Driving Around In My Automobile

Spending over a week driving around in Germany really made me think about how hard it might be for non-Germans to get around here. I am driving on my Oklahoma license over here, and I never had any formal German-driver training, but I at least had the benefit of being exposed to German traffic rules and signs as a child. In grade-school we all had to go to the police station and participate in driver-training for your bicycle. That included learning all the traffic signs, traffic rules, driving around in a simulated little town while obeying all the rules, and taking a little test for your "bicycle-drivers-license". I also lived with the same traffic rules while driving my bicycle through Schwabach until I moved back to the USA. I figured that this would be a good time to talk about the differences and problems between American and German traffic rules.

Traffic Signs

The first thing one will notice while driving in Germany for the first time is that you will be quickly introduced to many new and exciting traffic signs. Many of which don't really give any hint as to what they are trying to tell you. Many colors and geometric shapes will be found on poles around the country, and unless you have memorized their meaning you'll be in trouble. Another interesting difference, especially in smaller towns, is that you will often find traffic signs attached to traffic lights. After the busy times for traffic are over, these traffic lights simply turn off and the signs take over.

No Traffic Signs

In addition to knowing what all these signs mean, you also need to know what it means when there are no signs to be found. Many smaller intersections in neighborhoods do not have any markings regarding right-of-way. In those unmarked intersection the rule is simply that whoever is on the right, has the right-of-way. So everybody drives slowly through the intersection and pays attention to the street on their right. If it is clear, you go. You don't have to watch your left, because that side has to yield to you. Sounds weird, but works very well.

Many streets also have no markings for speed limits, but have a preset speed limit based on type of street. City streets are always 50 kph unless marked otherwise, county-type roads 80 kph unless marked otherwise, and so forth. Unless you are familiar with the speed limits you will be lost, but an acceptable solution is to simply keep up with the traffic around you. Be warned that Germans do love to speed.

Autobahn

After driving from Schwabach to Karlsruhe in my grandparents little car going 100 mph, I think it is a testament to German traffic laws and German drivers that the Autobahn works as well as it does. Large sections of the Autobahn have no speed limits, and compared to the Interstates there are really no more accidents here. The Autobahn has only 3 consistent rules:

1. Keep on the right: Unless you are passing, you need to be on the right-most lane that you can be in. In 3 lane sections that usually means that semi-trucks (which have a lower speed limit) usually sit in the right lane, the middle lane is the "driving" lane, and the left lane is being used for passing.

2. Pass on the left: No passing anybody on the right side. Together with the "keep right" laws this means that most of the time the traffic moves pretty smoothly, getting faster as you move towards the inner lanes.

3. Keep Distance: These are some of the most enforced laws on the Autobahn. Keep away from the car in front of you. If you are driving 100+ mph, you better keep enough distance between you and the other car to be able to stop.

These 3 rules, and a higher quality of construction of the Autobahn compared to the Interstate, keep driving at high speeds very safe and comfortable. I can say without lying that going 100 here really doesn't feel much different than going 70 in Oklahoma.

The 4th rule, which is not really a written rule, is simply this: Watch your rear-view mirrors. Just because you think you are hauling at 100 mph, that does not mean that 10 seconds later there won't be a car behind you going 150 mph, and you better move over to the right and let them pass.

The last thing that comes to mind is that drivers in Germany seem less aggressive. You will hear more on their horn, but it is often a quick "please pay attention" instead of the long "WTF are you doing!!!!!" that I hear in the US.