The common or garden Lithuanian driver is notable for possessing certain eccentric habits almost unheard of in the West. A typical, edge-of-the-seat adventure sat beside a local Lewis Hamilton comes with lashings of tailgating, cutting lanes and dangerous overtaking manoeuvres. It comes as no great surprise to non-Italian Westerners who’ve been in the country for more than a couple of days to learn that Lithuania has the highest rate of road fatalities in the European Union. If you’re unfortunate enough to be involved in an accident in which any material or personal damage occurs, you must leave your vehicle exactly where it is, call the police (tel. 112) and wait for them to arrive. Even if your car is obstructing the flow of traffic, don’t move it until the police get there and have danced about the wreckage with a tape measure and some lollipops, drawn some little pictures, and given you the all-clear. Not only is leaving the scene of an accident an offence, but the lack of an official police report will give insurance companies the excuse they’re looking for not to pay. Seat belts must be worn and headlights must be on at all times while driving. All vehicles must be fitted with a small fire extinguisher and carry a first-aid kit, a reflective road-side warning triangle and a reflective safety vest. You must have your vehicle registration papers and licence with you at all times. During the winter, you’ll also want to make sure you have an ice scraper and maybe a brush for getting all the weather off your car before you set off. Winter tyres are mandatory between November 10 and April 10. In and around town the speed limit is 50km/h unless indicated otherwise. Elsewhere you can drive at 90km/h on asphalt roads and 70km/h on dirt roads, and on highways you can drive at 130km/h until November 1, when you’ll have to stick to 110km/h.