There are a few alterations to the Portuguese highway code for 2014 and there will be 300 euro fines for anyone who does not use a roundabout the way the Portuguese want you to! (for us who took the test in the UK.... thats the wrong way!! i.e you only use the outisde lane(right hand) if you are taking the 1st exit) GNR are expected to be posted on many roundabouts to catch people! I predict lots of fines and lots of accidents due to people afraid to getting it wrong on roundabouts, perhaps many will just circle the roundabout till they run out of fuel or the GNR leave, whatever comes 1st?! There will be 20kph zones introduced also with town/city centres, not that it will slow em down! A relaxing of height restrictions for child chairs in cars, before it was any child under 150cm had to be in a child chair, now its 135cm I believe.

Also new and significant to us expats(although I am unsure of how it was before) we must change to a PT licence within 2 years of becoming resident!

Not highway code but changes are expected to car importing too... no doubt to make it more complicated and expensive!

There are some more changes but the above is what I remember as being relevant!

Thanks for that Gedscottish.

We saw an article in the on-line Portugal News, but all they said were that there were changes - great help

Roundabouts confuse everyone down here - will need to be careful when we go out later in the week.

About the driving licence - what happens when you've been here a few years and still have the English license, albeit with the offical okay to drive form?

I was wondering the same thing I really don't want to change to a PT one, I still have my UK address so when I do get asked by Mr GNR I tell them I live between both countries. I would think.. ok "hope" that since its from now on there would only be a fine if you keep it past 2 years from now?! perhaps its time to change licence which I REALLY don't want to do!

Well they will make a fortune here in the Algarve as 90% of the drivers, Portuguese, Brits etc use adopt the " international " practce of using a roundabout.

I have always stuck to the uk way of using a roundabout but perhaps now it's time to do it the PT way... Which is going to really confuse me!

Just spoken to a Portuguese friend and he said that it is the old way of using the roundabouts - and the only way over here now. The lovely policemen were at every roundabout and the fines will be from 30 euros - up to 300 euros

So, as he said, we need to forget about how we used to do it - this is the way to do it from now on.

And yes, it is to get more money in for the government

As to the English licences, he couldn't help, sorry.

There will be a lot of nervous drivers on roundabouts... Time to get a dash cam I think for proof if involved in accident Iraq to prove to mr GNR that I did use the correct lane!

Just read the new changes for 2014 in English and seems I missed something important: a copy and paste...

If stopped by the police you must present the usual documents: driving licence, identity document and insurance papers. That’s normal, but there is a new rule which requires the fiscal ID card (cartão de contribuinte) if the number is not mentioned on the identity document presented and the driver is resident in Portugal. Fine is between 60 and 300 euros, unless you present the document within the following 8 days – in which case the fine is reduced to a maximum of 150 euros.

Thanks Ged

I always carry our fiscal cards, as well as residencia, just in case and photocopies of passports.

I probably shouldn't say this - no doubt it will come and haunt me but the only time we've been stopped, in over 8 years, is in the Alentejo. Just routine stops, so no worries there.

Just got back from my local cafe. Lots of debate amongst the locals about the new rules - particularly about roundabouts. It got quite animated! They seemed to think that at some roundabouts (particularly those being observed by the Police.....) you will have to go completely around the roundabout in order to take the second exit otherwise you will incur the wrath of the GNR.
Reassuringly they are convinced that accident rates will increase.

Indeed Hog, there was a lot of discussion in our coffee earlier.

But they were all insistant that we have to be on the inside, then cut across to the outside to exit - oh deep joy

We're off to Faro on Friday and have to navigate 7 of the blasted things

Good source of income from the thousands of tourists that hire cars each year.. I presume they will get a set of the new rules when they arrive. Joao

Yes there are 60+ alterations to the codígo da Estrada.
Ignorance is no excuse.

I can think of a couple of rotundas on the EN125 at Faro which will be problematic.
1. The very busy rotunda near the Faro General H. with 5 exits.
2. The other at Forum Algarve, with drivers already on the rotunda suddenly having to turn right to enter the forum across the oncoming traffic coming from the direction of the Jail.

Conversely I like the 20kmh limit in inner suburbs. However I can never see it being policed in this area.

http://www.tvi24.iol.pt/foto/14047353

Found this on another ExPat site ,it's clear & informative

http://algarve.angloinfo.com/forum/v...m-jan-1st-2014

Any Links to this new Driving Licence Law ???

The actual law for this set of alterations is Decreto Lei 72/2013, which can be read in the Diário de República here. Page 12, Article 14 is the relevant section on roundabouts.