Drivers are being warned by Sainsbury's car insurance of the risks they are taking if they take their cars overseas during their holidays.

Many drivers could find their fully comprehensive UK policy is reduced to third party on the other side of the Channel should they fail to inform their insurance company of their plans first.

Joanne Mallon, Sainsbury's Car Insurance manager, commented: "When going on holiday, most people will take out travel insurance but we are concerned that some motorists are overlooking the need to ensure that their cars are fully covered.''

"Having an accident anywhere is bad enough, but when abroad it can be compounded by a lack of local knowledge to then find that the other party's damage is covered but not your own is surely a blow worth avoiding." he added.

Sainsburys Car Insurance went on to state that drivers must take note of some significant differences in driving laws between countries as some laws could be different from Britain.

In Spain, for example, drivers must carry a spare wheel, a spare fan belt and a full set of spare bulbs, plus the tools to change them and if you use any radar detecting device in France, your car and device could be seized and you could be fined, even if the device is switched off.