These crazy driving laws are actually real

Women not allowed to drive? Not being able to drink water at the wheel? These and many other driving laws from around the world revealed.

The UK has some strict laws, but by no means are they crazy or stupid. Well, for the most part anyway. But just how crazy is the rest of the world? Car comparison website CarKeys decided to investigate – and here’s what they found.

In rainforest-blessed Costa Rica you are allowed to drink and drive providing you aren’t drunk, while you can land yourself a 2,000 Rubles fine for driving a dirty vehicle in Russia. In India, cursing or yelling at a fellow motorist could land you up to a US$100 fine.

In Canada, you are not allowed to leave your window open wider than the width of your hand (what if you have really big hands?), while California has banned people from driving in their bathrobe (probably best). Luckily for New York motorists, no one is allowed to drive while blindfolded.

Saudi Arabia and North Korea win the least feminist friendly driving law award, the former for making it illegal for a women to drive (but they are allowed to own a car), while the latter disallows women from riding a bicycle. Or wearing jeans, for that matter.

In China, letting pedestrians cross the road can allegedly land you a fine, while the Phillipines ban cars that end with a 1 or 2 in their licence plate from entering the city of Manila on Monday (it’s a congestion thing).

A little closer to old Blighty and the strange laws continue. In Denmark, it is illegal to start your car unless you have checked for children underneath it. Meanwhile in Finland, it is illegal for taxis to play music so you will have to endure small talk instead.

Then there’s Cyprus, which has done more than just ban drink-driving ─ it is illegal to drink water while at the wheel. So no matter how dehydrated you are, you will need to pull into a lay by to have a sip.

Macedonia is similarly against liquids, as it is illegal to even be in the front seat of a car when drunk. What about the UK? Well, it is illegal to take a corpse into a taxi ─ dead unfair, if you ask us.

Car price comparison website CarKeys created an infographic to showcase the aforementioned laws, which you can click through to if you so desire.

Read: Ten countries where it’s legal to drink and drive.