New Zealand could be fined $55 (£27) for not wearing a helmet, which has been mandatory since 1994, while penalties vary in Australian states, with a fine setting you back $349 (£183) in New South Wales.
“Cyclists in Cyprus caught not wearing a helmet will face a fine of €50 (£27) while you can expect to receive a fine of approximately ¢110,729 (£162) in Costa Rica for the same reason.”
Helmets aren’t the only items you can be fined for not wearing abroad.
Tiktoker Marti (@theycallme.marti) explained how tourists can get in trouble visiting Italy this summer, as well as how to avoid getting a fine.
In a video she said: “This is a PSA for all the girls going to Italy for a Euro summer.
“You are likely to get a fine if you wear something like this around the beach town.
“I don’t know what it is about Italians, but they do not want tourists going around in their bikinis around the little towns near beaches.
“So chances are that if you are wearing something like that and you’re going around like Puglia or Sicily, for example, the police can easily find in you €500 (£427).”
Meanwhile, some places in Spain have introduced similar swimwear rules.
And a number of beaches in Italy are charging tourists to sunbathe.