The other sign to watch out for is the red circle (with nothing in it) which means cars are forbidden. Not always intuitive when you see cars in the zone.
I think the only sticklers for IDPs are in Spanish-speaking countries. I've rented many times in France and was never asked for one (rented 2x in Italy but don't remember if they asked). Better to have to avoid being hassled by cops though.
Originally Posted by
oliver2002
Another classic one is 'turn on red'. I've had a few near heart attacks on the passenger seat when visiting US colleagues were driving and after a rollingstop on a red traffic light just turned right. A perfectly legal practice in the US, but not in Bavaria
(yes, yes I know about the 'green arrow', but I can count on one hand where I have seen that sign in all of Bavaria)
A lot of people don't know it but it's also (or was) prohibited in Manhattan and was prohibited in Quebec until recently (apparently still prohibited on the island of Montreal).