Portugal issues warning to UK tourists over 'illegal' device owned by 33 million

Many UK drivers have dash cams installed in their cars to provide them with footage in the event of a crash - but using them abroad could land you in hot water and facing hefty fines

Portugal has issued a warning to British holidaymakers over a common device owned by 33 million UK tourists which they say is 'illegal'

British holidaymakers could face eye-watering fines for using dash cams while driving in the EU this summer, with potential penalties reaching a whopping £21,000. Although dash cams are installed by 32.7 million Brits, these gadgets might land them in hot water abroad where some countries consider them a serious breach of privacy. Tim Rodie from Motorpoint, an expert on driving, has warned: "When driving in Portugal, Luxembourg and Austria, it's not permitted to operate a dashcam as they're deemed as an invasion of privacy and carry hefty fines."

While UK drivers commonly use dash cams to protect against fraudulent insurance claims – potentially saving thousands – unaware tourists could be penalised up to €25,000 (£21,300) for repeated infringements in places like Austria. The RAC has issued a warning: "And in a few countries – such as Austria and Portugal – dash cam use is completely banned.

"Repeat offenders in Austria face eye-watering five-figure fines. The message therefore is to make sure you obey the law on dash cam use in whichever country you're driving in."

Moreover, Skoda has cautioned that "Portugal has the strictest approach: you're not even allowed to own a dashcam! So you can expect the police to give you a hard time even if they find a dashcam on a seat in your car, in the glove compartment or in the boot."

Drivers may also face a conundrum when their only entry into Portugal is through Spain, where there are no restrictions on the use of dashcams, despite many countries outlawing them due to the impact on personal privacy. Snapping pics or filming private property without consent could land you in hot water with fines, reports Birmingham Live.

Yet, some folks reckon they've been using dash cams trouble-free, provided they don't share any footage that could identify someone. As for whether this kind of evidence will fly in court, it's all down to what the judge thinks.

Dash cam users should tread carefully and keep data protection laws in mind when sharing any clips. When talking about "usage allowed", Portugal warns: "Contentious; not explicitly illegal but fraught with privacy concerns."