Five things you should know before you drive abroad

Think again... Unless you are traveling to a war zone or high-risk area, the biggest threat to your safety and well-being is traffic. The World Health Organization estimates that more than 1.2 million deaths and as many as 50 million injuries occur every year due to road accidents. Thousands of these victims are Canadians travellers, according to Canadian Consular Affairs.

The good news is that road accidents are something you can help prevent. Here are five questions you should answer before you hit the road in a foreign country:

1. What do I need to drive?

Is your Canadian drivers licence enough? It depends. Many countries also require travellers to have an International Drivers Permit (IDP), which can be obtained through the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA). CAA advises that most rental car companies require an IDP even if the country does not. An added benefit of the IDP is that it can be translated into ten different languages, and can serve as an additional piece of photo I.D.

Insurance is another necessity. Your travel and health insurance policy should cover all activities in which you plan to participate, including driving. Rental car companies may only provide basic coverage, so make sure your policy is adequate to your needs. You may also need to be careful where you purchase your policy. If you're travelling to Belarus you can only buy your health insurance from one of the country's providers (or approved providers), and car insurance can only be purchased on arrival.

Some countries even require special permits to access certain roads and areas. For example, both the Czech Republic and Switzerland require a special sticker or “vignette” to drive on the expressways.