International Driving Permits

[robynmac]

Italy now requires an international drivers permit to hire a car - they never used to until approx 6 months ago .. I dont have any personal experience in needing one, but ive always been under the impression they would help in a non-english speaking country ... if it makes it easier to communicate, then its always worth the cost IMO

 

[Tiki]

Robinmac, if you're brave enough to attempt driving in Italy, my hat's off to ya! Italian drivers scare the wits outta me!

I use public transport in Europe, they have much better trains than we do and more frequent.

 

[Skyring]

In some ways it may have been interesting if he had arrested me. It would have been a very interesting phone call to Avis asking them to come bail me out as they had rented me a vehicle that would be illegal to drive before the end of the rental agreement.

Thanks for the "uninformed police officer" story.
I suspect that the vehicle may have been correctly registered, but the car and the sticker hadn't yet been in the same depot at the same time.

It's not like a big corporate empire like Avis to fail to renew registration, but it is far more credible that they might have difficulty in getting the car and sticker together.

 

[Skyring]

Robinmac, if you're brave enough to attempt driving in Italy, my hat's off to ya! Italian drivers scare the wits outta me!

I use public transport in Europe, they have much better trains than we do and more frequent.

Yeah to the trains. Then again, Europe is set up for trains, and you don't get hours and hours of nothing much. Even our Melbourne/Sydney corridor is actually pretty empty.

I didn't need an IDP in France. I checked before booking my car, and it was waiting for me in Caen at the station. Once I got used to driving on the right side of the road (and driving a manual again - my first starts were in the Australian mode, comme une kangaru!) I found no problems with other drivers in Normandy and Brittany. I was far more concerned about the narrow roads once you got off the excellent motorways. Some of the minor roads seemed to almost go through farmyards, and big solid stone barns shouldered their way into the road. My tiny rental car seemed like a double decker bus, sometimes.

Then again, I don't think I'd be game to drive in Paris. I've seen the merry maelstrom around the Arc de Triomphe! I was standing beside a couple of traffic gendarmes, and every now and then they would wade into the chaos and haul out some poor bugger for some sin I couldn't fathoim - they all seemed to be totally mad.

Oh yeah, we might joke about "touch parking", but in Paris they give their bumpers a solid workout. Have to, I suppose.

 

[tykissy]

I have never been asked for an International Drivers Permit from a rental car company. They are not interested in it.

I was, however, once berated by a policeman from Maryland for not having one. It is my understanding that there is no requirements to have one when driving in the USA. A valid Australian drivers licence is sufficient. However, when driving south on I95 just before the Baltimore Tunnel I was pulled over in an Avis rental car. The registration sticker on the numberplate had expired the previous day (it was the 2nd day of the new month) and I had no idea I was driving a vehicle with an expired sticker.

The office obviously wanted to see my licence etc. He took a while to walk to my car, so I assume had already done a rego check on the vehicle so probably already knew it was a rental.

I showed him my Aussie (Qld) licence and the rental papers from Avis. The papers showed that the rental agreement covered the period over which the sticker would expire - I had not extended the rental or failed to return it before it expired etc.

Anyway, he looks at my licence and say "what's that?". I told him it was my Queensland Drivers Licence. He says the only valid licence for driving in the USA is one issued by one of the 52 US states, or Canada or Mexico. When I said that an International Drivers Permit was not a requirement for driving in the USA, he was adamant I was wrong and he was correct.

Anyway, he threatened to arrest me for driving an unregistered vehicle and to impound the car. He asked me about what I was doing in the USA and why I was driving south on I95. I explained I was returning to DC after a few days in Delaware and was due to return the rental car to Dulles airport the next day when I was flying back to Australia via LAX. Back then I had a paper ticket and showed him my ticket to fly IAD-LAX and then LAX-BNE the following day, along with my Australian Passport as a means of identification (since he would not recognise my Aussie drivers licence).

Anyway, after he looked all through my paperwork, and was satisfied that I had not stolen the vehicle and that it was Avis's fault for renting me a vehicle whose registration would expire during the rental period, he let me go with instructions to drive straight to my hotel and then to the airport tomorrow and tell Avis about the expired sticker.

I still believe I was right and he was wrong regarding the need to have an International Drivers Permit to drive in the USA. However, I now always carry one with me and claim the cost of it back on my company travel expenses. Its easier to have one and not need it, than to argue with an uninformed police officer on the side of I95.

In some ways it may have been interesting if he had arrested me. It would have been a very interesting phone call to Avis asking them to come bail me out as they had rented me a vehicle that would be illegal to drive before the end of the rental agreement. And it would have been interesting to get an apology from the arresting policeman when he did his research and found that he was wrong regarding the IDP. But at the time I did not need the excitement and was very happy to just be polite and agree to comply with the officer's requests.

On my last IDP, the person who issued it forgot to put the date on the front cover. So one day I might get around to writing a date on it. Its going to be the longest 12 month validity I have had .

Thanks for interesting story..........it has help us heaps

 

[straitman]

Thanks for the "uninformed police officer" story.
I suspect that the vehicle may have been correctly registered, but the car and the sticker hadn't yet been in the same depot at the same time.

It's not like a big corporate empire like Avis to fail to renew registration, but it is far more credible that they might have difficulty in getting the car and sticker together.

Old thread but new info. I personally know of a case in Melbourne last year when a 'Europcar' rental was pulled over for not being registered. Sad thing in Victoria is the driver wears the penalty. :evil:

 

[straitman]

In some ways it may have been interesting if he had arrested me. It would have been a very interesting phone call to Avis asking them to come bail me out as they had rented me a vehicle that would be illegal to drive before the end of the rental agreement.

My company (large US based multi national) won't pay for IDP as they aren't required in the USA and will provide legal assistance and go to bat IF necessary, IF an incident occurs as described by NM.

Not sure I'd like to be on the inside waiting for the cavalry to arrive though :!:

 

[JohnK]

Old thread but new info. I personally know of a case in Melbourne last year when a 'Europcar' rental was pulled over for not being registered. Sad thing in Victoria is the driver wears the penalty. :evil:

But surely the car hire company would be held liable and asked to pay the penalty if matter was taken to court. If not then there is seriously something wrong.

 

[serfty]

At least in Victoria, the onus is fully on the driver to ensure a vehicle is registered and indeed, roadworthy, before driving. :-|

If this means that before driving you need to check registration sticker and the proper functioning of tyres, brakes and lights, so be it.

 

[ColinP]

If this means that before driving you need to check registration sticker and the proper functioning of tyres, brakes and lights, so be it.

I think it's a good policy to do these things when driving ANY unfamiliar vehicle. A bit like the pilot walking around the aircraft, kicking the tyres and peering into the engines.
I always thoroughly inspect a rental vehicle before driving it, though I admit I'm more interested in dents, scratches, tyre tread and chipped windscreen than the rego sticker.

 

[JohnK]

At least in Victoria, the onus is fully on the driver to ensure a vehicle is registered and indeed, roadworthy, before driving. :-|

I have never hired a car in Victoria so it was good to learn this information.

 

[cavok]

I showed him my Aussie (Qld) licence and the rental papers from Avis. The papers showed that the rental agreement covered the period over which the sticker would expire - I had not extended the rental or failed to return it before it expired etc.

Anyway, he looks at my licence and say "what's that?". I told him it was my Queensland Drivers Licence. He says the only valid licence for driving in the USA is one issued by one of the 52 US states, or Canada or Mexico. When I said that an International Drivers Permit was not a requirement for driving in the USA, he was adamant I was wrong and he was correct.

Sorry to be picky, but being a legal discussion, there are only 50 states in the United States.

International Driving Permits IMHO are a blast from the past where universal communications did not exist and borders were more closed.

I find it interesting how most Automobile Clubs around the world seem to imply they have authority to do things and also charge you for the privilege.

 

[oz_mark]

Sorry to be picky, but being a legal discussion, there are only 50 states in the United States.

International Driving Permits IMHO are a blast from the past where universal communications did not exist and borders were more closed.

I find it interesting how most Automobile Clubs around the world seem to imply they have authority to do things and also charge you for the privilege.

If you go to sites like smarttraveller (International driving permits - Travel information - Consular services - Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade), even the government says they (the clubs) are the issuing authority in Australia. No implication. It is explicitly so.