A Conversation for Driving Etiquette - Germany

Correction and addition to german driving.

Post 1

Researcher 182818

Sorry to correct you, but the IS a speed limit on all German motorways. Where the limit is signed at 130kph, this IS the limit. Where there is a deristriction sign, you will not be prosecuted for breaking the, still valid, 130kph limit ...... But ..... if you have an accident whilst above 130kph, it will automatically be regarded as your fault, whatever the circumstances.

Don't ever make aggressive hand signals. This is considered a serious offense, and the fines are huge. It's their answer to road rage.

Germans are very arrogant drivers, counter this arrogance with steadfast glares and assertive driving, and they melt. Even the Merc 600s.

Correction and addition to german driving.

Post 2

kats-eyes (psychically confirmed caffeine addict)


of course, there are speed limits on most stretches (most of them <130...), but there isn't a "general speed limit" in the strict sense. 130 kph is the recommended speed, but it isn't a limit - meaning, you don't pay fines for speeding in those circumstances (as e.g. in France or Switzerland).
In case of accidents... well, you're mostly right smiley - winkeye.


the German sight..

Post 3


I am a german Driver and I am on the highway almost 30,000miles a year.

Speed limits: There is no general limit, but there is a "voluntary limit" to 130km/h you should keep. But: a lot of parts of the Autobahn are limited, due to driving riscs, repairs, bad pavement, or just to make money with radar traps.

Driving on the left lane: It is not allowed to pass by on the right lane, and so everbody is always passing by a truck, a car, or sometimes cars made of glas nobody can see. But: It is a good method to keep the speed limits, as nobody is able to drive faster than 100km/h

One strange thing: If there is a speed limit, let´s say 100km, most people are driving 120km/h (your risc: only 30 Euro). If the limit is over and you are allowed to drive full speed, everybody changes to the left lane, and the whole bunch of cars is slowing down to about 100km/h....

Speed (radar) traps: Inside a town the trap reacts on speeds greater than 5km over the limit. On highways it is usually more than 15 to 20 km/h before you get a very nice picture of you, your car, and your actual speed. If you are very fast, you collect "Punkte" (Points) at Flensburg (a town in Northern Germany, where every car and driving license is registred). If you collect enough points, you can loose your driving license, even as a foreigner. Speeding in towns with 30km/h over the limit is usually 3 or 4 points and about 120DM. If you are faster than 30km/h over the limit, you loose your license for about a month.

So, don´t mess around in Germany with speed traps... Its getting expensive.

the German sight..

Post 4

Max Milliway

I'm german, too, and as far as I know, foreigners cannot collect points.

And Researcher 182818:

melt. Even the Merc 600s."

This is exactly the way to act to provoke more of this "arrogance". It is true that a lot of drivers with the bigger cars think they have bought the priority on the roads with their vehicle. For the rest, there are certain rules that are obeyed by almost everybody and as everywhere, respect, courtesy and looking-ahead driving is the key. Germans may drive fast but at least they drive quite ordered compared to other countries.

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Correction and addition to german driving.

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