Thats a great stereotype... to be honest: in my opinion more than 90 % of all germans dont drive fast. General cruise speed is about 130 km/h, 8 % are willing to drive up to 170 - 180 km/h and just the last 2 % (or maybe even just 1 %?) drive at maximum speed of their cars. 2016 and 2017 I drove 220 km one way (south of Cologne to Nordhorn, lower saxony) every weekend. Live in Cologne, worked in Nordhorn. Im a person who drives at maximum speed. The A31 has quite no speed limit but the A3 in most cases (120 km/h). On most rides not a single other car passes me. In 2017 I generally slowed down because fuel got too expensive. So i limited my car to 120 km/h. Result: i got passed but maybe with a max. of 20 km/h difference. The really fast drivers (like former me)... hmm... 2 - 3 per ride? The difference in cash: - 2016 I paid 3.549,50 € for fuel ($ 4,223.90) - 2017 I paid 2.164,98 € for fuel ($ 2,576.32) Saving: 1.384,52 € / 115,38 € per month ($ 1,647.58 / $ 137.30) Im speaking of speed at (in general) 215 - 220 km/h. The fastest my car ever gone was downhill + backwind 240 km/h / 150 mp/h. The majority is sleeping on the middle lane driving at 110 - 130 km/h. This is the equivilant to the 80 mph in the US.
Actually I think he got confused by the autobahn triangle split at Nürnberg where you have two lanes for one autobahn and two for the other one. In this circumstances, it is allowed to overtake "on the (middle) right", since you are actually driving on the fastlane of one autobahn which is separated by a hard white line from the slow lane of the other one. You can see the situation at 4:42
Yes, when merging into a highway you can pass cars and trucks on the right if that means you can merge better. When I took lessons I tried that but my car was too slow so I couldn't get in front of a truck before the end of the merging lane 😅 lucky for me there was a "vluchtstrook" still
There is one scene where a black car overtake a LKW / Truck on the right BUT there is a solid line that means the truck in the left lane must not change to a right lane at this point. So overtake is ok. NEVER cross solid lines. If you see a change from white to yellow lines ( near construction site, the yellow lines apply ( they are temporary)
@@sebahabu you talk about 4:42. this is not because it is a solid line. it is, because it is a wider one. the narrow lines seperate lanes on a street, the wider lines indicate the street bounderies. so the white semi and the black car are on a different street than the blue semi, hence the can pass the blue truck on the right, as this is not overtaking. and they could do it too, if that wide line had been a dashed one. common place to see this is at every on-ramps accelleration stretch. it is seperated from the autobahn lanes by a wide, dashed line, thus not belonging to it as the same street and you are free to speed up and pass a slower semi on the autobahn on the right before changing lanes onto the highway.
@@klaus-udokloppstedt6257 yes! this is only "passing" and not "overtaking", and remember that you are not allowed to overtake in that manner (by switching from right lane to acceleration or deceleration lanes for overtaking). similarly, people may pass you on the right on a deceleration lane at an exit, and thus (and to not slow down others on the main lanes) you should go to the deceleration lane as early as possible and if you aren't speeding too much only then decelerate for the exit (short deceleration lanes and sharp curves on the exit usually are signed). also be prepared for stupid drivers to stay on the main lanes (or even overtake you) and only in the last moment cut right in front of you to exit themselves.
You can clearly see he "learned" driving in the US - or did not learn at all.. 😯 🥴 😅 So he is quite unfit for the Autobahn and should not put his family at risk. 🤨🥺
@@JollyRogerVF84 Nein, das kann man so nicht sagen. Die absolute Anzahl an Unfällen ist in Städten und auf Landstraßen höher, aber dort sind auch wesentlich mehr Teilnehmer unterwegs. Die Wahrscheinlichkeit, dass es einen erwischt, ist damit nicht wirklich höher.
As a German it's crazy to see how people react at fairly slow speeds with 80mph (125kmh). I mean it's normal and somehow "relaxing" for me to go 140mph (225kmh) on the A2. I think we are very privileged to have these highways.
@@moothu im used to drive 1100km on a weekend, if you dont want to spend your weekend on the autobahn, an average speed of 200 and more becomes quite a thing
@@karinland8533 recommended speed *_limit_* ... but of course, you also shouldn't drive too slowly to not create an obstacle for others. trucks go 80-90, lots of cars 120-130 or -150. thus you probably should either stay "slow" between trucks on the right lane, or go with the flow at your "fairly fast" speed. and always remember to not overtake on the right (passing on the right is ok in slow traffic jams and on seperate marked lanes) and to keep a safety distance which should be larger than you might be used to because of the higher speeds (reaction distance increases linear with speed, but breaking distance grows a lot quicker at higher speeds)
@@karinland8533 limit is right, because you limit yourself on max 130 'Richtgeschwindigkeit' and it is not recommend to drive on point or above 130 km/h. It is no Law to, but it is recommend because of the insurance. That definies about your partly guilty in cause of a crash if you go above it.
Funny how he has both hands on the steering wheel, leaning forward like first time in driving school. My common german fellas tend to drive 200kph with one hand, eating with the other and arguing with their wife and the kids same time.
Sorry, but that's nonsense. It's very much dangerous if you are very fast as well. High speeds don't forgive mistakes. And I've driven over 200 kph. Even at 160, I had a close call when a small truck suddenly changed onto the fast lane without looking in his rear view mirror in front of me. Thankfully, I had a brand new car with brand new brakes.
@@sisuguillam5109 Und den Straßenverhältnissen. Kleine Unebenheiten, rutschige Stellen etc. wirken sich bei hohen Geschwindigkeiten deutlich stärker aus. In dem Moment, den man braucht, um Gegenzulenken, legt man ganz andere Strecken zurück - und die Autobahn hat halt eine begrenzte Breite...
Germany‘s driving tests are the second toughest in the world, and I think you are just allowed to drive with your US American driver‘s license for half a year. I would take some lessons if I were you, I know Americans who were really sure to drive safely and well and then failed the test twice or three times... And yes, as others already wrote: NEVER overtake a car on the right lane, especially not with your baby in the car... ❤️
It depends on which state you come from. Each US state has its own reciprocity agreement with Germany, so from some states you can just show them your license and you get a German one (I'm originally from VA, and that's all I had to do). From some other states, it is as you say, your license is good for a period of time before you have to apply for a German one, even though you don't have to take driver's education. From still others, they don't recognize the license at all and you have to do the whole driver's education course - and pay the thousands of Euros that that entails - before you apply for a German license like a newbie.
I can confirm that it is state dependent. I had a Florida driver's license when I moved to Germany and wasnt able to apply directly for a German license without more lessons (I forgot if it was the driving part or the theoretical course that I had to do, since I never did it).
the way he sits so close to the steering wheel like a grandma and gets kinda nervous at 144km/h really made me laugh.. also please don't overtake from the right *ever* it's really dangerous
Not so fast, my friend. The correct driving position is the one that feels right for you. People are far more likely to be safe drivers if they feel comfortable, rather than slavishly adopting someone else's idea of how they should sit. I have always suffered from chronic neck pain, and the driving position my instructor advised was excruciatingly painful. I have always had to sit bolt-upright and right up close to the wheel "like a grandma", because I simply cannot endure the contortions that perceived wisdom says is the 'correct' way to sit. That never stopped me from becoming a UK driving instructor, or from covering more than 1.4 million kilometres on British motorways without a single accident. With respect, my friend, what your driving instructor told you is not right for everyone, and it is presumptious of you to think you know better.
You have to drive on the rightmost lane that is safely possible for you to drive in. You do not have to switch back and forth constantly. If there's a lot of trucks on the right lane in a three lane part, you are allowed to stay in the middle lane if you're driving so fast that you're constantly passing those trucks anyway.
@@ohauss Correct. _"Sie dürfen den mittleren Fahrstreifen dann durchgängig befahren, wenn rechts davon hin und wieder Fahrzeuge unterwegs sind. Die ADAC Verkehrsexperten erläutern: "Diese Lockerung des Rechtsfahrgebots soll die Zahl der gefährlichen Spurwechsel und ein Fahren in Schlangenlinien vermeiden." "_
_Pace,_ my friend, but the way he holds the wheel is none of your business, and has no effect on his ability to control the steering under any circumstances. I have always suffered from chronic neck pain, and could never adopt the contortion my instructor told me was the 'correct' driving position. I have always had to sit bolt-upright and just a few centimetres from the wheel, but it never hindered me in 1.5 million kilometres of commercial driving, and it never stopped me from becoming a qualified driving instructor who has taught hundreds of UK students. I know from ten years of experience with both learners and qualified personnel - on normal roads and on skidpads - that I can turn a steering wheel just as fast and with significantly greater precision that the majority of drivers. With respect, my friend, the way you were shown is not right for everyone, and it is presumptious of you to think it is.
Yes, no passing on the right! In Germany people don't expect you to be there and they might just pull into your lane! You got lucky! (And yes, that makes Mittelspurschleicher just that much worse!)
@@ThePixel1983 was für ein Quatsch. Wenn jemand von der dritten auf die mittlere Spur wechseln würde, ohne sich zu versichern, dass dort Platz ist, wäre das definitiv ein Verstoß gegen die STVO.
Why not take one or two driving lessons at a German Fahrschule (literally driving school) - maybe one on the theory (rules) and one just practicing driving on Autobahn and related roads? It might just give y'all a deeper sense of safety, especially with your lovely baby girl on board. 🧡
In German Fahrschule muss all make a few hours Autobahn with higher Speed. I drive in this time with a VW Golf 3 Diesel what the car make fullspeed. My driver teacher say not its to quik 🤣
also note that speed limits apply right from the sign onward. thus slow down early enough to have the correct speed at the sign. as you said yourself, limits are staggered 130/110/90/70 or 120/100/80/60. thus you should have enough time to slow down, and even if you can't read the numbers from the distance yet, you know that the first sign is never higher than 120 or 130 (important if you are driving eg at 200+ :-)
I am German. I had a love/hate relationship with my driving teacher. Before I did my practice exam he made me go on the Autobahn and told me to go as fast as possible/as you want. I am a very careful person and though 140km/h was fine. So after yelling at me for a while to go faster he pressed his pedals and went up to 220km/h. I started screaming and asked to go slower so we decided on 200km/h for 5 min. After that I was free to go back to 140. He then told me that he wants his students to experience the speed so we do not get cocky by ourself and know how it feels/how to react and drive correctly at the speed. Knowing that it made me more relaxed. Now my fastest I like to drive is 180km/h
Also depends a lot on the car. With my old shitty car it starts to get really loud and bumpy at around 140 km/h. With my wifes new car I sometimes don't even notice I'm going at 190 km/h accidentally.
@@jarrad2000 after driving a while at higher or very high speeds and then leaving the autobahn, going 80+ in town (limit is 50, and nowadays often 30) may feel very slow, almost as if standing still, but it's fast enough to get high fines and driving prohibition. therefore i always watch the display very carefully for a few minutes or until i had to stop a few times at red traffic lights ...
For me too, but that was in 1997 with a 90 hp Golf 3 diesel. It was only 170km / h, but that was one of my first driving lessons and the first time on the highway. After that there was not a good mood in the following driving lessons
My driving teacher asked me to speed up as much as I want during my first driving lesson on the autobahn, too. He was the one to ask if I could slow down again though :D I immediately loved going 200+ km/h. Driving a car that couldn't go faster than 120 (with the doors shaking and the whole car rattling as soon as one hit 100 km/h) after I got my drivers licence taught me to appreciate low speeds though.
You should definitely read the rules. Or hire a "Fahrlehrer" for 2 hours and ask him all kinds of questions. You can even hire him for a couple of hours of practice, you might be much safer that way.
TIP: Perhaps as a result of the babyseat behind you, but....your drivingposition is really, really bad. Trust me: that affects your reaction possibilities in case of immediate reaction is needed. Your arms are nearly at a 90 degree angle! That's how old people drive......... :) Always have your arms nearly stretched at the steering wheel, sit right-up. You're WAY too close at the steering wheel, and with your legs also probably to close at the pedals (not stretched enough). Re-adjust your drivingposition, especially when you're driving fast. Looks like you're very tense at driving...
Arms in a 90 degree angle, I think that's the Nascar Driving position. If your arms are stretched out almost straight, if a car or truck has stopped in front of you and you smack in to that you might find that your elbows suddenly have been pushed all the way up to where your shoulders are. I myself prefer to have my arms bent to maybe 70-80 degrees.
@@mbo191 70 to 80 degrees? Do you want to kiss your steering wheel? Your arms should be between 120 to 160 degrees to give them some space to move in case of an accident. Full strait (180 degrees) and your ellbows and shoulder will get searious hurt. Belowe 90 degrees and the airback will searious hurt you.
@@Kullioking - Not sure if we look at it the same way. For me arms straight out is zero degrees bent, 90 degrees is a straight angle and 180 degrees is when the arm is folded up and your hand is up at your shoulder. My way of seeing the angle of your arms comes from posing figures in 3D-programs like Poser and Daz3D.
Honestly, I love driving on the autobahn. I mean, you don't have to pay attention to cars coming from sidestreets, or bikes or people running across the street, you can trust most of the time that nobody will get past you on your right and the speed, you actually don't feel it. There is a reason why "Sekundenschlaf" (nodding away for a second) is such a danger, because it is such an easy place to drive on.
If you leave enough space on the right, so that someone can pass you, you're doing it wrong, as you're supposed to drive right, if you're not overtaking.
@@tillappelhans4985 There is always the odd idiot who drives on the autobahn and then immediately squeezes himself between your car and the car you are about to overtake. Hence "most of the time". Because "never" would be a lie, there are always people who are reckless drivers and don't go with the "flow" of the autobahn.
@@swanpride You are right, but just because there might be an idiot on the street closing the gap and not letting you change the lane, does not mean you are ok to block two lanes and not letting anybody pass you, as you are not supposed to pass on the right and if you're driving in the middle lane or in the left lane, you are automatically taking and blocking all the space on your right. It's no excuse to do it wrong, just because other people are doing it wrong, too. Or in other words: Doing it wrong a thousand times, does not make it right.
As already mentioned by several guys: 1) Never ever overtake on the right side (BTW: It will cost you a penalty of 100 Euro and a penalty point in Flensburg when recognized by the police) 2) Drive on the right side by default with the exception when overtaking another car 3) Look to the mirror when ever you switch to the left side and observe whether faster cars come along from behind 4) Keep a decent distance to cars in front of you (minimum 1/2 what your tachometer shows in meters in case of km/h or ~2/3 in yards in case of mp/h) 5) Always be aware that human beings tend to make failures and break rules If these rules are obtained, the Autobahn is not an issue ... stay safe
I agree with Walter 100%. By using the Autobahn more often you will become more comfortable and you can do incremental increases of your personal maximum speed. Germans get to know the Autobahn during their driving lessons. There is at least one mandatory lesson, but most instructors will send you on it during a regular one as well. My instructor once had a new car and would send me to the Autobahn to see how fast it could go. So he told me to make little steering inputs only and put the pedal to the metal, which is how I experienced 180 km/h for the first time...
5:36 NEVER overtake on the right lane... if any car is on your left just slow down, get on the left lane if you want to pass the car. On the right lanes, you never ever overtake anyone. RULE nr 1 on german autobahn (Cause its forbidden and if you do, their is a high chance to crash cause everybody actually knows that). You want to overtake someone? Change to left lane (or middle one) and go back to the most right lane.
Don't force yourself to go fast just because there is no speed limit. Try to just relax and think about as going as fast as you're comfortable with, and having not to worry about speeding tickets.
So with everyone giving insight on different subjects I think its my turn to talk about entering the highway. You will in 90% of cases be on a lane right next to the right lane, this lane is called Beschleunigungsstreifen(=acceleration lane), its sole purpose is to get you up to speed so no one will have to break for you in traffic when you merge (Use this properly and you will have no problems merging. Recommended speed is at least 80-100km/h). If the line to your left is a straight one and not dotted, you are not allowed to merge into traffic. If there is a semi-Truck next to you and you can't merge before the acceleration lane closes. You are allowed to continue driving on it. I would recommend accelerating even harder. Semi-Trucks only drive up to 100km/h so hit the gas pedal and go beyond that and merge right after overtaking. This is btw. one of the only rare cases where overtaking on the right is permitted on the highway. Always overtake on the left. Other are traffic jams, where its fine to stay on your lane and overtake.
@@V100-e5q The newer ones might have a limiter set to 83-85 km/h. A rule they definitely do not adhere to too often is the minimum distance of 50 m between one truck and another...
That's not 100% correct. If there is a semi (or any other vehicle) next to you and you couldn't merge early enough (because you accelerated too slow) by law you need to stop at the acceleration lane. Nevertheless what Dranksful mentioned (to just continue on the hard shoulder) is the way most driving instructors and also the ADAC recommend as stopping on the acceleration lane would be a big risk.
@@feelslikeadventure I am not clear about the rules but that recommendation I know too. In the end it depends on the traffic situation. The intent is not to have you accelerate (actually overtaking would be the wrong term) past the traffic on the regular lanes as a standard procedure. That would be to accelerate and merge behind cars/trucks on the Autobahn. You should manage your speed so that can do it without risk. Accelerating on the acceleration lane is difficult because you have to speed up from say 60km/h to 110km/h because the traffic is faster and you have to catch up and pass too (making up lost ground). With a normal (120hp) car you are barely able to get to that speed there. So it is a risky way. And if that needs you to continue on the brake down strips (Standspur) you have done something wrong and miscalculated. The idea is to accelerate just enough (vs. as hard as possible) to be able to merge seemlessly. If cars have formed a tight line (as in not honoring the half-speed distance rule) then you should continue until an appropriate gap comes by. Not stop because that will entail even greater danger because then you have to accelerate from 0km/h to say 80km/h without the "protection" of the accelerating strip. So many things have to taken into account to handle a situation as safely as possible.
@@V100-e5q Actally getting to that speed in a 120hp car is quite possible: if you actually use the 120hp. Most car owners don't rev their car in a manner to actually get to the rev range, where the engine produces its nominal power. For comparison: with my manual transmission 190 PS-Diesel i need 1/3 of the acceleration lane to get to 90. If i use all of it, i can get to 140 to 160 in 4th gear.
i just love how there is always someone that is faster than you are, no matter the speed 😂 driving 220 km/h and you have someone overtaking you quite regularly. it’s the best thing ever
I was quite surprised, how close you where sitting to the steeringweel. In that position, you don't have much control and you can not react fast enough, if something occures. Please, NEVER EVER pass somebody on the right lane, it's aganist the law and very dangerous, because nobody expects you to do so. That "Rechtsfahrgebot" makes traveling on the Autobahn very save, compared to the US - Highwaysystem. Comparing the overall numbers of people killed in traffic per 100,000 inhabitants, the USA is about 3 times deadlier than germany. So, your chances are quite good to survive the german Autobahn.....
The best driving position is the one that suits you, my friend. Sitting close to the wheel gives you better leverage, and you can turn the wheel every bit as quickly and precisely in this position as you can when you sit further back, so I really don't understand the logic there. You have to move closer to the wheel if the power steering fails anyway, so it reduces the shock in that eventuality. As for road deaths, Germany's safety record lies firmly in the middle of those for industrialised nations; you are quite correct that it beats America's hands down, but there is still a great deal of room for improvement. Interestingly, about twice as many people die per billion kilometres driven than on British motorways, where the vast majority of drivers have no motorway training whatsoever, because learner drivers were banned from them until 2018! Funny old world, isn't it?
@@KiliGraphics You might have trouble with it, my friend; I do not. I've never had a moment's difficulty with this seating position in my life - and I was a UK driving instructor for ten years! _Pace,_ but I think that one is just an old wives tale, and as I said, the best driving position is the one that suits you.
The final words were exactly the right ones: You can go as fast as you want but with a child on board you should think twice about how fast you really should go.
What does the child on board have to do with it? That means if it weren't for the child, there's no reason to not put everybody's lives on the line, your passengers and people in other cars included.
@@Goeker To dumb down my earlier statement: you should *ALWAYS* drive safe, no matter whether there's a child on board or not. But I'm sure the person you want me to ask what the child has to do with it, who survived an accident but lost a child, would tell me to go nuts on the driveway as long as there's not a child in *MY* car. Obviously I can't tell about children in other cars. But that doesn't seem to matter very much to you and your hypothetical person you want me to talk to.
@@DMSG1981 Life is not always black and white. It is not that simple. Some times you do things that you should not. You may someday drive fast not to lose your job or maybe to help or even save somebody. You may risk yours or other people's lives doing so. But the priorities change when you have a child. It becomes more important than anything.
I recommend sticking to the speed limit, speed cameras can be hidden everywhere. If there is a dashed line, then do not overtake on the right, Germans do not expect it and could suddenly carelessly pull to the right. If you overtake on the far left, you cannot be disturbed by vehicles jostling, end the overtaking process and get back into the right lane with sufficient distance from the truck. Always look over the shoulder and in the mirror when you change lanes, then turn on the indicators and gently change lanes. Always calculate with very fast cars, but stay calm. If there is a traffic jam, the vehicles in front are indicated by hazard warning lights. Also switch on the hazard warning lights, keep your distance and be ready to brake. Rettungsgasse: Before a traffic jam occurs, a lane must be cleared for the police, ambulance, fire brigade and towing service. All vehicles on the far left drive to the left, all other vehicles move closer to the right. Now the emergency services can drive up. But do not use this lane yourself or drive over the hard shoulder (Seitenstreifen). Do not drive on the hard shoulder, there is often dirt there, whoever rushes over there and makes the take-off is playing with life. If possible, drive to a parking lot in the event of a breakdown. If necessary, keep on the hard shoulder and turn on the hazard warning lights. Danger, everyone get out and get to safety behind the guardrail. Other cars have already raced into parked cars. But don't accidentally step over the railing on bridges. Call the ADAC or tow truck or Auto repair shop near by. Always drive calmly and prudently on the autobahn, do not let other people drive you crazy who do not follow the rules of the game.
5:08 Mind the friendly advice on the bridge ;-) It's helpful to learn the term "Rettungsgasse" (corridor for emergency vehicle access) and its rules (!) in case of a traffic jam. 🚗🚗🚗 ...btw: sometimes german words can be pretty short and "crisp" comparing to the english equivalent... 😂
Some driving schools offer lessons for adults who already have their driver's license. Usually this offer is aimed at old people / retirees so that they can brush up their skills a little. Perhaps an hour or two could ease the culture shock of the Autobahn and you will get the most important differences to the US explained.
That's a 3 lane one, the scary ones are 2 lane, especially if driving a slow vehicle that is only slightly faster than the big trucks. Invariably if I'm trying to get past a truck I get a Mercedes or BMW coming up behind me at 100mph with lights flashing and horn sounding!
Do not overtake someone on the right line...but: If there is a solid white line you are not allowed to cross it so you have to overtake on the right line. Do not cross the solid white line is definitely one of the most important rules
Technically, you'd have to slow down to the speed of the car in the left lane. The solid white lane does not allow you to pass on the right unless it's a wide line that seperates the autobahn going straight from an exit because in this case it means you're already on a different street.
There is an exception though. While you're entering the Autobahn and are accelerating on the ramp, sometimes the ramp isn't long enough until you can merge into the regular lanes. I was taught that in that case one should definitely not brake to stop at the end of the ramp, but to cross the solid line and keep going on the extra space to the right of the regular lanes until one can merge onto them.
@@jenswurm I was taught exactly the contrary And indeed, on many places without a Beschleunigungstreifen, there's also no Seitenstreifen, that you might be able to use. Whenever you use the Seitenstreifen with a car that is still able to move, you will have to pay 180 Euro - or more, as they raised the fines. Only a heart attack might be another reason for not to be fined.
What I like about driving on the autobahn is, when there is no speed limit, that you don't have to constantly check your speed. So your eyes are more fixed to the road and you're more attentive without risking a fine.
Alas... not really. On the busier stretches (i.e. the ones where people actually drive...) you have frequent interruptions like road works, lane closures, contraflows and speed limits... and traffic jams are quite common, too). Some limits are dynamic and electronic signs show changing limits. Whenever you hit one of those stretches, you have to pay even more attention lest you get caught with 20 or 30 kph over. Another "fun fact" few visitors know: Germany has a "speed guidance" of 130 kph on the Autobahn. It's not an enforced speed limit - but if you're involved in an accident while going faster than that, you'll be found partly at fault. So even if some punk cuts into your lane right in front of you, the judge will likely put 30% of the blame on you for the extra hazard you created by going so fast. You'll always see people buzzing past you at 200 kph or above on the autobahn - but many find it pretty stressful. I tend to cruise at 130 - so when I see one of those speed limits ahead, I just let the car coast into it rather than having to hit the brakes. Generally, I like driving on French or Belgian motorways with their 130 or 120 kph limits... and wouldn't miss a lot if a similar limit was imposed here.
Enjoy the ride :) And always drive a speed that you are comfortable with. Btw the "Richtgeschwindigkeit" - the suggested speed in areas on the Autobahn without speed limit is 130 km/h - so you are doing it quite right ;)
Me as a daily Autobahn Driver (round about 95km each day) drive at 140km/h. It's the best compromise of taking not too long to get to work,safety, not stressful and costs for gas. :)
That's right I'm driving daily more than 100 km. Is not stressful, when you drive a speed between 130 - 140 km per hour. My way to work is Amberg to Erlangen.
Autobahn is fantastic ! One of the few places on earth where you can freely pick your own speed. I usually drive >150 mph, you're really burning miles then ! Love it !
All fun comments aside, the facts that he is using the mirrors and that he only goes as fast as he feels comfortable with. Two big steps of becoming/being a safe driver. I really appreciate that.
Please inform you about drivers rules in Germany. We have the right drive rules and passing other vehicles you have do go on left side. Passing on right side is forbidden and expensive.
You're sitting way too close to the steering wheel, so you can't drive fast at all. When people see you like this, they think: What kind of grandfather is driving there? Move your seat back, relax, and then you'll automatically accelerate more. ;)
Yep... my first thought too! To be more precize: don't straighten your arms completely, they should have a slight bend... but definitely not at a 90 degree (or more) angle.
Not sure if it's been mentioned already, but one aspect we addressed when we lived there was tire quality. Typical American tires aren't designed for the heat that the higher speeds create. They are probably fine, but it wouldn't hurt to make sure yours are rated to handle Autobahn driving.
Answer to 3:10 - yes, you can pass cars to your left if there's a "hard" white line. The rule that you can only overtake by driving left only applies to the "normal" striped roads. Have a great day and "moin" from Hamburg!
wrong! passing on the right is only allowed in traffic jam or on Autobahn thick white exit lanes! Please dont pass on the rights, thats not allowed and very dangerous!
ihr habt beide unrecht, das überholen setzt voraus, dass du ein Fahrzeug überholst, das bedeutet dich vor ihn setzen und dann weiter von ihn weg fahrst. in einer Situation wo sich der Verkehr staut, und eine durchgezogene Linie ist, darfst du sachte an den Fahrzeug auch rechts vorbei fahren, mit gemäßer angepasster Geschwindigkeit. solange du ihn nicht überholst, und auf der spur bleibst.
Back then in the driving school in Germany, on my first trip on the "Autobahn", my teacher pushed me up to 111mph with his pedal and said "that's how it works"
On the onramp (or whatever it's called in English 😅), there are different rules than anywhere else. You can overtake cars that are left to you and you can also stay on there for as long as you need to find a spot between other cars that's safe for you to get in. Most people make space though, and if there's no one there you're supposed to get on between the end of the hard white line and the line that comes over from the right side. Also, as soon as you leave the curve at the beginning, you should accelerate to at least 80 (better 100, but look out for speed limits) as fast as possible to fit in with the speed of the others
The cars on the driving lanes have the right of way. _Making_ them slow down when moving into that lanes is an offense because you have to yield. If they do it out of courtesy it is ok. _If_ they are not disturbing the traffic behind them!
In brief, there are speed limits on the autobahn but also parts without speed limit signed by a crossed speed number sign, never overtake a car on the right(except in a traffic jam) fines for that are harsh, alway watch your left back mirror because in seconds a small dot of a car is suddenly at your side, do always before you turne left and than set the car turn signal(sometimes it may happen you already turn your driving wheel before you checked by looking into the back mirror), never cross the white straight line even you want exit and may think its shorter to overtake cars in a traffic jam(police like to catch those drivers) always make sure you are in a safty distance of the car ahead of you(police check those from top of bridges and you will realize white half lines even before such places, lots of police is on the autobahn in private looking cars with dash cams in front and also in the back to catch speed drivers and those with smartphone in their hand. If the right lane is free, dont be to lazy to move over because we have the so called right-hand drive bid. Well, drive the speed you feel comfortable which manly less than a your car can go so you always have a reserve to quickly speed up when its necessary. At the end of a traffic jam everybody speed up soon and I often saw the next was coming soon and those had to test their brakes very hard. If you see a traffic jam in advance watch the traffic of your back as well and have a look for space in case the car in your back is to fast to get the car stopped before crashing in yours. Drove more then 60000 a year for almost 20 years and experienced a lot. Oh yes, when you enter to the autobahn lanes, dont slow down your car to get into the lane just try to get simiar speed and mostly people will give you space enough to get into.
@@der7tezwerg921 This song might give you a big power kick, but its not authentic. Aaaaaaand I believe Yellow's "the Race" would give you even a few more rpm for your engine if you just want to boost your top speed.
@@der7tezwerg921 Isn't that the song the cops are playing when they catch you in a classic "Blitzerfalle"? But if you are really desperate to run out even a bullet, you need Ram Jams "Black Betty"
He´s holding that Steering Wheel like my driving teacher told me too. U have to lean back, left elbow slighty hang out the window while u hold the steering wheel, and with the right arm u can do whatever u want to do. Here and there a little shift action and just enjoy the ride
When you pass someone, you always have to change the line behind them and take over on the left. Only exception is a white lane. Germans get really angry when you overtake on the right.
About your question on overtaking on the right: In general it is not allowed to pass another car on the right. Others will not expect you there, so it is really dangerous to do so. So always pass others on the left. There are some exceptions to that rule: You are allowed to pass on the right while you are on the acceleration lane of the Autobahn when it is possible safely (i.e. when there is a much slower truck). You are also allowed to pass on the right if there is a traffic jam. In Case of a traffic jam also make sure to form a corridor for emergency vehicle access. Here is a link on how to form the corridor: ua-cam.com/video/MvTsr-s3J8k/v-deo.html
Native older German car buff guy here. Physic laws did although count on the German Autobahn so freedom without responsibility is no longer freedom it is only egoism. In this sense, you did everything right by driving at the speed that you feel comfortable with. At the same time, I did know how thrilling speed could be and with that, you are always at risk to adjust your way of driving with the time and amount of experiences you accumulate on the Autobahn. If you mention that this is happening to you please take my advice. The main part of your car is the undercarriage, make sure that your tires, breaks, and even more vital your dampers are always in good shape. If your engine fails you still have a safe rain shelter, but if your connection to the street is lost you have a plane without wings (speed did not kill but the impact will do). The problem with overtaking on the right is that the fast guys like me would never expect it. If I drive 200km/h or more I watch out for all cars/lorries or road conditions ahead of me and even will have an eye on my center rearview mirror but will never mind that someone would overtake me on the right. On top of that, if a lorry will pull over to the left lane without mentioning me I need the space he has cleared on the right lane to adjust my speed, so if someone is there it becomes a very difficult situation. One last point to mention. Crosswinds the force of a crosswind did not change with the speed you drive, but the correction you have to do to hold your car in the lane becomes much more difficult the faster you go and as you have this comfortable van and I have no clue if the Japanese engineers, did even mention the problem (because I never saw this kind of Subaru van in Germany) it could cause anything including an accident. I hope you still stay safe and have always good arrivals. As a native German, I would ask you for one favor. Could you please tell every American that you could reach that the Autobahn is not a playground! Thanks.
Pls do the SCHULTERBLICK (Shoulder look ) , Alaways do it when you change the road to the right or left lane or at turning, because of the dead angle, which means, that cars in this position are not visible at the mirrors. In the autobahn they are so fast and it´s important to do that.
Also: you have to have a distance to the car bfore you that is a minimum of half of your speed. You drove 120 km/h but your distance was less than 50 meters. The Leitpfosten on the side on the Autobahn always have 50 m distance. If you are to close, you can be fined.
Some tips and answers to your questions (Tanner) from a German: You should go at least 80km/h on the right lane otherwise, you are blocking the flow of traffic. Trucks go 80 km/h max. There is something called 'Richtgeschwindigkeit' at 130km/h. It literally means orientation speed. That is actually the recommended speed, where the flow of traffic would be ideal, also it is enough to easily pass a truck and still not too fast to be dangerous. Going faster from this speed on, will result in a significant increase in fuel consumption and therefore be expensive and bad for the environment. Passing cars in the right lane is never recommended. Should anyone go slower than you in the middle lane, you would have to stay behind them, move to the middle lane and pass them on the left lane, after safely checking the traffic behind you. Afterward, you would move two lanes to the right again. Always pass from the left! 'Rechtsfahrgebot' There is one exception to this, if there is a traffic jam that you are stuck in and the right lane is the fastest, you can pass from the right. Don't change lanes in a traffic jam, it will worsen the situation. (I know a lot of people do this, but it will result in the traffic jam taking longer) Last: It is not recommended to go faster than 200 km/h since humans are not capable of reacting fast enough, should anything unexpected happen during that speed. Unfortunately, most fast and expensive cars are locked at 250km/h some can even go faster than that.
You are so lucky to drive at the moment - it ' s so empty at the moment due to corona - in the future you will realize that german Autobahn most of the time is always in a traffic jam full of trucks - often no chance to go fast....drive secure for your family thats most important - we love to see more videos 👍
Staying in the comfort zone where you will feel safe is a pretty good idea. Just be extra careful to see if there is anyone coming from behind before you start overtaking. And please keep in mind that overtaking on the right hand side is not permitted on the autobahn except if there is a traffic congestion and/or the cars on the left lane drive not faster than 60 km/h.
In regards to overtaking on the right and solid white lines: If it is a "thick" white line (thicker than any of the doted lines) you are allowed to overtake on the right, because those are technically different roads at that points. This happens mostly when the highway splits into two directions (aka intersections) and both directions have multiple lanes. Otherwise you are only allowed to overtake on the right in case of traffic slowdown and then only with a maximum speed *difference* of 20kmh (~12mp/h).
I was here yesterday and drove 100mph for 10 minutes. My wife told me I was speeding, wanted to go faster, but didn't to keep her happy. I still saw a few cars going 120mph. It was fun!
So despite there being no legal speed limit, there is something called Richtgeschwindigkeit of 130km/h, it basically means that this is the speed you should aim to be driving, because as you can imagine going too slow is as dangerous as too fast :)
Strictly speaking, the recommendation is not to aim for 130 km/h, but never to exceed 130 km/h even under good conditions. So if he goes 120 km/h, he is absolutely fine. That said, of course you shouldn't go _too_ slowly. But "too slow" only starts when trucks want to overtake you. Anything above 100 km/h is OK. As long as you accelerate a bit while overtaking, so you won't block the left lane for too long, that is.
Full line: no crossing. Dotted line: crossing is permitted. Double line with both: crossing is permitted from the side with the dotted line, e.g. the acceleration lane can not be used by traffic already on the motorway, but of course, you can leave it to enter the motorway.
Just stick to the speed you’re comfortable with, once you get used to it you’re probably going to drive slightly faster than in the USA. When there’s not much traffic I usually keep the speedometer at round about 200kph (124mph). The fastest I ever drove was circa 238kmh (148mph) according to the speedometer when I tested my car a little bit. Of course the speedometers typically show a higher speed than what you‘re really driving. Speedometers aren’t allowed to show less, but they’re allowed to show more (allowed are up to 110% + 4kmh).
This video is hilarious. I remember back in the late 70's and 80s when I was a kid and my parents drove from Sweden to Hungary every summer to see our relatives in Budapest. Two adults and two kids, in an Opel Rekord (or even a little Opel Kadett). My father was doing around 140-150 km/h (90-95 mph) on the Autobahn. And we kids were not even using seatbelts... crazy times in the 1970s. But here we are today, still alive, I am 55 years old now and my sister turned 60 recently. Absolutely love the German people, the culture, their fine roads, their cities 😊
Pretty cool to see yalls first time on the autpbahn lol. Just like anything else practice makes perfect :). I am still awaiting to get back to Germany and have some Spaghetti Eis lol. BTW, Graf is where i was injured out on in the field , awesome memories :).
Overtaking on the right side - in general, that's not allowed. But if you are on a split Autobahn (like an on/off ramp/merging lane, or an Autobahn that is going to split into different directions marked by thicker lines), then you can overtake cars on the other part even if it's from the right. Also, during traffic jams. But don't forget to leave a rescue lane (Rettungsgasse) during those for emergency vehicles!
Always funny to See the reactions to "higher" speeds. Most of the shown vehicles may go around 160. Wait till you get flashed because you only go 230 and someone wants to go 250 😅
Autobahn's a great design, you can pick whatever speed you want to cruise at, just stay as far right as you can and get over immediately after passing.
When you are on the onramp, as long as there is a thick white solid line or thick white broken line, you are allowed to go faster than the traffic on the main lanes.
In the acceleration lane, you should adapt to the speed of the vehicles in the right lane and then merge in, that's why you sometimes see guys driving faster than the truck to their left. When exiting the autobahn, it is recommended to slow down to 50 km/h in the exit lane, as the curve behind can be quite sharp.
Riding on the free Autobahn, no Cars in Front and back, driving with comfortably 180 km/h, looking in the back mirror, seeing a black dot waaay behind, looking up and then suddenly got overtaken from a red flat shadow which disappears fastly, that‘s the real Autobahn feeling!
Bei allem Respekt vor Deinen Fahrgewohnheiten: Du sitzt (viel) zu nah am Lenkrad! Schiebe den Sitz 20 cm weiter zurück und entspanne Dich beim Autofahren! Das wird man dir wahrscheinlich auch sagen, wenn Du Fahrstunden nimmst.
Beim adac Fahrsicherheitstraining bekommen alle gesagt, dass sie weiter vor müssen www.adac.de/verkehr/verkehrssicherheit/verkehrsmedizin/richtige-sitzposition-auto/ 30 cm Oberkörper Lenkrad Lehne grade Beine angewinkelt
Das Problem ist nicht wie nah er dran sitzt. Ich sitze ähnlich nah. Problematisch ist, das er fahrschulmäßig die Hände auf 10 und 2 Uhr hat. Das ist auf dauer einfach unkomfortabel und wenn die Arme schwer werden, dann überträgt sich das auf die Lenkung. Das dürfte auch erklären warum er sich bei höheren Geschwindigkeiten unwohl fühlt. Ich habe die Hände in der unteren Hälfte des Lenkrads wobei die linke Hand führt und die rechte nur mitläuft als Sicherheit.
@@J.Severin Wir haben früher immer gesagt, dass diejenigen, die so nah am Lenker sitzen und die Hände auf 10 nach 2 haben, Schwarzfahrer sind bzw. als Schwarzfahrer das Autofahren gelernt haben (Nach dem, was ich hier bei youtube so höre, haben wohl nur sehr wenige Amerikaner das Fahren in einer ordentlichen Fahrschule gelernt, fallen also in die Kategorie "ehemalige Schwarzfahrer" lol). Ich habe in der Fahrschule gelernt: Hände auf 20 vor 4 und nie so nah am Lenker, wie er! Schau Dir den Winkel an, den Unter- und Oberarm miteinander bilden und dann den im ADAC-Film! Die vom ADAC propagierte Lenkerhaltung (1/4 nach 9) ist nicht optimal!
Safety distance gets really important at those higher speeds. Follow the 3 seconds rule. It might be the camera, but it seemed at times you were a little close to the car in front. If you ever cut off a semi (LKW), it will automatically do an emergency brake and the poor trucker's coffee will be all over his windshield. When overtaking, make sure you see the entire truck front in the right mirror before getting in front of him.
The only lane where you really have to hurry up is the acceleration lane when entering the Autobahn. If no one is in front of you then pedal to the metal is recommended to get the speed of the cars next to you. If you feel comfortable driving 120 km/h, it's fine although 130 km/h is recommended.
Welcome in Germany. Hello again. I grew up with Americans in Munich and have so much lovely memories. As most of all the people here in the comments below said: Please, never overtake on the right side, except you are in traffic jam or you are on a separate turn lane. Don’t do it again, please! Most of our citizen here in Germany are not respectful on the Autobahns and in general on the most of our roads. It may be an overstatement, but some people say there's a kind of war on the autobahns. I travel a lot in Germany by profession. Safety first. All the best and stay safe!
The track you are on when you "start" driving on the Autobahn is called "Beschleunigungsstreifen" - acceleration lane. And that is what you are supposed - accelerate to be able to change lanes and thereby not slow down or interfere or harm the traffic. You can overtake on the right when there is a slow vehicle in the "normal" right lane (for you left) when you are able to overtake it and there is a big enough space for your car in front of it.
To clear up the whole "overtaking on the right" issue. There are two situations. One: You are on an on-ramp that is joining the Autobahn. In order to merge, you CAN overtake any car that is driving on the right-most lane while you are on the on-ramp. Two: Once you are on the Autobahn you CANNOT overtake a car on its right side and have to pay 100€ if you get caught. One exception is a traffic jam where the right lane happens to move faster than the left lane. Furthermore, we have a "Rechtsfahrgebot" which tells you to drive on the right-most lane when you are not in the process or preparation of overtaking.
Poor guy :D I felt the same when I drove for the first time on the Autobahn. I remember my dad drove over 200km/h with his Opel Kadett on the Autobahn with us kids in the back.
In Germany, there is an unwritten law: you must drive at least 140kmh in the left lane. Only during short overtaking manoeuvres are lower speeds tolerated.
The on ramp has a so called "Beschleunigungsstreifen" - speed up strip! So yes when you're on the ramp going onto the autobahn, you can definitely pass on the right. It's to speed up to be able to get into a gap. When the hard line switches to a dotted line you'll be able to cross it. Then you're on the main strip and on there you're only allowed to pass on the left. But on the speed up strip you can very much pass on the right
American: "I am going fairly fast - 125km/h”
German Mother driving Kid in the Kindergarten with 200kmh: " Mooveee!! " 😂
Thats a great stereotype... to be honest: in my opinion more than 90 % of all germans dont drive fast. General cruise speed is about 130 km/h, 8 % are willing to drive up to 170 - 180 km/h and just the last 2 % (or maybe even just 1 %?) drive at maximum speed of their cars.
2016 and 2017 I drove 220 km one way (south of Cologne to Nordhorn, lower saxony) every weekend. Live in Cologne, worked in Nordhorn. Im a person who drives at maximum speed. The A31 has quite no speed limit but the A3 in most cases (120 km/h). On most rides not a single other car passes me. In 2017 I generally slowed down because fuel got too expensive. So i limited my car to 120 km/h. Result: i got passed but maybe with a max. of 20 km/h difference. The really fast drivers (like former me)... hmm... 2 - 3 per ride? The difference in cash:
- 2016 I paid 3.549,50 € for fuel ($ 4,223.90)
- 2017 I paid 2.164,98 € for fuel ($ 2,576.32)
Saving: 1.384,52 € / 115,38 € per month ($ 1,647.58 / $ 137.30)
Im speaking of speed at (in general) 215 - 220 km/h. The fastest my car ever gone was downhill + backwind 240 km/h / 150 mp/h.
The majority is sleeping on the middle lane driving at 110 - 130 km/h. This is the equivilant to the 80 mph in the US.
@@IMFLordVader I think there are much more people who drive at maximum speed. There are many people whos max speed is only about 160/170ish
@@Cordell119 Haven't seen those. Mostly 130 km/h is driven
Its actually true
@@IMFLordVader Does it count driving in the 1% if my car's max speed is 155km/h? :P
A note - please NEVER pass on the right!
This can be extremely dangerous and there are only a few and complicated exceptions where it is allowed.
And it's also illegal to pass on the right lane!
Actually I think he got confused by the autobahn triangle split at Nürnberg where you have two lanes for one autobahn and two for the other one. In this circumstances, it is allowed to overtake "on the (middle) right", since you are actually driving on the fastlane of one autobahn which is separated by a hard white line from the slow lane of the other one. You can see the situation at 4:42
Yes, when merging into a highway you can pass cars and trucks on the right if that means you can merge better. When I took lessons I tried that but my car was too slow so I couldn't get in front of a truck before the end of the merging lane 😅 lucky for me there was a "vluchtstrook" still
I often pass on right with all the idiots in the middle!
Freeway spirit
5:37 Hey guys be careful not to overtake someone on the right lane. People in Germany are not expecting that so it can get quite dangerous for you.
And also expensive :)
There is one scene where a black car overtake a LKW / Truck on the right BUT there is a solid line that means the truck in the left lane must not change to a right lane at this point. So overtake is ok. NEVER cross solid lines. If you see a change from white to yellow lines ( near construction site, the yellow lines apply ( they are temporary)
@@sebahabu you talk about 4:42.
this is not because it is a solid line. it is, because it is a wider one.
the narrow lines seperate lanes on a street, the wider lines indicate the street bounderies. so the white semi and the black car are on a different street than the blue semi, hence the can pass the blue truck on the right, as this is not overtaking.
and they could do it too, if that wide line had been a dashed one. common place to see this is at every on-ramps accelleration stretch. it is seperated from the autobahn lanes by a wide, dashed line, thus not belonging to it as the same street and you are free to speed up and pass a slower semi on the autobahn on the right before changing lanes onto the highway.
@@klaus-udokloppstedt6257 Extralob! Selten erklärt es jemand so richtig.
@@klaus-udokloppstedt6257 yes! this is only "passing" and not "overtaking", and remember that you are not allowed to overtake in that manner (by switching from right lane to acceleration or deceleration lanes for overtaking). similarly, people may pass you on the right on a deceleration lane at an exit, and thus (and to not slow down others on the main lanes) you should go to the deceleration lane as early as possible and if you aren't speeding too much only then decelerate for the exit (short deceleration lanes and sharp curves on the exit usually are signed). also be prepared for stupid drivers to stay on the main lanes (or even overtake you) and only in the last moment cut right in front of you to exit themselves.
Does he feel comfortable sitting so close to the steering wheel? 😊
You can clearly see he "learned" driving in the US - or did not learn at all.. 😯 🥴 😅
So he is quite unfit for the Autobahn and should not put his family at risk. 🤨🥺
Thats also what I was first thinking, too close
He looks like he could not even get out of the car himself but it needs to be peeled off of him by a group of skilled workers.
Older ladies drive in this position. 🤣
Me thinking this too.
The Autobahn is the safteyest roads in Germany. Never overtake on the right side exept you are in a traffic jam or you are on a separate turn lane.
yep, probably the fastest way to crash in germany
*safest :)
whut, die autobahn ist doch nicht am sichersten. vielleicht weniger unfälle, aber quasi immee tödlich
@@sophiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiie Es ist tatsächlich sicherer als auf Land- und Bundesstraßen oder in Städten. Und nein, nicht immer tötlich.
@@JollyRogerVF84
Nein, das kann man so nicht sagen. Die absolute Anzahl an Unfällen ist in Städten und auf Landstraßen höher, aber dort sind auch wesentlich mehr Teilnehmer unterwegs. Die Wahrscheinlichkeit, dass es einen erwischt, ist damit nicht wirklich höher.
As a German it's crazy to see how people react at fairly slow speeds with 80mph (125kmh). I mean it's normal and somehow "relaxing" for me to go 140mph (225kmh) on the A2. I think we are very privileged to have these highways.
See, that just sounds completely crazy to me in Australia. The fastest road I've been on is 110kmh, normally it's 80-100kmh on the freeway
@@moothu im used to drive 1100km on a weekend, if you dont want to spend your weekend on the autobahn, an average speed of 200 and more becomes quite a thing
@@WintersF19 1100km ah yes
@@meinaimsuckt got some valuable answer or what am i supposed to read out of this?
@@WintersF19 yes
“I am going fairly fast - 125km/h”. Hahahahaha
That is under the recommend speed of 130km/h ...😂
@@karinland8533 recommended speed *_limit_* ...
but of course, you also shouldn't drive too slowly to not create an obstacle for others. trucks go 80-90, lots of cars 120-130 or -150. thus you probably should either stay "slow" between trucks on the right lane, or go with the flow at your "fairly fast" speed.
and always remember to not overtake on the right (passing on the right is ok in slow traffic jams and on seperate marked lanes) and to keep a safety distance which should be larger than you might be used to because of the higher speeds (reaction distance increases linear with speed, but breaking distance grows a lot quicker at higher speeds)
@@Anson_AKB I did mean the recomended speed= Richtgeschwindigkeit
Not the limit, because how would I know what limit is there.
@@karinland8533 limit is right, because you limit yourself on max 130 'Richtgeschwindigkeit' and it is not recommend to drive on point or above 130 km/h. It is no Law to, but it is recommend because of the insurance. That definies about your partly guilty in cause of a crash if you go above it.
i go about 140 kmh with my 22 year old opel corsa b :D
Funny how he has both hands on the steering wheel, leaning forward like first time in driving school. My common german fellas tend to drive 200kph with one hand, eating with the other and arguing with their wife and the kids same time.
Boring video proving that americans can't drive...
That’s god mode lvl 1000
Reality 😂
Sometimes we smoke a cigarette, the ash is falling down and than we clean our car with 200 km/h.
So much for the idea that German drivers know what they're doing then. Another myth busted.
Driving on the Autobahn is only dangerous when you're too slow :-) 80mph (130kmh) is the
recommended speed when there are no speed limits.
Sorry, but that's nonsense. It's very much dangerous if you are very fast as well. High speeds don't forgive mistakes. And I've driven over 200 kph. Even at 160, I had a close call when a small truck suddenly changed onto the fast lane without looking in his rear view mirror in front of me. Thankfully, I had a brand new car with brand new brakes.
Immer schön den Verkehrsverhältnissen anpassen.
@@sisuguillam5109
Und den Straßenverhältnissen. Kleine Unebenheiten, rutschige Stellen etc. wirken sich bei hohen Geschwindigkeiten deutlich stärker aus. In dem Moment, den man braucht, um Gegenzulenken, legt man ganz andere Strecken zurück - und die Autobahn hat halt eine begrenzte Breite...
@@ohauss eben! Und man teilt sich den Verkehr ja mit anderen.
If you are going over 130 kph and a crash happens (even it's not your fault) you will be automatically partial guilty.
"I am going pretty fast, 125kph" .. that's not even the recommended speed of 130, lol.
Germany‘s driving tests are the second toughest in the world, and I think you are just allowed to drive with your US American driver‘s license for half a year. I would take some lessons if I were you, I know Americans who were really sure to drive safely and well and then failed the test twice or three times...
And yes, as others already wrote: NEVER overtake a car on the right lane, especially not with your baby in the car... ❤️
It depends on which state you come from. Each US state has its own reciprocity agreement with Germany, so from some states you can just show them your license and you get a German one (I'm originally from VA, and that's all I had to do). From some other states, it is as you say, your license is good for a period of time before you have to apply for a German one, even though you don't have to take driver's education. From still others, they don't recognize the license at all and you have to do the whole driver's education course - and pay the thousands of Euros that that entails - before you apply for a German license like a newbie.
Which country has the toughest driving test?
@@djbeste They say Finland has the toughest traffic rules and tests, Japan and Singapore are also quite tough.
@@petergeyer7584 I didn‘t know that it differs from State to State! Danke für die Info. :)
I can confirm that it is state dependent. I had a Florida driver's license when I moved to Germany and wasnt able to apply directly for a German license without more lessons (I forgot if it was the driving part or the theoretical course that I had to do, since I never did it).
the way he sits so close to the steering wheel like a grandma and gets kinda nervous at 144km/h really made me laugh.. also please don't overtake from the right *ever* it's really dangerous
Not so fast, my friend. The correct driving position is the one that feels right for you. People are far more likely to be safe drivers if they feel comfortable, rather than slavishly adopting someone else's idea of how they should sit. I have always suffered from chronic neck pain, and the driving position my instructor advised was excruciatingly painful. I have always had to sit bolt-upright and right up close to the wheel "like a grandma", because I simply cannot endure the contortions that perceived wisdom says is the 'correct' way to sit. That never stopped me from becoming a UK driving instructor, or from covering more than 1.4 million kilometres on British motorways without a single accident. With respect, my friend, what your driving instructor told you is not right for everyone, and it is presumptious of you to think you know better.
The most important thing is the "Rechtsfahrgebot"! You have to drive on the right lane except you overtake someone!
You have to drive on the rightmost lane that is safely possible for you to drive in. You do not have to switch back and forth constantly. If there's a lot of trucks on the right lane in a three lane part, you are allowed to stay in the middle lane if you're driving so fast that you're constantly passing those trucks anyway.
@@ohauss Yes in the specific case when ther are a lot of slower moving vehicles.
120 is a good speed. Another nice video love you guys! 😀
@@ohauss Correct.
_"Sie dürfen den mittleren Fahrstreifen dann durchgängig befahren, wenn rechts davon hin und wieder Fahrzeuge unterwegs sind. Die ADAC Verkehrsexperten erläutern: "Diese Lockerung des Rechtsfahrgebots soll die Zahl der gefährlichen Spurwechsel und ein Fahren in Schlangenlinien vermeiden." "_
It's only a "Gebot"
The way you hold the wheel tells me you shouldnt drive faster than 130kph on the autobahn😂😂😂😂😂
_Pace,_ my friend, but the way he holds the wheel is none of your business, and has no effect on his ability to control the steering under any circumstances. I have always suffered from chronic neck pain, and could never adopt the contortion my instructor told me was the 'correct' driving position. I have always had to sit bolt-upright and just a few centimetres from the wheel, but it never hindered me in 1.5 million kilometres of commercial driving, and it never stopped me from becoming a qualified driving instructor who has taught hundreds of UK students. I know from ten years of experience with both learners and qualified personnel - on normal roads and on skidpads - that I can turn a steering wheel just as fast and with significantly greater precision that the majority of drivers. With respect, my friend, the way you were shown is not right for everyone, and it is presumptious of you to think it is.
Always overtake left and always move to the right if it's free to to drive there for 20seconds
Yes, no passing on the right! In Germany people don't expect you to be there and they might just pull into your lane! You got lucky! (And yes, that makes Mittelspurschleicher just that much worse!)
@@ThePixel1983 schon lustig Mal n deutsches Wort mitten in nen englischen Satz zu setzen. 😅
@@kingo5940 In traue den beiden zu das zu googeln. 😉
@@ThePixel1983 was für ein Quatsch. Wenn jemand von der dritten auf die mittlere Spur wechseln würde, ohne sich zu versichern, dass dort Platz ist, wäre das definitiv ein Verstoß gegen die STVO.
Always stick to the rightmost possible lane and swap only for overtaking. And never overtake on the right.
Why not take one or two driving lessons at a German Fahrschule (literally driving school) - maybe one on the theory (rules) and one just practicing driving on Autobahn and related roads?
It might just give y'all a deeper sense of safety, especially with your lovely baby girl on board. 🧡
In German Fahrschule muss all make a few hours Autobahn with higher Speed. I drive in this time with a VW Golf 3 Diesel what the car make fullspeed. My driver teacher say not its to quik 🤣
Just make sure you are aware of speed limits on the autobahn. A lot of people think you can go as fast as you want everywhere, which is not the case.
also note that speed limits apply right from the sign onward. thus slow down early enough to have the correct speed at the sign.
as you said yourself, limits are staggered 130/110/90/70 or 120/100/80/60. thus you should have enough time to slow down, and even if you can't read the numbers from the distance yet, you know that the first sign is never higher than 120 or 130 (important if you are driving eg at 200+ :-)
The Autobahn is overrated nowadays. My experience is more like: go fast, roadworks, go fast, roadworks, go fast, roadworks.
@@Anson_AKB There are no speed limits at 110 and 90 kph in Germany but the rest of what you said is correct :)
"on your left" the mom driving 230km/h and beeing late for her sons soccer game :D i am kinda proud of our autobahn
I am German. I had a love/hate relationship with my driving teacher.
Before I did my practice exam he made me go on the Autobahn and told me to go as fast as possible/as you want. I am a very careful person and though 140km/h was fine. So after yelling at me for a while to go faster he pressed his pedals and went up to 220km/h. I started screaming and asked to go slower so we decided on 200km/h for 5 min. After that I was free to go back to 140. He then told me that he wants his students to experience the speed so we do not get cocky by ourself and know how it feels/how to react and drive correctly at the speed.
Knowing that it made me more relaxed. Now my fastest I like to drive is 180km/h
that's exactly what my driving teacher did with me :D
Also depends a lot on the car. With my old shitty car it starts to get really loud and bumpy at around 140 km/h. With my wifes new car I sometimes don't even notice I'm going at 190 km/h accidentally.
@@jarrad2000 after driving a while at higher or very high speeds and then leaving the autobahn, going 80+ in town (limit is 50, and nowadays often 30) may feel very slow, almost as if standing still, but it's fast enough to get high fines and driving prohibition. therefore i always watch the display very carefully for a few minutes or until i had to stop a few times at red traffic lights ...
For me too, but that was in 1997 with a 90 hp Golf 3 diesel. It was only 170km / h, but that was one of my first driving lessons and the first time on the highway. After that there was not a good mood in the following driving lessons
My driving teacher asked me to speed up as much as I want during my first driving lesson on the autobahn, too. He was the one to ask if I could slow down again though :D I immediately loved going 200+ km/h. Driving a car that couldn't go faster than 120 (with the doors shaking and the whole car rattling as soon as one hit 100 km/h) after I got my drivers licence taught me to appreciate low speeds though.
You should definitely read the rules. Or hire a "Fahrlehrer" for 2 hours and ask him all kinds of questions. You can even hire him for a couple of hours of practice, you might be much safer that way.
TIP: Perhaps as a result of the babyseat behind you, but....your drivingposition is really, really bad. Trust me: that affects your reaction possibilities in case of immediate reaction is needed. Your arms are nearly at a 90 degree angle! That's how old people drive......... :) Always have your arms nearly stretched at the steering wheel, sit right-up. You're WAY too close at the steering wheel, and with your legs also probably to close at the pedals (not stretched enough). Re-adjust your drivingposition, especially when you're driving fast. Looks like you're very tense at driving...
Arms in a 90 degree angle, I think that's the Nascar Driving position. If your arms are stretched out almost straight, if a car or truck has stopped in front of you and you smack in to that you might find that your elbows suddenly have been pushed all the way up to where your shoulders are.
I myself prefer to have my arms bent to maybe 70-80 degrees.
@@mbo191 70 to 80 degrees? Do you want to kiss your steering wheel? Your arms should be between 120 to 160 degrees to give them some space to move in case of an accident. Full strait (180 degrees) and your ellbows and shoulder will get searious hurt. Belowe 90 degrees and the airback will searious hurt you.
@@Kullioking - Not sure if we look at it the same way. For me arms straight out is zero degrees bent, 90 degrees is a straight angle and 180 degrees is when the arm is folded up and your hand is up at your shoulder.
My way of seeing the angle of your arms comes from posing figures in 3D-programs like Poser and Daz3D.
Arms stretched and far away is wrong www.adac.de/verkehr/verkehrssicherheit/verkehrsmedizin/richtige-sitzposition-auto/
@@StefanSulistyo - It looks like 70-80 degrees bent, doesn't it?
Everybody gangsta until "Stau" comes
Honestly, I love driving on the autobahn. I mean, you don't have to pay attention to cars coming from sidestreets, or bikes or people running across the street, you can trust most of the time that nobody will get past you on your right and the speed, you actually don't feel it. There is a reason why "Sekundenschlaf" (nodding away for a second) is such a danger, because it is such an easy place to drive on.
If you leave enough space on the right, so that someone can pass you, you're doing it wrong, as you're supposed to drive right, if you're not overtaking.
@@tillappelhans4985 There is always the odd idiot who drives on the autobahn and then immediately squeezes himself between your car and the car you are about to overtake. Hence "most of the time". Because "never" would be a lie, there are always people who are reckless drivers and don't go with the "flow" of the autobahn.
@@swanpride You are right, but just because there might be an idiot on the street closing the gap and not letting you change the lane, does not mean you are ok to block two lanes and not letting anybody pass you, as you are not supposed to pass on the right and if you're driving in the middle lane or in the left lane, you are automatically taking and blocking all the space on your right. It's no excuse to do it wrong, just because other people are doing it wrong, too. Or in other words: Doing it wrong a thousand times, does not make it right.
As already mentioned by several guys:
1) Never ever overtake on the right side (BTW: It will cost you a penalty of 100 Euro and a penalty point in Flensburg when recognized by the police)
2) Drive on the right side by default with the exception when overtaking another car
3) Look to the mirror when ever you switch to the left side and observe whether faster cars come along from behind
4) Keep a decent distance to cars in front of you (minimum 1/2 what your tachometer shows in meters in case of km/h or ~2/3 in yards in case of mp/h)
5) Always be aware that human beings tend to make failures and break rules
If these rules are obtained, the Autobahn is not an issue
... stay safe
Super comment. alles stimmt !
You did fine! Don´t leave your comfort zone. It is not worth it. Your average speed will increase a bit over the years ;)
I agree with Walter 100%. By using the Autobahn more often you will become more comfortable and you can do incremental increases of your personal maximum speed. Germans get to know the Autobahn during their driving lessons. There is at least one mandatory lesson, but most instructors will send you on it during a regular one as well.
My instructor once had a new car and would send me to the Autobahn to see how fast it could go. So he told me to make little steering inputs only and put the pedal to the metal, which is how I experienced 180 km/h for the first time...
My Winter Wheels have a Speed Limit of 220 km/h 😁👍🏻
Argh ... that's so annoying ... 😁
Und??? Schon überschritten ?? 😜
Was soll denn das für ein Speedindex sein? H+10?
Mine 250 😅
Have you tested their full performance in action?
The van and truck drivers behind "Look, someones car broke down in front of us, hope they are ok..."
😂🤣😅
😂😂
😂
My driving teacher would've slapped my wrists if I sat in the car like that. That just looks wrong to me.
5:36 NEVER overtake on the right lane... if any car is on your left just slow down, get on the left lane if you want to pass the car. On the right lanes, you never ever overtake anyone. RULE nr 1 on german autobahn (Cause its forbidden and if you do, their is a high chance to crash cause everybody actually knows that). You want to overtake someone? Change to left lane (or middle one) and go back to the most right lane.
The same applies on American highways, unfortunately most American drivers don’t get it, and those laws aren’t enforced at all.
He did it 3 times in this short clip
@@danieldaniels7571 I drove in california/nevada and was told you just pick a lane and overtake where you want, isn't that true?
Don't force yourself to go fast just because there is no speed limit. Try to just relax and think about as going as fast as you're comfortable with, and having not to worry about speeding tickets.
So with everyone giving insight on different subjects I think its my turn to talk about entering the highway. You will in 90% of cases be on a lane right next to the right lane, this lane is called Beschleunigungsstreifen(=acceleration lane), its sole purpose is to get you up to speed so no one will have to break for you in traffic when you merge (Use this properly and you will have no problems merging. Recommended speed is at least 80-100km/h). If the line to your left is a straight one and not dotted, you are not allowed to merge into traffic. If there is a semi-Truck next to you and you can't merge before the acceleration lane closes. You are allowed to continue driving on it. I would recommend accelerating even harder. Semi-Trucks only drive up to 100km/h so hit the gas pedal and go beyond that and merge right after overtaking. This is btw. one of the only rare cases where overtaking on the right is permitted on the highway. Always overtake on the left. Other are traffic jams, where its fine to stay on your lane and overtake.
To add: trucks are not allowed to exceed 80km/h. But are seldomly adhering to that rule.
@@V100-e5q The newer ones might have a limiter set to 83-85 km/h. A rule they definitely do not adhere to too often is the minimum distance of 50 m between one truck and another...
That's not 100% correct. If there is a semi (or any other vehicle) next to you and you couldn't merge early enough (because you accelerated too slow) by law you need to stop at the acceleration lane. Nevertheless what Dranksful mentioned (to just continue on the hard shoulder) is the way most driving instructors and also the ADAC recommend as stopping on the acceleration lane would be a big risk.
@@feelslikeadventure I am not clear about the rules but that recommendation I know too. In the end it depends on the traffic situation. The intent is not to have you accelerate (actually overtaking would be the wrong term) past the traffic on the regular lanes as a standard procedure. That would be to accelerate and merge behind cars/trucks on the Autobahn. You should manage your speed so that can do it without risk. Accelerating on the acceleration lane is difficult because you have to speed up from say 60km/h to 110km/h because the traffic is faster and you have to catch up and pass too (making up lost ground). With a normal (120hp) car you are barely able to get to that speed there. So it is a risky way. And if that needs you to continue on the brake down strips (Standspur) you have done something wrong and miscalculated. The idea is to accelerate just enough (vs. as hard as possible) to be able to merge seemlessly. If cars have formed a tight line (as in not honoring the half-speed distance rule) then you should continue until an appropriate gap comes by. Not stop because that will entail even greater danger because then you have to accelerate from 0km/h to say 80km/h without the "protection" of the accelerating strip. So many things have to taken into account to handle a situation as safely as possible.
@@V100-e5q Actally getting to that speed in a 120hp car is quite possible: if you actually use the 120hp. Most car owners don't rev their car in a manner to actually get to the rev range, where the engine produces its nominal power.
For comparison: with my manual transmission 190 PS-Diesel i need 1/3 of the acceleration lane to get to 90. If i use all of it, i can get to 140 to 160 in 4th gear.
i just love how there is always someone that is faster than you are, no matter the speed 😂
driving 220 km/h and you have someone overtaking you quite regularly.
it’s the best thing ever
It’s crazy how it happens 😂
@@OurStorytoTell Basically thats me every like 2nd or 3rd day driving to work : ua-cam.com/users/shortszPPFXBl3pwA 🤣🤣🤣
I was quite surprised, how close you where sitting to the steeringweel. In that position, you don't have much control and you can not react fast enough, if something occures. Please, NEVER EVER pass somebody on the right lane, it's aganist the law and very dangerous, because nobody expects you to do so. That "Rechtsfahrgebot" makes traveling on the Autobahn very save, compared to the US - Highwaysystem. Comparing the overall numbers of people killed in traffic per 100,000 inhabitants, the USA is about 3 times deadlier than germany. So, your chances are quite good to survive the german Autobahn.....
The best driving position is the one that suits you, my friend. Sitting close to the wheel gives you better leverage, and you can turn the wheel every bit as quickly and precisely in this position as you can when you sit further back, so I really don't understand the logic there. You have to move closer to the wheel if the power steering fails anyway, so it reduces the shock in that eventuality. As for road deaths, Germany's safety record lies firmly in the middle of those for industrialised nations; you are quite correct that it beats America's hands down, but there is still a great deal of room for improvement. Interestingly, about twice as many people die per billion kilometres driven than on British motorways, where the vast majority of drivers have no motorway training whatsoever, because learner drivers were banned from them until 2018! Funny old world, isn't it?
@@MSM4U2POM You block yourself easily if you sit too tight to the steering wheel. You cant turn for shit if you sit right in front of it.
@@KiliGraphics You might have trouble with it, my friend; I do not. I've never had a moment's difficulty with this seating position in my life - and I was a UK driving instructor for ten years! _Pace,_ but I think that one is just an old wives tale, and as I said, the best driving position is the one that suits you.
"Driving position suboptimal" should be written on all those fancy, new tactile displays.
The final words were exactly the right ones: You can go as fast as you want but with a child on board you should think twice about how fast you really should go.
What does the child on board have to do with it?
That means if it weren't for the child, there's no reason to not put everybody's lives on the line, your passengers and people in other cars included.
@@DMSG1981 Ask that to somebody who survived an accident but lost their child. They would explain very well why.
@@Goeker To dumb down my earlier statement: you should *ALWAYS* drive safe, no matter whether there's a child on board or not.
But I'm sure the person you want me to ask what the child has to do with it, who survived an accident but lost a child, would tell me to go nuts on the driveway as long as there's not a child in *MY* car. Obviously I can't tell about children in other cars. But that doesn't seem to matter very much to you and your hypothetical person you want me to talk to.
@@DMSG1981 Life is not always black and white. It is not that simple. Some times you do things that you should not. You may someday drive fast not to lose your job or maybe to help or even save somebody. You may risk yours or other people's lives doing so. But the priorities change when you have a child. It becomes more important than anything.
I recommend sticking to the speed limit, speed cameras can be hidden everywhere. If there is a dashed line, then do not overtake on the right, Germans do not expect it and could suddenly carelessly pull to the right.
If you overtake on the far left, you cannot be disturbed by vehicles jostling, end the overtaking process and get back into the right lane with sufficient distance from the truck.
Always look over the shoulder and in the mirror when you change lanes, then turn on the indicators and gently change lanes.
Always calculate with very fast cars, but stay calm.
If there is a traffic jam, the vehicles in front are indicated by hazard warning lights. Also switch on the hazard warning lights, keep your distance and be ready to brake.
Rettungsgasse: Before a traffic jam occurs, a lane must be cleared for the police, ambulance, fire brigade and towing service.
All vehicles on the far left drive to the left, all other vehicles move closer to the right. Now the emergency services can drive up. But do not use this lane yourself or drive over the hard shoulder (Seitenstreifen).
Do not drive on the hard shoulder, there is often dirt there, whoever rushes over there and makes the take-off is playing with life.
If possible, drive to a parking lot in the event of a breakdown. If necessary, keep on the hard shoulder and turn on the hazard warning lights.
Danger, everyone get out and get to safety behind the guardrail. Other cars have already raced into parked cars.
But don't accidentally step over the railing on bridges.
Call the ADAC or tow truck or Auto repair shop near by.
Always drive calmly and prudently on the autobahn, do not let other people drive you crazy who do not follow the rules of the game.
5:08 Mind the friendly advice on the bridge ;-) It's helpful to learn the term "Rettungsgasse" (corridor for emergency vehicle access) and its rules (!) in case of a traffic jam. 🚗🚗🚗
...btw: sometimes german words can be pretty short and "crisp" comparing to the english equivalent... 😂
I don’t get why isn’t this thought in all countries?
Found you guys by the Yt algorithm (watched some other Americans living in Germany) ... so expect that your channel will probably blow up soon
Some driving schools offer lessons for adults who already have their driver's license. Usually this offer is aimed at old people / retirees so that they can brush up their skills a little. Perhaps an hour or two could ease the culture shock of the Autobahn and you will get the most important differences to the US explained.
That's a 3 lane one, the scary ones are 2 lane, especially if driving a slow vehicle that is only slightly faster than the big trucks. Invariably if I'm trying to get past a truck I get a Mercedes or BMW coming up behind me at 100mph with lights flashing and horn sounding!
Do not overtake someone on the right line...but: If there is a solid white line you are not allowed to cross it so you have to overtake on the right line.
Do not cross the solid white line is definitely one of the most important rules
Technically, you'd have to slow down to the speed of the car in the left lane. The solid white lane does not allow you to pass on the right unless it's a wide line that seperates the autobahn going straight from an exit because in this case it means you're already on a different street.
There is an exception though. While you're entering the Autobahn and are accelerating on the ramp, sometimes the ramp isn't long enough until you can merge into the regular lanes.
I was taught that in that case one should definitely not brake to stop at the end of the ramp, but to cross the solid line and keep going on the extra space to the right of the regular lanes until one can merge onto them.
@@jenswurm legally you're required to stop and never cross that line. In practice that's stupid and you're even taught to keep going.
@@jenswurm I was taught exactly the contrary And indeed, on many places without a Beschleunigungstreifen, there's also no Seitenstreifen, that you might be able to use. Whenever you use the Seitenstreifen with a car that is still able to move, you will have to pay 180 Euro - or more, as they raised the fines. Only a heart attack might be another reason for not to be fined.
So funny to see you guys getting excited about driving a normal way to work for most of us germans :D btw welcome to Germany!
i understand that he only wants to drive 80mph if he hits 88 he travels back in time
What I like about driving on the autobahn is, when there is no speed limit, that you don't have to constantly check your speed. So your eyes are more fixed to the road and you're more attentive without risking a fine.
Modern cars usually have automatic cruise control that you can set to the speed limit and the car will not go any faster.
@@thkempe Yeah that’s true 😅
Alas... not really.
On the busier stretches (i.e. the ones where people actually drive...) you have frequent interruptions like road works, lane closures, contraflows and speed limits... and traffic jams are quite common, too).
Some limits are dynamic and electronic signs show changing limits.
Whenever you hit one of those stretches, you have to pay even more attention lest you get caught with 20 or 30 kph over.
Another "fun fact" few visitors know: Germany has a "speed guidance" of 130 kph on the Autobahn.
It's not an enforced speed limit - but if you're involved in an accident while going faster than that, you'll be found partly at fault. So even if some punk cuts into your lane right in front of you, the judge will likely put 30% of the blame on you for the extra hazard you created by going so fast.
You'll always see people buzzing past you at 200 kph or above on the autobahn - but many find it pretty stressful.
I tend to cruise at 130 - so when I see one of those speed limits ahead, I just let the car coast into it rather than having to hit the brakes.
Generally, I like driving on French or Belgian motorways with their 130 or 120 kph limits... and wouldn't miss a lot if a similar limit was imposed here.
Enjoy the ride :) And always drive a speed that you are comfortable with. Btw the "Richtgeschwindigkeit" - the suggested speed in areas on the Autobahn without speed limit is 130 km/h - so you are doing it quite right ;)
2:50 "I know you're not supposed to ever pass on the right" while passing a car on the right. Lmao...
Me as a daily Autobahn Driver (round about 95km each day) drive at 140km/h. It's the best compromise of taking not too long to get to work,safety, not stressful and costs for gas. :)
That's right I'm driving daily more than 100 km. Is not stressful, when you drive a speed between 130 - 140 km per hour.
My way to work is Amberg to Erlangen.
Autobahn is fantastic ! One of the few places on earth where you can freely pick your own speed. I usually drive >150 mph, you're really burning miles then ! Love it !
Who else is curious about their Nuremberg experience...???
Me! I'd love to see some footage from Nuremberg ...
I live in Nürnberg! Love it! ❤️
All fun comments aside, the facts that he is using the mirrors and that he only goes as fast as he feels comfortable with.
Two big steps of becoming/being a safe driver.
I really appreciate that.
Please inform you about drivers rules in Germany. We have the right drive rules and passing other vehicles you have do go on left side. Passing on right side is forbidden and expensive.
But...only on roads and highways with two or more lanes...the "Rechtsfahrgebot" (right drive rule) doesn't apply in a city!
true but the rule is also, move as fast as you can on the right lane, and dont go on the left lane, if the middle lane is free...
It is dangerous too.
Hoping things get exciting on the Autobahn is exactly the reason why some people need a speed limit
You're sitting way too close to the steering wheel, so you can't drive fast at all. When people see you like this, they think: What kind of grandfather is driving there?
Move your seat back, relax, and then you'll automatically accelerate more. ;)
yup... I'm an "invisible" driver, too... look into the car you won't see me, as I'm behind the "B"-pillar LOL
@@theorganguy hahaha me too brother
Yep... my first thought too! To be more precize: don't straighten your arms completely, they should have a slight bend... but definitely not at a 90 degree (or more) angle.
Not sure if it's been mentioned already, but one aspect we addressed when we lived there was tire quality. Typical American tires aren't designed for the heat that the higher speeds create. They are probably fine, but it wouldn't hurt to make sure yours are rated to handle Autobahn driving.
Answer to 3:10 - yes, you can pass cars to your left if there's a "hard" white line. The rule that you can only overtake by driving left only applies to the "normal" striped roads.
Have a great day and "moin" from Hamburg!
wrong! passing on the right is only allowed in traffic jam or on Autobahn thick white exit lanes! Please dont pass on the rights, thats not allowed and very dangerous!
@@mogrey8875 A solid white line virtually divides the road in two roads. It's like a barrier.
ihr habt beide unrecht, das überholen setzt voraus, dass du ein Fahrzeug überholst, das bedeutet dich vor ihn setzen und dann weiter von ihn weg fahrst. in einer Situation wo sich der Verkehr staut, und eine durchgezogene Linie ist, darfst du sachte an den Fahrzeug auch rechts vorbei fahren, mit gemäßer angepasster Geschwindigkeit. solange du ihn nicht überholst, und auf der spur bleibst.
Back then in the driving school in Germany, on my first trip on the "Autobahn", my teacher pushed me up to 111mph with his pedal and said "that's how it works"
Wow! That is crazy!
@Childrens Rights Advocate that was my first drive back then in driving school - now I don't drive like an angel anymore either 😉
On the onramp (or whatever it's called in English 😅), there are different rules than anywhere else. You can overtake cars that are left to you and you can also stay on there for as long as you need to find a spot between other cars that's safe for you to get in. Most people make space though, and if there's no one there you're supposed to get on between the end of the hard white line and the line that comes over from the right side. Also, as soon as you leave the curve at the beginning, you should accelerate to at least 80 (better 100, but look out for speed limits) as fast as possible to fit in with the speed of the others
The cars on the driving lanes have the right of way. _Making_ them slow down when moving into that lanes is an offense because you have to yield. If they do it out of courtesy it is ok. _If_ they are not disturbing the traffic behind them!
In brief, there are speed limits on the autobahn but also parts without speed limit signed by a crossed speed number sign, never overtake a car on the right(except in a traffic jam) fines for that are harsh, alway watch your left back mirror because in seconds a small dot of a car is suddenly at your side, do always before you turne left and than set the car turn signal(sometimes it may happen you already turn your driving wheel before you checked by looking into the back mirror), never cross the white straight line even you want exit and may think its shorter to overtake cars in a traffic jam(police like to catch those drivers) always make sure you are in a safty distance of the car ahead of you(police check those from top of bridges and you will realize white half lines even before such places, lots of police is on the autobahn in private looking cars with dash cams in front and also in the back to catch speed drivers and those with smartphone in their hand. If the right lane is free, dont be to lazy to move over because we have the so called right-hand drive bid. Well, drive the speed you feel comfortable which manly less than a your car can go so you always have a reserve to quickly speed up when its necessary. At the end of a traffic jam everybody speed up soon and I often saw the next was coming soon and those had to test their brakes very hard. If you see a traffic jam in advance watch the traffic of your back as well and have a look for space in case the car in your back is to fast to get the car stopped before crashing in yours. Drove more then 60000 a year for almost 20 years and experienced a lot. Oh yes, when you enter to the autobahn lanes, dont slow down your car to get into the lane just try to get simiar speed and mostly people will give you space enough to get into.
I would recommend Kraftwerk "Autobahn" as an appropriate soundtrack for such a trip.
I'd prefer Metallica's ''Fuel'' for the same purpose. You will probably arrive at your destination about 10 to 20 minutes earlier. ;)
@@der7tezwerg921 This song might give you a big power kick, but its not authentic.
Aaaaaaand I believe Yellow's "the Race" would give you even a few more rpm for your engine if you just want to boost your top speed.
@@archiegates650 Hehe, not bad. Hold my beer. Golden Earring ''Radar Love'' ;)
@@der7tezwerg921 Isn't that the song the cops are playing when they catch you in a classic "Blitzerfalle"?
But if you are really desperate to run out even a bullet, you need Ram Jams "Black Betty"
@@archiegates650 Since Need for Speed Underground I prefer the Version of Spiderbait but ok, ''Black Betty'' it is :)
He´s holding that Steering Wheel like my driving teacher told me too.
U have to lean back, left elbow slighty hang out the window while u hold the steering wheel, and with the right arm u can do whatever u want to do. Here and there a little shift action and just enjoy the ride
When you pass someone, you always have to change the line behind them and take over on the left. Only exception is a white lane.
Germans get really angry when you overtake on the right.
Especially those drivers, who block the middle lane
overtaking someone on the right is the most stupid thing to do ever
About your question on overtaking on the right: In general it is not allowed to pass another car on the right. Others will not expect you there, so it is really dangerous to do so. So always pass others on the left. There are some exceptions to that rule: You are allowed to pass on the right while you are on the acceleration lane of the Autobahn when it is possible safely (i.e. when there is a much slower truck). You are also allowed to pass on the right if there is a traffic jam. In Case of a traffic jam also make sure to form a corridor for emergency vehicle access. Here is a link
on how to form the corridor: ua-cam.com/video/MvTsr-s3J8k/v-deo.html
Native older German car buff guy here. Physic laws did although count on the German Autobahn so freedom without responsibility is no longer freedom it is only egoism. In this sense, you did everything right by driving at the speed that you feel comfortable with. At the same time, I did know how thrilling speed could be and with that, you are always at risk to adjust your way of driving with the time and amount of experiences you accumulate on the Autobahn. If you mention that this is happening to you please take my advice. The main part of your car is the undercarriage, make sure that your tires, breaks, and even more vital your dampers are always in good shape. If your engine fails you still have a safe rain shelter, but if your connection to the street is lost you have a plane without wings (speed did not kill but the impact will do). The problem with overtaking on the right is that the fast guys like me would never expect it. If I drive 200km/h or more I watch out for all cars/lorries or road conditions ahead of me and even will have an eye on my center rearview mirror but will never mind that someone would overtake me on the right. On top of that, if a lorry will pull over to the left lane without mentioning me I need the space he has cleared on the right lane to adjust my speed, so if someone is there it becomes a very difficult situation. One last point to mention. Crosswinds the force of a crosswind did not change with the speed you drive, but the correction you have to do to hold your car in the lane becomes much more difficult the faster you go and as you have this comfortable van and I have no clue if the Japanese engineers, did even mention the problem (because I never saw this kind of Subaru van in Germany) it could cause anything including an accident.
I hope you still stay safe and have always good arrivals. As a native German, I would ask you for one favor. Could you please tell every American that you could reach that the Autobahn is not a playground! Thanks.
Pls do the SCHULTERBLICK (Shoulder look ) , Alaways do it when you change the road to the right or left lane or at turning, because of the dead angle, which means, that cars in this position are not visible at the mirrors. In the autobahn they are so fast and it´s important to do that.
2:50
Tanner: I know you're not ever supposed to pass on the right
*passes on the right while he speaks* :DD
I love you Americans! We need more of you in Europe! Kind regards: Markus from Göttingen...
Also: you have to have a distance to the car bfore you that is a minimum of half of your speed.
You drove 120 km/h but your distance was less than 50 meters.
The Leitpfosten on the side on the Autobahn always have 50 m distance. If you are to close, you can be fined.
And if the gap is too large someone else will shift into it.
Some tips and answers to your questions (Tanner) from a German:
You should go at least 80km/h on the right lane otherwise, you are blocking the flow of traffic. Trucks go 80 km/h max.
There is something called 'Richtgeschwindigkeit' at 130km/h. It literally means orientation speed. That is actually the recommended speed, where the flow of traffic would be ideal, also it is enough to easily pass a truck and still not too fast to be dangerous. Going faster from this speed on, will result in a significant increase in fuel consumption and therefore be expensive and bad for the environment.
Passing cars in the right lane is never recommended. Should anyone go slower than you in the middle lane, you would have to stay behind them, move to the middle lane and pass them on the left lane, after safely checking the traffic behind you. Afterward, you would move two lanes to the right again.
Always pass from the left! 'Rechtsfahrgebot'
There is one exception to this, if there is a traffic jam that you are stuck in and the right lane is the fastest, you can pass from the right. Don't change lanes in a traffic jam, it will worsen the situation. (I know a lot of people do this, but it will result in the traffic jam taking longer)
Last: It is not recommended to go faster than 200 km/h since humans are not capable of reacting fast enough, should anything unexpected happen during that speed. Unfortunately, most fast and expensive cars are locked at 250km/h some can even go faster than that.
Lol, my Audi S6 is locked at 315 Km/h, even though the dash says 330 Km/h
You are so lucky to drive at the moment - it ' s so empty at the moment due to corona - in the future you will realize that german Autobahn most of the time is always in a traffic jam full of trucks - often no chance to go fast....drive secure for your family thats most important - we love to see more videos 👍
Staying in the comfort zone where you will feel safe is a pretty good idea. Just be extra careful to see if there is anyone coming from behind before you start overtaking. And please keep in mind that overtaking on the right hand side is not permitted on the autobahn except if there is a traffic congestion and/or the cars on the left lane drive not faster than 60 km/h.
2:50 _passes car on the right_
"I know you're not supposed to ever pass on the right"
He was driving along a solid white line which virtually divides the road in two roads.
In regards to overtaking on the right and solid white lines: If it is a "thick" white line (thicker than any of the doted lines) you are allowed to overtake on the right, because those are technically different roads at that points. This happens mostly when the highway splits into two directions (aka intersections) and both directions have multiple lanes.
Otherwise you are only allowed to overtake on the right in case of traffic slowdown and then only with a maximum speed *difference* of 20kmh (~12mp/h).
It is so funny to see these videos. I love it.
I was here yesterday and drove 100mph for 10 minutes. My wife told me I was speeding, wanted to go faster, but didn't to keep her happy. I still saw a few cars going 120mph. It was fun!
So despite there being no legal speed limit, there is something called Richtgeschwindigkeit of 130km/h, it basically means that this is the speed you should aim to be driving, because as you can imagine going too slow is as dangerous as too fast :)
Strictly speaking, the recommendation is not to aim for 130 km/h, but never to exceed 130 km/h even under good conditions. So if he goes 120 km/h, he is absolutely fine.
That said, of course you shouldn't go _too_ slowly. But "too slow" only starts when trucks want to overtake you. Anything above 100 km/h is OK. As long as you accelerate a bit while overtaking, so you won't block the left lane for too long, that is.
@@arthur_p_dent Correct, i probably could've worded that better. It's the RECOMMENDED maximum speed. Although its entirely legal to go faster.
Full line: no crossing. Dotted line: crossing is permitted. Double line with both: crossing is permitted from the side with the dotted line, e.g. the acceleration lane can not be used by traffic already on the motorway, but of course, you can leave it to enter the motorway.
Just stick to the speed you’re comfortable with, once you get used to it you’re probably going to drive slightly faster than in the USA.
When there’s not much traffic I usually keep the speedometer at round about 200kph (124mph).
The fastest I ever drove was circa 238kmh (148mph) according to the speedometer when I tested my car a little bit.
Of course the speedometers typically show a higher speed than what you‘re really driving.
Speedometers aren’t allowed to show less, but they’re allowed to show more (allowed are up to 110% + 4kmh).
This video is hilarious. I remember back in the late 70's and 80s when I was a kid and my parents drove from Sweden to Hungary every summer to see our relatives in Budapest. Two adults and two kids, in an Opel Rekord (or even a little Opel Kadett). My father was doing around 140-150 km/h (90-95 mph) on the Autobahn. And we kids were not even using seatbelts... crazy times in the 1970s. But here we are today, still alive, I am 55 years old now and my sister turned 60 recently. Absolutely love the German people, the culture, their fine roads, their cities 😊
Pretty cool to see yalls first time on the autpbahn lol. Just like anything else practice makes perfect :). I am still awaiting to get back to Germany and have some Spaghetti Eis lol. BTW, Graf is where i was injured out on in the field , awesome memories :).
Overtaking on the right side - in general, that's not allowed. But if you are on a split Autobahn (like an on/off ramp/merging lane, or an Autobahn that is going to split into different directions marked by thicker lines), then you can overtake cars on the other part even if it's from the right. Also, during traffic jams. But don't forget to leave a rescue lane (Rettungsgasse) during those for emergency vehicles!
Always funny to See the reactions to "higher" speeds. Most of the shown vehicles may go around 160. Wait till you get flashed because you only go 230 and someone wants to go 250 😅
Can't relate as my car can only go 210 xD
Autobahn's a great design, you can pick whatever speed you want to cruise at, just stay as far right as you can and get over immediately after passing.
1:33 way too close to the guy in front
When you are on the onramp, as long as there is a thick white solid line or thick white broken line, you are allowed to go faster than the traffic on the main lanes.
5:36 don't take over on the right!
In the acceleration lane, you should adapt to the speed of the vehicles in the right lane and then merge in, that's why you sometimes see guys driving faster than the truck to their left. When exiting the autobahn, it is recommended to slow down to 50 km/h in the exit lane, as the curve behind can be quite sharp.
Sadly there was none driving like 200+km/h. They would have gone crazy
Because he doesn't know how to drive at all, he should better NOT do this! 😯 🥴 😅
@@elledriver3509 no I didn't mean him. I ment the ones passing by. The fastest was maybe at 160/170 or sth
Riding on the free Autobahn, no Cars in Front and back, driving with comfortably 180 km/h, looking in the back mirror, seeing a black dot waaay behind, looking up and then suddenly got overtaken from a red flat shadow which disappears fastly, that‘s the real Autobahn feeling!
Bei allem Respekt vor Deinen Fahrgewohnheiten: Du sitzt (viel) zu nah am Lenkrad! Schiebe den Sitz 20 cm weiter zurück und entspanne Dich beim Autofahren! Das wird man dir wahrscheinlich auch sagen, wenn Du Fahrstunden nimmst.
Nur noch zu toppen von der Embryonalstellung!
Beim adac Fahrsicherheitstraining bekommen alle gesagt, dass sie weiter vor müssen www.adac.de/verkehr/verkehrssicherheit/verkehrsmedizin/richtige-sitzposition-auto/
30 cm Oberkörper Lenkrad
Lehne grade
Beine angewinkelt
Das Problem ist nicht wie nah er dran sitzt. Ich sitze ähnlich nah. Problematisch ist, das er fahrschulmäßig die Hände auf 10 und 2 Uhr hat. Das ist auf dauer einfach unkomfortabel und wenn die Arme schwer werden, dann überträgt sich das auf die Lenkung. Das dürfte auch erklären warum er sich bei höheren Geschwindigkeiten unwohl fühlt.
Ich habe die Hände in der unteren Hälfte des Lenkrads wobei die linke Hand führt und die rechte nur mitläuft als Sicherheit.
@@J.Severin Wir haben früher immer gesagt, dass diejenigen, die so nah am Lenker sitzen und die Hände auf 10 nach 2 haben, Schwarzfahrer sind bzw. als Schwarzfahrer das Autofahren gelernt haben (Nach dem, was ich hier bei youtube so höre, haben wohl nur sehr wenige Amerikaner das Fahren in einer ordentlichen Fahrschule gelernt, fallen also in die Kategorie "ehemalige Schwarzfahrer" lol). Ich habe in der Fahrschule gelernt: Hände auf 20 vor 4 und nie so nah am Lenker, wie er! Schau Dir den Winkel an, den Unter- und Oberarm miteinander bilden und dann den im ADAC-Film! Die vom ADAC propagierte Lenkerhaltung (1/4 nach 9) ist nicht optimal!
Safety distance gets really important at those higher speeds. Follow the 3 seconds rule. It might be the camera, but it seemed at times you were a little close to the car in front.
If you ever cut off a semi (LKW), it will automatically do an emergency brake and the poor trucker's coffee will be all over his windshield. When overtaking, make sure you see the entire truck front in the right mirror before getting in front of him.
Sit back a bit, your driving position is looking cramped.
He's made those adjustments now! Thanks for the tip.
Going the speed you feel comfortable with and it not being to slow to be dangerous is the right decision ^^
The only lane where you really have to hurry up is the acceleration lane when entering the Autobahn. If no one is in front of you then pedal to the metal is recommended to get the speed of the cars next to you. If you feel comfortable driving 120 km/h, it's fine although 130 km/h is recommended.
I remember being on big powerful bike doing about 120 MPH on autobahn in 1980s and big mercs overtaking me.Great experience.
Welcome in Germany. Hello again. I grew up with Americans in Munich and have so much lovely memories.
As most of all the people here in the comments below said: Please, never overtake on the right side, except you are in traffic jam or you are on a separate turn lane. Don’t do it again, please!
Most of our citizen here in Germany are not respectful on the Autobahns and in general on the most of our roads. It may be an overstatement, but some people say there's a kind of war on the autobahns. I travel a lot in Germany by profession. Safety first. All the best and stay safe!
The track you are on when you "start" driving on the Autobahn is called "Beschleunigungsstreifen" - acceleration lane. And that is what you are supposed - accelerate to be able to change lanes and thereby not slow down or interfere or harm the traffic. You can overtake on the right when there is a slow vehicle in the "normal" right lane (for you left) when you are able to overtake it and there is a big enough space for your car in front of it.
To clear up the whole "overtaking on the right" issue. There are two situations.
One: You are on an on-ramp that is joining the Autobahn. In order to merge, you CAN overtake any car that is driving on the right-most lane while you are on the on-ramp.
Two: Once you are on the Autobahn you CANNOT overtake a car on its right side and have to pay 100€ if you get caught. One exception is a traffic jam where the right lane happens to move faster than the left lane.
Furthermore, we have a "Rechtsfahrgebot" which tells you to drive on the right-most lane when you are not in the process or preparation of overtaking.
Great tips, thanks!
Poor guy :D I felt the same when I drove for the first time on the Autobahn. I remember my dad drove over 200km/h with his Opel Kadett on the Autobahn with us kids in the back.
In Germany, there is an unwritten law: you must drive at least 140kmh in the left lane. Only during short overtaking manoeuvres are lower speeds tolerated.
The on ramp has a so called "Beschleunigungsstreifen" - speed up strip! So yes when you're on the ramp going onto the autobahn, you can definitely pass on the right. It's to speed up to be able to get into a gap. When the hard line switches to a dotted line you'll be able to cross it. Then you're on the main strip and on there you're only allowed to pass on the left. But on the speed up strip you can very much pass on the right