Crackdown fears cause run on auto first-aid kits

Some stores selling auto first-aid kits in Hungary have sold out of the portable medical units as motorists have rushed to buy new units to avoid being fined by the police.

According to portal hirszerzo.hu, the run on the kits began after numerous complaints were published on online forums by people saying the police had stepped up checks.

First aid kits are compulsory in cars in Hungary, and are only valid if their expiration date - usually around three years - has not passed. Most such kits contain sterile and non-sterile gauze, disinfectant, scissors and rubber gloves, said National Ambulance Service Spokesman Pál Győrfi.

While the kits can cost as little as Ft 1,500 (€6.2) - and their expired contents less - the fine for not possessing a valid kit can run Ft 30,000 (€124).

Despite the widespread rumors of the crackdown, the Budapest Police has said it did not order heightened checks of the kits.

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