Expat Essentials

Audrey Shankles in Wiesbaden: The Audrey is (a)Broad guide to driving in Germany, Pt. 1

AUTOBAHNS

Theoretically, you can drive as fast as you want on about 50 percent of the highways in Germany, but it’s at your own risk. The myth is no Autobahn has a speed limit, but that is definitely untrue, and fines start at 2 kilometers per hour over posted limits. There are also many stretches of road with speed cameras along them to catch those who aren’t paying attention. What you most likely will not find, though, are speed traps with actual humans and radar guns present. These are much less common than in the States.

When there are speed limits on Autobahns, make sure to be alert for the red circle signs as the speed can change rapidly on the highway due to upcoming town boundaries or construction zones or sometimes due to traffic volume control measures.

SPEED CAMERAS

These come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but most of the time, at least on the Autobahn, the controlled sections will be marked. In town, however, they will be hidden. They are mostly found on town borders but also within borders as well. The person to whom the car is registered will receive the ticket with photo in the mail. All the information you need to pay the fine, including where to send payment, will be there.

There are three cameras in and around Wiesbaden which I am very aware of:

SPEED LIMITS


The rules for speed limits are simple and well marked. Within city limits the speed does not go over 50 kilometers per hour, and there are lots of places where the limit is 30 kmh (around schools and smaller residential zones). Outside city limits, there is a general limit of 70 kmh when entering a city, and if you are entering an Autobahn that does have limits, the upper end here is 120 kmh. 

Once you are on a no speed limit Autobahn, be aware there is a cautionary 130 kmh, which is not a legal limit but is the threshold one can drive before speed is considered dangerous and a liability. As an example: if you are driving 140 kmh and someone cuts in front of you causing you to sideswipe a barrier, you are likely to be found at fault, and the other driver may not receive a penalty.

(Editor’s note: You can read Pt. 2 here. See more about living in Germany from our Dispatches archive here and here.)

About the author:

Audrey Shankels is an American who moved to Germany. Audrey writes about how that’s going at www.a-broad.com. She comes from the Washington DC region in the United States and has been in Germany for more than five years. While she misses the Nats, the Caps and brunches along the Potomac, she’s fallen in love with the Rheingau, 3 euro beers, and taking the train everywhere. 

Audrey has held a multitude of jobs and explored numerous careers and fancies herself a “person who does things with people she likes.” When writing, she focuses on helping people understand their appliances and recipes in German, posts her personal thoughts about living abroad and her failures at integrating into German society.

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