You’ve heard about driving in Germany - no speed limits either scare you or you can’t wait to get on the road and go. But before you get behind the steering wheel, there are a few things to know and do before you are allowed to drive in Germany.
1) There are speed limits!
2) Germans Take Driving Seriously
This is a common misconception about driving in Germany. People hear “Germany has no speed limit” and think that it’s a free for all all over the country, but that simply isn’t true. The only time there are no speed limits are on certain parts of the Autobahn (interstate). This IS Germany after all; the country where everything has order and reason! So yes, expect speed limits in towns (50kph), on country roads (100kph) and even on some stretches of the Autobahn.
You’ll often hear that “Driving is a privilege, not a right.” If you were a German or living in Germany without being in the US Military, getting a driver’s license is serious. We are talking thousands of dollars, 28 of hours of classwork, driving tests and over 100 hours of actual driving with an instructor in all road conditions.
If you’ve ever driven on the Autobahn, you will forever be sullied on driving in the US. On the Autobahn, despite speeds of 150 miles per hour (or more), there are order and rules to everything about it. People aren’t swerving around other cars recklessly, passing on the right or even talking on their phones. While Americans are used to driving hours on end, most Germans believe in driving no more than two hours before stopping for a break. In fact, the German cars we rent generally only have one cup holder in the car. When we asked about this, a German friend reminded us that “The car is for driving, not eating and drinking!”
DUIs? They are taken MUCH more seriously than in the US. Get caught drinking and driving and say goodbye to your driving privileges and expect thousands of dollars to be paid and months upon months before even a consideration of getting it back. Also, plan to stay here, you will not be able to leave until ALL of the court proceedings are completed and don't think being an American will make it go any faster.
The penalties for driving under the influence in Germany are harsh. Severe penalties are assessed to first time offenders, usually including the suspension of your license. Penalties for drunk driving now start with a blood alcohol limit as low as 0.03. With the high alcohol content of German social beverages, it doesn't take long to hit the limit. And, if you have an accident, the courts may determine whether alcohol was a factor even if your blood alcohol content is below the limit. The best advice is this: if you drink AT ALL, don't drive! Don't forget that driving under the influence of drugs (prescription or recreational) is also illegal.
CRIMINAL PROVISIONS; the following criminal offenses are felonies and punishable by imprisonment of up to
5 years and a large fine if persons or property are endangered.
(1) Drunk driving; (2) Illegal passing (on right, parked parks); (3) Reckless driving (determined by police); (4) U-turns on autobahns; (5) Failure to yield the right-of-way; Leaving the scene of an accident without reporting it is punishable with imprisonment for up to 3
years and a fine.
A great website to learn some of the most important rules:
The Right of Way - has pictures of the signs ... text below
- police ALWAYS override all other directions (and they can pull you over to inspect your car)
- traffic signals - you can NOT turn Right on RED
- Signs - Germany uses a system of "priority roads" (Vorfahrtstraßen) to assign right-of-way.
Default right-of-way scheme: If there is no policeman, no signal, or no sign indicating the right-of-way, then the following default scheme is used:
- Public road has priority: Traffic on public highways has priority over private drives, forest and farm paths, and dirt roads. Also, sunken curbstones across your roadway indicate that you must yield.
- Right has right-of-way: When two public roads cross at an uncontrolled intersection, then right-of-way is always given to traffic approaching from the right. This includes "T" intersections! In the US, traffic on the through street of a "T" has the right-of-way. In Germany, you must yield to the right, even if you are on the through road. This also includes the rare situation where a main road and small side street cross at an uncontrolled intersection.
- Zipper rule: When traffic is congested, normal right-of-way rules go out the window and the "zipper rule" (Reißverschluss) goes into effect. This means that cars feed one at a time alternating from each direction, regardless of who has the posted right-of-way. The zipper rule also applies when one lane ends and merges into another-- each vehicle in the through lane must allow one vehicle from the truncated lane to merge in.
TDY here Use the public transportation system. There are buses and trains and they connect you well. Taxis are easy to use and you can even use Alex shuttle. There are often taxis parked right outside of Gate 1 and down next to the train station.
Public Transit - For example to get from LRMC to Ramstein:
- Train from Landstuhl train station or
- Bus 160 from Landstuhl Stadthalle - Direction Ramstein, ZOB then Bus 147 does a circle through Ramstein airbase. You can use the
VRN website (German) or the
DBahn website to figure out public transit options.
If you decide you must rent a car, know that it is 99.9% certain that
you will need to purchase insurance, as the US insurance companies don't cover you
USAA: Coverage for rental cars.
You can rent from the rental companies on post or off; and you can use your US driver's license and military ID and an International
Driver's license [translation] from AAA. Once you have the rental car, you can fill up the car with the less expensive gas at AAFES ... here is how:
How will I get a fuel ration card if I'm on TDY in Germany?
- Take your ID card and a copies of your TDY orders and rental contract or POV registration to the nearest US Forces customs office. Closest to LRMC is Ramstein Air Base Ramstein Inn Guesthouse Bldg 305, Rm 16
- Take AE Form 550-175L to the nearest Exchange card issue and activation site.
- The amount of fuel ration authorized is dependent upon how many days remain authorized on the TDY orders and the rental contract.
- Short-term fuel ration increments are 100 liters for 1-7 days, 200 liters for 8-14 days, 300 liters for 15-21 days, and 400 liters for 22-30 days.
PCS'ing here - You Need a USAREUR Driver’s License
Fortunately, for US Personnel, you don’t have go through that whole process as the Germans do. Instead, you can get issued a USAREUR (US Army Europe) drivers license. This, along with the Esso Fuel Card, is one of the best perks that US military get while in Germany. Germany and the US Military are in agreement that those on orders in Europe and with a valid, current US license can obtain a USAREUR license instead of going through the expensive and long process that a local would have to.
Instead of upwards of 2-3,000 EUROS, you can just pay $20. UM, YES PLEASE! (Note: $20 must be paid in check or credit card: NO cash)
And instead of hundreds of hours of coursework and then driving tests, all you have to do is study for a written test
http://www.usareurpracticetest.com/.
Just as an FYI: If you are going to be driving a USAREUR plated care (aka: what you get on post) and want to get American gas prices then you are REQUIRED to have a USAREUR licence…NO EXCEPTIONS.
Common Misunderstanding: Many people think they are on top of things and get an international permit through AAA before arriving. However, if you are on orders, you will not be able to drive (even a rental!) until you get a USAEUR license.
Follow these directions to access the training and exam:
Navigate to
http://jko.jten.mil
Under Course Catalog ensure the “courses” tab is selected and select “USA” from the drop down.
Enter 007 in the course number field and click search
Enroll and take USA-007 “U.S. Forces Driver’s Training Program for Europe (2 hrs)”
When you are ready, enroll and take the exam USA-007-B “U.S. Forces Driver’s Training Program for Europe – Final Course Exam (2 hrs)”
