European emergency call numbers confuse British motorists

British travellers driving into Europe this summer find it harder than other nations to request help in the event of a breakdown, new research has found.

A study of 1,778 drivers by RAC Europe found that 60 per cent don’t know which number to call in an emergency when driving abroad.

A total of 38 per cent knew they should call 112 in the event of an emergency in the European Union. However, a third had no idea which number to call if they were in a situation where they needed help. A further one in 10 would dial 999.

The numbers to note, if you are travelling across the continent this summer are 112, which is the emergency assistance for all the EU, including Switzerland, Turkey and the UK. 999 is the emergency services number for the UK while 911 is emergency assistance in North America. The number 101 is the police for non-emergencies in the UK and 111 is the number to call for the NHS non-emergency in England, Scotland and Wales.

Furthermore, many British drivers also forgot to display ‘UK’ badges on their vehicles with more than four-in-10 failing to do so. A further 42 per cent plan to use UK stickers on their cars, while 16 per cent rely on the UK lettering of their number plates and 23 per cent intend to display an outdated ‘GB’ badge.

Rod Dennis, RAC spokesperson said: “Before drivers venture to the continent for their holidays this summer, it’s important to make sure they are displaying the UK identifier on the back of their vehicles, whether that’s on their car’s number plate or a sticker. They should also know the right number to ring if they need to call out the emergency services while they’re away.”

In September 2021, it became a legal requirement to display ‘UK’ badges on UK-registered cars when driving abroad.