Whether you're a keen driver who loves being behind the wheel or a nervous nellie who hates to drive outside your usual routes, we all need safe roads to drive on.

To have safe roads of course we must have rules and regulations keeping our driving in check. But what happens when the laws they come up with are a bit strange? 

Let's find out as we explore 9 of the strangest driving laws from here in the UK and around the world.

1. No drunk napping

In the UK, it is illegal to sleep in your car whilst intoxicated, including the driver's and passenger seats. So next time you're leaving the pub after one too many pints, it's definitely best to call an Uber. If you take a nap in your car whilst you're over the legal limit, you could face up to 3 months in prison. That's one costly night out!

2. Splashing pedestrians

Using puddles to splash pedestrians can be considered a criminal offence here in the UK as it can be deemed careless and inconsiderate driving. Plus, nobody likes to be splashed with dirty rainwater. Of course, this wouldn't be an extreme case of careless driving exactly, but you could still face points on your license.

3. No drinking water

In Cyprus, it's illegal to consume any food or drink whilst driving, including water. In this sunny country reaching to the cup holder to take a quick swig of Evian is completely out of the question. However, there must be something in it as Cyprus is considered to be a relatively safe country for motorists.

4. Dirty plates

Here in Britain, you must keep your number plate clean and visible at all times. If stopped by the police for an obscured registration plate, you could land yourself a hefty fine. So next time your little yellow rectangle is muddy from country roads make sure to give it a quick wipe before setting off.

5. Road rage

It's hard to keep your cool behind the wheel. We've all experienced it at one time or another. But angry and aggressive driving on British roads can be considered disorderly conduct. Especially if it leads to a collision.

6. Your own breathalyser

In case you haven't received the message yet, it's definitely not a good idea to drink and drive. To help motorists understand how much they've had, France requires drivers to keep their own personal breathalyser in their vehicles. 

7. No loud music

Back to the UK now where it states in the highway code that you mustn't drive with excessive volume coming from your speaker. This rule is to make sure drivers can hear important signals from other road users, like horns and sirens from emergency vehicles.

8. Gently close your door

The Swiss are prohibited from slamming car doors. Imagine a world without car doors being slammed late at night! However, gently closing a car door during an argument with your significant other wouldn't really have the same impact.

9. Cash only

In the UK, it's illegal to use your phone at a drive-through. Most of us love the convenience of using Apple or Google Pay to quickly tap-and-go but their use whilst in your car is strictly prohibited. This is due to laws that have banned the use of mobile phones while in control of a motorised vehicle.

Strange driving laws - final thoughts

While at first glance some of these laws may seem strange, no drinking water at the wheel, no angry driving, no Apple Pay at the drive-through, it's obvious they're all in place for a reason, to keep our roads safer. 

So perhaps we can learn something from other countries. Or perhaps we will continue to slam our car doors every time we have a bicker about directions with our partners. I know which one I'm going to do.