Car rental in Kota Kinabalu

To rent a car the driver must be at least 23 and not more than 60 years old. Driving experience must be at least one year. You also need to present both an international driving licence and your national driving licence.

Traffic in the city is left-hand. There are many motorcyclists and cyclists, who often break the rules. Drivers almost never stop at pedestrian crossings and often increase speed if they see a pedestrian on the "zebra".

Seat belts must always be fastened. You may use a mobile phone only with a hands-free headset. Headlights should be switched on only when it is dark.

Drivers often break the rules, but rarely by speeding. Traffic is generally very slow, but you may easily see cars driving along the central reservation.

Speed limits are fairly standard for Malaysia and European countries. Pay close attention to the road signs. As a rule, you can drive at:

• in the city - 40-60 km/h;
• outside built-up areas - 90-100 km/h;
• on expressways - 110-120 km/h.

The police are friendly and well disposed towards foreigners, provided they do not break the traffic rules. Any offence will definitely result in a fine; there are no discounts and no opportunity to negotiate. The main fines are:

• not wearing a seat belt - 30 ringgit;
• illegal turn - 70 ringgit;
• speeding - from 90 ringgit;
• illegal turn across a double line - 130 ringgit.

You are allowed to drink a beer or a glass of wine. In this case the blood alcohol level will remain within the legal limit of 0.3-0.5 ppm.

If you have little driving experience, or you are not used to driving on the left, it is better to avoid alcoholic drinks altogether to reduce the risk of a traffic accident.