Driving restrictions in Europe on specific days and times
Some European countries impose different driving restrictions for heavy vehicles on weekends and public holidays. Here you can find details for driving bans valid in 2016.
GERMANY | DENMARK | ITALY |
AUSTRIA | SPAIN | LUXEMBOURG |
FRANCE | FINLAND | NORWAY |
BELGIUM | GREAT BRITAIN | NETHERLANDS |
SWITZERLAND | HUNGARY | SWEDEN |
GERMANY
Driving ban applies all year long to the entire national road network for vehicles with a legal maximum weight exceeding 7.5 tons and semi-trailers between 00:00 and 22:00 on Sundays and public holidays.
- This restriction does not apply to vehicles carrying:
- Intermodal road/rail transports from the shipper to the nearest suitable loading rail station to the consignee, but only up to a distance of 200 km.
- Intermodal transports in ports between the loading/unloading stations, but only up to a distance of 150 km.
- Transportation of:
- fresh milk and fresh dairy products,
- fresh meal and fresh meat products,
- fresh fish and fresh fish products,
- perishable fruit and vegetables.
- Transports of empty vehicles for the carriage of products (see previous item).
- Transports of vehicles, which are used for the federal authorities. Such vehicles should be accompanied with the permission documents that are to be shown to the authorities on request.
- Official public holidays in Germany are:
- New Year
- Good Friday
- Easter
- Labour Day
- Ascension Day
- Whit Monday
- Corpus Christi (for states Baden-Wurttemberg, Bavaria, Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland)
- German Unity Day
- Reformation Day (for states Brandenburg, Meklenburg-Vorpommern, Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland)
- All Saints (for states Baden-Wurttemberg, Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland)
- Christmas
Further information can be obtained here...
AUSTRIA
- Driving ban applies all year long to the entire national road network for vehicles with a legal maximum weight exceeding 3.5 tons, trailers, tractors and machines with a legal maximum weight exceeding 7.5 tons on:
- Saturdays between 15:00 and midnight
- Sundays and weekends between 00:00 and 22:00.
Driving night ban applies all year long to the entire national road network for vehicles with a legal maximum weight exceeding 7.5 tons between 22:00 and 05:00.
Also, from 1 July to 31 August special rules for driving during holidays are applied.
- These restrictions do not apply to:
- road services and Federal Army vehicles
- low-noise motor vehicles (with confirmation from the truck manufacturer and certificate of control every 2 years) with the L-sign next to the front plate attached.
Besides, these motor vehicles should have maximum speed of 60 km per hour, unless otherwise is stated by appropriate road signs.
Further information about traffic restrictions can be obtained from the web-site portal.wko.at.
FRANCE
- Driving ban applies all year long to the entire national road network for trucks with a legal maximum weight above 7.5 tons:
- on weekends from Saturday 22:00 till Sunday 22:00
- during all public holidays, and day prior to a public holiday from 22:00 till 22:00 accordingly.
Further information about traffic restrictions can be obtained from the web-site www.astag.ch
or French International Road Association:
Rue de la Bienfaisance 48
F-75008 Paris
Tel.: 0033-1-44 29 04 29
Fax: 0033-1-44 29 04 01
BELGIUM
No driving bans on Sundays and public holidays.
SWIZERLAND
- Driving ban applies all year long to the entire national road network on Sundays and holidays between 00:00 till midnight for:
- trucks with a legal maximum weight above 3.5 tons (apart from vehicles used for passenger transports), tractor units
- trailer units with a legal maximum weight above 5 tons, apart from agricultural vehicles.
- Official public holidays in Switzerland are:
- New Year
- Good Friday
- Easter Monday
- Ascension Say
- Whit Monday
- National Day
- Christmas
- St. Stefan Day
If any of these days is not a public holiday in a canton or part of a canton, the Sunday driving ban will not apply there either. Driving bans in a canton is not applied to the transit traffic.
Driving bans are also imposed on hazardous goods transport through tunnels.
The night driving ban applies from 22:00 to 05:00 for all vehicles with a legal maximum weight exceeding 3.5 tones (apart from vehicles used for passenger transports), as well as for trucks, tractor units, industry vehicles with a legal maximum weight exceeding 5 tones.
Further information can be obtained from the web-site www.astag.ch.
DENMARK
No general driving ban on Sundays and public holidays. In Copenhagen, there is nightly driving ban for trucks with a legal maximum weight over 3.5 tones between 19:00 and 07:00.
SPAIN
- Hazardous goods transports are generally banned on:
- Sundays and public holidays from 08:00 till midnight
- On the day prior to a public holiday from 13:00 till midnight.
On connector roads to and from Madrid and Barcelona there are special traffic restrictions on Sundays and holidays.
Further information can be obtained from the Spanish International Road Association:
ASTIC, Orense 36
E-28020 Madrid
Tel.: 0034-1-555 7979
Fax: 0034-1-555 6450
FINLAND
No driving ban on Sundays and public holidays.
GREAT BRITAIN
- Night and weekend driving ban in the Greater London area with the exception of motorways and major roads for trucks with a legal maximum weight above 16.5 tones as follows:
- Monday to Friday 21:00 – 07:00
- Weekends from Saturday 13:00 till Monday 07:00
Further information can be obtained from Lorry Control Unit:
Rooms 301-305 - Hampton House
20 Albert Embankment
GB- London SE1 7TJ
HUNGARY
- Driving ban for trucks with a legal maximum weight above 7.5 tonnes on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays:
- 1 September – 14 June on Sundays between 08:00 and 22:00
- 15 June – 31 August Saturdays 08:00 till 22:00 Sundays, holidays from 08:00 till 22:00.
Further information can be obtained from the Hungarian International Road Association:
ATRH
Egrssy ut. 77
H-1149 Budapest
Tel.: 0036-1-252 09 28 or 252 06 88 or 183 33 23
Fax: 0036-1-163 52 26 or 183 63 07
or at the website www.mkfe.hu.
ITALY
- Driving ban applies all year long to the entire national road network for the vehicles exceeding 7.5 tons with or without a trailer on Sundays:
- from January to April/from November to December between 08:00 and 20:00
- from May to September between 07:00 and 24:00.
Further information could be found at the web-site www.astag.ch.
LUXEMBOURG
- Heavy goods vehicles exceeding 7.5 tones intended for the transport of goods from Belgium or Germany to France are prohibited on public roads:
- from Saturday 21:30 to Sunday 21:45
- all public holidays, and day prior to a public holiday from 21:30 to 21:45 accordingly.
NORWAY
No driving ban on Sundays and public holidays.
NETHERLANDS
No driving ban on Sundays and public holidays.
SWEDEN
No driving ban on Sundays and public holidays.