Mandatory car equipment: what you must carry in the region

The fine for missing equipment in the car is small compared with the hassle of being turned back at the border to go and buy it. Here is what the law requires.

Serbia

• Warning triangle — placed behind the vehicle in the event of a breakdown or accident.

• Reflective vest — the SRPS EN 471:2010 standard is mandatory; without one you face a fine of 3,000 dinars.

• First aid kit — size "B", to the SRPS Z.B2.001 standard.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

In addition to the triangle and the vest, vehicles running on LPG or methane must also carry a fire extinguisher.

Croatia

Alongside the standard equipment, spare bulbs are also required — except for vehicles with modern (Xenon, LED) lights, where replacement at the roadside is not envisaged.

Montenegro

As in the rest of the region, a warning triangle, a reflective vest and a first aid kit are mandatory in the vehicle in Montenegro. The rules follow the same general pattern as in neighbouring countries — the equipment has to be there, it does not have to be new, but it does have to be usable.

Vans and vehicles with a trailer

If you are towing a trailer or a caravan, count on an extra warning triangle. Common practice in the region, as in much of the rest of Europe, is for a vehicle with a trailer to carry two triangles — one to place in front of the vehicle, the other behind the trailer — because the combination is longer and harder to pass or go around in the event of a breakdown. The basic equipment (vest, first aid kit) stays the same whether you are towing a trailer or not.

Practical tip

Check your equipment before every longer trip, not just before the annual roadworthiness test — vests and first aid kits have expiry dates, and triangles have a habit of disappearing after the first time you use them. If something is missing after all, petrol stations near the border crossings almost always sell it — as a rule more expensively than in town, but faster than driving home for it.

While you are getting ready, take a look at the live cameras on the page for the crossing you plan to use — for example Horgoš — to see the current situation before you leave.

Rules are subject to change — before you travel, check with an automobile association or in the current road safety legislation.