5:00 those emergency phones where originally initiated by two parents who lost their son to an accident in the 60s. The ambulance took too long and the boy died. They started a foundation to lobby for and fund the creation of a comprehensive emergency system in Germany which included those emergency phones on the autobahn. The emergency number 112 was introduced nationwide and in recent years EU-wide. With the emergence of cell phones many of the old public phones have been removed and their number continues to decrease.
And as someone who lives near the netherlands and uses the A3 daily (With tons of dutchies on it), I just wish that they would behave on our highway system as good as they do on theirs. Most situations I've seen and/or been in myself that nearly caused an accident involved a dutchie. Either way too slow or way too fast for the situation at hand.
Thanks to the dutchman. I can't believe that and i am always complaining here about the many construction sites there. I've heard you have fantastic beaches, but have never really been to the netherlands. I think I travel there soon
From Denmark: The speed limits are broadly adhered to in Germany. But when they open up for free speed, you really need to be alert. It's a weird feeling going 200 km/h (125 mph) and being overtaken by a much faster car.
yeah I drove on it last year and the rule of thumb was if you see even a tiny dot in your mirror, wait 😂 in like 30 seconds a car would pass (maybe longer but it felt like 30 seconds). I have to admit I was the snail saving some gas going 130 :) so that's probably why. and that's why if I wouldn't wait and changed to the left lane I would really test the brakes of someone (I didn't I consider myself considerate driver (usually))
The numbers of the Autobahn are also of importance. For example, north-south running highways are odd numbered and east-west running ones are even numbered. The single digit numbers are the biggest ones, that connect large parts of germany. The A7 for example connects from Denmark all the way to Austria.
it's of course of no importance... it might have been in the time some weird mustache boy ordered to build them and maybe before the third time germanies national football team became world champions, when noone had GPS navigation.... but nowadays it's not relevant nor nice to know.
If your car breaks down and you would like to use one of the emergency phones you should look on the black and white pillars which occure every 50 meters. Some of them do have a small black arrow on them to let you know which way is the shorter way.
I used to regularly drive to Aachen in Germany from Southern England. After getting the ferry or the Euroshuttle car-on-train service to France, I'd then drive through France to Belgium and then through the Netherlands to the German Border. So, five countries in about 6 hours of travelling! There was only passport control between Britain and France, the rest all being EU Schengen Agreement countries after 1995, who share one international border. Before the Euro was the universal currency in France, Belgium, The Netherlands and Germany from 1999, I'd carry five different sets of coins and notes in case of emergencies on my trips!
cars can still be inspected at the border, especially if you're back from the netherlands.. or if you bring back cigarets alcool over the limitation or counterfeit things.
Ich glaube aber dass das ganze Rheinland die Hölle ist. Wie sieht es inzwischen mit Eurer Brücke aus, die bei Köln über den Rhein geht? Nach 35 Jahren Bauzeit. Tja, die offenen Grenzen sorgen für immer mehr Qualität.. Kriege zu bezahlen ist doch wichtiger als das was von den Deutschen noch übrig ist
No, the entire highway network in Germany (Autobahnen, plural) has no speed limit by default. There has to be a reason for a speed limit, for example noise protection for the surrounding villages at night, risk of aquaplaning during heavy rain or, of course, ongoing road maintenance. About 66% of all highways are completely free of speed limits.
Still, if you are going above the recommended speed limit of 130 kph, one is always partly at fault in case of an accident. So 130 kph max. is always recommended, on every section of the Autobahn.
That is the official number. If you add to this the road maintenance, you are close to 40% without a speed limit. In my case, I ahve to drive about 150 km to my workplace....I have about 20% of the way without speed limit. We also have some parts of the road regulated by a central control station. Than you might encounter temporary speed limits (via digital traffic signs) of 100 km/h because of packed snow...in August 2 pm... 25°C...you can than einther expect a speed control very close by....or some very ideological person at the controls...
Since you noticed our Wind Turbines. Little fun fact about them. We have more than 500 of them in the Kreis Paderborn. We produced 157.9% of the electricity we consumed here with Wind, Solar and Biogas. In the nearby Bürgerwindpark (Citizen windpark) you could also charge your EV directly under an Wind turbine for free. As you might have noticed, we are very proud of our early start in renewable energy.
Speed checks in Germany usually take place in two ways. The first are the "fixed speed cameras", which are installed at special locations. Very often on roads that have had particularly frequent accidents with excessive speed. The fixed speed cameras are usually a small box on a 3-4 meter high column, often these older devices cover only one lane of a road. Newer devices are stylish columns with several speed cameras, which can cover several lanes of a road (in both directions). In addition to these permanently installed devices, there are also mobile controls. These can be special car trailers, which are posted at the roadside, in parking spaces or elsewhere along the road, or civilian cars of the police that are equipped with cameras or radar devices. Sometimes the mobile controls are more hidden behind signs, billboards or fences. Then you see only the measuring devices on tripods at the roadside and the controlling policemen (often in civilian clothes) are then out of sight. Regularly, however, there are also controls on "conspicuous" roads, for example, in front of schools, where the police also quite openly with a patrol car and radar gun. If particularly fast vehicles are measured here, the people are also stopped directly. But that is relatively rare compared to the other possibilities. On the highway (and country roads), however, in addition to the fixed pillars and the mobile controls (gladly from bridges over the autobahn), you also have to rake with civilian police vehicles. These then join so-called "speeders" and follow those with their video vehicle. When enough evidence of an offense has been captured on video, the patrol reveals itself and pulls out the speeder. Depending on the severity of the offense, there are then warnings or even charges that can lead to a temporary or permanent driving ban. Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
To have it mentioned, just google for "mobile speedtrap germany" and have a look at the images. There are quite a few types. Cops *do* actually speedchecks, but usually in school zones or the like. Standard in germany is the phototrap ;)
@@MoreJps In addition to that, we also have "Abstandskontrollen", distance cameras. Look closely at ~12:42 in your video. Do you see the two small white additional markings on the ground in the left lane? If you see three of those in front of a bridge crossing the autobahn, this is a usual place where they film the traffic. I am not 100% sure, but I think the first two markings are placed at 100m from another and then the third ones are 50m from the second ones. They put a video camera on that bridge and continously film the traffic. That tape is then manually watched by policemen and checked for any distance offenses. Btw that is distance from the vehicle you are following. They will also check if you are following the Rechtsfahrgebot or doing other forbidden things. The fines for this are quite intense and the distance you need to keep from the vehicle in front of you is obviously dynamic based on the speed you are going. A rule of thumb you learn in drivers school is to keep half of your speed in meters as the distance to the vehicle in front. So, if you're going 160kph, you are supposed to have at least 80m between you and the vehicle in front of you. They will fine you if the distance is half of that, so to stay in the example, if you are closer than 40m. As I said, fines are quite drastic, but in my opinion this is also one of the most dangerous things to do on the Autobahn. At some point, you are going to experience an Audi or BMW being 10m behind you and flashing its lights to push you out of the left lane. Since we don't have speed limits for most parts, this isn't a "you're going 80kph and he or she wants to go 90kph"-situation, but more like a "you are going 180kph and he wants to go 250kph"-situation. Yes, this happened to me once or twice at 200-220kph, it's super dangerous at those speeds and I hate people doing this, they are rightfully punished for this imho. Fines for speed violations are relatively low. Especially compared to other European countries. If you go 105kph when the speed limit is 100kph in the Netherlands for example, they will fine you with like 100€. In Germany, this will probably not be enforced, since we also have a 3kph (over 100kph it's 3%) tolerance. But starting in 2023 fines did go up quite a bit. Nevertheless, on the Autobahn I'd say going 15-20kph over the speed limit is good manners :D If you go over the speed limit more than 26kph twice in a year, you loose your license for a month. If you're going more than 40kph over the speed limit on the Autobahn, you loose it for 3 months (at least). Btw another interesting fact: In Germany it is the driver of the vehicle who gets punished. That is also why speed cameras are required to take a picture with the face of the driver. In France for example, they will just take the picture from the back, they don't care who drove the car, they will just send the letter to the owner.
Also, average speed cameras/section control is becoming more and more common. These consist of two sets of cameras that read the license plates at the beginning and end of a section of road (e.g. a construction zone). Then it's simple math to determine every car's average speed in that section from the time delay. If it exceeds the limit: you've got mail. Beware that some drivers still do not comprehend how this works, and might brake randomly before those cameras, so it's always a good idea to keep some extra distance especially in those areas. Speaking of distance: this is also checked by automated cameras nowadays (usually from bridges or sign gantrys), and tailgating can bring you hefty fines or even license revocation in severe/repeated cases.
I’ve had the privilege of visiting Germany and driving on different Autobahns…it was amazing! The truck laws, the off on ramps, the pulling back over as soon as you pass….wonderful. Even the vehicles they use for maintenance on grass and road seem specific to use on roads as not to interfere with traffic. So smart.
There is a good reason why we are able to drive this fast, though. Not only roads are maintained (and if they are bad for some reason it is a good reason for a speed limit), the cars are as well. Cars need to be inspected by an independent company, called TÜV or Dekra every two years (new cars the first time after three years). If those guys find anything being wrong with your car, you need to have it fixed and come back another day. Of course you have to pay a fee for this service, no matter whether your car passes or not. Often your car dealer offers this as a service together with the regular inspection.
Morning Joel, the signs in Germany are similar to signs in most European countries. The not turning round means not driving the wrong way along the carriageway. Continue to the next exit to return on the other carriageway. If your carriageway is blocked, you might have a very long wait. I was a bit disappointed that we didn't hear some Kraftwerk (a song called Autobahn).
Not all, but the important ones. I see one regularly and still don’t know what it means. I’ll have to ask the experts, because I have not found it in any street sign catalog online.
@@jennyh4025 no actually as part of the "teorieprüfung" (theoretical exam) you need to know every sign existing to this date. In the exam it's only a sample of all that's tested. But you actually need to learn them all and you get a sheet with all of them displayed when preparing for the exam.
@@redcrafterlppa303 I have never seen the small yellow rectangles with FS on them before last year. And I only learned the meaning of the round yellow signs (only the parts of Germany, that were not GDR) währst indicate speed limits for heavier military vehicles in the last few years - More than 10 years after I got my German driver’s license.
@@jennyh4025 ok correcting my statement a bit. You need to learn every sign you might need to know the meaning of while driving. The military signs aren't part of the public road infrastructure and are actually no longer maintained, meaning that signs aren't replaced, no new signs of that kind are installed and signs torn down for construction are not necessarily reinstalled either. Edit If you are referring to the historically split east side of Germany with "GDR" in Germany it's known as "DDR" meaning "Deutsche demokratische Republik" (German democratic republic) and I never heard nor knew the abbreviation was translated.
@@redcrafterlppa303 That’s what I meant, when I wrote „the important ones“, I could have worded that better. And it was actually used as an abbreviation at times (I’m old enough to remember the border controls they had 😉).
I've driven on the Autobahn quite a bit myself and was equally impressed. I was impressed with a LOT of things the Germans do better than us...which is just about everything.
I always respect people like you who are honest about it and don't try to whitewash things. For me as a German, the worst thing in the US are gun laws. It's just crazy how many shootings you have. The only time I see a fire arm in Germany is when a police officer carries it - in his holster.
@@GrandTheftChris I miss modern animal welfare laws in most states. What a shame for such a rich country. And of course there are too many homeless people, no medical care for everyone, and religion has become something of a mass hysteria over the last few decades.
@@ws4860 Good points, I agree. Also that one can fall so quickly and land on the street if you lose your job. Germany has a safety net that provides at least a small apartment and money for enough food.
A good and correct Video you picked. Now you also know why the drivers license in US just costs 35 bucks and in Germany it`s about 2000 and much much learning the rules to pass. It´s not like here is the throttle, here is the brake, here is the steering wheel. Ok you pass. And don`t get me started about automatic and stick shifting. Hahaha. :)
The Autobahn/Motorway rules are standard across the EU with minor variations on signage etc. It's similar in France, Spain, the UK and even little old Ireland. You can only remain on the outside lane when overtaking and return to the middle or inner lane to allow other vehicles to overtake. The US seems to be a nightmare, not only on the roads, but in most aspects of life.
The signs are standardized according to the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals in many countries all around the world (all of Europe, most of Asia, some countries in Africa, South and Central America). The basics are quite simple: a round sign always means some kind of commandment (e.g. speed limits, mandatory direction, no overtaking, do not enter, ...), whereas a triangle standing on its side always is a warning (usually specified by a pictogram in the sign). The only exceptions to this rule are the 'give way' (triangle standing on the tip), 'priority' (square standing on the tip) and 'stop' (octagon), so they can be recognized from the back side as well.
Regularly spaced emergency assistance phones are present on the shoulders of all freeways throughout western European countries, including on the UK's motorways.
@@dikkiedik53 Oh right, thanks. I didn't know The Netherlands had removed all of them. Not sure if it was an entirely good idea. There's still a, (granted remote), possibility that someone could find themselves stranded on the shoulder without a functioning mobile (cell) phone.
4:23 Even if you have a mobile phone, it is advisable to use those emergency phones. When you use them, the call goes to a switchboard and the operators know at that moment the exact point from where you are calling.
The emergency phones came into being because in the early 70s (I think) a guy died on the autobahn, because there was no possible way to call an ambulance. His father startet a campagne to install this emergency phones and his campagne was successful. They have also english speaking operators.
One thing the video didnt mention, on the white reflecting pillars you can see on the right side is always a small arrow pointing in the direction of the nearest emergency phone.
4:56 It’s hard to make a horror movies in Germany because it’s easier to navigate. In the US, all you have to do is be 500m away from a motel and a gas station and you’re in trouble with no cell signal.
Great video, Joel. I remember, years ago, being on that same stretch of the Autobahn. I was not driving. It was at night. We were going 130 KM, and there were people seemingly flying past us in the left lane. I mean so fast that they would pass us and in a few seconds they were almost to the point that you couldn't see them anymore. As for the U.S. yes, everybody complains about the way drivers, drive on U.S. highways and interstates, but we know the reasons why it doesn't change. People really don't want things to change. If we wanted them to, they would. Whenever someone says something to me about it, I just ask they what they are doing to change it. And....... Crickets! Peace
statistically the autobahn is the safest way to travel by car in Germany. And that despite the no limitation of speed. I like seeing the big limousines of Mercedes, BMW and Audi pass me, they seem like glued to the ground. Most of those are very good drivers. Long ago I used to own a big Volvo and I loved travelling at night with speeds 220-240km/h on a almost empty autobahn. In a big comfortable car one does not feel the speed.
The last time I was on an autobahn, I was in a taxi, going from a meeting to the airport. We were travelling at 130mph (that's MPH, not kph!) Due to the very good lane discipline shown by other drivers, it was a smooth journey and the speed was not at all worrying.
Fun Fact: The big truck you see at 11:18 is from one of the oldest breweries, founded in the 14th century, in the town of Einbeck, which is situated very near the A7 and worth a visit, not only for the brewery but especially for its old medieval town just ~50km from Goettingen, which is another town I can recommend. It is the town of one of the oldest universities where well known people have studied, thereof more than 40 scientists who won the Nobel price.
That sign with the Airplane is a warning that Airplanes might cross above the Autobahn / street, which can lead to multiple issue. Bright light from the plane, unexpected loud noise from the engines, air turbulence from the planes. Not necessarily all of them but one or some of them at the time.
I have driven on the Autobahn. The Germans are crazy disciplined drivers. At the speed limit sign they immediately slow down to the limit. When the speed limit is canceled they down speed back up until they have physically reached the sign. It's crazy.
getting a driver's license costs at least 1.5k so normally you're forced to learn adequate driving techniques fast to save lots of driving lessons which are crazy expensive
@@salamipitza Exactly that's the point! And that's why we have relatively safe driving and less accidents than the US, and so we can afford to not having a speed limit on the autobahn.
In 1991 I picked up an American car design student who was hitch-hiking in Germany. He was visiting car manufacturers in Germany during his summer vacation. I picked him up just out side Stuttgart. I was on my way up to the Netherlands and he wanted to get to Dusseldorf, which was not far from my route. Once we got onto the A3, I allowed him to drive my Porsche. At that time most of the A3 did not have speed limits on it. He took the car up to 180 Kph but said that was fast enough for him.
Heh, a friend of mine once caught a ride ("Mitfahrgelegenheit") from about Bremen to Berlin with someone driving whatever the current 'sportive' Audi was in the late 90s. Around Hannover, the driver wanted to do some paperwork or close his eyes for a bit, so my friend got to drive. Since he didn't want to take advantage of the moment, he stuck to some moderate 130-150km/h, until the owner just said casually that he did want to arrive in Berlin that same day... So yeah, with an 'invitation' like that, he stepped on it 🤣
Great video Joel. I get the feeling that in maybe 15 years you'll be living in Germany, with eine Frau und 3 Kinder! Even though this excellent system of traffic management is all about getting people safely, efficiently and quickly to their destination, I can't imagine it would fly in the States. It would likely be seen as encroaching on what some Americans perceive as their "right" to do what they want at the expense of others. That's the unfortunate downside of "freedumb".
The "Rechtsfahrgebot" also applies to all streets in Germany. Drivers are instructed to stay on the right side of their lane. Meaning you should not drive in the middle or the left side of your lane, because other drivers might mistake you driving so close to the middle of the road for an intent to overtake or being not in control of your vehicle.
23:12 If you stick to the left lane with 160km/h ;in germany; there will be a BMW ,Porsch or Audi behind you approaching your trunk with 210km/h flashing their lights like paparazzia in front of a catwalk. That is the german way of politly telling you to get the lame pice of engineering you call car to the right lane...😉
The _polite_ (and only legal) way for that is to flash the lights once, maybe twice. Far too many fast drivers start flashing from 300+m distance already, and don't stop until you start moving over - and they don't care whether you are still right next to another vehicle you're overtaking and _can't_ move over yet. It's not just impolite, but indeed illegal and one of the only actual _crimes_ that regularly get committed ("Nötigung")
The vest must be within drivers reach inside the cabin in Slovakia and I think Austria as well (I dont know about other countries). The reason being you can never go outside of your car without the vest on. In Austria you also are required to carry vests for all the passengers in the car. The additional vests can be stored in the trunk.
To be precise, most (maybe all) countries require you to have the high-vis vests inside the passenger compartment. Additionally, at least some countries require that have as many vests as there are people in the car.
btw: on those white posts along the Autobahn (every 50 meters), you can find a little arrow pointing left or right. So, if your car breaks down and you have to drive to the side, you can look at the nearest post and follow the arrow’s direction to get to the nearest emergency phone! This also saves time to call for an ambulance, police or Triple A
Regarding the emergency phones, we here in the Netherlands used to have them too, but with the emerging numbers of cell phones, they phased out completely.
That was a really good video, he explained a lot, was really surprised how good it is. Because of your question how much Germans stick to the speed limit, let's put it this way, many (maybe most) always drive +10 or +15km/hm, out of town sometimes even in town, as the sign says, so 80 where the sign says 70, 110 where 100 is written and so on. There are also crazy people who race past you at 200 in a 120 zone on the autobahn, unfortunately there are always such people. But I would say that we usually keep very close to the speed limit haha There are also always speed cameras that are set up everywhere, some permanently installed, but also those who are set up by police officers for a few hours, which are then unknown to the people. Therefore, the +10 and +15km / h, because there you do not yet get such a high penalty and no "points". These points you get, for example, if you drive 25+km / h too fast, or driving through red lights and so on. For example +25km/h you currently get 1 point + 150€, from 30 kmh too much you get 2 points and 1 month driving ban and around 230€ fine. These "points" are registered and as soon as you get the eighth point, the limit is full and you have to hand over your driver's license and also lose the right to drive vehicles. One is then considered unsuitable to lead motor vehicles. At the earliest 6 months later, the ability can be granted again, whereby it must be shown that one is suitable. For this you must also do an "MPU", this creates an expert opinion about whether you are suitable, this includes a psychological interview that lasts about 1 hour. This "MPU" costs about 500-600€.
i think one of the major point why we drive 10+km/h is because the car shows lower speed with the speedometerof around ~5 km/h and then there exist a tolerance if driving a bit to fast which is also idk exacly but i guess ~5km/h so u can break just a bit to not get a ticket also many people get reckless if u drive less than allow on your speedometer like 65 instead of 70 for example then they drive with an 80+ but reduce after the overtaking
Hello Joel. These are similar to motorways in UK from the signs, but our M designation does not include some A roads that are similar to bits of this. Lesser roads here are B roads. You should see something on UK motorways and smart motorways. I went from Midland to El Paso in a van to go into Mexico and my relatives used to drive from Windsor, Ontario to work in US, so going across borders is not really so different. In Texas we were warned about the size of the deer and warned about their size and impact effect. "You are not in UK now and they are not Bambi" we were told. The van broke down on the way back from Mexico and we were lucky to be picked up by a former WW2 US airman, who turned devout Christian after his experience serving in UK and was our good Samaritan. It was scary in the desert with no obvious help, unlike this video. P.S. I remember UK national speed limits being brought in during the 1970s when fuel efficiency became important due to supply issues resulting from world events back then.
First class video Joel! It would be good to show on airliners going from North America to Germany. The "Elephant Race" is a keeper phase - perfect expression! I wish I has seen this this video years ago, as I learned a lot too. Cheers, John in Canada p.s. I liked your joke, Ausfarht is the sound leaving the "exit." Bilingual pun!!
I am from the Netherlands. Our language ('Dutch') is very similar to German. Our word for 'funeral' is 'uitvaart', so my thought at seeing 'Ausfahrt' (literal translation) was: "better not take this exit!".
Thanks for giving me a healthy laugh! I did not know this. Hope you will find an exit that is not threatening. Most of us Western Germans like the Dutch for their cute language (and, of course, for their spending power and the jokes they are likely to crack). So, we mostly enjoy visitors from the Netherlands. But, please, keep to the right lane with your caravans!
Good,informative vid,Joel,a rare upvote,from me,as I might need this knowledge in a year or so time!👌 P.S. A lot of these German road rules,such as road signs/signals/speed cameras/emergency motorway assistance phones,etc.,generally correlate to our UK's Highway Code,etc.👍
I’m a dual national citizen (British and German) and I spend my time about half between the two countries and drive between them via the Netherlands very often. I also drive the entire length of Germany, North to South often. There are lots of very SERIOUS points to make here and myths to dispel about the Autobahn: Myth 1) As already said, NOT all of the system is derestricted! In fact, in reality the places where you can drive with unlimited speed for any length of time are fairly rare. Either there are actual permanent or temporary speed restrictions in place (e.g roadworks or weather conditions) or because the volume of traffic either makes it physically impossible (the Autobahn is often very busy) or completely unsafe to attempt it. This means that the speed of traffic is constantly changing which apart from being very stressful also means that materially you are unable to maintain speeds high enough to affect your overall journey time. Myth 2) That German Autobahnen are all of very high standard with a good quality surface. Many parts of Germany’s Autobahn network are now very old and worn-out with poor surfaces. That’s why there’s such a huge programme of roadworks and repairs on them. The road surfaces are not necessarily commensurate with some of the speeds even road-cars sold to the public can now reach i.e if the speed-limiters are removed, many cars can now approach 200 mph with over 160 mph being very common. Even I have once done over 160 mph. Additionally, many of them are ONLY two lanes each way. This is important in terms of how safe or rather “unsafe” they are - see below. Myth 3) That Germans are better trained and disciplined drivers. Even if that were true….which I believe to an extent it is (!)….one needs to realise that Germany is at the middle of border-free Europe and its Autobahn serves as Europe’s crossroads. That means that not everyone on the Autobahn is a German driver. Far from it……some are even Belgians ! 😮 (Belgians are often cited as Europes worst drivers! 🤣) This can mean that if for example you are driving at 140 mph in your BMW in the left lane (of two lanes) and Andre, from Belgium in his Nissan Qashqai, decides to pull out suddenly to overtake the truck from Latvia in front of him at 60 mph because Andre never bothers to check his mirrors, like a German driver might, you suddenly have nowhere to go….and a very big problem in your BMW! 😮😮😮. Ask me how I know this. It doesn’t matter whether Andre didn’t know or didn’t follow the rules if your impact speed into the back of him was 80 mph. You need to be either very brave or very stupid to attempt to drive at anything much over 120 mph on a two-lane section of derestricted Autobahn….and you are still not going to arrive at your destination any faster. I like driving fast and have quite a fast BMW but the reality is that driving on the Autobahn is not a particularly pleasant experience and needlessly made more stressful by the intermittent derestricted sections. These may have made a difference to journey times decades ago when the average family cars were struggling to even make 100 mph and there were FAR FEWER slow moving trucks crisscrossing Germany but today…..I think the derestricted Autobahn has had its day. Far better are the Autoroutes and Autovia in France and Spain which are in my opinion the best and most efficient roads in Europe with their speed limits of 130 kph. As an aside, a useful thing to know if you’re planning to drive any sort of distance on the Autobahn in Germany is to try to do it on a Sunday. Heavy lorries, over 7,5 tonnes are not allowed to drive on a Sunday. This makes a huge difference! 🙂👍🏽 Hope that helps 🙂🇩🇪
I agree about the French Autoroute péage. So relaxed driving. I want to feel the Mediterranean beaches and sun again, soon. ;-) Meeting lots and lots of fun German people on the FKK beaches.
Yep, driving noticeably faster than 130-140 during the day is only a valid option on _very_ few stretches of the Autobahn. During the night, it's a good bit better due to very little traffic. I was pretty much on the fence about keeping the deregulated parts or introducing a national speed limit for the entire Autobahn for a long time. Sure, fuel consumption and safety do improve with it, but not _that_ much, especially since the vast majority of people already drive at more moderate speeds, and it's simply a myth tht you don't reach your destination any faster in a lot of situations, even during the day - though some people certainly overestimate how much time they will actually save. But then I realized what else such a limit would affect, how much it would change in the long run. Speed limits means that - with very few exceptions for a handful of "excentric" drivers -, the engines don't need to be as powerful anymore, meaning they can be cheaper and lighter; the overall car itself can be lighter (engine, transmission, even the overall structure since it doesn't _need_ to withstand those high stresses anymore, ...), so it'll cause less wear on the road (though the impact of passenger cars pales in comparison to trucks and busses, but still...), meaning at least a _little_ bit less maintenance. But lower speeds also means the Autobahn doesn't _need_ to be as smooth and durable anymore to minimize control loss of fast cars, so it doesn't need to be as overengineered as it currently is, which could mean significantly less time and money for construction sites - which would also mean less traffic congestion. So yeah, by now, I'm fully supporting any move towards a speed limit. Too many benefits that we're missing out on for the sake of _some_ occasional really enjoyable rides for _some_ of us.
Funny you mentioned that Belgians are bad drivers! I was dumbfounded by their driving the last time I drove there. Glad I'm not the only one that's noticed that 😅
@@pegamini7582 I have to agree. Even at 130+ km/h driving in Germany feels more predictable and controlled due to the specific rules on the Autobahn and that's what makes it more enjoyable.
@@Wolf-ln1ml Other countries have speed limits but they are driving the same powerful cars as in Germany so that's not it. Overengineering is done for marketing purposes. Just look at the Ford F-150 - most people actually don't need one and it's purely about the feeling of rough individuality and "Americanism" the ads sell to people.
Yes, there is a ton of traffic cameras all over Europe, fines are sent automatically and rather efficiently. Besides tiny differences, mentioned rules apply all across Europe. Traffic flow management has become standard - monitors providing automatically adjusted smart speed limits in order to achieve several goals (efficient flow, safety in bad weather, ...)
It is not just a "specific part" of the Autobahn without speedlimit, it is most of the Autobahn. I think it is round about 70% or something like that :)
To answer your speed enforcement question... I had been driving in the UK for 5 years and never had a speeding ticket. I have been driving in Germany for 18 months and I've had four
Mandatory things to legaly drive a car in Germany: drivers license and the right driving class (permission to use a certain type of verhicle), Kennzeichen (license plate) TÜV badge (technical car check), AU badge (exhaust check), a warning tripod, a warning vest, a medical kit, a medical course (part of obtaining drivers license), seat belts for every passenger, seat standoffs for kids so the belt can fit, a green badge for entering a Umweltzone (environmental zone), and enough gas because its a crime to run out of gas in Germany. Also before every trip it is recommended to check all important parts like turn sign, brake sign, lights, damage on chassis and tires, postion of the seat and mirrors, loose parts or snow on the car. And Germans are currently discussing on removing a drivers license permantly when failing a medical check at senior age.
That was a really fascinating video, plenty of information and a lovely touch of humour with it too. Wonder how long before we have JP in shades cruising down Die Autobahn at the wheel of his Porsche? Side thought, wonder what German cider is like?
Let’s see, what I learned about driving as an American Service member stationed in Germany back in 1986-88. #1-Americans are too distracted by radio/ scenery which leads to delays/accidents. 2- at a stop light- a German driver’s will manage to get 8 vehicles through a stop light cycle before the light changes back to red while American drivers will only manage 4 in the same length of time. 3-Americans don‘t know how to use the passing lane properly. They will move into the passing lane to maybe pass a vehicle ahead and suddenly find themselves on the receiving end of honking and flashing lights as they are now blocking a vehicle In the passing lane that‘s moving faster than they are. Americans don’t pay close enough attention to other vehicles while driving. 4- that there‘s actually speed limit’s on the Autobahn…it’s not just drive as fast as you can. Only in certain areas can you drive fast. Cheers
I'm from the Netherlands and I love der Deutsche Autobahn! You can drive through it or drive fast. On some parts it can be very quiet with hundreds of meters you only have a vehicle in front. In general you don't have that all in the Netherlands. I love that. Nice and quiet. But something is missing in the video. Wo sind die Baustelle? Or rather; where are the roadworks? We always come across that baustelle when we go on vacation every year. That's also a thing. Two lanes that are very narrow and passing requires driving skills and courage.
Yes, and their one-digit numbers increase from west to east and from north to south, respectively. Routes with two digits have regional importance, the first digit indicates the region they are in, e.g. 2 for northern Germany. Autobahnen with 3 digits are feeders for the respective 2-digit road, connect two other Autobahnen or have only local meaning, e.g. Stadtautobahnen (city highways).
Fun fact, the more digits the highway number has, the less important it is. One-digit numbers are the main highways, two-digit are regionally significant, and three-digit are feeders and bypasses.
11:24 The people who constantly use the middle lane are also called Mittelspurschleicher (middle-lane-sleepers) in Germany, and they are a curse to everyone.
The video is wrong about one thing, which is a common misconception for many germans. If you drive on the middle lane and no cars are on the right one, you are still obligated to use the right lane instead. The use of the rightmost lane is mandatory unless you are in the process of passing another vehicle. Otherwise you can be fined, although it is almost never enforced. The misconception comes from the legal term "Rechtsfahrgebot". People think "gebot" means "you should" and in common usage it is usually interpreted that way, but that is not correct legally. It actually means "you must unless there is a reason not to".
there are controls called "Blitzer" meaning something like flasher and its basically cameras and sometimes cops measuring your speed and if you are more than about 5-10 km/h faster, youll have to pay money and maybe even give up on your drivers license
What he didn't mention but often Americans seem to be confused by, is that the distance indicator signs show the furthest town on top and the closest on the bottom. We also don't use east or west for directions it would always be in this case Dortmund for west and Kassel for east. Evenly numbered Autobahnen go east-west and odd numbered north-south.
A similar „Ausfahrt“-story occured to me end of December 1989 in East Germany, on the first days when the wall was open for wessies (West German citicens). A lot of shiny new signs to „GÜST“, there were no road maps of GDR and we couldn‘t unterstand, where this town is located. Later the day we learned GrenzÜbergangsSTelle, meaning border crossing. Long gone and very interesting days.
Nice to see the emergency phones there. As I am currently working for the Notruf der Autoversicherer, which is the Name of the Callcenter you will reach when calling from those phones, I just want to mention, that you don't necessarily need to have a break down, accident or medical problem. You can also call us if you see something lying on the street or at the side of the street and if something on the Autobahn is damaged. Before smartphone era some people also called us for general directions to the next exit lane, parking lot or gas station. Some still do. We do know exacly who to contact in which situation e. g. police, Autobahnmeisterei, ambulance, insurance, touring club, service car etc. We also do at least speak german and english. Many of us also can communicate in french, dutch, turkish, polish and other languages.
Another fact of the Autobahn: your vehicle must be able to go AT LEAST 61 Kilometers per hour to be allowed to use the Autobahn. Therefore Scooters are not allowed
The emergency phones, I guess for my experience, they exist in every highway in Europe, not only in the autobahn. And as he said every 2km (+- 1.7miles). Also the "Axx" numbering system aplies to every highway in Europe as well. Axx as a national numbering system and Exx for european numbering. The "A" means Autobahn, Autopista, Autoestrada, Autovia... whatever way a country calls highway, generally starts with 'auto', with the exception of the british, like usual, that calls it motorway.
In the Netherlands the general maximum speed is 130 km/h, and for environmental reasons between 06.00 - 19.00 hrs 100 km/h. There are "Autobahn" (in Dutch "autosnelweg") sections where the speed is constantly checked by portals with cameras and traction control, in other areas the police use speed traps with radar or mobile systems. On busy sections of those reads there are portals that measure the average speed of that moment and if there is an obstruction in anay way automatically signs are lit up with a maximum speed and/or signs indicating a traffic jam.
I passed my driving test in Germany while serving in the British Army and have driven in Germany and many other European countries since. This is an excellent introduction to driving in Germany.
The UK motorway system has emergency phones too. At approximately 1 mile intervals on the hard shoulder. Each one is numbered and the operator you speak to will know exactly where you are and on which side of the road.
Drove on the German autobahn on the no-limit part -and let me tell you - I have never in my life been so alert! I was blasting 200km/h and was regularly being taken over by waaaay faster cars. Your adrenaline is to the max and changing lines is a decision you need to think through. It was surprisingly very safe too - everyone needs to charge 4 times before doing anything.
Love how organised drivers are in Germany. However you have to be when you're going 200km/h (124mph) down the Autobahn. You have to be on top of everything... And still there is always someone else that approaches you from behind, faster than you and you have to fit into the lane to the right without hitting another vehicle. Loved some smooth moments when you're going around 200kmh together with others and you go with the flow... everything just works! Fan-bl****-tastic! Not all are good drivers but most of them are. If you're not speeding.. .keep to the RIGHT!
Rudolf Caracciola drove 432 Km/h on Autobahn already in 1939. Bernd Rosemeyer died one year earlier driving faster than 400, when his car became an airplane.
They forgot to mention there are Bundesstraßen without speed limit. These are rare and often, only the locals use them to their full extend (meaning, just like a Autobahn) because there is no sign that tells them it's unlimited.
To elaborate a bit on Geisterfahrer ("ghost rider"): it's someone who either was on the wrong lane when entering the Autobahn, meaning they're driving in the wrong direction. The term is derived from phantom ships because they too seemingly appear out of nowhere and seeing one is startling. You'll often hear warnings of Geisterfahrer on the radio but luckily, accidents are rather rare (when they do happen though, they're pretty severe).
This is the same in the Netherlands. This was filmed on a high way. If this happens in the inner city all cars must part. One would even make way by driven through red light a bit. I live on the route Rotterdam Airport, Rotterdam Hospital. Once in a while we have organ transports. Regardless of the time, even during rush hour, the road will be cleared by police cars and police motor cyclists. The first time I saw it, was weird. It was during rusf hour, 6 PM. Many commuters on the road. Suddenly it became silent. Cars stopped. Police men stopped cars and blocked junctions. It remained silent..... People looked surprised. What's going on. Suddenly from afar we heard silents approaching, getting louder. Under escort of policemen on motorbikes the ambulance with organs (or patiënt) passed, high speed, on the way to the hospital. Now it's a special moment for me, every time I sense a transport is on its way. I wait till the ambulance passed. I know that someone's death on the one side of the route will hopefully save someone's life on the receiving part. In between so many people are working together for the receiver 🙏🏼 Perhaps you can find a video online from such an organ transport? Take care. Greetings from Rotterdam/ the Netherlands 🇳🇱
Regarding your question if seed limits are enforced: more than in America but also no. In Germany, almost all traffic tickets are based on speed cameras, and they get mailed to you. It's common to see people to drive 10 km/h faster, because this limit constitutes a warning which is basically just a fee, so you have to pay 15-35€ for going over the speed limit, and you pay that 10-15 days after you have done the violation. If you go 20 km/h you get 1 point on your driver's license (it increases the faster you go) and at 8 points you get your driver's license suspended for at least one month.
in case you're wondering what the bushes & trees at the roadside actually do when they reduce winds: they reduce the sideways-push caused by wind, this in return reduces how fast tires are worn down & also keeps the road in a better shape for a longer time, so it's double cost reduction whilst being healthy for the environment, against all the CO2 from the cars. =)
"Geisterfahrer" (people who drive in the wrong direction on the Autobahn) is unfortunately quite common. That's because the entrances and exits are side by side. This would be impossible in France, where entrances and exits on motorways (or highways) are on different sides of the road.
What I 'like' most are wealthy tourists flying in from many parts from all over of the world, hiring a really powerful beast of a car, and insist to drive as fast as they can, ideally hitting that 300kmh (~190 mph) magic mark - no matter what the traffic situation is like. Having no driving experience doesn't count. Some kill themselves (and others). Sad fact: too many survive and come back again on the next occaison. Recently I observed a driver, who couldn't shift into 2nd gear on his Audi R8 V10 >600hp. You made my day, mate.
Autobahns are strictly one way. There is a physical barrier in the middle separating both directions. To drive the wrong way (remember ghost driver) is a very deadly endeavour. The distance between exits vary. From some hundred meters in big cities up to several kilometers in rural areas. Wikipedia has a map of the German Autobahn: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autobahn
I am not sure if it has been already explained by one comment, but I wanted to give a quick overview over the German traffic code (StVO - Straßenverkehrsordnung; literally: "Traffic regulations code"). So, the most important thing for foreigner coming to Germany: (1) Speed limits In Germany, and in extension, within the European Union, we work with general speed limits - so, for a specific type of road we have a specific speed limit. Within city limits, within the so-called "Geschlossene Ortschaften" (Built-up areas, so towns, cities, villages etc.) there is a general speed limit of 50 km/h. (This speed limit, and every other speed limit, can be raised or lowered within the boundaries of the "Administrative Ordinance for the Road Traffic Regulations", "Verwaltungsverordnung StVO" - VwV-StVO, which is a set of rules that orders what the German traffic authorities may or may not do to regualte the traffic and within the boundaries of the Vz-Kat, the "Verkehrszeichenkatalog" (Catalouge of traffic signs). Outside of city limits, the general speed limit is 100 km/h, as mentioned. Now we get to the part, where the real fun with German traffic begins: Within the StVo, there is no section that explicitly states that there is no speed limit on the Autobahn, so I will quote directly from the StVO: "§3 - Speed [...] (3) The speed limit [is ordered], even under pristine conditions, to be 1. 50 km/h wihtin city limits for all motor vehicles, 2. [...] c) 100 km/h outside city limits (indicated by Z. 311) [...] [for motor vehicles with a total weight of 3.5 tons or less]. This speed limit does not apply on the Autobahn (Z. 330.1), it also does not apply on roads with a built seperation in the middle. It further does not apply [on roads with more than one lane for each direction of traffic]." I've paraphrased this a lot, as German laws tend to be very complicated, but the contents are still the same. Also, not to be confused, number (3), section (c) only applies for roads outside city limits. But as this can be regulated by the German traffic authorities, there are speed limits on the Autobahn, but there is no general speed limit. So if the speed isn't regulated, you may go as fast as you want (if the surrrounding conditions at the time allow it ;)). The sign that indicates speed limits is Z. 274 (traffic sign no. 274), look it up, if you like, and any other following or preceding traffic sign. (2) Right of way/ Priority As with the speeds, there is a general rule that applies if the competent authorities have not regulated it otherwise; When on an intersection, where there are no traffic signs, traffic lights or policemen regulating traffic, one rule applies: "Right before left" - so anybody coming from your right has right of way (which is used instead of the "four-way-stop" common in the USA). This is cancelled by traffic signs indicating right of way, which are in turn cancelled by active traffic lights, which are in turn cancelled by policemen regulating traffic. It's a pyramid-like system, so to say - when one of the four is applicable, all below are cancelled. There are of course exceptions; if you are leaving, for example, a parking lot, re-enter the street over a lowered curb, are leaving a "Verkehrsberuhigter Bereich" (reduced-traffic zone, Z. 325.1 (start) and 325.2 (end)) and some others, you have to give right of way to everybody else. Then there are the signs: Z. 301 ("right of way only at the next intersection"), Z. 306 ("priority street") and Z. 307 ("end of priority street"). These are positive. The negative ones are: Z. 205 ("Give way.") and Z. 206 ("Stop. Give way.") which orders a complete stop of the vehicle and to give way (the classical stop-sign). Traffic lights should be self-explanatory, although we have a few rules that differ from the US. If more explanation is needed/wanted, I'd be much obliged to explain. At last, if there are any other questions, I'd be very happy to answer them, too, and I'll end with quoting (and paraphrasing) §1 of the German StVO: §1 - Basic Rules (1) Participation in traffic requires constant caution and mutual consideration. (2) Anyone taking part in traffic must behave in such a way that no one else is harmed or endangered or, more than is unavoidable under the circumstances, hindered or inconvenienced.
Hey JP! Thanks for using a picture of the Autobahn A40 in my hometown Essen as thumbnail! One of the biggest east-west connections in Germany and always full of Stau 😂
3:21 Not exactly. There is no general speed limit in place for the Autobahn. Within the boundaries of a settlement there is a general limit of 50 km/h, outside that area the general limit is 100 km/h. But on all kinds of roads, including the Autobahn, there can be limits set by signs. For the Autobahn, about 30% are regulated by fixed speed limit signs and due to construction sites and flexible limits (either electronically adjustible ones or such which only count in special conditions, such as rainfall) a lot more is usually not completely free of a speed limit. 8:44 It is worth to mention, that almost all the signs (and most of the general rules) are universial troughout Europe and most of the rest of the world. The animal depicted on the animals crossing sign can be different in other countries, but it is allways recognizable. 11:15 Adding to that: The "Rechtsfahrgebot" (obligation to drive on the right lane) does neither apply within the official limits of a settlement nor situations when white arrows on the lane indicate a direction. 19:11 You rarely find cops sitting somewhere. There are a lot of fixed and mobile radar systems. You get the bill and other consequences later. In a european context, german adherence to speed limits is pretty mediocre (even though most people would only strech the limits a little bit. If you overdo it to much, you can loose your license). On the other hand, to call the limits "loose suggestions" would also not descibe the behaviour of the majority of drivers well. But there are many countries with penalties which are an order of magintude higher and with stricter adherence to the limits than germany. 20:44 ... Even though you might pass a sign which says "Wenden". But in that case, it is actually the name of the city "Wenden".
17:31 The autobahn from this point on continues straight for a couple of kilometers. There are also no bushes in the middle between the barriers. The barriers themselves are modular, and can be taken out fairly easily. A lot of people dont know this, but this is actually because these parts of the Autobahn where "hidden" airbases that could be rapidly transformed into military facilities. On the ends of these, there are parking spaces, and below those are big tanks for jet fuel.
The signs and emergency phones are fairly common on a lot of European roads. In the U.K. the road lanes are also illuminated with what are known as Cat’s Eyes, an invention from the 1930s which uses inserts with glass beads embedded into the tarmac. The left edge left lane is red, other lanes use white and the outer edge of the right lane is amber. The approach to slip roads either entering or exiting the left lane are coloured green similar to a traffic light warning system. These Cat’s Eyes are a safety feature that increase safety at night, fog or low light situations as they reflect the headlights and give the driver a warning of approaching dangers. The outer edges of the left lane also have rumble strips which increase your vehicle’s tyre noise if you wander out of the lane. Contra flow systems where road works guide you onto speed limited driving onto the opposite side of of a carriageway also have temporary Cat’s Eyes in place to assist in moving traffic from the left carriageway onto the right carriageway. ua-cam.com/video/GbXcB00Myh0/v-deo.html
The most driver on the Autobahn drive ca. 20 km/h above the speed limit as this could only cause a speed ticket of max. €60, above 20 km/h the fines rise quickly and also temporary driving bans are possible if you are very much above the speed limit. If you drive eg 170 km/h in a 100 km/h Zone the fine is €700. If you drive 280 km/h in a unrestricted section and have to slow down to eg. 100 km/h you need some distance if you don´t want to go for a full break, so the 170 km/h in a 100 zone is not that uncommon.
Many highways have fences blocking off the way into the forest next to it. They force the animals to cross at a certain point with extra warning or even over an 'ecoducts' OVER the highway.
Most cars now have a built in speed limit and will stay at the right speed for that stretch of road. So you can relax your driving and not worry too much
as a German I have to say that this was one of the best videos explaining driving on our Autobahn.
@J U was genau schreckt an dem Video ab?
Ja das finde ich auch
@@ShawueFan Schilderwald :D
Wie in der Fahrschule
Optimal erklärt 😂
5:00 those emergency phones where originally initiated by two parents who lost their son to an accident in the 60s. The ambulance took too long and the boy died. They started a foundation to lobby for and fund the creation of a comprehensive emergency system in Germany which included those emergency phones on the autobahn. The emergency number 112 was introduced nationwide and in recent years EU-wide. With the emergence of cell phones many of the old public phones have been removed and their number continues to decrease.
Björn-Steiger-Stiftung (engl. Foundation)
They installed the ones on the Landstraßen (Bundes- und Landesstraßen), not the ones on the Autobahn.
@@Astrofrank korrekt.
The took em all away in the Netherlands a year or 5 ago.
One advantage of using one of those emergency phones is that they tell the receiving emergency officer your exact location.
As a Dutchman who lived in Germany, i can say that Germany has probably the best organised highway system and the most competent drivers.
hear hear, thanks ;-)
I much prefer to drive in Holland where everything is a little calmer and more relaxed to drive. I live 40 km away from Venlo.😂😊
And as someone who lives near the netherlands and uses the A3 daily (With tons of dutchies on it), I just wish that they would behave on our highway system as good as they do on theirs. Most situations I've seen and/or been in myself that nearly caused an accident involved a dutchie. Either way too slow or way too fast for the situation at hand.
Thanks to the dutchman. I can't believe that and i am always complaining here about the many construction sites there.
I've heard you have fantastic beaches, but have never really been to the netherlands. I think I travel there soon
thats why we need no speedlimit :)
From Denmark: The speed limits are broadly adhered to in Germany. But when they open up for free speed, you really need to be alert. It's a weird feeling going 200 km/h (125 mph) and being overtaken by a much faster car.
Be carefull and watch for motorbikes to, who are sometimes passing with 250 km/h and above.
yeah I drove on it last year and the rule of thumb was if you see even a tiny dot in your mirror, wait 😂 in like 30 seconds a car would pass (maybe longer but it felt like 30 seconds). I have to admit I was the snail saving some gas going 130 :) so that's probably why. and that's why if I wouldn't wait and changed to the left lane I would really test the brakes of someone (I didn't I consider myself considerate driver (usually))
Try the feeling you get when going 350 km/h and being overtaken by a much faster car.
@@apveening
LOL.... I can only imagine....we're driving a 130 HP Nissan Qashqay, that can only just do about 190 km/h (210 MAX on the speedo) ;-)
Most times by a audi a6, with a headlightflsher
The numbers of the Autobahn are also of importance.
For example, north-south running highways are odd numbered and east-west running ones are even numbered.
The single digit numbers are the biggest ones, that connect large parts of germany. The A7 for example connects from Denmark all the way to Austria.
That's the same as the Interstate Highway system in the US. I-25 goes North - South. I-80 runs East-West.
@@kimberlygabaldon3260 Yes! Because Dwight D. Eisenhower was inspired by the German Highway-system and how it is regulated. ;)
it's of course of no importance...
it might have been in the time some weird mustache boy ordered to build them and maybe before the third time germanies national football team became world champions, when noone had GPS navigation....
but nowadays it's not relevant nor nice to know.
If your car breaks down and you would like to use one of the emergency phones you should look on the black and white pillars which occure every 50 meters. Some of them do have a small black arrow on them to let you know which way is the shorter way.
I used to regularly drive to Aachen in Germany from Southern England. After getting the ferry or the Euroshuttle car-on-train service to France, I'd then drive through France to Belgium and then through the Netherlands to the German Border. So, five countries in about 6 hours of travelling! There was only passport control between Britain and France, the rest all being EU Schengen Agreement countries after 1995, who share one international border. Before the Euro was the universal currency in France, Belgium, The Netherlands and Germany from 1999, I'd carry five different sets of coins and notes in case of emergencies on my trips!
cars can still be inspected at the border, especially if you're back from the netherlands.. or if you bring back cigarets alcool over the limitation or counterfeit things.
Ich glaube aber dass das ganze Rheinland die Hölle ist. Wie sieht es inzwischen mit Eurer Brücke aus, die bei Köln über den Rhein geht? Nach 35 Jahren Bauzeit. Tja, die offenen Grenzen sorgen für immer mehr Qualität.. Kriege zu bezahlen ist doch wichtiger als das was von den Deutschen noch übrig ist
No, the entire highway network in Germany (Autobahnen, plural) has no speed limit by default. There has to be a reason for a speed limit, for example noise protection for the surrounding villages at night, risk of aquaplaning during heavy rain or, of course, ongoing road maintenance. About 66% of all highways are completely free of speed limits.
And so are the Bundesstraßen, when they have at least two lanes per direction and are separated constructionwise.
Still, if you are going above the recommended speed limit of 130 kph, one is always partly at fault in case of an accident. So 130 kph max. is always recommended, on every section of the Autobahn.
That is the official number. If you add to this the road maintenance, you are close to 40% without a speed limit. In my case, I ahve to drive about 150 km to my workplace....I have about 20% of the way without speed limit.
We also have some parts of the road regulated by a central control station. Than you might encounter temporary speed limits (via digital traffic signs) of 100 km/h because of packed snow...in August 2 pm... 25°C...you can than einther expect a speed control very close by....or some very ideological person at the controls...
Since you noticed our Wind Turbines. Little fun fact about them. We have more than 500 of them in the Kreis Paderborn. We produced 157.9% of the electricity we consumed here with Wind, Solar and Biogas. In the nearby Bürgerwindpark (Citizen windpark) you could also charge your EV directly under an Wind turbine for free. As you might have noticed, we are very proud of our early start in renewable energy.
Speed checks in Germany usually take place in two ways.
The first are the "fixed speed cameras", which are installed at special locations. Very often on roads that have had particularly frequent accidents with excessive speed. The fixed speed cameras are usually a small box on a 3-4 meter high column, often these older devices cover only one lane of a road. Newer devices are stylish columns with several speed cameras, which can cover several lanes of a road (in both directions).
In addition to these permanently installed devices, there are also mobile controls. These can be special car trailers, which are posted at the roadside, in parking spaces or elsewhere along the road, or civilian cars of the police that are equipped with cameras or radar devices. Sometimes the mobile controls are more hidden behind signs, billboards or fences. Then you see only the measuring devices on tripods at the roadside and the controlling policemen (often in civilian clothes) are then out of sight. Regularly, however, there are also controls on "conspicuous" roads, for example, in front of schools, where the police also quite openly with a patrol car and radar gun. If particularly fast vehicles are measured here, the people are also stopped directly. But that is relatively rare compared to the other possibilities.
On the highway (and country roads), however, in addition to the fixed pillars and the mobile controls (gladly from bridges over the autobahn), you also have to rake with civilian police vehicles. These then join so-called "speeders" and follow those with their video vehicle. When enough evidence of an offense has been captured on video, the patrol reveals itself and pulls out the speeder. Depending on the severity of the offense, there are then warnings or even charges that can lead to a temporary or permanent driving ban.
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
To have it mentioned, just google for "mobile speedtrap germany" and have a look at the images. There are quite a few types.
Cops *do* actually speedchecks, but usually in school zones or the like. Standard in germany is the phototrap ;)
There are also some fixed speed cameras installed within sign gantries above the Autobahn.
Thank you!
@@MoreJps In addition to that, we also have "Abstandskontrollen", distance cameras. Look closely at ~12:42 in your video. Do you see the two small white additional markings on the ground in the left lane? If you see three of those in front of a bridge crossing the autobahn, this is a usual place where they film the traffic. I am not 100% sure, but I think the first two markings are placed at 100m from another and then the third ones are 50m from the second ones. They put a video camera on that bridge and continously film the traffic. That tape is then manually watched by policemen and checked for any distance offenses. Btw that is distance from the vehicle you are following. They will also check if you are following the Rechtsfahrgebot or doing other forbidden things.
The fines for this are quite intense and the distance you need to keep from the vehicle in front of you is obviously dynamic based on the speed you are going.
A rule of thumb you learn in drivers school is to keep half of your speed in meters as the distance to the vehicle in front. So, if you're going 160kph, you are supposed to have at least 80m between you and the vehicle in front of you. They will fine you if the distance is half of that, so to stay in the example, if you are closer than 40m. As I said, fines are quite drastic, but in my opinion this is also one of the most dangerous things to do on the Autobahn. At some point, you are going to experience an Audi or BMW being 10m behind you and flashing its lights to push you out of the left lane. Since we don't have speed limits for most parts, this isn't a "you're going 80kph and he or she wants to go 90kph"-situation, but more like a "you are going 180kph and he wants to go 250kph"-situation. Yes, this happened to me once or twice at 200-220kph, it's super dangerous at those speeds and I hate people doing this, they are rightfully punished for this imho.
Fines for speed violations are relatively low. Especially compared to other European countries. If you go 105kph when the speed limit is 100kph in the Netherlands for example, they will fine you with like 100€. In Germany, this will probably not be enforced, since we also have a 3kph (over 100kph it's 3%) tolerance. But starting in 2023 fines did go up quite a bit. Nevertheless, on the Autobahn I'd say going 15-20kph over the speed limit is good manners :D If you go over the speed limit more than 26kph twice in a year, you loose your license for a month. If you're going more than 40kph over the speed limit on the Autobahn, you loose it for 3 months (at least).
Btw another interesting fact: In Germany it is the driver of the vehicle who gets punished. That is also why speed cameras are required to take a picture with the face of the driver. In France for example, they will just take the picture from the back, they don't care who drove the car, they will just send the letter to the owner.
Also, average speed cameras/section control is becoming more and more common. These consist of two sets of cameras that read the license plates at the beginning and end of a section of road (e.g. a construction zone). Then it's simple math to determine every car's average speed in that section from the time delay. If it exceeds the limit: you've got mail.
Beware that some drivers still do not comprehend how this works, and might brake randomly before those cameras, so it's always a good idea to keep some extra distance especially in those areas.
Speaking of distance: this is also checked by automated cameras nowadays (usually from bridges or sign gantrys), and tailgating can bring you hefty fines or even license revocation in severe/repeated cases.
I’ve had the privilege of visiting Germany and driving on different Autobahns…it was amazing! The truck laws, the off on ramps, the pulling back over as soon as you pass….wonderful. Even the vehicles they use for maintenance on grass and road seem specific to use on roads as not to interfere with traffic. So smart.
There is a good reason why we are able to drive this fast, though. Not only roads are maintained (and if they are bad for some reason it is a good reason for a speed limit), the cars are as well. Cars need to be inspected by an independent company, called TÜV or Dekra every two years (new cars the first time after three years). If those guys find anything being wrong with your car, you need to have it fixed and come back another day. Of course you have to pay a fee for this service, no matter whether your car passes or not. Often your car dealer offers this as a service together with the regular inspection.
@@strenter In addition the driver's license test is way harder to pass in Germany and takes more hours of practice driving.
Morning Joel, the signs in Germany are similar to signs in most European countries. The not turning round means not driving the wrong way along the carriageway. Continue to the next exit to return on the other carriageway. If your carriageway is blocked, you might have a very long wait. I was a bit disappointed that we didn't hear some Kraftwerk (a song called Autobahn).
16:42 "so many signs!" - yes, and we have a term for that, too:
SCHILDERWALD (meaning 'sign forest' / 'forest of signs') 😂
To get a drivers license in Germany, you have to know all the road signs... 😅
Not all, but the important ones.
I see one regularly and still don’t know what it means. I’ll have to ask the experts, because I have not found it in any street sign catalog online.
@@jennyh4025 no actually as part of the "teorieprüfung" (theoretical exam) you need to know every sign existing to this date. In the exam it's only a sample of all that's tested. But you actually need to learn them all and you get a sheet with all of them displayed when preparing for the exam.
@@redcrafterlppa303 I have never seen the small yellow rectangles with FS on them before last year. And I only learned the meaning of the round yellow signs (only the parts of Germany, that were not GDR) währst indicate speed limits for heavier military vehicles in the last few years - More than 10 years after I got my German driver’s license.
@@jennyh4025 ok correcting my statement a bit. You need to learn every sign you might need to know the meaning of while driving. The military signs aren't part of the public road infrastructure and are actually no longer maintained, meaning that signs aren't replaced, no new signs of that kind are installed and signs torn down for construction are not necessarily reinstalled either.
Edit
If you are referring to the historically split east side of Germany with "GDR" in Germany it's known as "DDR" meaning "Deutsche demokratische Republik" (German democratic republic) and I never heard nor knew the abbreviation was translated.
@@redcrafterlppa303 That’s what I meant, when I wrote „the important ones“, I could have worded that better.
And it was actually used as an abbreviation at times (I’m old enough to remember the border controls they had 😉).
I've driven on the Autobahn quite a bit myself and was equally impressed. I was impressed with a LOT of things the Germans do better than us...which is just about everything.
I always respect people like you who are honest about it and don't try to whitewash things. For me as a German, the worst thing in the US are gun laws. It's just crazy how many shootings you have. The only time I see a fire arm in Germany is when a police officer carries it - in his holster.
@@GrandTheftChris I miss modern animal welfare laws in most states. What a shame for such a rich country. And of course there are too many homeless people, no medical care for everyone, and religion has become something of a mass hysteria over the last few decades.
@@ws4860 Good points, I agree. Also that one can fall so quickly and land on the street if you lose your job. Germany has a safety net that provides at least a small apartment and money for enough food.
A good and correct Video you picked. Now you also know why the drivers license in US just costs 35 bucks and in Germany it`s about 2000 and much much learning the rules to pass. It´s not like here is the throttle, here is the brake, here is the steering wheel. Ok you pass. And don`t get me started about automatic and stick shifting. Hahaha. :)
The Autobahn/Motorway rules are standard across the EU with minor variations on signage etc. It's similar in France, Spain, the UK and even little old Ireland. You can only remain on the outside lane when overtaking and return to the middle or inner lane to allow other vehicles to overtake. The US seems to be a nightmare, not only on the roads, but in most aspects of life.
The signs are standardized according to the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals in many countries all around the world (all of Europe, most of Asia, some countries in Africa, South and Central America).
The basics are quite simple: a round sign always means some kind of commandment (e.g. speed limits, mandatory direction, no overtaking, do not enter, ...), whereas a triangle standing on its side always is a warning (usually specified by a pictogram in the sign).
The only exceptions to this rule are the 'give way' (triangle standing on the tip), 'priority' (square standing on the tip) and 'stop' (octagon), so they can be recognized from the back side as well.
Regularly spaced emergency assistance phones are present on the shoulders of all freeways throughout western European countries, including on the UK's motorways.
see my earlier comment.. since july 1st 2017 all gone in The Netherlands. Just use 112 in all emergencies.
@@dikkiedik53 Oh right, thanks. I didn't know The Netherlands had removed all of them. Not sure if it was an entirely good idea. There's still a, (granted remote), possibility that someone could find themselves stranded on the shoulder without a functioning mobile (cell) phone.
here in middle-eastern europe too
I didn't even notice all of those wind turbines 😂 it is just so normal. Especially next to the Autobahn.
4:23 Even if you have a mobile phone, it is advisable to use those emergency phones. When you use them, the call goes to a switchboard and the operators know at that moment the exact point from where you are calling.
The emergency phones came into being because in the early 70s (I think) a guy died on the autobahn, because there was no possible way to call an ambulance. His father startet a campagne to install this emergency phones and his campagne was successful. They have also english speaking operators.
No, that was a boy on a countryside road, while the first emergency phones on the autobahn were installed in 1955.
@@Astrofrank Thanks, I had this wrong remembered.
One thing the video didnt mention, on the white reflecting pillars you can see on the right side is always a small arrow pointing in the direction of the nearest emergency phone.
4:56 It’s hard to make a horror movies in Germany because it’s easier to navigate. In the US, all you have to do is be 500m away from a motel and a gas station and you’re in trouble with no cell signal.
Great video, Joel. I remember, years ago, being on that same stretch of the Autobahn. I was not driving. It was at night. We were going 130 KM, and there were people seemingly flying past us in the left lane. I mean so fast that they would pass us and in a few seconds they were almost to the point that you couldn't see them anymore. As for the U.S. yes, everybody complains about the way drivers, drive on U.S. highways and interstates, but we know the reasons why it doesn't change. People really don't want things to change. If we wanted them to, they would. Whenever someone says something to me about it, I just ask they what they are doing to change it. And....... Crickets! Peace
statistically the autobahn is the safest way to travel by car in Germany. And that despite the no limitation of speed.
I like seeing the big limousines of Mercedes, BMW and Audi pass me, they seem like glued to the ground. Most
of those are very good drivers. Long ago I used to own a big Volvo and I loved travelling at night with speeds
220-240km/h on a almost empty autobahn. In a big comfortable car one does not feel the speed.
The last time I was on an autobahn, I was in a taxi, going from a meeting to the airport. We were travelling at 130mph (that's MPH, not kph!) Due to the very good lane discipline shown by other drivers, it was a smooth journey and the speed was not at all worrying.
Fun Fact: The big truck you see at 11:18 is from one of the oldest breweries, founded in the 14th century,
in the town of Einbeck, which is situated very near the A7 and worth a visit, not only for the brewery but especially
for its old medieval town just ~50km from Goettingen, which is another town I can recommend. It is the town of
one of the oldest universities where well known people have studied, thereof more than 40 scientists who won the
Nobel price.
@@ssm445 thanks Mr. Klugscheißer! This info was for americans and because the truck was just passing by! :p
Our favorite beer from Germany.
Einbecker heimat der guten Biere, von Amsterdam im Westen bis Reval im Osten.
That sign with the Airplane is a warning that Airplanes might cross above the Autobahn / street, which can lead to multiple issue. Bright light from the plane, unexpected loud noise from the engines, air turbulence from the planes. Not necessarily all of them but one or some of them at the time.
And that you know that there might be planes flying, so that you are not distracted from the traffic by watching that cool plane all the time.
I have driven on the Autobahn. The Germans are crazy disciplined drivers. At the speed limit sign they immediately slow down to the limit. When the speed limit is canceled they down speed back up until they have physically reached the sign. It's crazy.
@@ichbinbluna3504 Vertrauen ist gut, Kontrolle ist besser! A german saying.😁
Not being that disciplined could cost lots of money and points on your drivers licence.
@@Ninjai1971 It's actually a Russian saying, created by Lenin.
But you are right, Germans like it.
getting a driver's license costs at least 1.5k so normally you're forced to learn adequate driving techniques fast to save lots of driving lessons which are crazy expensive
@@salamipitza Exactly that's the point! And that's why we have relatively safe driving and less accidents than the US, and so we can afford to not having a speed limit on the autobahn.
In 1991 I picked up an American car design student who was hitch-hiking in Germany. He was visiting car manufacturers in Germany during his summer vacation. I picked him up just out side Stuttgart. I was on my way up to the Netherlands and he wanted to get to Dusseldorf, which was not far from my route. Once we got onto the A3, I allowed him to drive my Porsche. At that time most of the A3 did not have speed limits on it. He took the car up to 180 Kph but said that was fast enough for him.
That was very brave of you to let a total stranger drive your car.
Heh, a friend of mine once caught a ride ("Mitfahrgelegenheit") from about Bremen to Berlin with someone driving whatever the current 'sportive' Audi was in the late 90s. Around Hannover, the driver wanted to do some paperwork or close his eyes for a bit, so my friend got to drive. Since he didn't want to take advantage of the moment, he stuck to some moderate 130-150km/h, until the owner just said casually that he did want to arrive in Berlin that same day... So yeah, with an 'invitation' like that, he stepped on it 🤣
Great video Joel. I get the feeling that in maybe 15 years you'll be living in Germany, with eine Frau und 3 Kinder!
Even though this excellent system of traffic management is all about getting people safely, efficiently and quickly to their destination, I can't imagine it would fly in the States. It would likely be seen as encroaching on what some Americans perceive as their "right" to do what they want at the expense of others. That's the unfortunate downside of "freedumb".
The "Rechtsfahrgebot" also applies to all streets in Germany. Drivers are instructed to stay on the right side of their lane. Meaning you should not drive in the middle or the left side of your lane, because other drivers might mistake you driving so close to the middle of the road for an intent to overtake or being not in control of your vehicle.
This is almost correct.
The " Rechtsfahrgebot doesn't apply in towns/cities.
23:12 If you stick to the left lane with 160km/h ;in germany; there will be a BMW ,Porsch or Audi behind you approaching your trunk with 210km/h flashing their lights like paparazzia in front of a catwalk.
That is the german way of politly telling you to get the lame pice of engineering you call car to the right lane...😉
The _polite_ (and only legal) way for that is to flash the lights once, maybe twice. Far too many fast drivers start flashing from 300+m distance already, and don't stop until you start moving over - and they don't care whether you are still right next to another vehicle you're overtaking and _can't_ move over yet. It's not just impolite, but indeed illegal and one of the only actual _crimes_ that regularly get committed ("Nötigung")
I´m German, but since i don´t have a drivers licence and don´t drive, even i learned a bit today about my own countrys highway system ^^
Hey Joel, it`s mandatory to have safety vest and warning triangle in your trunk all over Europe when you travel. 🙂
The vest must be within drivers reach inside the cabin in Slovakia and I think Austria as well (I dont know about other countries). The reason being you can never go outside of your car without the vest on. In Austria you also are required to carry vests for all the passengers in the car. The additional vests can be stored in the trunk.
To be precise, most (maybe all) countries require you to have the high-vis vests inside the passenger compartment. Additionally, at least some countries require that have as many vests as there are people in the car.
@@aphextwin5712 Good to know.👍
And also a first aid kit.
👍@@mr.countro24
btw: on those white posts along the Autobahn (every 50 meters), you can find a little arrow pointing left or right. So, if your car breaks down and you have to drive to the side, you can look at the nearest post and follow the arrow’s direction to get to the nearest emergency phone! This also saves time to call for an ambulance, police or Triple A
Regarding the emergency phones, we here in the Netherlands used to have them too, but with the emerging numbers of cell phones, they phased out completely.
One thing: Ur Mic is a little bit quiet, when the Video starts my speakers scream at me. At least I'm awake now :D
That was a really good video, he explained a lot, was really surprised how good it is.
Because of your question how much Germans stick to the speed limit, let's put it this way, many (maybe most) always drive +10 or +15km/hm, out of town sometimes even in town, as the sign says, so 80 where the sign says 70, 110 where 100 is written and so on.
There are also crazy people who race past you at 200 in a 120 zone on the autobahn, unfortunately there are always such people.
But I would say that we usually keep very close to the speed limit haha
There are also always speed cameras that are set up everywhere, some permanently installed, but also those who are set up by police officers for a few hours, which are then unknown to the people. Therefore, the +10 and +15km / h, because there you do not yet get such a high penalty and no "points". These points you get, for example, if you drive 25+km / h too fast, or driving through red lights and so on. For example +25km/h you currently get 1 point + 150€, from 30 kmh too much you get 2 points and 1 month driving ban and around 230€ fine.
These "points" are registered and as soon as you get the eighth point, the limit is full and you have to hand over your driver's license and also lose the right to drive vehicles. One is then considered unsuitable to lead motor vehicles. At the earliest 6 months later, the ability can be granted again, whereby it must be shown that one is suitable. For this you must also do an "MPU", this creates an expert opinion about whether you are suitable, this includes a psychological interview that lasts about 1 hour. This "MPU" costs about 500-600€.
i think one of the major point why we drive 10+km/h is because the car shows lower speed with the speedometerof around ~5 km/h and then there exist a tolerance if driving a bit to fast which is also idk exacly but i guess ~5km/h so u can break just a bit to not get a ticket
also many people get reckless if u drive less than allow on your speedometer like 65 instead of 70 for example then they drive with an 80+ but reduce after the overtaking
Well the good news JP they drive on the same side as you guys.
Yours is one of the best reaction videos, you don't keep butting in...
That vid was more or less a driving school vid , + has nothing to do with speedin‘ along … ❤️👀
Hello Joel. These are similar to motorways in UK from the signs, but our M designation does not include some A roads that are similar to bits of this. Lesser roads here are B roads. You should see something on UK motorways and smart motorways.
I went from Midland to El Paso in a van to go into Mexico and my relatives used to drive from Windsor, Ontario to work in US, so going across borders is not really so different.
In Texas we were warned about the size of the deer and warned about their size and impact effect. "You are not in UK now and they are not Bambi" we were told.
The van broke down on the way back from Mexico and we were lucky to be picked up by a former WW2 US airman, who turned devout Christian after his experience serving in UK and was our good Samaritan. It was scary in the desert with no obvious help, unlike this video.
P.S. I remember UK national speed limits being brought in during the 1970s when fuel efficiency became important due to supply issues resulting from world events back then.
First class video Joel! It would be good to show on airliners going from North America to Germany. The "Elephant Race" is a keeper phase - perfect expression! I wish I has seen this this video years ago, as I learned a lot too. Cheers, John in Canada p.s. I liked your joke, Ausfarht is the sound leaving the "exit." Bilingual pun!!
I am from the Netherlands. Our language ('Dutch') is very similar to German. Our word for 'funeral' is 'uitvaart', so my thought at seeing 'Ausfahrt' (literal translation) was: "better not take this exit!".
Thanks for giving me a healthy laugh! I did not know this. Hope you will find an exit that is not threatening.
Most of us Western Germans like the Dutch for their cute language (and, of course, for their spending power and the jokes they are likely to crack). So, we mostly enjoy visitors from the Netherlands. But, please, keep to the right lane with your caravans!
When we, as a family were driving through Germany in the '60's we kept seeing "Ausfahrt" and my Mum said ... that must be a VERY big town!!!
The literal translation into Dutch means funeral, so a lot of dead people.
Good,informative vid,Joel,a rare upvote,from me,as I might need this knowledge in a year or so time!👌
P.S. A lot of these German road rules,such as road signs/signals/speed cameras/emergency motorway assistance phones,etc.,generally correlate to our UK's Highway Code,etc.👍
I’m a dual national citizen (British and German) and I spend my time about half between the two countries and drive between them via the Netherlands very often. I also drive the entire length of Germany, North to South often.
There are lots of very SERIOUS points to make here and myths to dispel about the Autobahn:
Myth 1)
As already said, NOT all of the system is derestricted! In fact, in reality the places where you can drive with unlimited speed for any length of time are fairly rare. Either there are actual permanent or temporary speed restrictions in place (e.g roadworks or weather conditions) or because the volume of traffic either makes it physically impossible (the Autobahn is often very busy) or completely unsafe to attempt it.
This means that the speed of traffic is constantly changing which apart from being very stressful also means that materially you are unable to maintain speeds high enough to affect your overall journey time.
Myth 2)
That German Autobahnen are all of very high standard with a good quality surface.
Many parts of Germany’s Autobahn network are now very old and worn-out with poor surfaces. That’s why there’s such a huge programme of roadworks and repairs on them.
The road surfaces are not necessarily commensurate with some of the speeds even road-cars sold to the public can now reach i.e if the speed-limiters are removed, many cars can now approach 200 mph with over 160 mph being very common. Even I have once done over 160 mph.
Additionally, many of them are ONLY two lanes each way. This is important in terms of how safe or rather “unsafe” they are - see below.
Myth 3)
That Germans are better trained and disciplined drivers.
Even if that were true….which I believe to an extent it is (!)….one needs to realise that Germany is at the middle of border-free Europe and its Autobahn serves as Europe’s crossroads.
That means that not everyone on the Autobahn is a German driver. Far from it……some are even Belgians ! 😮 (Belgians are often cited as Europes worst drivers! 🤣)
This can mean that if for example you are driving at 140 mph in your BMW in the left lane (of two lanes) and Andre, from Belgium in his Nissan Qashqai, decides to pull out suddenly to overtake the truck from Latvia in front of him at 60 mph because Andre never bothers to check his mirrors, like a German driver might, you suddenly have nowhere to go….and a very big problem in your BMW! 😮😮😮. Ask me how I know this.
It doesn’t matter whether Andre didn’t know or didn’t follow the rules if your impact speed into the back of him was 80 mph.
You need to be either very brave or very stupid to attempt to drive at anything much over 120 mph on a two-lane section of derestricted Autobahn….and you are still not going to arrive at your destination any faster.
I like driving fast and have quite a fast BMW but the reality is that driving on the Autobahn is not a particularly pleasant experience and needlessly made more stressful by the intermittent derestricted sections.
These may have made a difference to journey times decades ago when the average family cars were struggling to even make 100 mph and there were FAR FEWER slow moving trucks crisscrossing Germany but today…..I think the derestricted Autobahn has had its day.
Far better are the Autoroutes and Autovia in France and Spain which are in my opinion the best and most efficient roads in Europe with their speed limits of 130 kph.
As an aside, a useful thing to know if you’re planning to drive any sort of distance on the Autobahn in Germany is to try to do it on a Sunday. Heavy lorries, over 7,5 tonnes are not allowed to drive on a Sunday. This makes a huge difference! 🙂👍🏽
Hope that helps 🙂🇩🇪
I agree about the French Autoroute péage. So relaxed driving. I want to feel the Mediterranean beaches and sun again, soon. ;-) Meeting lots and lots of fun German people on the FKK beaches.
Yep, driving noticeably faster than 130-140 during the day is only a valid option on _very_ few stretches of the Autobahn. During the night, it's a good bit better due to very little traffic.
I was pretty much on the fence about keeping the deregulated parts or introducing a national speed limit for the entire Autobahn for a long time. Sure, fuel consumption and safety do improve with it, but not _that_ much, especially since the vast majority of people already drive at more moderate speeds, and it's simply a myth tht you don't reach your destination any faster in a lot of situations, even during the day - though some people certainly overestimate how much time they will actually save.
But then I realized what else such a limit would affect, how much it would change in the long run. Speed limits means that - with very few exceptions for a handful of "excentric" drivers -, the engines don't need to be as powerful anymore, meaning they can be cheaper and lighter; the overall car itself can be lighter (engine, transmission, even the overall structure since it doesn't _need_ to withstand those high stresses anymore, ...), so it'll cause less wear on the road (though the impact of passenger cars pales in comparison to trucks and busses, but still...), meaning at least a _little_ bit less maintenance. But lower speeds also means the Autobahn doesn't _need_ to be as smooth and durable anymore to minimize control loss of fast cars, so it doesn't need to be as overengineered as it currently is, which could mean significantly less time and money for construction sites - which would also mean less traffic congestion.
So yeah, by now, I'm fully supporting any move towards a speed limit. Too many benefits that we're missing out on for the sake of _some_ occasional really enjoyable rides for _some_ of us.
Funny you mentioned that Belgians are bad drivers! I was dumbfounded by their driving the last time I drove there. Glad I'm not the only one that's noticed that 😅
@@pegamini7582 I have to agree. Even at 130+ km/h driving in Germany feels more predictable and controlled due to the specific rules on the Autobahn and that's what makes it more enjoyable.
@@Wolf-ln1ml Other countries have speed limits but they are driving the same powerful cars as in Germany so that's not it. Overengineering is done for marketing purposes. Just look at the Ford F-150 - most people actually don't need one and it's purely about the feeling of rough individuality and "Americanism" the ads sell to people.
Yes, there is a ton of traffic cameras all over Europe, fines are sent automatically and rather efficiently. Besides tiny differences, mentioned rules apply all across Europe.
Traffic flow management has become standard - monitors providing automatically adjusted smart speed limits in order to achieve several goals (efficient flow, safety in bad weather, ...)
OP is really a very good explainer! Big bow to both of you
It is not just a "specific part" of the Autobahn without speedlimit, it is most of the Autobahn. I think it is round about 70% or something like that :)
This video is so funny yet very educational.
To answer your speed enforcement question... I had been driving in the UK for 5 years and never had a speeding ticket. I have been driving in Germany for 18 months and I've had four
Mandatory things to legaly drive a car in Germany: drivers license and the right driving class (permission to use a certain type of verhicle), Kennzeichen (license plate) TÜV badge (technical car check), AU badge (exhaust check), a warning tripod, a warning vest, a medical kit, a medical course (part of obtaining drivers license), seat belts for every passenger, seat standoffs for kids so the belt can fit, a green badge for entering a Umweltzone (environmental zone), and enough gas because its a crime to run out of gas in Germany.
Also before every trip it is recommended to check all important parts like turn sign, brake sign, lights, damage on chassis and tires, postion of the seat and mirrors, loose parts or snow on the car. And Germans are currently discussing on removing a drivers license permantly when failing a medical check at senior age.
I do hope we get to see you zipping across the Autobahn. Good luck!
That was a really fascinating video, plenty of information and a lovely touch of humour with it too. Wonder how long before we have JP in shades cruising down Die Autobahn at the wheel of his Porsche? Side thought, wonder what German cider is like?
German cider is ok, some are very good, but I prefer Bulmers and Somersby tho.
Let’s see, what I learned about driving as an American Service member stationed in Germany back in 1986-88. #1-Americans are too distracted by radio/ scenery which leads to delays/accidents. 2- at a stop light- a German driver’s will manage to get 8 vehicles through a stop light cycle before the light changes back to red while American drivers will only manage 4 in the same length of time. 3-Americans don‘t know how to use the passing lane properly. They will move into the passing lane to maybe pass a vehicle ahead and suddenly find themselves on the receiving end of honking and flashing lights as they are now blocking a vehicle In the passing lane that‘s moving faster than they are. Americans don’t pay close enough attention to other vehicles while driving. 4- that there‘s actually speed limit’s on the Autobahn…it’s not just drive as fast as you can. Only in certain areas can you drive fast. Cheers
I'm from the Netherlands and I love der Deutsche Autobahn! You can drive through it or drive fast. On some parts it can be very quiet with hundreds of meters you only have a vehicle in front. In general you don't have that all in the Netherlands. I love that. Nice and quiet. But something is missing in the video. Wo sind die Baustelle? Or rather; where are the roadworks? We always come across that baustelle when we go on vacation every year. That's also a thing. Two lanes that are very narrow and passing requires driving skills and courage.
What even most Germans don't know: The even-numbered Autobahnen mostly run from west to east, the odd-numbered ones from north to south.
Yes, and their one-digit numbers increase from west to east and from north to south, respectively. Routes with two digits have regional importance, the first digit indicates the region they are in, e.g. 2 for northern Germany. Autobahnen with 3 digits are feeders for the respective 2-digit road, connect two other Autobahnen or have only local meaning, e.g. Stadtautobahnen (city highways).
Similar to the U. S. Interstae numbering system, and previously, the Federal Highway system.
Fun fact, the more digits the highway number has, the less important it is. One-digit numbers are the main highways, two-digit are regionally significant, and three-digit are feeders and bypasses.
11:24 The people who constantly use the middle lane are also called Mittelspurschleicher (middle-lane-sleepers) in Germany, and they are a curse to everyone.
One of the best instructional videos about the Autobahn.
The video is wrong about one thing, which is a common misconception for many germans.
If you drive on the middle lane and no cars are on the right one, you are still obligated to use the right lane instead. The use of the rightmost lane is mandatory unless you are in the process of passing another vehicle. Otherwise you can be fined, although it is almost never enforced.
The misconception comes from the legal term "Rechtsfahrgebot". People think "gebot" means "you should" and in common usage it is usually interpreted that way, but that is not correct legally. It actually means "you must unless there is a reason not to".
there are controls called "Blitzer" meaning something like flasher and its basically cameras and sometimes cops measuring your speed and if you are more than about 5-10 km/h faster, youll have to pay money and maybe even give up on your drivers license
What he didn't mention but often Americans seem to be confused by, is that the distance indicator signs show the furthest town on top and the closest on the bottom. We also don't use east or west for directions it would always be in this case Dortmund for west and Kassel for east. Evenly numbered Autobahnen go east-west and odd numbered north-south.
A similar „Ausfahrt“-story occured to me end of December 1989 in East Germany, on the first days when the wall was open for wessies (West German citicens). A lot of shiny new signs to „GÜST“, there were no road maps of GDR and we couldn‘t unterstand, where this town is located. Later the day we learned GrenzÜbergangsSTelle, meaning border crossing. Long gone and very interesting days.
Nice to see the emergency phones there. As I am currently working for the Notruf der Autoversicherer, which is the Name of the Callcenter you will reach when calling from those phones, I just want to mention, that you don't necessarily need to have a break down, accident or medical problem. You can also call us if you see something lying on the street or at the side of the street and if something on the Autobahn is damaged. Before smartphone era some people also called us for general directions to the next exit lane, parking lot or gas station. Some still do.
We do know exacly who to contact in which situation e. g. police, Autobahnmeisterei, ambulance, insurance, touring club, service car etc.
We also do at least speak german and english. Many of us also can communicate in french, dutch, turkish, polish and other languages.
i love his videos, he is so calm and peacefull
Sometimes your audio is too low. You might want to either get closer to the mic, or turn it up. Anyways, great video buddy. Thank you!!
Another fact of the Autobahn: your vehicle must be able to go AT LEAST 61 Kilometers per hour to be allowed to use the Autobahn. Therefore Scooters are not allowed
The emergency phones, I guess for my experience, they exist in every highway in Europe, not only in the autobahn. And as he said every 2km (+- 1.7miles). Also the "Axx" numbering system aplies to every highway in Europe as well. Axx as a national numbering system and Exx for european numbering. The "A" means Autobahn, Autopista, Autoestrada, Autovia... whatever way a country calls highway, generally starts with 'auto', with the exception of the british, like usual, that calls it motorway.
In the Netherlands the general maximum speed is 130 km/h, and for environmental reasons between 06.00 - 19.00 hrs 100 km/h. There are "Autobahn" (in Dutch "autosnelweg") sections where the speed is constantly checked by portals with cameras and traction control, in other areas the police use speed traps with radar or mobile systems. On busy sections of those reads there are portals that measure the average speed of that moment and if there is an obstruction in anay way automatically signs are lit up with a maximum speed and/or signs indicating a traffic jam.
My hometown in the thumbnail
I HAD to watch... good job
I passed my driving test in Germany while serving in the British Army and have driven in Germany and many other European countries since. This is an excellent introduction to driving in Germany.
The UK motorway system has emergency phones too. At approximately 1 mile intervals on the hard shoulder. Each one is numbered and the operator you speak to will know exactly where you are and on which side of the road.
Drove on the German autobahn on the no-limit part -and let me tell you - I have never in my life been so alert! I was blasting 200km/h and was regularly being taken over by waaaay faster cars. Your adrenaline is to the max and changing lines is a decision you need to think through. It was surprisingly very safe too - everyone needs to charge 4 times before doing anything.
Love how organised drivers are in Germany. However you have to be when you're going 200km/h (124mph) down the Autobahn. You have to be on top of everything... And still there is always someone else that approaches you from behind, faster than you and you have to fit into the lane to the right without hitting another vehicle. Loved some smooth moments when you're going around 200kmh together with others and you go with the flow... everything just works! Fan-bl****-tastic! Not all are good drivers but most of them are. If you're not speeding.. .keep to the RIGHT!
We did have it here at one time. The Pa turnpike was designed after the autobahn and it had no speed limit when it opened in 1940 and it was free.
Rudolf Caracciola drove 432 Km/h on Autobahn already in 1939. Bernd Rosemeyer died one year earlier driving faster than 400, when his car became an airplane.
They forgot to mention there are Bundesstraßen without speed limit. These are rare and often, only the locals use them to their full extend (meaning, just like a Autobahn) because there is no sign that tells them it's unlimited.
To elaborate a bit on Geisterfahrer ("ghost rider"): it's someone who either was on the wrong lane when entering the Autobahn, meaning they're driving in the wrong direction. The term is derived from phantom ships because they too seemingly appear out of nowhere and seeing one is startling. You'll often hear warnings of Geisterfahrer on the radio but luckily, accidents are rather rare (when they do happen though, they're pretty severe).
As a German who has been driving in Germany for 26 years, I really have to say that I didn't know a few things myself. Thanks 😊
This is the same in the Netherlands.
This was filmed on a high way.
If this happens in the inner city all cars must part. One would even make way by driven through red light a bit.
I live on the route Rotterdam Airport, Rotterdam Hospital. Once in a while we have organ transports. Regardless of the time, even during rush hour, the road will be cleared by police cars and police motor cyclists.
The first time I saw it, was weird. It was during rusf hour, 6 PM. Many commuters on the road. Suddenly it became silent. Cars stopped. Police men stopped cars and blocked junctions. It remained silent.....
People looked surprised. What's going on.
Suddenly from afar we heard silents approaching, getting louder.
Under escort of policemen on motorbikes the ambulance with organs (or patiënt) passed, high speed, on the way to the hospital.
Now it's a special moment for me, every time I sense a transport is on its way.
I wait till the ambulance passed.
I know that someone's death on the one side of the route will hopefully save someone's life on the receiving part.
In between so many people are working together for the receiver 🙏🏼
Perhaps you can find a video online from such an organ transport?
Take care.
Greetings from Rotterdam/ the Netherlands 🇳🇱
Regarding your question if seed limits are enforced: more than in America but also no. In Germany, almost all traffic tickets are based on speed cameras, and they get mailed to you. It's common to see people to drive 10 km/h faster, because this limit constitutes a warning which is basically just a fee, so you have to pay 15-35€ for going over the speed limit, and you pay that 10-15 days after you have done the violation. If you go 20 km/h you get 1 point on your driver's license (it increases the faster you go) and at 8 points you get your driver's license suspended for at least one month.
in case you're wondering what the bushes & trees at the roadside actually do when they reduce winds:
they reduce the sideways-push caused by wind, this in return reduces how fast tires are worn down & also keeps the road in a better shape for a longer time, so it's double cost reduction whilst being healthy for the environment, against all the CO2 from the cars. =)
That was a great video- very informative. A lot of what he showed us is pretty similar to British Motorways.
"Geisterfahrer" (people who drive in the wrong direction on the Autobahn) is unfortunately quite common. That's because the entrances and exits are side by side. This would be impossible in France, where entrances and exits on motorways (or highways) are on different sides of the road.
What I 'like' most are wealthy tourists flying in from many parts from all over of the world, hiring a really powerful beast of a car, and insist to drive as fast as they can, ideally hitting that 300kmh (~190 mph) magic mark - no matter what the traffic situation is like. Having no driving experience doesn't count.
Some kill themselves (and others). Sad fact: too many survive and come back again on the next occaison.
Recently I observed a driver, who couldn't shift into 2nd gear on his Audi R8 V10 >600hp. You made my day, mate.
Autobahns are strictly one way. There is a physical barrier in the middle separating both directions. To drive the wrong way (remember ghost driver) is a very deadly endeavour.
The distance between exits vary. From some hundred meters in big cities up to several kilometers in rural areas.
Wikipedia has a map of the German Autobahn: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autobahn
Essen in Thumbnail, instant win bro!
Can't go wrong with my home City. :)
😂 i live in Nordenham. It is a very small town. So, it is very cool to see here the road sign to my home town at 12:22 !
I am not sure if it has been already explained by one comment, but I wanted to give a quick overview over the German traffic code (StVO - Straßenverkehrsordnung; literally: "Traffic regulations code").
So, the most important thing for foreigner coming to Germany:
(1) Speed limits
In Germany, and in extension, within the European Union, we work with general speed limits - so, for a specific type of road we have a specific speed limit.
Within city limits, within the so-called "Geschlossene Ortschaften" (Built-up areas, so towns, cities, villages etc.) there is a general speed limit of 50 km/h. (This speed limit, and every other speed limit, can be raised or lowered within the boundaries of the "Administrative Ordinance for the Road Traffic Regulations", "Verwaltungsverordnung StVO" - VwV-StVO, which is a set of rules that orders what the German traffic authorities may or may not do to regualte the traffic and within the boundaries of the Vz-Kat, the "Verkehrszeichenkatalog" (Catalouge of traffic signs).
Outside of city limits, the general speed limit is 100 km/h, as mentioned.
Now we get to the part, where the real fun with German traffic begins: Within the StVo, there is no section that explicitly states that there is no speed limit on the Autobahn, so I will quote directly from the StVO:
"§3 - Speed
[...]
(3) The speed limit [is ordered], even under pristine conditions, to be
1. 50 km/h wihtin city limits for all motor vehicles,
2. [...]
c) 100 km/h outside city limits (indicated by Z. 311) [...] [for motor vehicles with a total weight of 3.5 tons or less].
This speed limit does not apply on the Autobahn (Z. 330.1), it also does not apply on roads with a built seperation in the middle. It further does not apply [on roads with more than one lane for each
direction of traffic]."
I've paraphrased this a lot, as German laws tend to be very complicated, but the contents are still the same. Also, not to be confused, number (3), section (c) only applies for roads outside city limits.
But as this can be regulated by the German traffic authorities, there are speed limits on the Autobahn, but there is no general speed limit. So if the speed isn't regulated, you may go as fast as you want (if the surrrounding conditions at the time allow it ;)).
The sign that indicates speed limits is Z. 274 (traffic sign no. 274), look it up, if you like, and any other following or preceding traffic sign.
(2) Right of way/ Priority
As with the speeds, there is a general rule that applies if the competent authorities have not regulated it otherwise;
When on an intersection, where there are no traffic signs, traffic lights or policemen regulating traffic, one rule applies:
"Right before left" - so anybody coming from your right has right of way (which is used instead of the "four-way-stop" common in the USA). This is cancelled by traffic signs indicating right of way, which are in turn cancelled by active traffic lights, which are in turn cancelled by policemen regulating traffic. It's a pyramid-like system, so to say - when one of the four is applicable, all below are cancelled.
There are of course exceptions; if you are leaving, for example, a parking lot, re-enter the street over a lowered curb, are leaving a "Verkehrsberuhigter Bereich" (reduced-traffic zone, Z. 325.1 (start) and 325.2 (end)) and some others, you have to give right of way to everybody else.
Then there are the signs: Z. 301 ("right of way only at the next intersection"), Z. 306 ("priority street") and Z. 307 ("end of priority street"). These are positive. The negative ones are:
Z. 205 ("Give way.") and Z. 206 ("Stop. Give way.") which orders a complete stop of the vehicle and to give way (the classical stop-sign).
Traffic lights should be self-explanatory, although we have a few rules that differ from the US. If more explanation is needed/wanted, I'd be much obliged to explain.
At last, if there are any other questions, I'd be very happy to answer them, too, and I'll end with quoting (and paraphrasing) §1 of the German StVO:
§1 - Basic Rules
(1) Participation in traffic requires constant caution and mutual consideration.
(2) Anyone taking part in traffic must behave in such a way that no one else is harmed or endangered or, more than is unavoidable under the circumstances, hindered or inconvenienced.
Hey JP! Thanks for using a picture of the Autobahn A40 in my hometown Essen as thumbnail! One of the biggest east-west connections in Germany and always full of Stau 😂
3:21 Not exactly. There is no general speed limit in place for the Autobahn. Within the boundaries of a settlement there is a general limit of 50 km/h, outside that area the general limit is 100 km/h. But on all kinds of roads, including the Autobahn, there can be limits set by signs. For the Autobahn, about 30% are regulated by fixed speed limit signs and due to construction sites and flexible limits (either electronically adjustible ones or such which only count in special conditions, such as rainfall) a lot more is usually not completely free of a speed limit.
8:44 It is worth to mention, that almost all the signs (and most of the general rules) are universial troughout Europe and most of the rest of the world. The animal depicted on the animals crossing sign can be different in other countries, but it is allways recognizable.
11:15 Adding to that: The "Rechtsfahrgebot" (obligation to drive on the right lane) does neither apply within the official limits of a settlement nor situations when white arrows on the lane indicate a direction.
19:11 You rarely find cops sitting somewhere. There are a lot of fixed and mobile radar systems. You get the bill and other consequences later. In a european context, german adherence to speed limits is pretty mediocre (even though most people would only strech the limits a little bit. If you overdo it to much, you can loose your license). On the other hand, to call the limits "loose suggestions" would also not descibe the behaviour of the majority of drivers well. But there are many countries with penalties which are an order of magintude higher and with stricter adherence to the limits than germany.
20:44 ... Even though you might pass a sign which says "Wenden". But in that case, it is actually the name of the city "Wenden".
17:31 The autobahn from this point on continues straight for a couple of kilometers. There are also no bushes in the middle between the barriers. The barriers themselves are modular, and can be taken out fairly easily. A lot of people dont know this, but this is actually because these parts of the Autobahn where "hidden" airbases that could be rapidly transformed into military facilities. On the ends of these, there are parking spaces, and below those are big tanks for jet fuel.
The signs and emergency phones are fairly common on a lot of European roads. In the U.K. the road lanes are also illuminated with what are known as Cat’s Eyes, an invention from the 1930s which uses inserts with glass beads embedded into the tarmac. The left edge left lane is red, other lanes use white and the outer edge of the right lane is amber. The approach to slip roads either entering or exiting the left lane are coloured green similar to a traffic light warning system. These Cat’s Eyes are a safety feature that increase safety at night, fog or low light situations as they reflect the headlights and give the driver a warning of approaching dangers. The outer edges of the left lane also have rumble strips which increase your vehicle’s tyre noise if you wander out of the lane. Contra flow systems where road works guide you onto speed limited driving onto the opposite side of of a carriageway also have temporary Cat’s Eyes in place to assist in moving traffic from the left carriageway onto the right carriageway.
ua-cam.com/video/GbXcB00Myh0/v-deo.html
The most driver on the Autobahn drive ca. 20 km/h above the speed limit as this could only cause a speed ticket of max. €60, above 20 km/h the fines rise quickly and also temporary driving bans are possible if you are very much above the speed limit. If you drive eg 170 km/h in a 100 km/h Zone the fine is €700. If you drive 280 km/h in a unrestricted section and have to slow down to eg. 100 km/h you need some distance if you don´t want to go for a full break, so the 170 km/h in a 100 zone is not that uncommon.
Many highways have fences blocking off the way into the forest next to it. They force the animals to cross at a certain point with extra warning or even over an 'ecoducts' OVER the highway.
Turn up your mic!
Love your videos!
Greetings from Ausfahrt, Germany!
😃
Most cars now have a built in speed limit and will stay at the right speed for that stretch of road. So you can relax your driving and not worry too much
Those mile markers are common on Canadian freeways as well, and the exit ramps are also numbered according to them,
Yes we used to have emergency phones on interstates but they became obsolete except in very rural areas they are still available