Driving in Germany

Most Germans see their car primarily as a utilitarian object that gets you from point A to point B. They can be quite passionate about cars, though, and more than one comedian has observed that the average German man will maintain his car better than his own bodily health. There is a vocal and well organized minority that sees their car as an object of passion, fun and even love. The ADAC being the second biggest pro-car lobby group in the world (behind its US equivalent, "triple A") is just one example of this.

When in Germany, you will see many locals driving Mercedes-Benz and BMW cars. While certainly considered upper class and priced accordingly, these are not rare luxury brands in Germany.

Germany – the “regulation nation” – has the reputation of “loving” rules. Although vehicle drivers passed rigorous testing, traffic rules are generally disregarded. Expect persistent violations of safety margins (e. g. tailgating), customary speeding by 10km/h above the posted speed limit, and it is de rigueur to disobey the octagonal stop signs and slowly keep rolling (unless to avoid collisions), just to name some examples. Bicyclist are particularly prone not to indicate and swerve into your lane, yet some car drivers are too lazy to indicate, too. Rush hour in metropoles can entail road rage (honking, cutting, gesturing and swearing). Parking violations are ubiquitous and are only properly policed within city centers (where the city loses parking fees).

Still, there is a double standard: There is common prejudice that foreign drivers were unskilled or tended to drive recklessly. Some Germans will spare no efforts at explaining road rules to you if they catch you breaking them. Understand that traffic rules are appreciated as long as it restricts others and grants privileges to oneself. Driving defensively and by the book often wins the day in Germany, yet may also draw the ire of some drivers (e. g. honking if you properly stop at a red light and refrain from proceeding turning right despite a green arrow allowing you to do so).

Just because there are stretches on the Autobahn where you can drive at speeds of 200 km/h (120 mph) this does not mean you must. You can be perfectly fine and happy doing around 80 km/h (50 mph) in the rightmost lane with the trucks. While some cities in the west did attempt in the 1950s and 1960s to become "car friendly", local opposition and the preservation of architectural heritage in the end won more victories against the car lobby than in, say, the US and some cities are now actively reversing "car friendly" developments as mistakes to be ashamed of. Trams are a common sight in many cities and even though they are increasingly not street-running, you should keep an eye open for them in cities like Dresden as they will inevitably win in a collision.

• Low emission zones: All cars – and yes: that includes electric cars – driving into a low emission zone (Umweltzone) need a badge (Feinstaubplakette) indicating their pollution category. These are stickers that are placed on the inside of the windshield and come in three colours: green, yellow, and red. Signs marking the start of pollution-free zones – typically the central parts of a city – show the colours allowed into the zone. Entering without a badge costs you a fine if you are caught. If you rent a car, make sure it has a Feinstaubplakette. If you travel in your own car, get your badge for a small fee from:
  • vehicle registration offices
  • technical inspection organisations such as TÜV (you can request a badge online) or Dekra
  • many car repair shops
• Studded tires are strictly forbidden throughout Germany, except a 15 km zone along the Austrian border and the short cut via B21 between the Austrian cities of Salzburg and Lofer.
• On Sundays and public holidays between midnight and 22:00, trucks weighing over 7.5 t as well as any trucks towing trailers are not permitted to drive on public roads. However, there are a couple of exceptions to this rule (e.g. for trucks carrying perishable products), so in practice, even on Sundays you will see some trucks on the roads. As well as being a densely populated country with an export economy, Germany is a transit country for goods from almost all parts of Europe: trucks from all sorts of places use German highways.

• Alcohol: The police may routine check vehicle drivers for alcohol; controls will be especially heavy at national holidays or close to mass events where people may consume alcohol. It's illegal to drive with a blood alcohol content of more than 0.05% (0.5‰ (permille)). Even below that limit, you may face severe fines if you seem unfit to drive or are involved in an accident (even if it is not your fault). The limit is zero for people under 21 and those who have held their license for less than two years. If your licence was recently renewed, it might be a good idea, if possible, to have a copy of your previous licence.
• Mobile phones: Using mobile phones while driving is forbidden, unless you use a hands-free set. This includes using the mobile phone while stopped at a traffic light, etc. It does not matter if you use the phone for making a call or just reading the clock: If you pick it up, you are violating the rule. This also means that using a navigation software on a smartphone is not allowed, unless the phone is mounted in the car. The police are quite strict about this. To legally use a mobile phone in a car the engine has to be switched off or the car has to be in a permanently parked position, e.g. just stopping at the side of the road can still lead to a fine.

In general German traffic signs are geometric designs based on the Vienna convention, which is helpful if you speak little or no German (Wikipedia's list of road signs in Germany is a useful reference). Still, knowing a few German words can help figure out where there is an Umleitung (detour) or Einbahnstraße (one way street). Additional black on white panels affixed below a traffic sign modify its applicability (for restrictions and permissions) or give additional information (for warnings). The important ones are mostly self-explanatory, but it helps to know that frei (free) refers to people or vehicles that are exempt from a restrictive sign and that anything accompanied by bei Nässe only applies when the road is wet.

A black on yellow color scheme is used for direction signs on regular roads, city limit signs, and numbering of federal level roads (Bundesstraße), while white on blue is used for the autobahn. White signs indicate local destinations, brown ones are for scenic drives and tourist attractions.

Like elsewhere in Europe, traffic lights are usually placed right at the entry of an intersection, with a thick white line on the road indicating where to stop. Do not creep into the intersection or you will not be able to see the lights change. Traffic lights are split for different directions, especially on large intersections: Arrowed lights regulate traffic in that direction, the non-arrowed light is for all other directions and traffic going straight ahead. Many intersections use "self-regulating" traffic lights with an inductive sensor device below the road surface. To be recognized, be sure to stop right in front of the white stripe – otherwise you will have to wait much longer.

Driving through the lights at red carries a fine (up to €200) – and will not be anticipated by any other road users. Turning right on red is not permitted except when a green right arrow sign is affixed to the traffic light, right next to the red light. Then, you may turn right carefully, but you must still stop and make sure that there is no traffic or pedestrians approaching.

Yellow lights are short in duration (2–3 s) and are also used prior to the light turning green (the sequence is green, amber, red, red-and-amber, same as in the UK). If the yellow light is flashing this means the traffic light is either defective or switched off (for example late at night or during weekends). You then have to observe traffic signs or, if absent, the "right before left" rule.

Normal road markings are white. Yellow road markings invalidate any existing white markings, observe the yellow markings. Watch out for cyclists on sidewalk lanes; sometimes they are allowed to use the "wrong direction" lane (though many drive in "wrong direction" even if they are not allowed to do so). If a road crosses a bicycle lane (Radweg) it might have a red or blue colour where it interjects with the bicycle lane or other special markings. Then, cyclists have right of way. If in doubt or there are no markings, its still a good idea to give right of way. Increasingly, one way streets are "opened" to cyclists in both directions, so be prepared for cyclists coming towards you in one way streets, especially in "bicycle cities" like Münster or Erlangen.

The traffic code establishes a hierarchy from most to least vulnerable (road) traffic participants. Generally speaking pedestrians deserve the most protection. In traffic law cycling children under the age of 10 years and people in (possibly motorised) wheelchairs are considered pedestrians. You will frequently have to yield to pedestrians. Keep in mind that pedestrians – especially in cities – do jaywalk from time to time. This is especially common at tram (streetcar) or bus stops, where people race across the street to not miss their ride.

• Right of way: If there are no markings on a crossing regulating otherwise, then the vehicle/cyclist approaching from your right has the right of way ("right before left" rule)
• Turning left or right at a crossing: Generally you have to yield to pedestrians and cyclists who are crossing the road you want to turn into.
• Pedestrian crossings: Stopping at "Zebrastreifen" (literally "zebra stripes") is mandatory when there are pedestrians waiting to cross the street and German drivers virtually always stop. Accordingly, many pedestrians will not wait for the car to stop before they use the pedestrian crossing. Not stopping can result in a €80 fine and one point on your license.
• A bus flashing both indicator lights while stopped at a bus stop may only be passed at walking speed on the lanes of both directions even though this particular rule is quite often flouted.

Traffic police: The police will show blinking signs reading "Polizei Halt" (police, stop) or "Bitte folgen" (please follow) if they want you to stop. An audible "yelp signal" is being introduced. Stay calm and friendly, and hand over the driving license and car papers (if you rent a car, you will have a copy of the rental contract) when you are asked to. In most cases, that is all that happens, and if you respect traffic signs and speed limits, it is very unlikely that you get stopped at all. Take notice that the police car will usually stop you by passing your car and then slowing you down to a halt on the emergency lane or even on the sidewalk. However when a police car is behind you on a crowded street with oncoming traffic, flashing blue lights without sirens may prompt you to pull over as well. Particularly on the Autobahn, the police are less visible than in other countries, because they often patrol in unmarked cars.

Traffic offences are almost always fined and severe offences will lead to "points" being registered for your licence. Too many points (8) will lead to your driving licence being confiscated. As this system can not be applied to foreign licences, fines for severe offences are often significantly higher for foreign drivers to make up for the lack of long-term control. Some severe infractions carry a driving ban (usually a couple of months) in addition to a fine and points. As the Federal Automobile Agency keeping records is headquartered in the Northern town of Flensburg, people colloquially say they have „Punkte in Flensburg“.

You have the right to appeal against any traffic violation, but this process is long, complicated and can cost a lot of money.

Contrary to the Vienna convention, speed limits and overtaking prohibitions remain valid after each intersection for drivers who continue straight through. However, when turning onto another road, drivers can continue at the default speed limit; you aren't required to know the speed limit that the drivers continuing straight onto that section of road would have (unlike in Austria).

Speed limits are the following in Germany (unless otherwise shown):

• Walking speed (4–7 km/h) on "verkehrsberuhigter Bereich" (traffic calming zones, marked by a blue/white sign showing a car, a pedestrian and a kid playing on the road) and "Fußgängerweg" and "Fußgängerzone" (pedestrian path and pedestrianised precinct, only if indicated). There are no lanes or pavement, cars don't have priority, parking is only permitted in marked spots.
• 30 km/h in most residential areas within cities (10- and 20-km/h zones also exist).
• 50 km/h inside towns and cities. Be aware that there are no 50 speed limit signs on entry to a town or village, the yellow town sign is the marker for the start of the 50 km/h limit. And yes, that's why those signs are not at the same place as the administrative boundary.
• 100 km/h outside towns and cities (including "Kraftfahrstraßen" (marked by a sign showing a white car on a blue background))
• 130 km/h is the recommended maximum speed ("Richtgeschwindigkeit") on the "Autobahn" and on "Kraftfahrstraßen" if there is any kind of barrier between two or more lanes of different direction. See the section on using the Autobahn below for details.
• When towing a trailer or operating a truck/bus/heavy vehicle, the maximum speed is 80 km/h, even on a road with a higher posted speed limit, unless the components are rated for a higher speed. The maximum speed for lorries on country roads is 60 km/h, not raised by speed signage either.

Only vehicles with a maximum speed of more than 60 km/h are allowed on the "Autobahn" or "Kraftfahrstraßen".

If there is a traffic jam or traffic is slow, you have to leave space for emergency vehicles to be able to pass (German: Rettungsgasse).

Germany has one of the highest speed camera concentrations in Europe, mostly in towns and cities. Road works on the motorway are a favourite for the police so obey the speed limit, which is clearly marked. There is also some tendency to do shenanigans with the Ortsschild (the yellow sign at the entrance of towns) which signifies that a blanket 50 km/h (31 mph) speed limit in effect inside built up areas, often further out than the edge of the settlement and sometimes moved without any change in the built environment. Sometimes there are official signs – "Achtung Radar!" or something similar – to warn about a speed camera. Take the advice.

Radar jammers and radar detectors are illegal. Radar ("Blitzer" in German) smartphone apps and satellite navigation systems with a speed camera overlay are illegal for the driver to use but not for other passengers.

The following table lists speeding fines (the speeds below indicate the difference between the speed limit and the actual speed travelled after the 3 km/h allowance has been deducted)

NB: There is an extra €23.50 for any fine over €40.

Unless speed limit signs tell you otherwise, the recommended maximum speed ("Richtgeschwindigkeit") on the Autobahn for most passenger vehicles is 130 km/h. You may go faster if – and only if – traffic permits to do so safely. The best way to think about going past 130 km/h is as a speeding violation that is waived – unless you are involved in an accident. Whether you caused the accident or not, you will very likely be held liable for part or even all of the damage. On some rental vehicles, you might lose your insurance.

There are many sections on the Autobahn where the maximum speed is limited for reasons like noise protection, heavy traffic or road construction and maintenance works. Especially the latter can be a bit of a nuisance, but it is wise to obey the speed limit of typically 80 km/h as the lanes are very narrow and mobile traffic cameras common. Lower speed limits also apply for certain classes of vehicles: Most vehicles with a gross weight greater than 3.5 t as well as those towing a trailer are limited to 80 km/h. Some newer buses and trailers have a speed limit of 100 km/h.

There is no general minimum speed on the Autobahn, but the permitted maximum speed of your vehicle must be at least 60 km/h. However, in mountainous regions you will sometimes find minimum speed requirements for single lanes indicated by white numbers on round, blue signs. Take this as a warning that there may be heavy trucks ahead crawling up a slope, as well as surprised car drivers running up on them, hitting the brakes hard and doing sudden lane changes.

Make sure to check your speed when leaving the Autobahn if you don't want to end up in the ditch, because your perception of speed will have changed after driving fast for a while. The safe ramp speed is around 50 km/h, unless there is a sign that tells you something else.

Autobahns are numbered and officially referred to as e.g. Bundesautobahn 7. In daily conversation, this is usually shortened to A7, while direction signs will only show the plain number in white on blue.

It may be good to know that odd-numbered Autobahns go roughly north/south, whereas the even-numbered ones go west/east. After all, direction signs on the Autobahn do not include the compass directions you may be accustomed to from countries with a more rectangular motorway network layout.

Furthermore, the number of digits gives an indication of the importance and length of an Autobahn. Single digits are reserved for the most important backbones, such as the A7 going from Denmark all the way down to the Austrian border. Double digit Autobahns are considerably shorter regional connectors, and triple digits are often used for urban highways of local importance (such as the A100 which makes a never completed circle through Berlin).

• You must use the right lane if free, even if everybody seems to prefer the left and middle lanes (where they exist). You may stay in the middle lane only if there are occasional slower vehicles on the right. Overtaking on the right is not allowed and will be dangerous since other drivers won't expect it. You must always pass vehicles on the left side, except in very slow-moving traffic queues. Before overtaking, look carefully behind as there might be really fast cars or bikes coming.
• You must indicate your desire to switch lanes by using your indicators before you switch.
• Be careful when changing lanes: Vehicles here approach much faster than you might be used to from you driving in your home country, i.e. while the car appearing in your rearview mirror might seem to be still far away, it could be next to you sooner than you expect.
• In some areas, emergency tracks are used as extra lanes in times of heavy traffic. This is always announced by electronic signs.
• In most countries, if you were nearing a car that you would soon have to overtake, even if you had another car going much faster than you that you would block by moving to overtake, you would overtake first, forcing the faster car to lose a lot of momentum, because you had reached the obstacle car first. In Germany, however, since the faster car has more speed to lose if you go first, the polite and safe thing to do is to tap your brakes or indicate right to tell the fast car that you have seen him and are letting him pass the obstacle first. Of course, you must judge how fast the fast car is closing on you, the make of car, if its lights are on, and if it is already overtaking. Cars that could have passed both obstacles in seconds will not be impressed that you jump in front of them instead of waiting.
• You are not allowed to force other cars in front of you to go into the right lane by continuously flashing your lights or use a turn signal if you want to overtake them, however a single flash to make sure other drivers know the fact you are approaching fast is permitted. Interpretation of what is pressuring other drivers and what is not is a legal argument you may want to avoid.
• Never overtake on the right. In addition to being illegal (except in traffic jams at speeds below 60 km/h) it's so rare that few drivers will expect it, making it quite dangerous.

• Autobahns have an emergency lane where you can stop only in case of a breakdown or other emergency; it's illegal and dangerous to stop there for any other reason. The emergency lane is a dangerous place: you should leave your vehicle and stay off the road until help arrives! For everything else, always use the frequent service areas. Running out of fuel on the Autobahn may also incur a fine if the police happen to notice you, as this is considered to be avoidable. If you have to stop, you must set up your warning triangle behind (provided in rental cars).
• Arrows on the small posts along the Autobahn will guide you to the next orange emergency phone. These will automatically connect you free of charge with a call centre that directs police, ambulances or just a mechanic.

Highway rest stops in Germany have a reputation for being shabby, unpleasant and overpriced places. Most of them are owned by Tank&Rast which was privatised in 1998 during the last days of the Kohl administration. Highway signs will inform you of the next rest stop and what's available (e.g just toilets or a parking lot or also a restaurant and a gas station). If the usual suspects of global fast food are available, they'll announce their presence via a tall illuminated signpost with their logo. Tank&Rast subsidiary Sanifair has increasingly taken over restrooms and you'll have to pay to use them getting a voucher in return which can be redeemed for part of what you paid with a purchase at the associated restaurant or shop. Some "rest stops" consist of little more than a parking lot and (unguarded) toilets which are often in a sorry state of cleanliness but on the upshot cost nothing. The often ample nitrogen loving vegetation on their margins are however indicative of the alternative many drivers choose for "taking care of business".

Charging stations for electric cars are fairly common in urban areas, though in most places they're just about keeping up with demand and are by no means in ample supply. Along most stretches of the Autobahn fast chargers are pretty frequent. In the countryside you can sometimes find a charger near a town's central square, but most small towns have no public charging whatsoever. Payment systems are all over the place, with several competing and overlapping payment networks. Some stations accept credit/debit card payments on the spot. It's best to get an RFID card of one or two widely accepted providers upfront, or at least their app equivalent. This is all on the way to becoming more unified in the future, but at the time of writing (2023) isn't quite there yet.

Type 2 ("Mennekes") plugs are the standard for AC charging, and you'll need to bring your own cable; AC stations do not have a cable attached, and any electric car on the road in Germany has a cable in the trunk. CCS2 is the standard for DC charging. Any other type of plug is becoming increasingly harder to find; typically you'll only be able to find a lone CHAdeMO charger on old triple-charger stations somewhere in a corner.