The German Way: Life in Austria, Germany, Switzerland

When driving on the German Autobahn, one realizes that auto racing is not confined to famous race tracks like the Nürburgring. Germans, and the Austrians and Swiss, like to drive fast, and they have been in love with their cars ever since Carl Benz (1844-1927) invented the first practical motor car in 1885. The company formed by the 1926 merger of the two firms that Benz and fellow automobile inventor Gottlieb Daimler (1834-1900) had created would become the industrial giant Daimler-Benz AG, Germany’s largest concern. (As of Nov. 1998, DaimlerChrysler AG.) But it is Volkswagen AG, headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany, which is now Europe’s largest auto maker. Germany is the third largest producer of automobiles in the world (exceeded only by Japan and the United States) and a country that takes its driving very seriously. This is understandable when you realize that a German driver’s license costs about $1500-2000, after a minimum of 25-45 hours of professional instruction plus 12 hours of theory, and such a license is good for life.

Green arrow signal
This photo, taken in the eastern part of Berlin, shows a 50 km/h (31 mph) speed limit sign (in the background) and a “green arrow” traffic signal. The painted green arrow (grüner Pfeil) means you are permitted to make a right turn after stopping on red—a practice that was not allowed in western Germany until it was adopted from the East after unification. The triangular “yield” sign goes into effect when the traffic signal (Ampel) is turned off—a common occurrence late at night or on weekends.
PHOTO © Hyde Flippo

Cars marked “Fahrschule” (driving school) mean a student driver may be at the wheel. However, you don't have too much to worry about; in typical thorough German fashion, Fahrschule cars are equipped with dual controls so that the instructor can take over any time the student gets into serious trouble. The practical, on-the-road training time has to include night driving, autobahn experience, in-town driving, and a multitude of other driving situations. The test for a German driver's license includes questions about the mechanical aspects of an automobile, in addition to the usual examination on the rules of the road. But once he or she has passed the test, a German driver never ever has to be tested again to keep his or her license, not even for vision!

Driving Web Links | Renting a Car (below)

German and European traffic law has a few variations that North American drivers may not always be aware of. For instance, it is illegal to pass on the right on the Autobahn. Slow moving vehicles must always move to the right, and faster vehicles may pass on the left only. The only exception is when both lanes are moving slowly (under 60 km per hour, 35 mph), as in the frequent traffic jams (Verkehrsstaus). In such cases drivers are allowed to pass on the right, but at a speed no higher than 20 km per hour faster than the traffic in the left lane. [For more on traffic laws in A, CH, and D see our driving links below.]

You will see speed limit signs (round) posted much less often in Germany than in the U.S. But German drivers are expected to know the law. In cities and towns, the speed limit (Tempolimit) is 50 km/h (31 mph) unless otherwise posted. In the last decade or so, the "30-Zone" has gained great popularity. These are residential areas with a posted 30 km/h (18 mph) speed limit to protect children and pedestrians who live in the neighborhood. On normal two-lane highways the limit is 100 km/h (62 mph). Cars towing trailers must stay under 80 km/h (50 mph). The autobahn has a "suggested" speed limit of 130 km/h (80 mph), a suggestion widely ignored by many Mercedes and Porsche drivers. They may suddenly appear out of nowhere, close behind, blinking their brights to move you out of their way. Not even $4.00-per-gallon gasoline can make most German drivers slow down.

In Austria, Germany, and Switzerland, children under the age of 13 are not allowed to sit in the front seat of any vehicle that has a back seat. Seat belts are mandatory for the driver and all passengers in the car, front and back.

The German car maker Volkswagen now sells
an updated version of the classic Beetle. For more
about this car see the Volkswagen Web site.
PHOTO: Volkswagen.de

new Beetle

Most of Europe, including Germany, has a .08 (0,8 pro mille) blood alcohol limit for drunk driving. (.05 if you are involved in an accident.) In former East Germany the legal limit for driving under the influence was zero until 1992. German law deals harshly with driving under the influence. Violators may lose their license on the first offense and must pay high fines...

It is rare to see a dented, smoking junk car in Germany. This is not just due to typical German neatness or pride of ownership. It also has to do with a German institution that is as feared and respected as is perhaps the Internal Revenue Service in the U.S. The Technische Überwachungsverein or TÜV is an agency that must approve the roadworthiness of German cars and trucks. Without a TÜV (pronounced TOOF) sticker, a vehicle can't be licensed or driven. Cars have been known to fail TÜV inspection for having a single rust spot or dent in a critical location. A broken light or a malfunctioning exhaust system would be obvious reasons for rejection. A popular bumper sticker seen on older German vehicles likely to run afoul of TÜV reads, "Bis daß der TÜV uns scheidet." (“Till TÜV us do part.”)...

Book excerpt ©1997 McGraw-Hill/Passport Books


Renting and driving a car in Europe

In order to rent a car in Europe, non-Europeans need a valid driver’s license from their home state or province. Although the legal driving age is 18, drivers usually must be over 21 (sometimes even older) to rent a car. Austria, Germany, and Switzerland also require an International Driving Permit, which is actually just a translation of the original license (and available from AAA), but car rental agents rarely ask to see it. If, however, you should have a traffic accident or an encounter with the law, it would be desirable to have one.

Expats living in German-speaking Europe have one year before their home country license is no longer valid. If you're lucky, you have a driver's license from a state or province with a reciprocity agreement. If not, be prepared to spend time and money to attend a driving school (Fahrschule), take tests, and obtain a license. — The odds are not in your favor. Only 17 of the 50 US states have a license waiver agreement with Germany, and some populous states (California, Texas, New York, Florida) are not among them.

Drivers must carry a warning triangle (Warndreieck) and a first-aid kit in the vehicle (found in the trunk of all rental cars) for use in an emergency. Since your home auto insurance is probably not valid in Europe, be sure you have coverage from the rental agency and/or a credit card. Most rental cars require unleaded (bleifrei, pron. BLY-FRY) gasoline or diesel fuel, which is much more common in Europe than it is in the US.

Tip: Diesel Cars

Diesel cars, also as rentals, are more common in Europe than in North America. When filling your car’s tank with diesel fuel, make sure you do not mistakenly pull up to a truck diesel pump. The size of the nozzles for the auto pumps versus the truck pumps is different. A truck fuel nozzle is bigger and has a higher flow rate. It won’t fit in the narrower automobile diesel fuel pipe.

Copyright © 1997-2005 Hyde Flippo. All rights reserved.

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Related Pages

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Auto Clubs & Information

  • ADAC - The main German autombile club
  • AvD - Another German autombile club
  • ÖAMTC - The main Austrian autombile club
  • EUAC - The "other" Austrian autombile club
  • ACS - Switzerland

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Original Web content ©1997-2005 Hyde Flippo | Graphic design by Erik Flippo www.erikflippo.com
Hyde Flippo is solely responsible for the content of this site and, other than permission granted to publish copyrighted material, McGraw-Hill/Contemporary Publishing has no direct involvement, financial or otherwise, with this site. When in Germany, Do As the Germans ©2002 McGraw-Hill; The German Way ©1997 McGraw-Hill/Passport Books. All rights reserved | Site Map