Spain - you must carry a fluorescent jacket
 

From next month (July 2004) you must wear a fluorescent jacket or bib in Spain if you get out of your vehicle on any dual carriageway or non-urban road, eg to change a tyre, walk along the hard shoulder to reach an emergency telephone, etc.

France and Italy are likely to follow suit in the near future.

The RAC and AA websites in the UK are both out of date at the moment!

While this is indeed a requirement in Spain, according to EU rules this requirement cannot be enforced on tourists. The Dutch motoring association advises to buy one anyway citing that local police may not know of the exemption and write a ticket. It is then very cumbersome to get the ticket undone. And guess what? You can buy the vest from the motoring association!

Camiel

I strongly disagree . The law says drivers must wear hi-vest-jackets when working around the car in a public way (such as changing a wheel , for example ,or waiting for a recovery-tow) every driver , be Nationals or tourists must comply with that law. ,

same , as everyone in UK must follow England specifics'(weird) driving regulations , not only Britons. In every Country , drivers must forego local regulations .

Having said that , -I say that IMHO Its probbably the MOST USEFULL GARMENT YOU CAN BUY FOR AN AFRICAN TRIP. Think about changing a tyre in Morocco at night ,or walking roadside at night for help without that hi-visibility vest !!!! . Scary , isnt ?
It makes also a really good "cadeaux" should the ocassion arise. Definitely can save your life down there. I wont' step off a vehicle at night in Africa without one.

IT gives protection about the very , very real posibility of being run down at night by a local car (usually poor lights and poorer brakes) ,

ITs being said that these vests save an average of 1-2 fatalities /serious injury a day just in Spain .

So ... no real reason not to buy it ! .