Whew!! against all odds (to include my camera breaking!) i was able to get this up just in time! I hope you guys enjoy it! :) and don't forget to tell me anything interesting your driver instructor told you!
@@tmseh It's an amusement park in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area. It started operation in 1899 (not 1999). It's my default frame of reference since I grew up in that area.
@@simanova837 actually it depends on the region your Fahrschule is located. It's more expensive in Munich than in Berlin. And much cheaper in smaller villages. I did mine 2 years ago for 1500 including all costs for material and Dekra/TÜV.
@@florian6948 auch bei bisschen wie gut man ist. Man hat ja diese mindest Stunden die man "nehmen" muss und dann jenachdem wie scheiße man ist kann es ja sein dass man ein paar extra Stunden braucht oder die Prüfung verkackt
@@couch9416 bei mir kostete eine Fahrstunde (45 min) 35€. Dazu kamen alle Materialien, Grundgebühr, Extragebühr für Nacht- und Überlandfahrten... Die größten Unterschiede sind sicher in der Gebühr pro Stunde und der Grundgebühr.
My first nighttime driving lesson (Germany): I had forgotten to turn on the lights, but we were still in a big (non-public) parking lot. My instructor never mentioned the headlights, but instead took out a box of matches, lit one and held it over the steering wheel, telling me this way I could at least see SOMETHING. Guess what, I never forgot the headlights again... :)
In the US it's near impossible to be a functioning human in society without a car.... It's a sad reality, but we don't exactly have the best public transportation in the world.
@@frojoe2004 Actually, I survived four years in Dallas, TX, without a car. Now, granted, I didn't have to most active of social lives, but it's a matter of priorities, not the least.
does she say in Germany you HAVE to take your test in a car instructor car and HAVE to have that instructor with you as well as the examinator?? and 30-40 hour paying an instructor to drive with you? Belgium only forces 20 hours of driving with instructor if you take the driving school approach...
Those prices are highly depending on your location. In East Germany (former GDR) the prices are significantly lower than in West Germany and driving schools located in villages or rather small towns charge less than schools in big cities. Thus the price range for a German License ( without extra lessons) reaches from 1000€ in an east German village to 2500€ in a west German city. You will note that the 1400€ Kelly mentioned are pretty much in the middle of this range. (Well, a little below, because prices above 2k are rather rare.) And that's no surprise given that it's an average for all German schools.
Germans take driving very seriously as opposed to Americans. Here is a great example; Porsche for decades never built cup holders in their cars. You should not be drinking having both hands on the wheel. Porsche USA, kept passing on American consumer complaints that the cars lacked cup holders leading the company to give into the needs of the American market.
yes i think you're right, and i fully believe that if you are unable to safely sip a drink while driving on the highway, then you shouldn't be allowed to have passengers in your car, especially children, as they are far, far more distracting than a drink.
So you can shift with one hand on the wheel but not sip some coffee? You’ve obviously never seen a fighter pilot cockpit where only only one hand is on the stick not to mention Airbus aircraft. Two hands on the wheel is actually worse than one since you have left brain battling right brain.
@@johnp139 in case of emergency you can always put your hand from shifter to the wheel but if you are holding coffe you will spill it on you. And your brain theory is just stupid. Then why do we walk with two legs instead of jumping on one leg if our left and right sides of brains are fighting each other
tecums3h All the engineering effort that would have been devoted to putting a cup holder in a car was instead used to figure out how to defeat emissions tests.
You forgot to metion, that almost 50% fail their practical exam in Germany. I know a lot of people who had to take it multiple times. Each exam costs around 200€.
That number seems rather high… I know personal anecdotes aren't evidence, but I only know one person who failed their practical exam (actually, she even failed it multiple times). Usually, your instructor will strongly advise against you taking the exam until they are reasonably certain that you will pass.
Entropy Zero: It propably depends greatly on where you do your license. The father of a friend of mine used to work for Tüv Nord. He told me that in my district around half contestants fail their first practical exam.
@@entropyzero5588 i had a friend who failed 5 times, had to take the idiot test and the 6 months waiting period after the 3rd fail. some people just arent made for the road lol.
@@entropyzero5588 I don't think that people who failed will walk around and tell everyone, I didn't do that either. I also had to take the exam tree times because the first two times I had a very picky mean old man as examiner, who really enjoyed letting students fail
One anecdote from my first driving theory lesson here in Germany: everyone sat down, just a few guys were standing in the last row - it was people waiting for their motorcycle instructor. Driving instructor says "Oh, and now everyone turn around. It's the motorcycle guys. Everyone say hello to our future organ donors!"
„bf17“ (driving at the age of 17) in Germany doesn’t require a legal guardian to be in the car with you. You can register any person for that job that meets the following requirements: 1. he/she is 30 years or older 2. he/she owned a drivers license class B continuously for the past 5 years 3. he/she doesn’t have more than 1 „penalty?-point“ in the registry of Flensburg.
@@Herdatec I didn't know that if that is the case. I just know the current situation and I know that it has been that way for at least 5 years now, because that's when my grandmother had to sign up for that ;) Thanks for the info
@@NeatMeik I've been the among the first in Lower Saxony that went through that program in 2006. Additional the parents had to go through a special theoretical course to learn what to do.
@@Herdatec I've now looked up the history of BF 17. Lower Saxony started its own pilot project on April 30, 2004. On July 18, 2005, the German Bundestag passed its own (initially temporary till August 1, 2010, later permanently since January 1, 2011) federal law which was adapted by Lower Saxony on March 1, 2006, and last adapted by Baden-Württemberg on January 1, 2008. Only the pilot project of Lower Saxony required a legal guardian to be in the car, the federal concept on the other hand has always required the aforementioned qualification. Your experience therefore is quite remarkable because it only existed in one of the 16 Bundesländer and only for a timeframe of 1 year and 10 months. If you went through the program in 2006 you have actually been one of the very last to do so. In summary: The aforementioned requirements have been the only ones to ever be federally adapted and existed in this phrasing since the very beginning for now over 13 years. Only the pilot project of Lower Saxony has ever had the requirement of an legal guardian to be in the car. Thrilling, I love to learn new things! :) Furthermore: If I understood correctly you had to agree to your data (accidents, speeding etc) being used in a study concerning the effectiveness of the concept of BF 17 which later proved just that (28,5% less accidents and 22,7% less traffic violations) and therefore significantly contributed in the process of making the aforementioned federal law permanent! Thanks for that!
ah, in belgium, it's at least 7 years having his/her driver licence insteat an at least 30.. I only bottered to get mine at 28 year old, so I can only instruct from 35, but it you jump on it from your 18, you could be instructing someone you know from 26y old. Probably sometimes not being convicted for drunken or other stupid driving in past X year.. don't renember exactly. Belgium politicans sometimes trow up the penalty point thing, but still doesn't exist. For serious class one violations, you always have to come in front of a judge, that can legally , fine you / force extra lesson / community service hour / or take your drivers licence away.
Just a addon for the german drivers licenses in the pratical test you can be asked to explain and show where diffrent parts of the car are like the engine and test if the cars oil is still good or if the car needs water and other things like this
It becomes less and less...technical...now a days it's all about environmental stuff and saving fuel, I can tell as my son did his licence just a year ago... While when I did my licence I only had 6 additional environment related questions in the test. And when my mum did her licence they had models of car engine and drivetrains in the class rooms and you had to be able to change a tire on your own, improvise a FEAD belt, or change the plugs and all sorts of stuff... So this was a lot stuff to learn about a car that was not related to driving and it was also kind of the first generation in Germany that had allmost every women aiming to get a licence.
Just for clarification: neither old pink papers nor never plastic card driver licenses expire in the meaning of that your personal license to drive expires. What expires is the plastic card itself, which was introduced because the older the ppl got, the less police was able to judge if the person shown on the picture on the card is the person currently controlled. So to „motivate“ ppl to have at least a half up to date pic on their plastic, those „expiring“ date was introduced. If you are stopped by police with an „expired“ plastic, you get a fine for „not carrying a valid license with you“, not for „driving without a license“ (the difference in fines is huge).
it's the same in the US so I didn't think to clarify this point. you just have to get the card renewed, it's not like you have to take the entire test all over again. and just like in germany, in the US if you are pulled over driving with an expired license, you get fined for driving with an expired license not for driving without a license (i.e. without the permission to drive)
Kelly does her thing Ok, great. Because there actually ARE driving licenses that expire. If you look at the matrix on the backside of Misha‘s German license, you will see column „11“ . In this column the expiring date of the specific license types is written. As Misha „only“ has car and motorcycle license, there should only be a horizontal line in the corresponding field. But if you e.g. are allowed to drive trucks (classe C, C1, C1E and CE), you really have to renew the licenses for this class every couple if years (think it was two or three, new eye-test, new physical examination by a doctor etc)
So, I just looked at my german licence. It does not expire. A licence for Semi-Trucks does. Not the one for cars. Important: Even then your card might not even expire. Just your permission to operate a specific class of vehicle. Also important: A german drives licens is only valid in conjunction with you government issued ID. Edit: Ok, just read your second reply. Still: The physical card usually does not expire because it is not considered an ID.
@IceteePfirsich It actually does expire, however this change is somewhat recent. So if your license was issued before 2013 it doesn't say so (mine doesn't either). EU law states that every drivers license must have an expiry date. The "normal" car license should be issued with 10 years validity, states can choose to make it 15. Member states also have to make sure, that by January 19, 2033 all valid licenses adhere to these new rules. Take a look at Art.3.3 and Art.7.2: eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/DE/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32006L0126
kaeptnjoker even the old Lappen expires at a certain day I think it is the 19th January 2033 or even earlier there is no expiration date on the license but it came with the new regulations that the licenses has expiration dates.
Having driven in both the US and Germany, I can see why the standards for driver education in Germany are so high, since here any licensed driver may legally drive up to 250 km/h (or faster, if their car allows it). Vehicle inspections in Germany are similarly rigorous.
@@mojojim6458 Emissions testing during vehicles inspections are especially rigorous. I had to replace the entire fuel-injection control unit on my old VW Golf when it failed the test.
@@AndronicaLlewellyn Then, I suppose you won't want to join what is termed in the US a class action suit against Volkswagen for installing software that defeated auto emissions tests. A law was passed effective Nov. 1 to allow the suit to go forward. Up to 2 million autos will be involved.
Mojo Jim Well, I see that this a sarcastic remark, nevertheless every car has to undergo a rigorous general inspection at least every two years in Germany, where compliance with exhaust emission standards is checked as well. The diesel engines you are referring to, passed all these tests on the test bench, because the software of the engine control could recognize that the vehicle was on the test bench and in this case activated all emission purification systems in this configuration. Only tests in non-lab, "real life" conditions showed that some manufacturers used those cheat devices to circumvent the emissions standards with criminal intend.
The anecdote my instructor told me is that a girl went through yellow on crossroads and caused an accident when she had her final test. She still passed the test and got her license. It turns out that a car was driving right behind her and rules are that you must stop on yellow if you are safely able to. If she started breaking the car behind her would smash into her rear end which means she did everything right and the car behind her was at fault for not keeping proper distance to safely react in case she breakes
It happens. A friend of mine made his final test and another car cut into his line, causing him to evade and crash into a (small) tree. Luckily in a city, so he was driving slowly, the car was done for but he, his instructor and the official were largely fine. While they were checked for injuries by the medics the official handed him documents so he might get his license, because "they were almost done when the other car cut him off and he was driving fine".
what terrible luck. i don't think i've ever seen an accident happen right in front of me in my entire life and to have that happen right when i'm taking my driver's test, my gosh haha that's really unfortunate
@@Kellydoesherthing I think it probably really happend. Have you ever done a video about differences in drivig culture between USA and Germany or maybe planing to? I would be very interested to know if Americans are really worse drivers then Germans. It would make sense because of the driving education they receive (or not receive) and also other things like lower speed limits and wider roads. I can't imagine myself driving on US highway with multiple lanes where cars can pass you on left and right. To dangerous I think. It is safer to drive 130 km/h which is max in my country or maybe unlimited like in some sections of German autobahn if infrastructure supports it. Autobahn in my country is not straight enough to support unlimited speeds. Also, is it true that cops only pull you over in US and you don't have "blitzers" like Germans call them?
@Kelly does her thing showed the video to my wife and she said she knows about an even worse case. This guy basically just drove off the parking lot of the drivers school during his final test, and approached a traffic light. The problem was, in this city (Celle) the medieval road layout is pretty crazy and he missed that he would have had to stop much further away from the traffic light as there was a tiny street he was blocking now. So the official called the test a failure...after a mere 30 seconds. Ouch.
The reason for the compulsory 1st Aid course in Germany is that you legally have to assist if you come across an accident that has already happened or you could be prosecuted for Failure to Assist (Unterlassene Hilfeleistung). My father trained as a driving instructor in Germany in the '60s before electronic bleepers. Back then they tied a white handkerchief on the extra pedals in the instructors foot well. Instructors had a surprising penchant for wearing very clean and pointy shoes! :)
What i am curious about concerning §323c StGB is, how all the false accusations of sexual assault going around in the wake of the #Metoo-movement are going to influence the application of this law. In other countries people have been accused of this for administering first aid, so this is no joke. www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2018/11/05/strangers-scared-give-female-heart-attack-victims-cpr-case-accused/ from the UK japantoday.com/category/national/man-revives-woman-with-aed-but-branded-pervert-for-removing-her-clothes-to-apply-electrode-pads from Japan It is only a matter of time until this also starts happening here in Germany - and that is when things are going to become interesting.
@@ranekeisenkralle8265 Its bullshit. Read the law. The language in § 323c is so clear that you cant make that excuse. There is always a subjective element for a crime. As a law student I can tell you that something like that isnt given even a second thought in serious cases. Its in the basic structure of applicance of criminal law. The right to live is weighted BEFORE ones personal rights and therefore allows intervention, simply as that. Even if the personal honour is considered untouchable, this is basically one of the few situations where aricle 1 GG does not fully aplly. And no court will accept the excuse "I feared I might be called a pervert so I let that person die"- they would rather clear that persons name by declaring the "assault" was excusable. § 323c ONLY LETS YOU OF THE HOOK when a) you would bring the danger onto yourself or b) you are in such a situation that you cant be trusted to help, for example if you have a resonsibility, for example for brining children out of the dangerzone. Your personal honour is no excuse. People who suffer through such situations certainly wont care, they literally cant, have different things on their mind, if anything at all. And even if they did care, the helpers name is always cleared because they did what was legally required. Dont let someone manipulate you into an anti-Metoo rant by making up legal problems that effectively are none.
@@felixleidinger1670 I have studied Law myslf, thank you. And I wasn't so much referring to the judicial aftermath of such a situation either. What i was referring to is the effects that such a false accusation would have in the court of public opinion where men had their entire liveliehoods taken away or destroyed over false accusations. and therefore how the application of 323c would be influenced Mind you, I am in no way excusing actual sexual assault/harassment/etc. I am referring to those nutjobs who jump onto the bandwagon and make false claims only to harm men by then promoting their "crime" on facebook and the like - which is an ever more important issue which our judicial system has so far been unable to effectively curtail. Yes, you can seek legal reparations for that, but that doesn't repair the damage of an utterly ruined reputation and public image, does it?
@@ranekeisenkralle8265 This might not apply in Germany (I do'nt know how the law is written) but in France, you do not have to touch the person. 1st aid training in France insist a lot on trying to contact emergency services - after you have put a quick diagnosis on the person (conscious/unconscious? Appears to be breathing? bleeding? ) even if you think the person need CPR but you're afraid of consequences (or you might just be very sensible, or afraid of blood) as long as you contacted the emergency services, since you aren't a trained physician/paramedic/other, the law consider that you did good. I haven't heard of any bystander that was accused of not helping as long as they called the emergency services.
@@ranekeisenkralle8265 What exactly should these articles prove? The first one reported a fear. "Respondents said bystanders may worry about hurting a woman while doing CPR chest compressions -- or fear being accused of sexual assault. Some said people also might believe women's breasts get in the way of CPR." In the second case there was no consequence or backlash. It was cleared up and nothing happened. "I am referring to those nutjobs who jump onto the bandwagon and make false claims only to harm men by then promoting their "crime" on facebook and the like" I can guarantee you any woman that is in need of CPR won't give a shit if you touch her breasts when you try to save her life. This idea is ludicrous. It seems you make up ridiculous scenarios to somehow justify a sexist opinion.
Best anecdote from driving school: Instructor was giving a boy the first practical motorcycle lesson on a parking lot, some dexterity stuff, a bit of slalom, you know. Instructor then had to take a call and turned away for a minute. Turns back and the student was driving past STANDING WITH OUTSTRETCHED ARMS ON THE SADDLE!! Turns out he was part of a circus family and had been performing in the "sphere of death" with his brothers since he was 12. Also Misha has motorcycle licenses. Good man!
In Germany there are special restrictions for drivers under 24 who have had their license for less than two years. This time period is called "Probezeit" (probation time) and whenever they get a point for a traffic violation, they have to take a special course to remind them of the importance of respecting traffic laws. This course costs €350, in addition to the original fine, and the probezeit will also automatically be extended for two more years. I am speaking from my own experience… And I was only ONE WEEK away from finishing my two years of Probezeit when I was caught speeding. I've been a law-abiding citizen since then.
That time can be higher from the beginning, it is always until you´re 21. I got lucky that as I got speeding, I didn´t got the points, because my car is on my dads name :D
The age 24 has no meaning the "Probezeit" is simply based upon when you did your test. if you do it with 19 it goes until 21, if you do it at 37 than 39. Beside when doing a larger offence, you have a extended "Probezeit" and an extra cource, the fines also most of the time are somewhat larger. Also if you are in your "Probezeit" or younger than 21 you mut have 0.00 pro mille of alcohol in your breath and blood.
@@annabellem7953 No, it's only for two years and as I said, it can be prolonged to four years in certain cases. You were lucky then, but if you should ever get into an accident, you're in trouble because your insurance will not cover you if you're not registered as the car's driver.
I paid $5 in Georgia for my drivers license. Got Drivers Ed in School. And that was it. Didnt learn a thing honestly. In germany I paid about a 1000 bucks because I got through quickly, but not thanks to the US drivers license lol
My german instructor had a really intresting anecdote to share: One of his friends was driving on the autobahn and was for dome reason (i forgot) distracted, so he almost missed his exit. In the last second he remembered hebhad to take the exit, but he was still om the middle lane and had a truck on his right. He floored the gas paddle and steared right, almost causingna crash with the truck. The truck driverbhit the brakes and also took the exit. A fee hundred meters later he came to a stop at a red light and noticed the truck was still behind him. The truckdriver left his truck, aproached him and without warning punched through the glass window, breaking the guys lower jaw. Moral of the story: it is better to miss an exit than risc a crash!
I paid almost 3000 euros for my license. And my teacher always told us stories about people who had horrific accidents or he talked about how boys are so much more likely to be too excited to drive safe than girls.
11:22min No, that's wrong. German driving licenses don't expire. I was confused when you said so and checked mine. The point 4b on the license says "Ablaufdatum" but there is no date written on it. Up until the 90s, instead of this card, we had the pink paper driving licenses and up until the 70s they were big, grey paper ones. Old people these days still have the grey or pink and it's absolute legit!
Expire meaning you have to renew it which you do, every 15 years (if issued in 2013 or later...older licenses last longer). The date it expires is in 4b
Your knowledge aubout Germany is amazing Kelly ! You seem to be half german already. Here a little story of my driving teacher: I live in a village and he was an older man. As you mentioned the driving teachers are sitting on the right with all needed pedals (steering wheel is on the left). One day when the last student left the car he stayed on the right seat and drove home by steering with his left hand. People who saw this thought that the car is driving without a driver. :-)))
When you are really drunk and then drove a bike, it makes you unfit to participate in the traffic with a vehicle (even the bicycle in extrem cases). Also running a redlight with a bicycle (and other offences) can get you points.
I was in my first driving lesson (here in Germany). First thing my teacher told me was how he had to drag a body without a head out of a car from an accident the day before. Instant sweating.
Maybe I just missed it, but I'd like to add: a drivers license in Germany is no valid form of identification whatsoever, while at least some states' licenses (and i. E. canadian licenses in general afaik) are. For identification all German citizens have to have a seperate document, called "Personalausweis", or at least a Passport. Every person beeing in the country has to be able to identify themselves in some form (except, partly, kids). This has two reasons: 1. Many more people here dont even have to drive a car and to posess a license 2. If you do stupid things in traffic, your license can be confiscated much more quickly, which would leave you without any form of identification whatsoever (even if you dont have to turn it in immediately: it can take quite a long time to get an ID made, which you need to posess by law).
My drivers ed coach was this amazing guy, 200+ Kilos heavy and always joking about his weight. He once told a story. Now for this you need to know that in the city I live, we have a neighbor city called Höxter that is a bit of a rival. People from my city say that people from Höxter simply cant drive for the life of them. So Coach told the story, of how he was driving through an inner city block with one of his students, over a one-way road. All of a sudden, they got opposed by a car coming from the wrong direction. They guy from the other car honked at em, flashed his headlights and even got out of the car shouting at them, not realising he was A: Shouting at a Drivers Ed teacher and B: was about 5 minutes away from the nearest police station. So Coach notified him hes a Drivers Ed teacher and that hes calling the police. The guy panicked and tried to get away. To which Coach got outta the car and placed himself behind the other guys car so he couldnt get away. The guy was furious and tried to beat him up, just as the police came. Now Ill leave it to you what cities sign was on the guys number plate.
I was lucky. I went through Driver's Ed when I was 16, but I _also_ went through a driver _training_ course called _MasterDrive._ It was started by a racecar driver after his daughter died in a car crash. In it, we learned the steering and breaking techniques that racecar drivers use to optimize control of their vehicles. After graduation, because of the skills we had developed, we all got discounts on our car insurance.
Just to add that here: In Germany you can also make your driving license for Motorcycles (125ccm) with 16. (50ccm with 15) That’s what many teens do that don’t live in the cities, like myself 😍
In many (maybe all) EU countries you can drive microcars with the 50 ccm license. The same conditions apply as for bikes: 300-something kg or less, 45 km/h top speed, 4 kW and if they have a petrol engine, 50 ccm max. (Electric naturally doesn't have the volume restriction, for some reason diesel doesn't either, so most of them come with 4 kW 250-600 ccm diesels.) They seem to be quite expensive though and unlike bikes, you don't get to upgrade them until you can get a full B class.
The legal guardian in Germany for 17 year olds to drive with also must have a drivers license, so if the parents both don't have a license, it must be someone else like an aunt or uncle or so.
It's been 10 years since I got my license. But I still remember 2 stories the Teacher told us in the Theoretical Part. Her started with: When you go to the practical test, stay calm and focused. I once had a test where the student was told to already go into the car, while I was still talking with the Examiner outside. As we then walked to the car, I got in and sat down on the co driver seat, before looking up and suddenly seeing myself in the middle mirror. I looked at the student and she looked at mit. The examiner saw the mistake aswell but said nothing about it. Tho he gave her a chance and started with: "Alright. you ready for the test? Got all mirrors checked?" She looked in the left mirror, in the right mirror and in the middle on, which was facing to me, not to her, then she nodded, "yep, everything is right" and grabbed the steering wheel. THe examiner raised a brow and asked again, "you sure? everything right?" She looked again, left, right, middle and again she said, "Yes, everything is good" The examiner gave her one last chance and asked again, "Are you sure? Can you see everything well?" She seemed to get annoyed, looked much more direct and once again, she stated: "Yes... Everything is right" With a kind of stern voice. The examiner then nodded and said, "Alright then, start the car and the test begins" She turned the keys and started the car and before she could even make one move, the examiner said: "Stop. I am sorry to say, but you Failed. You were not able to see that your middle mirror is facing the wrong direct" She had to quit this test and wait for another time. The other story: So we were doing the practical test and everything went well. The student only made minor mistakes, which didn't affect the test. When we got back to the school, he was told to park the car and did everything fine aswell. Then he turned the key and pulled them out and the examiner gratulated him. he did a really good job and earned the licence very well. Then he gave the student his Licence and the student was so happy, so ephoric, he swung the door open to get out and a byciclist slammed right into the open door. The cyclist was more or less ok But the student had lost his Licence on the spot again. So Always remember. The test ends first, when all are out, you locked the car and you are released to go home.
true, fix the seat, the adjustable wheel, the mirrors and make yourself comfortable , then start the car and verify that all the light switches especially is in correct position. I believe car drivers is now asked to apply the brake and verify that the servo comes up (the pedal's feel changes a little bit with the pressure.)
My anectode, is that my driving instructor told me the story how some had failed his first exam but totally nailed his second until the moment when the Examiner told him to switch seats with the instructor and he rushed open his driver's door and got it almost hit off by a car passing by. this of course meant that he failed his second too. when I passed mine I was extremely cautious about that driver's door!
After i did my exam with 17 the tester said something like this: "I cant hand out you the driving licence... (5 seconds that feel like an eternity) i can only give you the allowance to drive with 17 (the document you get until you are 18)"
One of my driving teachers in Germany asked what we were allowed to do on the streets in this or that situation. Then he always asked "And if you are driving a Porsche, then how does this change?". He just wanted to make clear it doesn't matter what car you drive - the laws are still the same. A faster car doesn't give you the right to drive faster than allowed. An expensive car doesn't give you the right to skip the most basic things you have to do like using the turn indicator.
@@Kellydoesherthing that's actually pretty normal. Here are the prices of the driving school next door (Munich): -Sign up fee: 180€ -45minute driving: 45€ -45minute driving ("Sonderfahrt" you need 12 of these by law): 50€ -Theroy test: 100€ -Driving test: 350€ Since you can only start with your Sonderfahrt driving (Autobahn, Night driving and cross country roads) when the instructor believes that you are sufficiently skilled you have to take quite a few 10-30 normal driving lessons. So the overall price is quite high here. But then again here in Germany people actually can drive. No personal hate against the US, but man you guys drive like shit. I was visiting this summer and it's bad.
100km/h can already be driven on the Landstraße. My instructor said that i should press the pedal down, 240km/h was nice for that moment until i had to break because someone neded to overtake without looking.
I failed my first practical test. I didn´t Stop at a Stop Sign which was only 500 meters away from the point we started. Shit happens. At my second test, i made an emergency break at the first traffic light we crossed. I was driven only 300 meters at this point. I was confused if the people at traffic light maybe was allowed to cross the road. I didn´t failed because nobody was driven behind me. Damn, i was a nervous wreck.
I can relate to you! I failed 3 times :D I was so nervous I couldn't drive for shit. Went over a red light during the first test after just one minute. :D
In the UK after 3 years you can take a learner out and teach them to drive, but it's still best to get some professional driver training. To get a licence is about £1200 ($1550)US. You're allowed 12 points before you'd be likely to loose you're licence. However if you've has a full licence for less than to years, you're only allowed 6 points.
I started practical lessons one day, medium town, Northern Germany. The driving teacher picked me up downtown after school, there is pretty hefty traffic at the time. Okay, I got in, get the wheel, seat and mirrors set up, started the car and got on the road. Like 500 meters later there is a right turn he had me to go into a side road with a parking stripe on the right. Then he told me, "get the car in there", then "stop engine, engage handbrake". Then we just sat there and I asked after some seconds what the problem was. He just looked me in the eye and said "Hey, I want to know, now, exactly, how much thousands of kilometers driving experience you have." I think it was something like 3 or 4 thousand, in some holidays and the old patrol roads at the former BRD/DDR-border. When I told him, he just shrugged and said "you´ll get the short version" which meant mandatory lessons only. That kept the total cost a good portion under 2.000 DM ... middle on the nineties.
Had something similar end of 90's in Northern Germany. First car driving lesson ( driven tractor and made "test drives" on some backside country roads with my fathers car to get a feeling with the clutch on a car) Instructor first makes clutch and gear selection from passenger side, you have only to brake and accelerate. Then after a few km he takes it over to me and I'm driveing / shifting gears. At one moment he yelling at me "Cheater cheeater" I -> WTF ??? Okay how many km have you already driven ? I smiled: Learned driveing tractor with 8 years and made some test drives on a car... He looked at me -> Oookay fine then you take the short run :) Only needed the minimum hours and payed in Euro 750 Euro for Class B ( Car ). That was in 99/2000 in Northern Germany...
Fun fact: in your practical exam, you have to be extra careful around zebra crossings. Because if there is a pedestrian standing at one, and you drive past it, the instructor looks in the back mirror, and if he sees the pedestrian cross the street behind you, you automatically fail (the law states that pedestrians have the right of way at zebra crossings). So you have to basically come to a standstill, even if it's clear that the pedestrians are just 2 old ladies talking about the weather, because you can't be sure that they won't cross the road behind you, thus failing your exam. Usually you stand there for as long as it takes to make eye contact with them, and then they usually signal you to pass. Annoys everyone behind you like hell, but yeah, that's basically how it is (although I believe that instructors won't let you fail if they see that the pedestrian is being nasty on purpose...)
RogerWilco well, I think the point is less that they have right of way, which they certainly have, but apparently that if they cross sometime after you, you fail. But honestly this story sounds more like, some genius decided someone at a crosswalk „obviously“ didn’t want to cross, so they didn’t need to stop and failed rightfully so.
In germany, I made my practical examination for motorcycle too. I drove first with the motorbike. And the car behind me, with my trainer and my licence tester. I got my instructions how to drive via radio from my trainer in my helmet. But then I got no instructions no more. I turned around, and saw that the car has parked. my trainer and my licence tester speaks very much together. (about private themes, like before.) They forgot me. I stayed on the other side of the road, on the motorbike. I wait for next instructions and looked to the car. (I can´t answer, because this radio was one way only.) In this moment I thought: Don´t make any mistakes now. Not one wrong step. Or you don´t get your licence. So i wait and wait, till they remember me, and went on. It tooks about 15 Minutes waiting. The rest was simple, and I got my licence. And I don´t talk any word about this happend. To not ashame my trainer and my tester.
Fun fact: In Germany, the license for the forklift is actually the same as for those huge cranes used to move shipping containers in harbours :D (You'll obviously have to be instructed in their use before using them, but the actual license is the same nonetheless)
@N Kliesow Not, its not "just a lever for forward speed". There are more things to do. Driving trams is not that easy. Also you need to be very concentrated because a lot of car drivers and pedestrians are absolotely idiots. You have to think for them because they do not watch the road. As tram driver you are avoiding a lot of crashes because you have to watch the traffic and think about what the others may do. I have also saved some idiot drivers or pedestrians from crash because they were not watching. The license for tram contains a lot of theory (you need to know many rules and processes) and a lot of driving. Believe me or not, but you would crash the tram after 50 meters or at the next rail switch another tram would derail just because of you even if you don't touch the other tram. Really, there are so many things you need to know before "just putting the lever forward". ;)
Interesting discussion. My first learner's permit was issued in Wyoming, but we moved to Germany before I was old enough for an actual license. At that time (this was in the late '70s), I could get a German license at 17, so I had to wait to get a learner's permit in Germany, then wait again to get my driver's license. As might be expected, this was very frustrating for me. There was no specific training requirement at the time (at least that I knew of, certainly no formal class requirement), but the practical had to be taken with both the inspector and a licensed driver in the vehicle. Since I had been practicing in my dad's Triumph Spitfire, I had to do more practice after finding this out, since that's a decidedly 2-seat vehicle which couldn't be used for the practical. After returning to the US, I had to take a new practical, since the German license wasn't considered adequate for reciprocality. So learners' permits in Wyoming, West Germany, and Hawaii, and my first licenses in West Germany and Hawaii.
German licences expiring is a fairly recent development - I got mine in 1994 (not a plastic one, but a pink papery one) and never once had to get a new one since. Same with my father, who got his in the 1970s. Many people still have even older licences, some from the German Democratic Republic, and chances are there are still a handful of very elderly people driving around with liceces issued during the Reich - and they are all still valid. Only thanks to European Union rules has this been changed, so new licences starting from a certain year (2011 or 12 or so I think) are now only valid for 15 years, and older licence documents like mine will still need to be exchanged at some point, in 2033 at the latest, contrary to what is written on them. Of course, one major difference between the US and Europe is that in the US, a driver's licence usually counts as an ID document, but not in Germany - if pulled over by police, you'll have to produce your licence AND an additional ID document (ID card or passport). So an up to date photo on the licence is not THAT important, after all. In fact, you didn't even need to get a new licence document if you got married and your name changes; this may or may not have changed, not sure. Although getting a new document in this case has always been recommended, as different names on ID and licence could increase the time police needs to check your documents.
To make it even clearar. Your license does not expire, only the document it is written on. Other than a pilot's license, where you have to redo your exams frequently, the driving license stays. Just updating the docs and to have a more actual photo on it.
Correct, but not for all licences - truck and taxi licences do require medical examinations every couple of years starting with your 50th birthday, or they actually do expire. But licences for normal cars, motorcycles or light trucks don't.
@Ad Lockhorst, my towel is always within 42 inches from my drivers licence. Just in case. That said, yes, different countries in Europe have different drivers licence regulations. Some do require regular examinations, some don't. What I wrote applies strictly to Germany. Mileage may and does vary for other countries, even within the EU. Here in Germany, we've figured that elderly drivers aren't really a problem - those who are no longer fit to drive usually figure that out by themselves, so there's no need to bother the rest with examination requirements. (not private drivers of passenger cars anyway, truck or taxi drivers are a different story). Young drivers are a far greater accident risk, which is why the "Probezeit" (trial period) for young drivers really does make a lot of sense.
I'm Chilean and I had paid around 50 dollars for my Chilean drivers licenses long time ago. I also have a Delaware US drivers licenses and I had paid 12 dollars in 2005. Now I live in Germany and I had paid around 650 euros ($700 approx) for my drivers licenses. I didn't pay full price($2000 approx.) because I had driver license for my country so I didn't do the driving school.
Have you mentioned that you paid nearly 58 times of the Delaware price (for the same work) in Germany? As a native German I have asked myselfe sometimes if we really know the correct German constitution or if we have a hidden ones that started with: The dignity of the bureaucracy is untouchable, all citizens are obligated to protect and defend it. Sorry just kidding
Just finished my driving tests... Car, Motorcycle, Truck, Trailer and the permission to drive a truck as my job and I payed nearly 4800 dollars. We in Austria got ridiculous prices...
It's a good thing if you were able to make your driver's license here in DE before things got overhauled. There had originally been just five classes of vehicles here (1 for motorcycles, subdivided in 1, 1a, 1b depending on what type you were allowed to drive, 2 for trucks, 3 for cars, 4 for tractors and 5 for scooters). As it has been, class 3 also included classes 4 and 5 (you just needed the exam for a normal car and got the other two classes essentially for free). The good part is that those licenses never expired (even after having them transcribed to the new variant). However, things have canged a lot since then. First they were split into various classes, plus that you have to take extra classes and exams for each class (ugh). Yet sometime later the licenses seem to have been made to expire (fortunately old licenses are exempt from that rule) no matter their class. As far as the license on probation is concerned, that has been established in the late eighties (when I made mine in 1991 that has already been in effect), although that has also experienced some overhauls, and as far as driving at the age of 17 is concerned, its development has also been interesting: It has originally been an option here in Lower Saxony (could have been something like a field test to figure out whether or not it would work) so while you were able to get the license at the age of 17 in said state, you were allowed to travel anywhere in Lower Saxony only - travel to another state and you would have been in for some serious trouble. However, this has eventually been adopted on the federal level so you can now travel throughout entire Germany even if between 17 and 18 as long as you meet the requirement.
Not sure about Germany, but in Austria as a citizen you are automatically considered an organ donor if you (biggest joke), or your next to kin do not state that you do not want to be, when the situation occurs. (So basically you would need a few tattoos on your body saying "no organ donor", or a written statement in your hand or sticking to your forehead, at the time you come into the ER and are in a state where you would be considered as a donor...)
@@nirfz they discussed this idea a couple of times but it didn't come through. You need to be a registered organ donor and you get a pass to have with you
Till is not so, but would discussed. Every one how want organ donor can get extra ID card for that best together with all other ID that Police or emergency doctor will find if needed. One this you also can say the you not want it. What only spare that Family would asked. But for some month discussion to change to Austria system because thought that they get more Organs. Fact is we need more we get.
nirfz A court decided that tattoos cannot be considered legally binding. This was about a case where someone had „do not resuscitate“ tattooed across their chest and doctors reanimated that person and got sued. They made that decision based on the fact that you can throw out a piece of paper from one day to the other but you cannot get rid of a tattoo that easily, thus it‘s hard for doctors to know if this is still your current wish. I am assuming it would be the same for organ donations. I remember it was about a Dutch person, but I am not sure if it was also a Dutch court or a European one.
funfact I did my Driverslicense exam on my 18th birthday a group of I belive it was 10 people or so, I was the last one and saw every other of them. One does 60 in a 30 km zone and the Instructor held Her foot under the Acceleratorpedal and pressed the breakpedal for about 2 km after this guy faild she was driving the Van because her foot hurt that bad so she couldn't drive in the Instructors seat for the rest of the day. (not all cars for the exam have buzzers to the pedals) And I did car and Truck licenses, the truck license in a Old European city with mountainous roads is something everyone driving a car should do for about 10 minutes they won't never drive reckless to others. The Truck exam it self took about 1 hour driving then the trailer another one and for c'95 you go additional 90 minutes. Best part was the Drivingschool side (a giant parking lot for sever cars and 1 truck) I had to do the first test by reversing the truck from one side to the other of the lot ,side by side with car trainees (16 or so in age) and server more on the side waiting. I revesed normal no problem but I had to fullthrottle the truck and emergency brak at a pole on the otherside, only the Instructor and Examiner knowed that, so I hammered down the parkinglot and breaked at the pole no problem at all, at least for me as I get of the seat everone else I saw was pale as chalk and I belive may one or to get wet too. On narrow roads with 16,75m lenght and 2,45 width in an Oldtown,if you get a truck through there you should get an award added to your license that's what the DOT examinator said and I got my License, after I brought him home with the WHOLE Truck trailer combo and then I had to bring it back to Driveschool side with my instructor: 45min drive in Rushhour.
When you grow up in a german village, you learn how to drive on a farm road before the driving school. So did I. My instructor spent 15 Minutes for explaining the whole car in the first driving lesson, but when I pulled away smoothly in the first attempt he just sartet laughing. :D
Yet mine said they prefer students with no experience driving a vehicle because they don't need to waste time fixing all the wrong or bad things they picked up.
@@zeeZerl And you believe in this? Every lesson the student needs, means another lesson the student hast to pay. And every lesson the student has to pay, is money for the driving school. So why should they be interested in doing less driving lessons? The real reason why they prefer students with no experience is that some people need at least 10 driving lessons to learn how to drive a stick shift and how to use the clutch during start, when they have never driven a car before. More lessons, more money. ;)
My teacher once showed us a video of some woman with the tank opening (Idk what it's called) on the left driving into a gas station. The machines with the pumps were on the right side. So in order for her to be able to get the fuel she just would have had to turn 180° on the free space behind or in front of her. Instead she kept driving around the machines for several minutes until the guy from inside the gas station came out, got her out of her car, took the keys, turned the car around properly and continued to fill up the tank. Btw: The reason for him to show us the video was so that we would remember to check what side the filling hole (still don't know what it's called) was on.
I think we had to watch Blood on the Highway or whatever scare video they had on hand. For my high school it would have been better if they also included classes on how to deal with the fact that your first car is very likely to be a huge piece of crap. Like how to jump it, how to tell when you need new tires, repairing a blown radiator hose, testing your brakes, etc..
+ octophobic In the Netherlands cars have to be checked every year by a authorised garage, if the cars has any defects, you are not allowed to drive until it's repaired. It's called APK, and if your Apk isn't valid and you're in an accident you're insurance isn't valid. By the way, did you know that you can start a manuel car with an empty battery by pushing it, of course with a little help.
Mark Schattefor in most states I think you can drive a car off with a rejection sticker as long as it’s not a safety issue (tires, brakes, windshield). I’ve actually started a manual car by rolling it downhill, it’s good fun!
The reason why you have all your adress and physical description infos on your license but your partner not is because in the States the License is also somehow your ID. I remember my times in Florida (was often on vacation there and also made my first license there with 16 ... as a german ^^) where my dad told me that if you want to have an ID but not a license you still go to the same office and ask for a "License without driving permission". In Germany you have your Personalausweis (or short Perso ^^) which you get with 16. A license is not a legal document to show for identification. The police can even ask you to show them your Perso next to your license and take you with them to the office to check your identity if you don't have it with you at that time.
That's right, your driver's license is not an identification document, but documents that you have passed the required exams etc to drive certain classes of vehicles. Which by the way switched some time ago to the European letter classes, before classes had been designated by numbers. Actually I think to proof your license is valid you need to provide any official ID card or passport, as you mentioned. Not sure if you have to carry an ID all the time, I think most people do. But at least you have to have the one or the other.
Sadly for most people that will be the only 9 hours they will ever do in their life. They should make it mandatory to refresh at least every 10 years. I am first responder in our office, for that we have to refresh every two years.
One anecdote from my driving instructor: One young guy was so fast in racking up points in Flensburg (where the "Fahreignungsregister" is located) that he had almost double the amount after which your licence is revoked. A short explanation: Before the reformation, it was like that you could rack up 18 points before they said "You are unfit to drive a car". That guy was going over the speed limit the whole time, so he got caught very often, and the time they needed to process it and sent him the letter that he wasn't allowed to drive anymore, that he continued to rack up point after point and in the end had like 30 points or so. Another anecdote was about a woman that failed the driving test after 10 minutes, because she was driving so recklessly, overtaking other cars even if overtaking wasn't allowed, driving over barred areas ("Sperrfläche") and so on. EDIT: Also, I needed almost 60 hours to be fit for the practical test. But I learned driving at the age of over 30, heh. Also also, I failed my theoretical test once. :( But the practical test was very easy and I had no problem passing it. :D I don't know how much I paid, though. I really didn't keep count, because by the time I went to driver's school, I already was employed and didn't really care about the costs, lol.
European here, one extra note on the automatic vs manual drivers license in Germany (and by extension the EU). If you do your test for manual transmission you are also allowed to drive automatic.
As American drivers licenses are often used as ID card equivalents they contain more person related content, while a German drivers license is simply to identify the driver and what kinda "Kraftfahrzeug" s/he's been licensed to drive. Beside that "Führerschein" (which isn't a reminiscence to A.H. - every mature German owns a separate ID-Card ("Personalausweis", beside an optional "Reisepass" which is for traveling purposes only). That Personalausweis contains data like that persons individual height/color of eyes/... and even a fingerprint (which is optional AFAIK) ...
when I go to driving school, one girl on practice run tossed the tire on school car, and my friend who sit behind in car (waiting his turn) must change tire as "practice" ;)
When I did my driver's license 20 years ago they removed about everything technical out of the theory. A few years later they found it was a good idea to have anyone knowing how to check oil, tire pressure and refill important fluids in a vehicle again. Not that there is a lot except for that and changing tires (that is in case your car still has a spare tire...) you can do on a modern car without bringing a computer and an OBD module...
Read an article a while ago about a guy in France who was a bit too optimistic about passing his final test and arrived by car - which he was driving himself. Unfortunately, he was seen by the examiner and that was the end of his driving test...and probably any chance of attempting again in a while....
When I heard the 49-minute-story, another event came to my mind...! ;-) In the early 1980s, when I got my driver-license, my instructor told he the story, when one of his students celebrated with his friends - and a lot of beer - that he got his driver-license. On their way home, they ran in a control, and the officer saw, that he didn't sign his license yet, so the police gave him a pen, to sign his license... ...but he didn't sign the document, but BLEW INTO THE PEN...! The Policemen gave him another tube to blow and the display was A LOT over the limit...! ;-) ...da war der 'Lappen' noch am gleichen Tag 'zur Kur in Bad-Flensburg' :D 'Lappen' ('rag') is the german slang-word for 'Führerschein' /drivers-livcense) and Flensburg is the location of the Federal Office for motorized traffic or 'Kraftfahrtbundesamt' where the retracted licenses go...!
ohhhhhhh my goodness! that is unbelievable. i just can't imagine spending ALL that money to get your license and then doing something so stupid to get it taken away. thank you for sharing this story!
The difference in personal information being displayed on the cards is due to the fact that the US drivers license is an ID-Card, whereas the German is not. Meaning you can't officially identify yourself with just the German drivers license and still need to carry your ID. (Although most of the times german cops won't even ask for your ID when you have your license on you)
Really? In Austria, the Drivers License (which is basically identical to a German drivers license) is propably the most commonly used ID card? In Europe, its generally not common to have adresses on ID cards.
@Hamkster_2812 That's completely wrong. The German drivers license is a valid document to proof your identity with a photo ("amtlicher Lichtbildausweis"). The adress is not necessary. And you don't have to carry your id card ("Personalausweis") with you. The law just says, you have to have one - but not always with you.
@@FelixAB88 You're right about that you don't have to carry your ID around all the time. But the drivers license is still not considered an "Ausweisdokument" (an ID card). So for the example you have given: If you are 18 years old you have to own a "Personalausweis" or "Reisepass" even if you have a drivers license.
@@HawKster_ It's correct, that the driving license isn't a replacement for an Ausweis/Reisepass but you're definitely able to use it for official identification e.g. to the police. (Especially because you have to carry it with you while driving - or pay a fine of 10,-€.) You're not able to use it for example at the airport to take a flight abroad because it doesn't fulfil specific necessary security standards (biometric picture etc.).
@@@FelixAB88 I quto you: "The law just says, you have to have one", please if you know that law, I would like to know where I could find it. (Ich meine die Pflicht einen Personalausweis zu besitzen, ich habe nämlich seit 1987 keinen mehr und kenne natürlich den allgemeinen Glauben wir müssten einen haben, aber kein Jurist, kein Beamter, war bisher in der Lage mir zu sagen wo bzw. in welchem Gesetz das steht.)
It would also be interesting to go trough the different vehicle categories, as there are lots of differences in the type, size and weight of vehicles within categories. For instance, the class C licence you have to drive a passenger car/van or light truck allows you any single vehicle up to a weight of 26.000lbs, that's close to 12 tons! In Europe the standard car license, class B just allows you to drive any single vehicle up to 3,5 tons allowed gross weight, so that's quite a difference. So driving a Ford F350 truck which has a GVW of 14.000 lbs or 6,4 tons requires you to have a truck licence, class C in Europe. On the other hand, when I go on holiday in the US, it's completely fine to rent an 18.000lbs RV and drive it with my European B license. And this can cause some trouble, as most B license holders from Europe are not used to drive such large and heavy vehicles. It will help if you have experience in driving a large van, Mercedes Sprinter type, as the lighter variants can mostly be driven with a B license, and practicing in such a van will get you accustomed to the larger size of such vehicles, and driving entirely on mirrors with no rear side windows, it helped me a lot when I picked up my 22 foot camper van in NZ.
Can’t you practice with a parent in Germany at all? In Norway we had to have driving lessons with an instructor, but we could also do training with parents. It was in fact recommended, to get hours on the road before the test.
In Croatia you can only drive with the instructor and he gives you pass or fail on every hour you drive. You can only take final test when he thinks you are ready so most of us take more hours then is mandatory.
No (and a little yes) - it's allowed on private property (which has to be separated from the normal traffic by something like a fence), but NOT on the streets. Also, there are traffic training places (Verkehrsübungsplätze) where you can practice, but you have to pay for using them. However, it's cheaper than driving lessons (and a certain number of driving lessons is mandatory).
@@marijaglavac3175 In the past, it was also this way in germany. But now you can drive at age 17, if a licenced driver is together. And he is registratet for this job.
@@marijaglavac3175 I´m not shure, if its the same in all EU countries. But I don´t know it, in other EU countries. ie in spain a car or motorbike registration, even safety check - is a lot easier, as in germany. Some rules, who are easier in some countries of EU, has got adapted to become german rules. They are easier, as the old german rules. ie if you mount a hook up for trailers, on your car.
Reading the comments. Some of us started driving tractors and farm trucks at 9...we were not allowed out on 4he highway but we would follow dad in the pickup as he was trading out equipment. So by the time we got our learners permit we had been driving for years. We had been taught to blind side back, line up to a hitch stay in the line dad put down with the tractor or get stuck. Children are very capable of doing a lot of things when its expected of them. Children today are not expected to know or do things. And that's sad They are capable and intelligent...no wonder they have self esteem issues. No one challenges them. No one let's them succeed. Expect more and you will get more.
Most states? I guess i will have to ask which states do not honor other states being under federal law all states must accept other states driver license.
but i should add that if you get a license at age 14 in South Dakota, I don't think it will be honored by a state like New Jersey where the driving age is 17
@@Kellydoesherthing it's still would be recognized unless South dekota issues restricted license. Even then it would still be valid in other states as long as restriction is satisfied.
@@Kellydoesherthing I should add there is one case in which case you are probably right. If say that same boy from south dekota moved to New York permanently, he would need to get new driver license after living there for x days and base on New York laws he would be denied. So I guess technically for anyone under age of 18 you can be correct :)
@Kelly does her thing All states must recognize drivers from other states, so long as that driver still has residence in that other state. However, should the driver relocate, all states require the driver to surrender the old license and obtain a new one from the state of residence. Further, in most states, a written test and eye test are required to obtain the new test.
Mein Fahrlerer hat mal ne geile Story erzählt :Eine Fahrschülerin hatte gerade Fahrprüfung, umd sie Kahm an eine Rote Ample, sie ging voll auf die Bremse, himter ihr der Fahrer sah die Ampel nicht und ist ihr hinten reingefahren, dadurch dass sie aber vor der Haltelinie stand, hat sie noch an der Unfallstelle den Führerschein bekommen (also klar, nach dem unfall stand sie natürlich hinter der Linie)
I was told to drive like everyone else was crazy, and that children are like deer when you're close enough to hit them they will jump or run out in front of your car. So far good advice. Also my state of Minnesota usually requires people from other states to retake license test and road test as it's more difficult to drive in the snow state as compared to say GA or FL.
Americans can drive in Germany on their US licences for up to a year. If they stay longer, they will need to get a German document. Whether they need to pass tests for that or get the document straight away depends of which state their licence was issued in. de.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/local-resources-of-u-s-citizens/living-in-germany/driving-in-germany/ (This is for civilian Americans. Special rules apply for US soldiers stationed in America and their relatives, they are exempt from the requirement to get German documents and can usually drive on their US licence indefinitely) Not sure about the reverse, but I am assuming similar rules apply.
@@arthur_p_dent if you want to drive outside the EU you have to apply to get an "international drivers license" My mum had to get one because she was in the US twice for four weeks.
Ann Rose I guess that would depend of where exactly you go. There are many countries outside the EU where you don't need an international licence, while there are others where even an international licence isn't enough (case in point, in Japan, you'll need a Japanese translation of your national licence) And BTW, strictly speaking, you don't need an International Drivers Licence in the US, and some states (eg California) even explicitly state in their laws that the International Drivers Licence is NOT recognized. So having an international licence in the US in addition to your national licence probably can't hurt - but it's not really needed, either. Although it might of course save you some avoidable trouble with police or car rental companies.
@@AnnRose142 not always.we were at the US East cost in 2011. I checked it and you was (are?) allowed to drive with your European license there. I was in a police control and it was ok. (The little speeding not. Got a warning) every state is different in the US. You have to check..
One Story my german Driving teacher told is for explaning that you can drive over a line to drive arround a parking car. He told a story of one his students who drive around a parking car, but keep on his side of the road. The driving teacher said, that there was place for a newspaperpage but no more betwen the parking car and the learning car.
It's the same in wales (the lump left of England for yanks who don't know where it is). Every welsh person is an organ donor unless they opt out I think, though recently there has been a big push to make that known and let people opt out if they want to.
I had most of my practical driving lessons during winter and my instructor asked me during one of them if I would like to get to know the feeling of loosing control of my vehicle. I said yes and we drove to the parking lot of the Berlin Olympic Stadium, which was mostly empty because of it being winter. The ground was frozen and my instructor told me to drive steady 30 km/h (around 20 mph) and to run sharp left when he gave a signal. Now, I'm not entirely sure if he just hit the brakes or pulled the hand brake or if the frozen ground did all that was necessary, but I'll never forget the car spinning around completely out of my control for a full 2 circles before it stopped. Taught me never to recklessly turn the steering wheel on frozen ground. I hated that feeling of not being in control.
Reminds me trying that in the countryside during a very cold winter. I had a Citroën Visa with very thin wheel, so I had to push it up to 40 kph before I lost grip. I didn't spun around because It was still an open road, but I still lost adherence on the front wheel and slided up to the side of the road. I wish they would show you that in driving lessons.
In Sweden, that kind of training is compulsory to get the licence (but no first aid required). It's done on closed tracks, and with either specially built cars or wet concrete to simulate slippery ice. For my try at losing control I had to accelerate as fast as possible with two wheels on wet concrete and two on dry asphalt. After a few meters I then had to break as hard as possible, causing a spin. It was fun! Other parts of the test included driving between cones back and forth and make a stop from a certain speed on a slippery surface before hitting some cones representing an animal crossing the road.
@@ViktorBengtsson My halkkörning was on Kinnekulle, the init-the-spin-solve-it was done using a normal rear drive car (a Volvo 340) - so 45 km/h speed, turn stearing wheel and init the spin using the handbrake - and catch the car using the clutch and stearing wheel .
Favorite instructor anecdote: a young guy was taking a car out with his friend in the winter. The road was frozen over and he went fast, because well he was with his mates... he took a corner to fast and flipped it. That driver was him in his parents car... 2weeks later it was snowing and he showed me how to slide a car around a corner at relatively high speeds... man I miss that guy. Probably gonna have to get a BE license for heavier trailers and I really wish I can do it with him as well
My first drivers test in Illinois was a 100 question written exam which I had to get an 83 to pass, then road test city and highway. When I moved to pa I again had to do a retest on written then a road test on a closed course. To get my cdl had to do another retest for written then a road test with a tractor trailer. During my cdl my tester told me to cut through a parking lot. When I disobeyed his order he asked me why I disobeyed it? I told him it was unlawful to cut through any parking lot. I was the only one that passed that day. Now they changed those laws they are no longer allowed to tell you to violate a law as part of the test.
I've got my license in 1979 and I've got it for cars, trucks up to 7,5t and motorcycle and it cost me arround 500€. In the mean time there were also a lot of other changes on this driving course. The most important thing was 2 year probation as a newbee. For motorcycles you're were not allowed for more than 34 HP in the first 2 years.
We also have some similar driver's license rules here in Norway too, I believe that the European countries have fairly similar rules when it comes to driving licenses.
FYI UK Driving licence expenses can be divided into three groups: 1. These are the fees you will have to pay to the DVLA. You are not legally permitted to start learning to drive without a provisional licence. Your first payment of £34.00 [$42] (if you pay online) or £43.00 [$54] (if you apply by post) will go to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) for your provisional licence. 2. The next fee to pay will be for your theory test. The cost of a theory test is £23.00.[$29] If you fail to pass your theory test, the fee is not refundable. You will have to pay again each time you re-sit the test. 3. Finally, you will have to pay £62.00 [$79] to book your practical driving test (or £75.00 if you want to take it on either a weekend or bank holiday). It works the same way as with your theory test. If you fail, you have to pay again. There is no way to cut on your statutory fees, but with the best preparation possible, you can aim to keep retests to a minimum. Though the photocard needs to be renewed every 10 years, in general, driving licences are valid until you're 70, after which it needs renewing every three years. If you only need to update your address or name, or you're over 70 and you're just renewing it, this is free. U UK cost for a driving licence less professional driving lessons is £129 [$164] With professional driving lessons this can typically be Statutory fees: £129 Driving lessons: £1200 Training aids: £24 TOTAL: about £1353 [$1724]
On the European (also German and Dutch for example.) driver licences there is a chip where the info like adres and eye colour hight etc is stored. Greetings from the Netherlands.
For the drivers education portion, your description of the German system sounds more similar to what I had in the US than what you describe as the US system. I got it through the highschool, don't remember the cost. It was after school, started theoretical then went into practical. We used specific cars for the practical with the extra mirrors and pedals and such, and we would just drive around town. And we'd get special lessons designed to simulate various minor emergencies -- tires bursting, engine stalling, brake failure, etc. At the end of the class we took our exam in the same car with the same instructor to get our license.
Small but important corrections: 4:05 It doesn't need to be your guardian or sometimes it wouldn't even be allowed to be your guardian. You have to register the persons that will watch over you in your license. It can be any person that is at least 30 years old, had their license for at least 5 years, has a maximum of 1 point in the "point system" and isn't drunk when you actually drive with them. (They are allowed to have 0,5 per mille / 0,05% alcohol in their blood). 7:41 : The practical lessons also contain special lessons. You have to have at least 3 dedicated lessons for driving on the autobahn, at night and on country roads. 7:49 : Usually the practical exam isn't just in the city. They guy who tests you will try to get a good mix of things. Driving in the city, driving in a calm traffic area (I'm talking about the German "Spielstraße" were you're only allowed to drive "walking speed" and need to pay extra attention for kids), driving on the autobahn, parallel parking and obviously the emergency braking which is mandatory to test. If your test was only in a city then you were lucky since the time probably ran out :D. He will also ask you some technical questions at the start which can be really easy (for example: "Where do you turn on the hazard lights") to a bit more difficult like asking what certain things are under the front hood of the car or what pressure the tires should have or what the minimum depth of the profile of the tires is etc. These are just some small but important corrections. Your video was still very informative, I just wanted to point these things out!
An average cost of 1400€ is "a little" out-of-date... it's more like between 1800 up to a lot more, depending on where you live, how expensive or cheap the school is and how many hours of training lessons you need. You have to take specific lessons (on Autobahn, at night, longer distance), but your teacher have to decide how many training lessons you need... so even the cheapest driving school can cause your financial ruin.
one small addition, in germany even 16 year olds can make a drivers license, but it's a Moped/ scooter License, so no car and their limited to horsepower and/or ccm. To be able to ride motorcycles u can make the license at 18, but it's limited to hp and ccm again. At the age of 20 (with the license in the bag for motorcycles limited) u can make Tests to get the open license. The other way is, become 26 and make the open license directly. Also is to note that the normal drivers license only grants u the opportunity to drive Transporter up to 3,5 t. With Older licenses ur able to drive up to 7,5 t vehicles...
On my UK license I have class AEH, moped, manual & automatic cars (if you pass on a stick, you can also drive an automatic , but not the other way around). I have class H, a tank, endorsement (I can drive any class of tank to the public highway).
In the Netherlands you have to pass a theoretical and car maintenance test before you are ever allowed behind the wheel. After that, you are allowed to take driving lessons with an instructor, which has a second set of pedals, and is responsible for most of what you do on the road. After 25-50 hours of this supervised instruction, you are allowed to take the practical exam. Practice driving in a normal car, either alone, or under parent supervision, is not allowed, because if you do something stupid or dangerous, nobody can stop/correct you.
There was an article in the large Swedish newspaper in Stockholm this autumn there they looked on a peculiarity for Sweden : cars which are modified to have a maxspeed of 30 km/h and which together with other modifications (less seating capacity) allows a teenager which has a driving license for a tractor (which basically is for agricultural tractors ) to drive such a modified car. The article was about an american family living in Stockholm where the boy now had a such a driving license and access to an modified car and the comparison was with his friends/relatives in California which already had Californian driving licenses. They didn't mention the swedish license allows him to drive the vehicle in winter in darkness while his compatriots isn't allowed to do so. Sunset in Stockholm in December is before 1500 - so a teenager with the limited Californian license wont be allowed to drive home from school in Stockholm.
In the US, they have a similar rule with the auto/manual transmissions for CDL tests. If you take your CDL exam in an automatic transmission truck, you can only drive automatics.
Hey Kelly, very interesting video. I want to share my license story with you: I am German but got my license in Idaho when I was there as an exchange student. When I came back to Germany (aged 17) I was told that I could drive 6 months on my own with the US license because it is international law. After that I had to exchange my US license to a German one. But I was still 17, so I had to take a special test to prove I was able to drive on my own... Thought this really makes sense....let her drive with an US License and after 6 month they checked if I was grown up enough to drive on my own....
I know it's hard to present a complicated topic in a concise manner, but there's something missing from the big picture. You can get a driver's license before the age of 17 and indeed many teenagers, especially from the countryside, do. I'm not talking proper cars of course, but scooters. Many teens who live in a village will get a scooter license in order to commute to school or just to be able to get around independent of the bus that will magically appear once in a blue moon at the bus stop next to the village pond. And there's also the driver's license that allows you to drive a tractor or other farm vehicle up to 40 km/h that you can get with 16.
At about 7:55. The person administering the test is not technically behind you. They are behind the passenger. This is so the driver's seat doesn't block their view of the driver, and so they can observe the driver's actions better like the shifting, how they work the pedals. They can also see the instruments, etc.
whether the license loses its validity depends on the class B / BE (cars up to 3,5 metric tons), for example, they do not lose their validity. class c / ce (over 7,5 metric tons) must be extended every 5 years for which medical examinations are needed and further education.
Jan Rohwer It's not the actual driving permit that has to be renewed for vehicles up to 3,5 tons, but the card itself loses ist validity and has to be replaced after 15 years. I made my license in 2015 and have to replace it in 2030 (listet as point 4b on the license). You don't have to take a test or something, just go to the "Führerscheinstelle" and get a new physical card (and pay a couple euros of course).
One interesting thing is that, as an American, you can get a German license by showing my American license - BUT it depends on which state issued your license. Some states are 100% reciprocal, where you show them your state license and they give you a German one (I was from VA and that was 100%). If your license is from other states, you might still have to do a road test or a written test, but you don‘t have to go through a driver‘s school or log number of hours of driver‘s training (not ideal, but still cheaper). Still other states‘ licenses are completely not recognized, so you have to go through the entire process as if you are a new driver. I have no idea what guides which states qualify for each category or why.
I live in Finland so I have a very similar driver's Licence as the German one. Only differences I can see is that mine doesn't have the city I was born in on the licence. Instead it has the country's code as a place of birth (in my case FIN). Also the driver's licence is valid for a much longer time. I believe it is not true any more, but when my driver's licence was issued it is set to be valid until I am 50 years old. I have no idea if they actually are valid that long any more (as the rules have changed). I don't know exactly how longer the newer Finnish licences are valid, but my guess would be for 10 years. I also don't know what you have to do now for the licence. When a received mine there was a theoretical exam and practical exam. You could not take practical exam unless you had passed the theoretical one. That is in phase 1. Phase 1 driver's licence was valid for 2 years. When you had had that licence for 6 months you can apply to the second practical exam after which you are given the full licence. Also there were some other requirements that were not exactly tests. For instant you had to have a session recorded with night driving training and you needed to have one sessions on a slippery condition track.
Anecdotes from driving instructors, oh boy! So my driving instructor told us why we should never try to stop a downhill roling car by from outside the car. One of her friends had gotten a new car and parked it on a road with slightly increasing hight (forgot the english word for it). Appearently she didnt use her handbreak properly, because when she closed the dor, the car started rolling. She paniced and tried to stop the car, but it ran her over and now she can't move most of her body.
My dad taught me how to drive about age 13. I used to drive him on business trips him as the laws weren't so strict in the early 1960's. On my 16th birthday we went to the DMV and took a 25 question written test and a short driving test that was little more than driving around the block and showing the guy that you could parallel park. Went back to the office and paid $5.25 and I had a license. Over the years I've upgraded and now have a class A CDL with several endorsements. That's how we rolled.
I first learned to drive in California at High School and our practical was on the normal roads, including freeway driving. When I returned to live in England, I had to take the UK driving test and got my driving licence...which was valid until my 70th birthday; so valid for about 45 years. We do now have to update the photo on occasion, but no additional charge or test.
@@Kellydoesherthing I think one state(Iowa if I am correct) copied the example of Great Britain. Meaning your driver license is valid until SIXTY THREE YEARS OLD. But you have to update your photo every TWELVE YEARS.
![American takes the German Driving Written Exam [part 1]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/N8uPOvfsqFk/mqdefault.jpg)
Whew!! against all odds (to include my camera breaking!) i was able to get this up just in time! I hope you guys enjoy it! :) and don't forget to tell me anything interesting your driver instructor told you!
I learned to drive in the snow in the local mall during snow storms doing dounuts with my buddy Jimmy!
@@tmseh All of my friends and I did that when we first started out. The ride was better than Kennywood.
Kelly does her thing I hope it didn't cost you a fortune to get your camera fixed, or need to buy a new one. That's not cheap.
@@mojojim6458 Kennywood Park?
@@tmseh It's an amusement park in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area. It started operation in 1899 (not 1999). It's my default frame of reference since I grew up in that area.
So basicly in the us the drivers license is a joke and here in germany it is a proper test
that's why Americans can't drive
1400€ is very cheap - you should calculate 2200 to 2600€ in germany
@@simanova837 actually it depends on the region your Fahrschule is located. It's more expensive in Munich than in Berlin. And much cheaper in smaller villages.
I did mine 2 years ago for 1500 including all costs for material and Dekra/TÜV.
@@florian6948 auch bei bisschen wie gut man ist. Man hat ja diese mindest Stunden die man "nehmen" muss und dann jenachdem wie scheiße man ist kann es ja sein dass man ein paar extra Stunden braucht oder die Prüfung verkackt
@@couch9416 bei mir kostete eine Fahrstunde (45 min) 35€. Dazu kamen alle Materialien, Grundgebühr, Extragebühr für Nacht- und Überlandfahrten... Die größten Unterschiede sind sicher in der Gebühr pro Stunde und der Grundgebühr.
My first nighttime driving lesson (Germany): I had forgotten to turn on the lights, but we were still in a big (non-public) parking lot. My instructor never mentioned the headlights, but instead took out a box of matches, lit one and held it over the steering wheel, telling me this way I could at least see SOMETHING. Guess what, I never forgot the headlights again... :)
Hahahah, that's awesome.
In the US it's near impossible to be a functioning human in society without a car.... It's a sad reality, but we don't exactly have the best public transportation in the world.
@@frojoe2004 lousy driver training too!
gotta love german humor!
@@frojoe2004
Actually, I survived four years in Dallas, TX, without a car. Now, granted, I didn't have to most active of social lives, but it's a matter of priorities, not the least.
does she say in Germany you HAVE to take your test in a car instructor car and HAVE to have that instructor with you as well as the examinator??
and 30-40 hour paying an instructor to drive with you? Belgium only forces 20 hours of driving with instructor if you take the driving school approach...
1400 € where is this driving school. I paid 2000€ and didn't even take any extra lessons
when i was doing my research for this video, i found articles saying that 1400 euro was the average in 2017
@@Kellydoesherthing Really? Our rule of thumb was to expect about 2000€ to get your licence.
Those prices are highly depending on your location. In East Germany (former GDR) the prices are significantly lower than in West Germany and driving schools located in villages or rather small towns charge less than schools in big cities. Thus the price range for a German License ( without extra lessons) reaches from 1000€ in an east German village to 2500€ in a west German city. You will note that the 1400€ Kelly mentioned are pretty much in the middle of this range. (Well, a little below, because prices above 2k are rather rare.) And that's no surprise given that it's an average for all German schools.
Its different in every bundesland... in northrhein westfalen its about a 1100€
@@derGameplayDJ In Citys it's cheaper. I just paid about 980€
Germans take driving very seriously as opposed to Americans. Here is a great example; Porsche for decades never built cup holders in their cars. You should not be drinking having both hands on the wheel. Porsche USA, kept passing on American consumer complaints that the cars lacked cup holders leading the company to give into the needs of the American market.
yes i think you're right, and i fully believe that if you are unable to safely sip a drink while driving on the highway, then you shouldn't be allowed to have passengers in your car, especially children, as they are far, far more distracting than a drink.
So you can shift with one hand on the wheel but not sip some coffee? You’ve obviously never seen a fighter pilot cockpit where only only one hand is on the stick not to mention Airbus aircraft. Two hands on the wheel is actually worse than one since you have left brain battling right brain.
@@johnp139 in case of emergency you can always put your hand from shifter to the wheel but if you are holding coffe you will spill it on you. And your brain theory is just stupid. Then why do we walk with two legs instead of jumping on one leg if our left and right sides of brains are fighting each other
@@Kellydoesherthing Exactly!
tecums3h All the engineering effort that would have been devoted to putting a cup holder in a car was instead used to figure out how to defeat emissions tests.
You forgot to metion, that almost 50% fail their practical exam in Germany. I know a lot of people who had to take it multiple times. Each exam costs around 200€.
That number seems rather high…
I know personal anecdotes aren't evidence, but I only know one person who failed their practical exam (actually, she even failed it multiple times). Usually, your instructor will strongly advise against you taking the exam until they are reasonably certain that you will pass.
Entropy Zero: It propably depends greatly on where you do your license. The father of a friend of mine used to work for Tüv Nord. He told me that in my district around half contestants fail their first practical exam.
@@entropyzero5588
i had a friend who failed 5 times, had to take the idiot test and the 6 months waiting period after the 3rd fail.
some people just arent made for the road lol.
@@entropyzero5588 I don't think that people who failed will walk around and tell everyone, I didn't do that either. I also had to take the exam tree times because the first two times I had a very picky mean old man as examiner, who really enjoyed letting students fail
We have the same system in Croatia and about 50% fail the exam. I failed it once but it was fair. The car died in the middle of the crossroads.
One anecdote from my first driving theory lesson here in Germany: everyone sat down, just a few guys were standing in the last row - it was people waiting for their motorcycle instructor. Driving instructor says "Oh, and now everyone turn around. It's the motorcycle guys. Everyone say hello to our future organ donors!"
oh wow hahah i could see that being his favorite joke to make. thanks for sharing :)
I would have taken my money and walked out. The Abuse Motorcyclists take is insane.
Nah, you are insane if you're getting triggered so easily.
@@rippspeck yeah well hear all those things from just about everybody and you will get triggered.
if easily triggered, never ever start a youtube channel hahaha
„bf17“ (driving at the age of 17) in Germany doesn’t require a legal guardian to be in the car with you. You can register any person for that job that meets the following requirements:
1. he/she is 30 years or older
2. he/she owned a drivers license class B continuously for the past 5 years
3. he/she doesn’t have more than 1 „penalty?-point“ in the registry of Flensburg.
clarification: in the beginning it had to be a legal guardian. But they changed it very quick.
@@Herdatec I didn't know that if that is the case. I just know the current situation and I know that it has been that way for at least 5 years now, because that's when my grandmother had to sign up for that ;) Thanks for the info
@@NeatMeik I've been the among the first in Lower Saxony that went through that program in 2006. Additional the parents had to go through a special theoretical course to learn what to do.
@@Herdatec I've now looked up the history of BF 17. Lower Saxony started its own pilot project on April 30, 2004. On July 18, 2005, the German Bundestag passed its own (initially temporary till August 1, 2010, later permanently since January 1, 2011) federal law which was adapted by Lower Saxony on March 1, 2006, and last adapted by Baden-Württemberg on January 1, 2008.
Only the pilot project of Lower Saxony required a legal guardian to be in the car, the federal concept on the other hand has always required the aforementioned qualification.
Your experience therefore is quite remarkable because it only existed in one of the 16 Bundesländer and only for a timeframe of 1 year and 10 months. If you went through the program in 2006 you have actually been one of the very last to do so.
In summary: The aforementioned requirements have been the only ones to ever be federally adapted and existed in this phrasing since the very beginning for now over 13 years. Only the pilot project of Lower Saxony has ever had the requirement of an legal guardian to be in the car.
Thrilling, I love to learn new things! :)
Furthermore: If I understood correctly you had to agree to your data (accidents, speeding etc) being used in a study concerning the effectiveness of the concept of BF 17 which later proved just that (28,5% less accidents and 22,7% less traffic violations) and therefore significantly contributed in the process of making the aforementioned federal law permanent! Thanks for that!
ah, in belgium, it's at least 7 years having his/her driver licence insteat an at least 30..
I only bottered to get mine at 28 year old, so I can only instruct from 35, but it you jump on it from your 18, you could be instructing someone you know from 26y old.
Probably sometimes not being convicted for drunken or other stupid driving in past X year.. don't renember exactly.
Belgium politicans sometimes trow up the penalty point thing, but still doesn't exist.
For serious class one violations, you always have to come in front of a judge, that can legally , fine you / force extra lesson / community service hour / or take your drivers licence away.
Just a addon for the german drivers licenses in the pratical test you can be asked to explain and show where diffrent parts of the car are like the engine and test if the cars oil is still good or if the car needs water and other things like this
oh nice! that makes perfect sense. in Pennsylvania, we definitely didn't do that haha thanks for sharing :)
Tobias Kirsch the car needs water? Does it get thirsty?
John P To clean the windscreen or as a cooling agent for the engine.
It becomes less and less...technical...now a days it's all about environmental stuff and saving fuel, I can tell as my son did his licence just a year ago...
While when I did my licence I only had 6 additional environment related questions in the test.
And when my mum did her licence they had models of car engine and drivetrains in the class rooms and
you had to be able to change a tire on your own, improvise a FEAD belt, or change the plugs and all sorts of stuff...
So this was a lot stuff to learn about a car that was not related to driving and it was also kind of the first generation in Germany that had allmost every women aiming to get a licence.
@@Kellydoesherthing And btw I payed about 3000€ for my driving license. I've got B, BE, A
Just for clarification: neither old pink papers nor never plastic card driver licenses expire in the meaning of that your personal license to drive expires. What expires is the plastic card itself, which was introduced because the older the ppl got, the less police was able to judge if the person shown on the picture on the card is the person currently controlled. So to „motivate“ ppl to have at least a half up to date pic on their plastic, those „expiring“ date was introduced. If you are stopped by police with an „expired“ plastic, you get a fine for „not carrying a valid license with you“, not for „driving without a license“ (the difference in fines is huge).
it's the same in the US so I didn't think to clarify this point. you just have to get the card renewed, it's not like you have to take the entire test all over again. and just like in germany, in the US if you are pulled over driving with an expired license, you get fined for driving with an expired license not for driving without a license (i.e. without the permission to drive)
Kelly does her thing Ok, great. Because there actually ARE driving licenses that expire. If you look at the matrix on the backside of Misha‘s German license, you will see column „11“ . In this column the expiring date of the specific license types is written. As Misha „only“ has car and motorcycle license, there should only be a horizontal line in the corresponding field. But if you e.g. are allowed to drive trucks (classe C, C1, C1E and CE), you really have to renew the licenses for this class every couple if years (think it was two or three, new eye-test, new physical examination by a doctor etc)
So, I just looked at my german licence. It does not expire. A licence for Semi-Trucks does. Not the one for cars. Important: Even then your card might not even expire. Just your permission to operate a specific class of vehicle.
Also important: A german drives licens is only valid in conjunction with you government issued ID.
Edit: Ok, just read your second reply. Still: The physical card usually does not expire because it is not considered an ID.
@IceteePfirsich It actually does expire, however this change is somewhat recent. So if your license was issued before 2013 it doesn't say so (mine doesn't either). EU law states that every drivers license must have an expiry date. The "normal" car license should be issued with 10 years validity, states can choose to make it 15. Member states also have to make sure, that by January 19, 2033 all valid licenses adhere to these new rules.
Take a look at Art.3.3 and Art.7.2: eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/DE/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32006L0126
kaeptnjoker even the old Lappen expires at a certain day I think it is the 19th January 2033 or even earlier there is no expiration date on the license but it came with the new regulations that the licenses has expiration dates.
100 bucks?? im so jealous, i just started the process of getting my license here in germany and im gonna have to pay nearly 2000€
it's all because of how our driver's education requirements differ
You have to realize it varies state to state. It was $1,800 for me to get my license.
My Brother just payed 1300€
Also in germany
I payed nearly 9000€ (10,000sfr) for the semitruck permit (sattelschlepper) last year. (In Switzerland)
Well then you're just incompetent or chose a verry bad school.
Having driven in both the US and Germany, I can see why the standards for driver education in Germany are so high, since here any licensed driver may legally drive up to 250 km/h (or faster, if their car allows it). Vehicle inspections in Germany are similarly rigorous.
Andronica "Vehicle inspections in Germany are similarly rigorous." Except when it comes to emissions testing, it seems.
the vehicle inspection stuff along with some other information will be covered in another future video :)
@@mojojim6458 Emissions testing during vehicles inspections are especially rigorous. I had to replace the entire fuel-injection control unit on my old VW Golf when it failed the test.
@@AndronicaLlewellyn Then, I suppose you won't want to join what is termed in the US a class action suit against Volkswagen for installing software that defeated auto emissions tests. A law was passed effective Nov. 1 to allow the suit to go forward. Up to 2 million autos will be involved.
Mojo Jim Well, I see that this a sarcastic remark, nevertheless every car has to undergo a rigorous general inspection at least every two years in Germany, where compliance with exhaust emission standards is checked as well. The diesel engines you are referring to, passed all these tests on the test bench, because the software of the engine control could recognize that the vehicle was on the test bench and in this case activated all emission purification systems in this configuration. Only tests in non-lab, "real life" conditions showed that some manufacturers used those cheat devices to circumvent the emissions standards with criminal intend.
The anecdote my instructor told me is that a girl went through yellow on crossroads and caused an accident when she had her final test. She still passed the test and got her license. It turns out that a car was driving right behind her and rules are that you must stop on yellow if you are safely able to. If she started breaking the car behind her would smash into her rear end which means she did everything right and the car behind her was at fault for not keeping proper distance to safely react in case she breakes
oh wow that's an elaborate story haha do you think it was true?? such a crazy coincidence that she should be taking her exam when it happened
It happens. A friend of mine made his final test and another car cut into his line, causing him to evade and crash into a (small) tree. Luckily in a city, so he was driving slowly, the car was done for but he, his instructor and the official were largely fine. While they were checked for injuries by the medics the official handed him documents so he might get his license, because "they were almost done when the other car cut him off and he was driving fine".
what terrible luck. i don't think i've ever seen an accident happen right in front of me in my entire life and to have that happen right when i'm taking my driver's test, my gosh haha that's really unfortunate
@@Kellydoesherthing I think it probably really happend. Have you ever done a video about differences in drivig culture between USA and Germany or maybe planing to? I would be very interested to know if Americans are really worse drivers then Germans. It would make sense because of the driving education they receive (or not receive) and also other things like lower speed limits and wider roads. I can't imagine myself driving on US highway with multiple lanes where cars can pass you on left and right. To dangerous I think. It is safer to drive 130 km/h which is max in my country or maybe unlimited like in some sections of German autobahn if infrastructure supports it. Autobahn in my country is not straight enough to support unlimited speeds. Also, is it true that cops only pull you over in US and you don't have "blitzers" like Germans call them?
@Kelly does her thing showed the video to my wife and she said she knows about an even worse case. This guy basically just drove off the parking lot of the drivers school during his final test, and approached a traffic light. The problem was, in this city (Celle) the medieval road layout is pretty crazy and he missed that he would have had to stop much further away from the traffic light as there was a tiny street he was blocking now. So the official called the test a failure...after a mere 30 seconds. Ouch.
The reason for the compulsory 1st Aid course in Germany is that you legally have to assist if you come across an accident that has already happened or you could be prosecuted for Failure to Assist (Unterlassene Hilfeleistung).
My father trained as a driving instructor in Germany in the '60s before electronic bleepers. Back then they tied a white handkerchief on the extra pedals in the instructors foot well. Instructors had a surprising penchant for wearing very clean and pointy shoes! :)
What i am curious about concerning §323c StGB is, how all the false accusations of sexual assault going around in the wake of the #Metoo-movement are going to influence the application of this law. In other countries people have been accused of this for administering first aid, so this is no joke.
www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2018/11/05/strangers-scared-give-female-heart-attack-victims-cpr-case-accused/ from the UK
japantoday.com/category/national/man-revives-woman-with-aed-but-branded-pervert-for-removing-her-clothes-to-apply-electrode-pads from Japan
It is only a matter of time until this also starts happening here in Germany - and that is when things are going to become interesting.
@@ranekeisenkralle8265 Its bullshit. Read the law. The language in § 323c is so clear that you cant make that excuse. There is always a subjective element for a crime. As a law student I can tell you that something like that isnt given even a second thought in serious cases. Its in the basic structure of applicance of criminal law. The right to live is weighted BEFORE ones personal rights and therefore allows intervention, simply as that. Even if the personal honour is considered untouchable, this is basically one of the few situations where aricle 1 GG does not fully aplly. And no court will accept the excuse "I feared I might be called a pervert so I let that person die"- they would rather clear that persons name by declaring the "assault" was excusable. § 323c ONLY LETS YOU OF THE HOOK when a) you would bring the danger onto yourself or b) you are in such a situation that you cant be trusted to help, for example if you have a resonsibility, for example for brining children out of the dangerzone. Your personal honour is no excuse. People who suffer through such situations certainly wont care, they literally cant, have different things on their mind, if anything at all. And even if they did care, the helpers name is always cleared because they did what was legally required.
Dont let someone manipulate you into an anti-Metoo rant by making up legal problems that effectively are none.
@@felixleidinger1670 I have studied Law myslf, thank you. And I wasn't so much referring to the judicial aftermath of such a situation either. What i was referring to is the effects that such a false accusation would have in the court of public opinion where men had their entire liveliehoods taken away or destroyed over false accusations. and therefore how the application of 323c would be influenced
Mind you, I am in no way excusing actual sexual assault/harassment/etc. I am referring to those nutjobs who jump onto the bandwagon and make false claims only to harm men by then promoting their "crime" on facebook and the like - which is an ever more important issue which our judicial system has so far been unable to effectively curtail. Yes, you can seek legal reparations for that, but that doesn't repair the damage of an utterly ruined reputation and public image, does it?
@@ranekeisenkralle8265 This might not apply in Germany (I do'nt know how the law is written) but in France, you do not have to touch the person.
1st aid training in France insist a lot on trying to contact emergency services - after you have put a quick diagnosis on the person (conscious/unconscious? Appears to be breathing? bleeding? ) even if you think the person need CPR but you're afraid of consequences (or you might just be very sensible, or afraid of blood) as long as you contacted the emergency services, since you aren't a trained physician/paramedic/other, the law consider that you did good. I haven't heard of any bystander that was accused of not helping as long as they called the emergency services.
@@ranekeisenkralle8265
What exactly should these articles prove? The first one reported a fear. "Respondents said bystanders may worry about hurting a woman while doing CPR chest compressions -- or fear being accused of sexual assault. Some said people also might believe women's breasts get in the way of CPR."
In the second case there was no consequence or backlash. It was cleared up and nothing happened.
"I am referring to those nutjobs who jump onto the bandwagon and make false claims only to harm men by then promoting their "crime" on facebook and the like"
I can guarantee you any woman that is in need of CPR won't give a shit if you touch her breasts when you try to save her life. This idea is ludicrous. It seems you make up ridiculous scenarios to somehow justify a sexist opinion.
Best anecdote from driving school: Instructor was giving a boy the first practical motorcycle lesson on a parking lot, some dexterity stuff, a bit of slalom, you know. Instructor then had to take a call and turned away for a minute. Turns back and the student was driving past STANDING WITH OUTSTRETCHED ARMS ON THE SADDLE!! Turns out he was part of a circus family and had been performing in the "sphere of death" with his brothers since he was 12.
Also Misha has motorcycle licenses. Good man!
oh my gosh hahahah i would've freaked out to see that! what a story hahaha
In Germany there are special restrictions for drivers under 24 who have had their license for less than two years. This time period is called "Probezeit" (probation time) and whenever they get a point for a traffic violation, they have to take a special course to remind them of the importance of respecting traffic laws. This course costs €350, in addition to the original fine, and the probezeit will also automatically be extended for two more years.
I am speaking from my own experience… And I was only ONE WEEK away from finishing my two years of Probezeit when I was caught speeding. I've been a law-abiding citizen since then.
That time can be higher from the beginning, it is always until you´re 21.
I got lucky that as I got speeding, I didn´t got the points, because my car is on my dads name :D
The age 24 has no meaning the "Probezeit" is simply based upon when you did your test. if you do it with 19 it goes until 21, if you do it at 37 than 39.
Beside when doing a larger offence, you have a extended "Probezeit" and an extra cource, the fines also most of the time are somewhat larger.
Also if you are in your "Probezeit" or younger than 21 you mut have 0.00 pro mille of alcohol in your breath and blood.
@@MrPoke1mon Maybe they took away the age limit of 24, but I'm very sure that's how it was when I got my license.
@@annabellem7953 No, it's only for two years and as I said, it can be prolonged to four years in certain cases. You were lucky then, but if you should ever get into an accident, you're in trouble because your insurance will not cover you if you're not registered as the car's driver.
@@juliegirl1989 I´m registert as driver, there is no problem it is just the radar cameras, the letter always goes to the one who is the owner.
I paid $5 in Georgia for my drivers license. Got Drivers Ed in School. And that was it. Didnt learn a thing honestly.
In germany I paid about a 1000 bucks because I got through quickly, but not thanks to the US drivers license lol
My german instructor had a really intresting anecdote to share: One of his friends was driving on the autobahn and was for dome reason (i forgot) distracted, so he almost missed his exit. In the last second he remembered hebhad to take the exit, but he was still om the middle lane and had a truck on his right. He floored the gas paddle and steared right, almost causingna crash with the truck. The truck driverbhit the brakes and also took the exit. A fee hundred meters later he came to a stop at a red light and noticed the truck was still behind him. The truckdriver left his truck, aproached him and without warning punched through the glass window, breaking the guys lower jaw.
Moral of the story: it is better to miss an exit than risc a crash!
Holy shit!
actually I’m on the side of the truck driver in this...
I paid almost 3000 euros for my license. And my teacher always told us stories about people who had horrific accidents or he talked about how boys are so much more likely to be too excited to drive safe than girls.
Holy fuck. Thats alot money.
11:22min No, that's wrong. German driving licenses don't expire. I was confused when you said so and checked mine. The point 4b on the license says "Ablaufdatum" but there is no date written on it. Up until the 90s, instead of this card, we had the pink paper driving licenses and up until the 70s they were big, grey paper ones. Old people these days still have the grey or pink and it's absolute legit!
Expire meaning you have to renew it which you do, every 15 years (if issued in 2013 or later...older licenses last longer). The date it expires is in 4b
@@Kellydoesherthing Oh, okay. Mine is from 2004 and in 4b I just have a hyphen. It doesn't say a date.
Ohhh weird...maybe you got in before 2013 and it became a sort of infinite thing
All old (formerly infinite) licenses have to be replaced by new ones up until the 18.1.2033.
@@Deeem2031 Interesting!
Your knowledge aubout Germany is amazing Kelly ! You seem to be half german already. Here a little story of my driving teacher: I live in a village and he was an older man. As you mentioned the driving teachers are sitting on the right with all needed pedals (steering wheel is on the left). One day when the last student left the car he stayed on the right seat and drove home by steering with his left hand. People who saw this thought that the car is driving without a driver. :-)))
Aw thank you! hahaha i could see myself doing this exact thing lol thank you for sharing :) i read it to misha
Ach du meine Güte 😂 he should have placed a dog on the drivers seat (i have been laughing for past 5 Minutes!) 😂😂😂
In Germany you have to ride your bike for 3 months because you lose your driver license for beeing caught riding your bike while you're drunk. :D
When you are really drunk and then drove a bike, it makes you unfit to participate in the traffic with a vehicle (even the bicycle in extrem cases). Also running a redlight with a bicycle (and other offences) can get you points.
I was in my first driving lesson (here in Germany). First thing my teacher told me was how he had to drag a body without a head out of a car from an accident the day before. Instant sweating.
driving instructors are like ski instructors to me, a very special breed of person that feeds on anecdotal evidence and long stories from their past
Maybe I just missed it, but I'd like to add: a drivers license in Germany is no valid form of identification whatsoever, while at least some states' licenses (and i. E. canadian licenses in general afaik) are.
For identification all German citizens have to have a seperate document, called "Personalausweis", or at least a Passport. Every person beeing in the country has to be able to identify themselves in some form (except, partly, kids).
This has two reasons:
1. Many more people here dont even have to drive a car and to posess a license
2. If you do stupid things in traffic, your license can be confiscated much more quickly, which would leave you without any form of identification whatsoever (even if you dont have to turn it in immediately: it can take quite a long time to get an ID made, which you need to posess by law).
My drivers ed coach was this amazing guy, 200+ Kilos heavy and always joking about his weight. He once told a story. Now for this you need to know that in the city I live, we have a neighbor city called Höxter that is a bit of a rival. People from my city say that people from Höxter simply cant drive for the life of them.
So Coach told the story, of how he was driving through an inner city block with one of his students, over a one-way road. All of a sudden, they got opposed by a car coming from the wrong direction. They guy from the other car honked at em, flashed his headlights and even got out of the car shouting at them, not realising he was A: Shouting at a Drivers Ed teacher and B: was about 5 minutes away from the nearest police station. So Coach notified him hes a Drivers Ed teacher and that hes calling the police. The guy panicked and tried to get away. To which Coach got outta the car and placed himself behind the other guys car so he couldnt get away. The guy was furious and tried to beat him up, just as the police came.
Now Ill leave it to you what cities sign was on the guys number plate.
I was lucky. I went through Driver's Ed when I was 16, but I _also_ went through a driver _training_ course called _MasterDrive._ It was started by a racecar driver after his daughter died in a car crash. In it, we learned the steering and breaking techniques that racecar drivers use to optimize control of their vehicles. After graduation, because of the skills we had developed, we all got discounts on our car insurance.
Just to add that here: In Germany you can also make your driving license for Motorcycles (125ccm) with 16. (50ccm with 15) That’s what many teens do that don’t live in the cities, like myself 😍
In many (maybe all) EU countries you can drive microcars with the 50 ccm license. The same conditions apply as for bikes: 300-something kg or less, 45 km/h top speed, 4 kW and if they have a petrol engine, 50 ccm max. (Electric naturally doesn't have the volume restriction, for some reason diesel doesn't either, so most of them come with 4 kW 250-600 ccm diesels.) They seem to be quite expensive though and unlike bikes, you don't get to upgrade them until you can get a full B class.
@@TacticalHamsterDance Why petrol engine have volume restriction than electric bike?
@@emorider6804 electric bikes have no cc's, if you ask why do diesel engines have different restrictions, I don't know.
The legal guardian in Germany for 17 year olds to drive with also must have a drivers license, so if the parents both don't have a license, it must be someone else like an aunt or uncle or so.
Ja, das kann durchaus sein.
It's been 10 years since I got my license. But I still remember 2 stories the Teacher told us in the Theoretical Part.
Her started with:
When you go to the practical test, stay calm and focused. I once had a test where the student was told to already go into the car, while I was still talking with the Examiner outside. As we then walked to the car, I got in and sat down on the co driver seat, before looking up and suddenly seeing myself in the middle mirror. I looked at the student and she looked at mit. The examiner saw the mistake aswell but said nothing about it. Tho he gave her a chance and started with: "Alright. you ready for the test? Got all mirrors checked?"
She looked in the left mirror, in the right mirror and in the middle on, which was facing to me, not to her, then she nodded, "yep, everything is right" and grabbed the steering wheel.
THe examiner raised a brow and asked again, "you sure? everything right?"
She looked again, left, right, middle and again she said, "Yes, everything is good"
The examiner gave her one last chance and asked again, "Are you sure? Can you see everything well?"
She seemed to get annoyed, looked much more direct and once again, she stated: "Yes... Everything is right" With a kind of stern voice.
The examiner then nodded and said, "Alright then, start the car and the test begins"
She turned the keys and started the car and before she could even make one move, the examiner said: "Stop. I am sorry to say, but you Failed. You were not able to see that your middle mirror is facing the wrong direct"
She had to quit this test and wait for another time.
The other story:
So we were doing the practical test and everything went well. The student only made minor mistakes, which didn't affect the test. When we got back to the school, he was told to park the car and did everything fine aswell. Then he turned the key and pulled them out and the examiner gratulated him. he did a really good job and earned the licence very well. Then he gave the student his Licence and the student was so happy, so ephoric, he swung the door open to get out and a byciclist slammed right into the open door. The cyclist was more or less ok But the student had lost his Licence on the spot again.
So Always remember. The test ends first, when all are out, you locked the car and you are released to go home.
true, fix the seat, the adjustable wheel, the mirrors and make yourself comfortable , then start the car and verify that all the light switches especially is in correct position.
I believe car drivers is now asked to apply the brake and verify that the servo comes up (the pedal's feel changes a little bit with the pressure.)
My anectode, is that my driving instructor told me the story how some had failed his first exam but totally nailed his second until the moment when the Examiner told him to switch seats with the instructor and he rushed open his driver's door and got it almost hit off by a car passing by. this of course meant that he failed his second too. when I passed mine I was extremely cautious about that driver's door!
You ain't passed till it's in your hand!!
After i did my exam with 17 the tester said something like this: "I cant hand out you the driving licence... (5 seconds that feel like an eternity) i can only give you the allowance to drive with 17 (the document you get until you are 18)"
One of my driving teachers in Germany asked what we were allowed to do on the streets in this or that situation. Then he always asked "And if you are driving a Porsche, then how does this change?". He just wanted to make clear it doesn't matter what car you drive - the laws are still the same. A faster car doesn't give you the right to drive faster than allowed. An expensive car doesn't give you the right to skip the most basic things you have to do like using the turn indicator.
I had to pay 2200€ for my license...
good lord
@@Kellydoesherthing that's actually pretty normal.
Here are the prices of the driving school next door (Munich):
-Sign up fee: 180€
-45minute driving: 45€
-45minute driving ("Sonderfahrt" you need 12 of these by law): 50€
-Theroy test: 100€
-Driving test: 350€
Since you can only start with your Sonderfahrt driving (Autobahn, Night driving and cross country roads) when the instructor believes that you are sufficiently skilled you have to take quite a few 10-30 normal driving lessons.
So the overall price is quite high here. But then again here in Germany people actually can drive. No personal hate against the US, but man you guys drive like shit. I was visiting this summer and it's bad.
Yep had the same thing in Frankfurt and God do they love talking
Same here...
@@Kellydoesherthing 2200€ for A+B here in Austria (but in a city, countryside gets cheaper)
The story with the guy losing his license in 49 minutes actually happened in my home town. :D
First time performing a driving lesson on Autobahn. 100 km/h was feeling soooo fast.
100km/h can already be driven on the Landstraße.
My instructor said that i should press the pedal down, 240km/h was nice for that moment until i had to break because someone neded to overtake without looking.
I failed my first practical test. I didn´t Stop at a Stop Sign which was only 500 meters away from the point we started. Shit happens. At my second test, i made an emergency break at the first traffic light we crossed. I was driven only 300 meters at this point. I was confused if the people at traffic light maybe was allowed to cross the road. I didn´t failed because nobody was driven behind me. Damn, i was a nervous wreck.
I can relate to you! I failed 3 times :D I was so nervous I couldn't drive for shit. Went over a red light during the first test after just one minute. :D
In the UK after 3 years you can take a learner out and teach them to drive, but it's still best to get some professional driver training. To get a licence is about £1200 ($1550)US. You're allowed 12 points before you'd be likely to loose you're licence. However if you've has a full licence for less than to years, you're only allowed 6 points.
I started practical lessons one day, medium town, Northern Germany. The driving teacher picked me up downtown after school, there is pretty hefty traffic at the time.
Okay, I got in, get the wheel, seat and mirrors set up, started the car and got on the road. Like 500 meters later there is a right turn he had me to go into a side road with a parking stripe on the right.
Then he told me, "get the car in there", then "stop engine, engage handbrake". Then we just sat there and I asked after some seconds what the problem was.
He just looked me in the eye and said "Hey, I want to know, now, exactly, how much thousands of kilometers driving experience you have." I think it was something like 3 or 4 thousand, in some holidays and the old patrol roads at the former BRD/DDR-border.
When I told him, he just shrugged and said "you´ll get the short version" which meant mandatory lessons only.
That kept the total cost a good portion under 2.000 DM ... middle on the nineties.
Had something similar end of 90's in Northern Germany. First car driving lesson ( driven tractor and made "test drives" on some backside country roads with my fathers car to get a feeling with the clutch on a car) Instructor first makes clutch and gear selection from passenger side, you have only to brake and accelerate. Then after a few km he takes it over to me and I'm driveing / shifting gears. At one moment he yelling at me "Cheater cheeater" I -> WTF ??? Okay how many km have you already driven ? I smiled: Learned driveing tractor with 8 years and made some test drives on a car... He looked at me -> Oookay fine then you take the short run :) Only needed the minimum hours and payed in Euro 750 Euro for Class B ( Car ). That was in 99/2000 in Northern Germany...
Fun fact: in your practical exam, you have to be extra careful around zebra crossings. Because if there is a pedestrian standing at one, and you drive past it, the instructor looks in the back mirror, and if he sees the pedestrian cross the street behind you, you automatically fail (the law states that pedestrians have the right of way at zebra crossings). So you have to basically come to a standstill, even if it's clear that the pedestrians are just 2 old ladies talking about the weather, because you can't be sure that they won't cross the road behind you, thus failing your exam. Usually you stand there for as long as it takes to make eye contact with them, and then they usually signal you to pass.
Annoys everyone behind you like hell, but yeah, that's basically how it is (although I believe that instructors won't let you fail if they see that the pedestrian is being nasty on purpose...)
Oh wow
In the Netherlands people also have right of way at zebra crossings.
I thought that would be the case in most places, why have them otherwise?
RogerWilco well, I think the point is less that they have right of way, which they certainly have, but apparently that if they cross sometime after you, you fail. But honestly this story sounds more like, some genius decided someone at a crosswalk „obviously“ didn’t want to cross, so they didn’t need to stop and failed rightfully so.
In germany, I made my practical examination for motorcycle too.
I drove first with the motorbike. And the car behind me, with my trainer and my licence tester.
I got my instructions how to drive via radio from my trainer in my helmet.
But then I got no instructions no more.
I turned around, and saw that the car has parked.
my trainer and my licence tester speaks very much together. (about private themes, like before.)
They forgot me.
I stayed on the other side of the road, on the motorbike.
I wait for next instructions and looked to the car.
(I can´t answer, because this radio was one way only.)
In this moment I thought: Don´t make any mistakes now. Not one wrong step. Or you don´t get your licence.
So i wait and wait, till they remember me, and went on. It tooks about 15 Minutes waiting.
The rest was simple, and I got my licence.
And I don´t talk any word about this happend. To not ashame my trainer and my tester.
I am always surprised of how well informed you are, I turned 18 not so long ago and I went through all this, and you got it all on point.
I have three drivers licenses. :'D One for cars, one for forklifts and one for trams.
yeah.. I gotthe first two of those as well. Driving forklifts is fun. but working in storage isn't - which is why I don't do it any more.
Fun fact: In Germany, the license for the forklift is actually the same as for those huge cranes used to move shipping containers in harbours :D
(You'll obviously have to be instructed in their use before using them, but the actual license is the same nonetheless)
Cars, Trucks, Trains and special papers for Taxi and ambulance
Why trams need a license? Its just a lever for forward speed you dont even need to steer...
@N Kliesow Not, its not "just a lever for forward speed". There are more things to do. Driving trams is not that easy. Also you need to be very concentrated because a lot of car drivers and pedestrians are absolotely idiots. You have to think for them because they do not watch the road. As tram driver you are avoiding a lot of crashes because you have to watch the traffic and think about what the others may do. I have also saved some idiot drivers or pedestrians from crash because they were not watching. The license for tram contains a lot of theory (you need to know many rules and processes) and a lot of driving. Believe me or not, but you would crash the tram after 50 meters or at the next rail switch another tram would derail just because of you even if you don't touch the other tram. Really, there are so many things you need to know before "just putting the lever forward". ;)
Interesting discussion.
My first learner's permit was issued in Wyoming, but we moved to Germany before I was old enough for an actual license. At that time (this was in the late '70s), I could get a German license at 17, so I had to wait to get a learner's permit in Germany, then wait again to get my driver's license. As might be expected, this was very frustrating for me.
There was no specific training requirement at the time (at least that I knew of, certainly no formal class requirement), but the practical had to be taken with both the inspector and a licensed driver in the vehicle. Since I had been practicing in my dad's Triumph Spitfire, I had to do more practice after finding this out, since that's a decidedly 2-seat vehicle which couldn't be used for the practical.
After returning to the US, I had to take a new practical, since the German license wasn't considered adequate for reciprocality.
So learners' permits in Wyoming, West Germany, and Hawaii, and my first licenses in West Germany and Hawaii.
German licences expiring is a fairly recent development - I got mine in 1994 (not a plastic one, but a pink papery one) and never once had to get a new one since. Same with my father, who got his in the 1970s. Many people still have even older licences, some from the German Democratic Republic, and chances are there are still a handful of very elderly people driving around with liceces issued during the Reich - and they are all still valid. Only thanks to European Union rules has this been changed, so new licences starting from a certain year (2011 or 12 or so I think) are now only valid for 15 years, and older licence documents like mine will still need to be exchanged at some point, in 2033 at the latest, contrary to what is written on them.
Of course, one major difference between the US and Europe is that in the US, a driver's licence usually counts as an ID document, but not in Germany - if pulled over by police, you'll have to produce your licence AND an additional ID document (ID card or passport). So an up to date photo on the licence is not THAT important, after all. In fact, you didn't even need to get a new licence document if you got married and your name changes; this may or may not have changed, not sure. Although getting a new document in this case has always been recommended, as different names on ID and licence could increase the time police needs to check your documents.
Arthur Dent More interesting information. Thanks.
yes, very interesting! thank you for taking the time to write it all out :)
To make it even clearar. Your license does not expire, only the document it is written on. Other than a pilot's license, where you have to redo your exams frequently, the driving license stays. Just updating the docs and to have a more actual photo on it.
Correct, but not for all licences - truck and taxi licences do require medical examinations every couple of years starting with your 50th birthday, or they actually do expire. But licences for normal cars, motorcycles or light trucks don't.
@Ad Lockhorst, my towel is always within 42 inches from my drivers licence. Just in case.
That said, yes, different countries in Europe have different drivers licence regulations. Some do require regular examinations, some don't. What I wrote applies strictly to Germany. Mileage may and does vary for other countries, even within the EU.
Here in Germany, we've figured that elderly drivers aren't really a problem - those who are no longer fit to drive usually figure that out by themselves, so there's no need to bother the rest with examination requirements. (not private drivers of passenger cars anyway, truck or taxi drivers are a different story). Young drivers are a far greater accident risk, which is why the "Probezeit" (trial period) for young drivers really does make a lot of sense.
I'm Chilean and I had paid around 50 dollars for my Chilean drivers licenses long time ago. I also have a Delaware US drivers licenses and I had paid 12 dollars in 2005. Now I live in Germany and I had paid around 650 euros ($700 approx) for my drivers licenses. I didn't pay full price($2000 approx.) because I had driver license for my country so I didn't do the driving school.
Have you mentioned that you paid nearly 58 times of the Delaware price (for the same work) in Germany?
As a native German I have asked myselfe sometimes if we really know the correct German constitution or if we have a hidden ones that started with: The dignity of the bureaucracy is untouchable, all citizens are obligated to protect and defend it.
Sorry just kidding
Just finished my driving tests...
Car, Motorcycle, Truck, Trailer and the permission to drive a truck as my job and I payed nearly 4800 dollars.
We in Austria got ridiculous prices...
That’s about 3000€, that’s a normal price for a car-only license in Germany. If you wanted all that in Germany you’re going to have to pay 4-5x that.
It's a good thing if you were able to make your driver's license here in DE before things got overhauled. There had originally been just five classes of vehicles here (1 for motorcycles, subdivided in 1, 1a, 1b depending on what type you were allowed to drive, 2 for trucks, 3 for cars, 4 for tractors and 5 for scooters). As it has been, class 3 also included classes 4 and 5 (you just needed the exam for a normal car and got the other two classes essentially for free).
The good part is that those licenses never expired (even after having them transcribed to the new variant).
However, things have canged a lot since then. First they were split into various classes, plus that you have to take extra classes and exams for each class (ugh).
Yet sometime later the licenses seem to have been made to expire (fortunately old licenses are exempt from that rule) no matter their class.
As far as the license on probation is concerned, that has been established in the late eighties (when I made mine in 1991 that has already been in effect), although that has also experienced some overhauls, and as far as driving at the age of 17 is concerned, its development has also been interesting: It has originally been an option here in Lower Saxony (could have been something like a field test to figure out whether or not it would work) so while you were able to get the license at the age of 17 in said state, you were allowed to travel anywhere in Lower Saxony only - travel to another state and you would have been in for some serious trouble.
However, this has eventually been adopted on the federal level so you can now travel throughout entire Germany even if between 17 and 18 as long as you meet the requirement.
What a clever idea to put a note of organ donation on the driving licence 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Not sure about Germany, but in Austria as a citizen you are automatically considered an organ donor if you (biggest joke), or your next to kin do not state that you do not want to be, when the situation occurs. (So basically you would need a few tattoos on your body saying "no organ donor", or a written statement in your hand or sticking to your forehead, at the time you come into the ER and are in a state where you would be considered as a donor...)
@@nirfz they discussed this idea a couple of times but it didn't come through. You need to be a registered organ donor and you get a pass to have with you
Till is not so, but would discussed. Every one how want organ donor can get extra ID card for that best together with all other ID that Police or emergency doctor will find if needed. One this you also can say the you not want it. What only spare that Family would asked. But for some month discussion to change to Austria system because thought that they get more Organs. Fact is we need more we get.
They are crazy, these Germans...😉
nirfz A court decided that tattoos cannot be considered legally binding. This was about a case where someone had „do not resuscitate“ tattooed across their chest and doctors reanimated that person and got sued. They made that decision based on the fact that you can throw out a piece of paper from one day to the other but you cannot get rid of a tattoo that easily, thus it‘s hard for doctors to know if this is still your current wish. I am assuming it would be the same for organ donations. I remember it was about a Dutch person, but I am not sure if it was also a Dutch court or a European one.
funfact I did my Driverslicense exam on my 18th birthday
a group of I belive it was 10 people or so, I was the last one and saw every other of them.
One does 60 in a 30 km zone and the Instructor held Her foot under the Acceleratorpedal and pressed the breakpedal for about 2 km after this guy faild she was driving the Van because her foot hurt that bad so she couldn't drive in the Instructors seat for the rest of the day.
(not all cars for the exam have buzzers to the pedals)
And I did car and Truck licenses, the truck license in a Old European city with mountainous roads is something everyone driving a car should do for about 10 minutes they won't never drive reckless to others.
The Truck exam it self took about 1 hour driving then the trailer another one and for c'95 you go additional 90 minutes.
Best part was the Drivingschool side (a giant parking lot for sever cars and 1 truck)
I had to do the first test by reversing the truck from one side to the other of the lot ,side by side with car trainees (16 or so in age) and server more on the side waiting.
I revesed normal no problem but I had to fullthrottle the truck and emergency brak at a pole on the otherside,
only the Instructor and Examiner knowed that, so I hammered down the parkinglot and breaked at the pole no problem at all, at least for me as I get of the seat everone else I saw was pale as chalk and I belive may one or to get wet too.
On narrow roads with 16,75m lenght and 2,45 width in an Oldtown,if you get a truck through there you should get an award added to your license that's what the DOT examinator said and I got my License, after I brought him home with the WHOLE Truck trailer combo and then I had to bring it back to Driveschool side with my instructor: 45min drive in Rushhour.
When you grow up in a german village, you learn how to drive on a farm road before the driving school. So did I. My instructor spent 15 Minutes for explaining the whole car in the first driving lesson, but when I pulled away smoothly in the first attempt he just sartet laughing. :D
I past yesterday my praktikal exam, but i was allowed to drive big tractors (with the age of 16) (class T) about a year (im 17 now :D)
LOL that the Expert bonus
Yet mine said they prefer students with no experience driving a vehicle because they don't need to waste time fixing all the wrong or bad things they picked up.
@@zeeZerl And you believe in this? Every lesson the student needs, means another lesson the student hast to pay. And every lesson the student has to pay, is money for the driving school. So why should they be interested in doing less driving lessons? The real reason why they prefer students with no experience is that some people need at least 10 driving lessons to learn how to drive a stick shift and how to use the clutch during start, when they have never driven a car before. More lessons, more money. ;)
My teacher once showed us a video of some woman with the tank opening (Idk what it's called) on the left driving into a gas station. The machines with the pumps were on the right side. So in order for her to be able to get the fuel she just would have had to turn 180° on the free space behind or in front of her. Instead she kept driving around the machines for several minutes until the guy from inside the gas station came out, got her out of her car, took the keys, turned the car around properly and continued to fill up the tank.
Btw: The reason for him to show us the video was so that we would remember to check what side the filling hole (still don't know what it's called) was on.
Very well researched video. I have lived in US all of my life, and you had a lot of information that I had no idea was the case. Great job.
I think we had to watch Blood on the Highway or whatever scare video they had on hand. For my high school it would have been better if they also included classes on how to deal with the fact that your first car is very likely to be a huge piece of crap. Like how to jump it, how to tell when you need new tires, repairing a blown radiator hose, testing your brakes, etc..
i agree - that would've been super useful!
+ octophobic In the Netherlands cars have to be checked every year by a authorised garage, if the cars has any defects, you are not
allowed to drive until it's repaired. It's called APK, and if your Apk isn't valid and you're in an accident you're insurance isn't valid.
By the way, did you know that you can start a manuel car with an empty battery by pushing it, of course with a little help.
Blood on the Highway! Yes!!!
Mark Schattefor in most states I think you can drive a car off with a rejection sticker as long as it’s not a safety issue (tires, brakes, windshield). I’ve actually started a manual car by rolling it downhill, it’s good fun!
The reason why you have all your adress and physical description infos on your license but your partner not is because in the States the License is also somehow your ID. I remember my times in Florida (was often on vacation there and also made my first license there with 16 ... as a german ^^) where my dad told me that if you want to have an ID but not a license you still go to the same office and ask for a "License without driving permission". In Germany you have your Personalausweis (or short Perso ^^) which you get with 16. A license is not a legal document to show for identification. The police can even ask you to show them your Perso next to your license and take you with them to the office to check your identity if you don't have it with you at that time.
That's right, your driver's license is not an identification document, but documents that you have passed the required exams etc to drive certain classes of vehicles. Which by the way switched some time ago to the European letter classes, before classes had been designated by numbers.
Actually I think to proof your license is valid you need to provide any official ID card or passport, as you mentioned.
Not sure if you have to carry an ID all the time, I think most people do. But at least you have to have the one or the other.
First Aid trainer here, its 9 hours of training (since the beginning of 2018)
Sadly for most people that will be the only 9 hours they will ever do in their life. They should make it mandatory to refresh at least every 10 years.
I am first responder in our office, for that we have to refresh every two years.
@@alexku8452 i agree
One anecdote from my driving instructor: One young guy was so fast in racking up points in Flensburg (where the "Fahreignungsregister" is located) that he had almost double the amount after which your licence is revoked.
A short explanation: Before the reformation, it was like that you could rack up 18 points before they said "You are unfit to drive a car". That guy was going over the speed limit the whole time, so he got caught very often, and the time they needed to process it and sent him the letter that he wasn't allowed to drive anymore, that he continued to rack up point after point and in the end had like 30 points or so.
Another anecdote was about a woman that failed the driving test after 10 minutes, because she was driving so recklessly, overtaking other cars even if overtaking wasn't allowed, driving over barred areas ("Sperrfläche") and so on.
EDIT: Also, I needed almost 60 hours to be fit for the practical test. But I learned driving at the age of over 30, heh. Also also, I failed my theoretical test once. :( But the practical test was very easy and I had no problem passing it. :D
I don't know how much I paid, though. I really didn't keep count, because by the time I went to driver's school, I already was employed and didn't really care about the costs, lol.
European here, one extra note on the automatic vs manual drivers license in Germany (and by extension the EU). If you do your test for manual transmission you are also allowed to drive automatic.
As American drivers licenses are often used as ID card equivalents they contain more person related content, while a German drivers license is simply to identify the driver and what kinda "Kraftfahrzeug" s/he's been licensed to drive.
Beside that "Führerschein" (which isn't a reminiscence to A.H. - every mature German owns a separate ID-Card ("Personalausweis", beside an optional "Reisepass" which is for traveling purposes only). That Personalausweis contains data like that persons individual height/color of eyes/... and even a fingerprint (which is optional AFAIK) ...
It was optional up until now; a new law has been passed by the EU that makes the fingerprint mandatory. Afaik it comes into effect in two years.
when I go to driving school, one girl on practice run tossed the tire on school car, and my friend who sit behind in car (waiting his turn) must change tire as "practice" ;)
When I did my driver's license 20 years ago they removed about everything technical out of the theory. A few years later they found it was a good idea to have anyone knowing how to check oil, tire pressure and refill important fluids in a vehicle again.
Not that there is a lot except for that and changing tires (that is in case your car still has a spare tire...) you can do on a modern car without bringing a computer and an OBD module...
Read an article a while ago about a guy in France who was a bit too optimistic about passing his final test and arrived by car - which he was driving himself. Unfortunately, he was seen by the examiner and that was the end of his driving test...and probably any chance of attempting again in a while....
I like the strategic placement of the "Fu Manchu" mug.
hahaha i'm glad you appreciated it :)
When I heard the 49-minute-story, another event came to my mind...! ;-)
In the early 1980s, when I got my driver-license, my instructor told he the story, when one of his students celebrated with his friends - and a lot of beer - that he got his driver-license.
On their way home, they ran in a control, and the officer saw, that he didn't sign his license yet, so the police gave him a pen, to sign his license...
...but he didn't sign the document, but BLEW INTO THE PEN...!
The Policemen gave him another tube to blow and the display was A LOT over the limit...! ;-)
...da war der 'Lappen' noch am gleichen Tag 'zur Kur in Bad-Flensburg' :D
'Lappen' ('rag') is the german slang-word for 'Führerschein' /drivers-livcense) and Flensburg is the location of the Federal Office for motorized traffic or 'Kraftfahrtbundesamt' where the retracted licenses go...!
ohhhhhhh my goodness! that is unbelievable. i just can't imagine spending ALL that money to get your license and then doing something so stupid to get it taken away. thank you for sharing this story!
The difference in personal information being displayed on the cards is due to the fact that the US drivers license is an ID-Card, whereas the German is not. Meaning you can't officially identify yourself with just the German drivers license and still need to carry your ID. (Although most of the times german cops won't even ask for your ID when you have your license on you)
Really? In Austria, the Drivers License (which is basically identical to a German drivers license) is propably the most commonly used ID card? In Europe, its generally not common to have adresses on ID cards.
@Hamkster_2812 That's completely wrong. The German drivers license is a valid document to proof your identity with a photo ("amtlicher Lichtbildausweis"). The adress is not necessary.
And you don't have to carry your id card ("Personalausweis") with you. The law just says, you have to have one - but not always with you.
@@FelixAB88 You're right about that you don't have to carry your ID around all the time. But the drivers license is still not considered an "Ausweisdokument" (an ID card). So for the example you have given: If you are 18 years old you have to own a "Personalausweis" or "Reisepass" even if you have a drivers license.
@@HawKster_ It's correct, that the driving license isn't a replacement for an Ausweis/Reisepass but you're definitely able to use it for official identification e.g. to the police. (Especially because you have to carry it with you while driving - or pay a fine of 10,-€.) You're not able to use it for example at the airport to take a flight abroad because it doesn't fulfil specific necessary security standards (biometric picture etc.).
@@@FelixAB88 I quto you: "The law just says, you have to have one", please if you know that law, I would like to know where I could find it. (Ich meine die Pflicht einen Personalausweis zu besitzen, ich habe nämlich seit 1987 keinen mehr und kenne natürlich den allgemeinen Glauben wir müssten einen haben, aber kein Jurist, kein Beamter, war bisher in der Lage mir zu sagen wo bzw. in welchem Gesetz das steht.)
It would also be interesting to go trough the different vehicle categories, as there are lots of differences in the type, size and weight of vehicles within categories.
For instance, the class C licence you have to drive a passenger car/van or light truck allows you any single vehicle up to a weight of 26.000lbs, that's close to 12 tons!
In Europe the standard car license, class B just allows you to drive any single vehicle up to 3,5 tons allowed gross weight, so that's quite a difference.
So driving a Ford F350 truck which has a GVW of 14.000 lbs or 6,4 tons requires you to have a truck licence, class C in Europe.
On the other hand, when I go on holiday in the US, it's completely fine to rent an 18.000lbs RV and drive it with my European B license.
And this can cause some trouble, as most B license holders from Europe are not used to drive such large and heavy vehicles.
It will help if you have experience in driving a large van, Mercedes Sprinter type, as the lighter variants can mostly be driven with a B license, and practicing in such a van will get you accustomed to the larger size of such vehicles, and driving entirely on mirrors with no rear side windows, it helped me a lot when I picked up my 22 foot camper van in NZ.
Can’t you practice with a parent in Germany at all? In Norway we had to have driving lessons with an instructor, but we could also do training with parents. It was in fact recommended, to get hours on the road before the test.
In Croatia you can only drive with the instructor and he gives you pass or fail on every hour you drive. You can only take final test when he thinks you are ready so most of us take more hours then is mandatory.
No (and a little yes) - it's allowed on private property (which has to be separated from the normal traffic by something like a fence), but NOT on the streets. Also, there are traffic training places (Verkehrsübungsplätze) where you can practice, but you have to pay for using them. However, it's cheaper than driving lessons (and a certain number of driving lessons is mandatory).
@@marijaglavac3175 In the past, it was also this way in germany.
But now you can drive at age 17, if a licenced driver is together. And he is registratet for this job.
@@sunnymas2656 I think that because we are in the EU all rules and regulations will in time be the same
@@marijaglavac3175 I´m not shure, if its the same in all EU countries.
But I don´t know it, in other EU countries.
ie in spain a car or motorbike registration, even safety check - is a lot easier, as in germany.
Some rules, who are easier in some countries of EU, has got adapted to become german rules.
They are easier, as the old german rules. ie if you mount a hook up for trailers, on your car.
Reading the comments. Some of us started driving tractors and farm trucks at 9...we were not allowed out on 4he highway but we would follow dad in the pickup as he was trading out equipment. So by the time we got our learners permit we had been driving for years. We had been taught to blind side back, line up to a hitch stay in the line dad put down with the tractor or get stuck. Children are very capable of doing a lot of things when its expected of them. Children today are not expected to know or do things. And that's sad
They are capable and intelligent...no wonder they have self esteem issues. No one challenges them. No one let's them succeed. Expect more and you will get more.
Most states? I guess i will have to ask which states do not honor other states being under federal law all states must accept other states driver license.
it became a habit to say after awhile
but i should add that if you get a license at age 14 in South Dakota, I don't think it will be honored by a state like New Jersey where the driving age is 17
@@Kellydoesherthing it's still would be recognized unless South dekota issues restricted license. Even then it would still be valid in other states as long as restriction is satisfied.
@@Kellydoesherthing I should add there is one case in which case you are probably right. If say that same boy from south dekota moved to New York permanently, he would need to get new driver license after living there for x days and base on New York laws he would be denied. So I guess technically for anyone under age of 18 you can be correct :)
@Kelly does her thing All states must recognize drivers from other states, so long as that driver still has residence in that other state. However, should the driver relocate, all states require the driver to surrender the old license and obtain a new one from the state of residence.
Further, in most states, a written test and eye test are required to obtain the new test.
Mein Fahrlerer hat mal ne geile Story erzählt :Eine Fahrschülerin hatte gerade Fahrprüfung, umd sie Kahm an eine Rote Ample, sie ging voll auf die Bremse, himter ihr der Fahrer sah die Ampel nicht und ist ihr hinten reingefahren, dadurch dass sie aber vor der Haltelinie stand, hat sie noch an der Unfallstelle den Führerschein bekommen (also klar, nach dem unfall stand sie natürlich hinter der Linie)
The best thing on the German driving license is the name: "Führerschein"
i really wish i would've talked about that in this video. i knew it while i was recording it, and yet, i didn't.
I was told to drive like everyone else was crazy, and that children are like deer when you're close enough to hit them they will jump or run out in front of your car. So far good advice. Also my state of Minnesota usually requires people from other states to retake license test and road test as it's more difficult to drive in the snow state as compared to say GA or FL.
Would you be allowed to drive in Germany and is your boyfriend allowed to drive in the US with your licenses ?
Americans can drive in Germany on their US licences for up to a year. If they stay longer, they will need to get a German document. Whether they need to pass tests for that or get the document straight away depends of which state their licence was issued in.
de.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/local-resources-of-u-s-citizens/living-in-germany/driving-in-germany/
(This is for civilian Americans. Special rules apply for US soldiers stationed in America and their relatives, they are exempt from the requirement to get German documents and can usually drive on their US licence indefinitely)
Not sure about the reverse, but I am assuming similar rules apply.
@@arthur_p_dent if you want to drive outside the EU you have to apply to get an "international drivers license" My mum had to get one because she was in the US twice for four weeks.
Ann Rose I guess that would depend of where exactly you go. There are many countries outside the EU where you don't need an international licence, while there are others where even an international licence isn't enough (case in point, in Japan, you'll need a Japanese translation of your national licence)
And BTW, strictly speaking, you don't need an International Drivers Licence in the US, and some states (eg California) even explicitly state in their laws that the International Drivers Licence is NOT recognized. So having an international licence in the US in addition to your national licence probably can't hurt - but it's not really needed, either. Although it might of course save you some avoidable trouble with police or car rental companies.
@@AnnRose142 not always.we were at the US East cost in 2011. I checked it and you was (are?) allowed to drive with your European license there. I was in a police control and it was ok. (The little speeding not. Got a warning) every state is different in the US. You have to check..
@@jensebu78 maybe the rules have changed the last 30 years.
My mum has been in the US over 30 years ago.
One Story my german Driving teacher told is for explaning that you can drive over a line to drive arround a parking car. He told a story of one his students who drive around a parking car, but keep on his side of the road. The driving teacher said, that there was place for a newspaperpage but no more betwen the parking car and the learning car.
In Austria you are an organ donor per law unless you opt out.
oh wow that's interesting. how do you feel about that, if you don't mind me asking?
@@Kellydoesherthing Like most people I don't care.
This opt-out discussion is currently ongoing in Germany. Minister of Health brought up this idea.
@@MrTombein Yes and I'm glad for that.
It's the same in wales (the lump left of England for yanks who don't know where it is). Every welsh person is an organ donor unless they opt out I think, though recently there has been a big push to make that known and let people opt out if they want to.
I had most of my practical driving lessons during winter and my instructor asked me during one of them if I would like to get to know the feeling of loosing control of my vehicle. I said yes and we drove to the parking lot of the Berlin Olympic Stadium, which was mostly empty because of it being winter. The ground was frozen and my instructor told me to drive steady 30 km/h (around 20 mph) and to run sharp left when he gave a signal. Now, I'm not entirely sure if he just hit the brakes or pulled the hand brake or if the frozen ground did all that was necessary, but I'll never forget the car spinning around completely out of my control for a full 2 circles before it stopped. Taught me never to recklessly turn the steering wheel on frozen ground. I hated that feeling of not being in control.
That would’ve been absolutely terrifying for me
Reminds me trying that in the countryside during a very cold winter. I had a Citroën Visa with very thin wheel, so I had to push it up to 40 kph before I lost grip. I didn't spun around because It was still an open road, but I still lost adherence on the front wheel and slided up to the side of the road.
I wish they would show you that in driving lessons.
In Sweden, that kind of training is compulsory to get the licence (but no first aid required). It's done on closed tracks, and with either specially built cars or wet concrete to simulate slippery ice.
For my try at losing control I had to accelerate as fast as possible with two wheels on wet concrete and two on dry asphalt. After a few meters I then had to break as hard as possible, causing a spin. It was fun!
Other parts of the test included driving between cones back and forth and make a stop from a certain speed on a slippery surface before hitting some cones representing an animal crossing the road.
@@ViktorBengtsson My halkkörning was on Kinnekulle, the init-the-spin-solve-it was done using a normal rear drive car (a Volvo 340) - so 45 km/h speed, turn stearing wheel and init the spin using the handbrake - and catch the car using the clutch and stearing wheel .
Very interesting, thank you, Kelly!
Favorite instructor anecdote: a young guy was taking a car out with his friend in the winter. The road was frozen over and he went fast, because well he was with his mates... he took a corner to fast and flipped it. That driver was him in his parents car... 2weeks later it was snowing and he showed me how to slide a car around a corner at relatively high speeds... man I miss that guy. Probably gonna have to get a BE license for heavier trailers and I really wish I can do it with him as well
My first drivers test in Illinois was a 100 question written exam which I had to get an 83 to pass, then road test city and highway. When I moved to pa I again had to do a retest on written then a road test on a closed course. To get my cdl had to do another retest for written then a road test with a tractor trailer. During my cdl my tester told me to cut through a parking lot. When I disobeyed his order he asked me why I disobeyed it? I told him it was unlawful to cut through any parking lot. I was the only one that passed that day. Now they changed those laws they are no longer allowed to tell you to violate a law as part of the test.
I've got my license in 1979 and I've got it for cars, trucks up to 7,5t and motorcycle and it cost me arround 500€. In the mean time there were also a lot of other changes on this driving course. The most important thing was 2 year probation as a newbee. For motorcycles you're were not allowed for more than 34 HP in the first 2 years.
We also have some similar driver's license rules here in Norway too, I believe that the European countries have fairly similar rules when it comes to driving licenses.
FYI
UK Driving licence expenses can be divided into three groups:
1. These are the fees you will have to pay to the DVLA. You are not legally permitted to start learning to drive without a provisional licence. Your first payment of £34.00 [$42] (if you pay online) or £43.00 [$54] (if you apply by post) will go to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) for your provisional licence.
2. The next fee to pay will be for your theory test. The cost of a theory test is £23.00.[$29] If you fail to pass your theory test, the fee is not refundable. You will have to pay again each time you re-sit the test.
3. Finally, you will have to pay £62.00 [$79] to book your practical driving test (or £75.00 if you want to take it on either a weekend or bank holiday). It works the same way as with your theory test. If you fail, you have to pay again. There is no way to cut on your statutory fees, but with the best preparation possible, you can aim to keep retests to a minimum.
Though the photocard needs to be renewed every 10 years, in general, driving licences are valid until you're 70, after which it needs renewing every three years. If you only need to update your address or name, or you're over 70 and you're just renewing it, this is free.
U
UK cost for a driving licence less professional driving lessons is £129 [$164]
With professional driving lessons this can typically be
Statutory fees: £129
Driving lessons: £1200
Training aids: £24
TOTAL: about £1353 [$1724]
On the European (also German and Dutch for example.) driver licences there is a chip where the info like adres and eye colour hight etc is stored. Greetings from the Netherlands.
For the drivers education portion, your description of the German system sounds more similar to what I had in the US than what you describe as the US system.
I got it through the highschool, don't remember the cost. It was after school, started theoretical then went into practical. We used specific cars for the practical with the extra mirrors and pedals and such, and we would just drive around town. And we'd get special lessons designed to simulate various minor emergencies -- tires bursting, engine stalling, brake failure, etc. At the end of the class we took our exam in the same car with the same instructor to get our license.
Small but important corrections: 4:05 It doesn't need to be your guardian or sometimes it wouldn't even be allowed to be your guardian. You have to register the persons that will watch over you in your license. It can be any person that is at least 30 years old, had their license for at least 5 years, has a maximum of 1 point in the "point system" and isn't drunk when you actually drive with them. (They are allowed to have 0,5 per mille / 0,05% alcohol in their blood).
7:41 : The practical lessons also contain special lessons. You have to have at least 3 dedicated lessons for driving on the autobahn, at night and on country roads.
7:49 : Usually the practical exam isn't just in the city. They guy who tests you will try to get a good mix of things. Driving in the city, driving in a calm traffic area (I'm talking about the German "Spielstraße" were you're only allowed to drive "walking speed" and need to pay extra attention for kids), driving on the autobahn, parallel parking and obviously the emergency braking which is mandatory to test. If your test was only in a city then you were lucky since the time probably ran out :D. He will also ask you some technical questions at the start which can be really easy (for example: "Where do you turn on the hazard lights") to a bit more difficult like asking what certain things are under the front hood of the car or what pressure the tires should have or what the minimum depth of the profile of the tires is etc.
These are just some small but important corrections. Your video was still very informative, I just wanted to point these things out!
An average cost of 1400€ is "a little" out-of-date... it's more like between 1800 up to a lot more, depending on where you live, how expensive or cheap the school is and how many hours of training lessons you need. You have to take specific lessons (on Autobahn, at night, longer distance), but your teacher have to decide how many training lessons you need... so even the cheapest driving school can cause your financial ruin.
Very accurate information about the German license in this video! Keep up the good work :)
Thank you!!
one small addition, in germany even 16 year olds can make a drivers license, but it's a Moped/ scooter License, so no car and their limited to horsepower and/or ccm.
To be able to ride motorcycles u can make the license at 18, but it's limited to hp and ccm again.
At the age of 20 (with the license in the bag for motorcycles limited) u can make Tests to get the open license.
The other way is, become 26 and make the open license directly.
Also is to note that the normal drivers license only grants u the opportunity to drive Transporter up to 3,5 t. With Older licenses ur able to drive up to 7,5 t vehicles...
On my UK license I have class AEH, moped, manual & automatic cars (if you pass on a stick, you can also drive an automatic , but not the other way around). I have class H, a tank, endorsement (I can drive any class of tank to the public highway).
In the Netherlands you have to pass a theoretical and car maintenance test before you are ever allowed behind the wheel.
After that, you are allowed to take driving lessons with an instructor, which has a second set of pedals, and is responsible for most of what you do on the road.
After 25-50 hours of this supervised instruction, you are allowed to take the practical exam.
Practice driving in a normal car, either alone, or under parent supervision, is not allowed, because if you do something stupid or dangerous, nobody can stop/correct you.
There was an article in the large Swedish newspaper in Stockholm this autumn there they looked on a peculiarity for Sweden : cars which are modified to have a maxspeed of 30 km/h and which together with other modifications (less seating capacity) allows a teenager which has a driving license for a tractor (which basically is for agricultural tractors ) to drive such a modified car.
The article was about an american family living in Stockholm where the boy now had a such a driving license and access to an modified car and the comparison was with his friends/relatives in California which already had Californian driving licenses.
They didn't mention the swedish license allows him to drive the vehicle in winter in darkness while his compatriots isn't allowed to do so.
Sunset in Stockholm in December is before 1500 - so a teenager with the limited Californian license wont be allowed to drive home from school in Stockholm.
In the US, they have a similar rule with the auto/manual transmissions for CDL tests. If you take your CDL exam in an automatic transmission truck, you can only drive automatics.
Hey Kelly, very interesting video. I want to share my license story with you: I am German but got my license in Idaho when I was there as an exchange student. When I came back to Germany (aged 17) I was told that I could drive 6 months on my own with the US license because it is international law. After that I had to exchange my US license to a German one. But I was still 17, so I had to take a special test to prove I was able to drive on my own... Thought this really makes sense....let her drive with an US License and after 6 month they checked if I was grown up enough to drive on my own....
I know it's hard to present a complicated topic in a concise manner, but there's something missing from the big picture. You can get a driver's license before the age of 17 and indeed many teenagers, especially from the countryside, do. I'm not talking proper cars of course, but scooters. Many teens who live in a village will get a scooter license in order to commute to school or just to be able to get around independent of the bus that will magically appear once in a blue moon at the bus stop next to the village pond. And there's also the driver's license that allows you to drive a tractor or other farm vehicle up to 40 km/h that you can get with 16.
At about 7:55. The person administering the test is not technically behind you. They are behind the passenger. This is so the driver's seat doesn't block their view of the driver, and so they can observe the driver's actions better like the shifting, how they work the pedals. They can also see the instruments, etc.
whether the license loses its validity depends on the class B / BE (cars up to 3,5 metric tons), for example, they do not lose their validity.
class c / ce (over 7,5 metric tons) must be extended every 5 years for which medical examinations are needed and further education.
Jan Rohwer It's not the actual driving permit that has to be renewed for vehicles up to 3,5 tons, but the card itself loses ist validity and has to be replaced after 15 years. I made my license in 2015 and have to replace it in 2030 (listet as point 4b on the license). You don't have to take a test or something, just go to the "Führerscheinstelle" and get a new physical card (and pay a couple euros of course).
One interesting thing is that, as an American, you can get a German license by showing my American license - BUT it depends on which state issued your license. Some states are 100% reciprocal, where you show them your state license and they give you a German one (I was from VA and that was 100%). If your license is from other states, you might still have to do a road test or a written test, but you don‘t have to go through a driver‘s school or log number of hours of driver‘s training (not ideal, but still cheaper). Still other states‘ licenses are completely not recognized, so you have to go through the entire process as if you are a new driver. I have no idea what guides which states qualify for each category or why.
I live in Finland so I have a very similar driver's Licence as the German one. Only differences I can see is that mine doesn't have the city I was born in on the licence. Instead it has the country's code as a place of birth (in my case FIN). Also the driver's licence is valid for a much longer time. I believe it is not true any more, but when my driver's licence was issued it is set to be valid until I am 50 years old. I have no idea if they actually are valid that long any more (as the rules have changed). I don't know exactly how longer the newer Finnish licences are valid, but my guess would be for 10 years.
I also don't know what you have to do now for the licence. When a received mine there was a theoretical exam and practical exam. You could not take practical exam unless you had passed the theoretical one. That is in phase 1. Phase 1 driver's licence was valid for 2 years. When you had had that licence for 6 months you can apply to the second practical exam after which you are given the full licence. Also there were some other requirements that were not exactly tests. For instant you had to have a session recorded with night driving training and you needed to have one sessions on a slippery condition track.
Anecdotes from driving instructors, oh boy! So my driving instructor told us why we should never try to stop a downhill roling car by from outside the car. One of her friends had gotten a new car and parked it on a road with slightly increasing hight (forgot the english word for it). Appearently she didnt use her handbreak properly, because when she closed the dor, the car started rolling. She paniced and tried to stop the car, but it ran her over and now she can't move most of her body.
In Germany a driving license can also apply to very small or small motor cycles, with lower starting ages (14, and 16 respectively)
My dad taught me how to drive about age 13. I used to drive him on business trips him as the laws weren't so strict in the early 1960's. On my 16th birthday we went to the DMV and took a 25 question written test and a short driving test that was little more than driving around the block and showing the guy that you could parallel park. Went back to the office and paid $5.25 and I had a license. Over the years I've upgraded and now have a class A CDL with several endorsements. That's how we rolled.
haha thanks for sharing :) do you mind telling me what state?
Colorado
I first learned to drive in California at High School and our practical was on the normal roads, including freeway driving. When I returned to live in England, I had to take the UK driving test and got my driving licence...which was valid until my 70th birthday; so valid for about 45 years. We do now have to update the photo on occasion, but no additional charge or test.
wwwwwwww 45 years?? that's a long time!
@@Kellydoesherthing I think one state(Iowa if I am correct) copied the example of Great Britain. Meaning your driver license is valid until SIXTY THREE YEARS OLD. But you have to update your photo every TWELVE YEARS.