Driving in Germany is one of the highlights for many visitors to Germany who dream of cruising down the autobahn with no speed limit in sight. After living in Germany for over a year, I still get a bit excited about driving 180 km and having cars whip by at speed of 200km+. However, what many visitors don’t realize is that while driving in Germany can be exhilarating there are also a lot more rules that many drivers may be used to. Many of the signs will be recognized by European drivers who also have similar signs, but coming from Canada, a lot of these were new to me.
Take this 10 question quiz to see if you are ready to drive in Germany:
(answers are listed at the bottom)
1. What does this sign mean?
2. What is the speed limit when you see this sign?
3. There is a speed limit on the autobahn – true or false.
4. Why is this a sign that you don’t want to see?
5. What should you do when you see this sign?
6. At a red light if no cars are coming, is it legal to make a right- hand turn?
7. Time for a German language lesson. What does this sign mean?
8. If you are driving on the autobahn and a car in the left lane is going slow and won’t move to the right lane, is it OK to pass it from the right lane?
9. How fast should you be driving when you see this sign?
10. What does a sign that simply says “einbahn” on it with an arrow mean?
ANSWERS TO ARE YOU READY TO DRIVE IN GERMANY:
1. This sign means no motor vehicles are allowed.
2. The recommended speed limit is 80km/hr, but it is fine to go faster in good conditions. When no signs are posted, the general recommended speed on the autobahn is 130km/hr.
3. There is a speed limit on the autobahn – TRUE, approximately 47% of the authobahn does have a speed limit, so watch for posted signs.
4. This sign indicates that a traffic jam is likely. Hope you didn’t need to be anywhere in a hurry.
5. Keep on driving, it means “no parking.”
6. No, right-hand turns on a red light are illegal unless a sign indicates otherwise.
7. Exit
8. No, although you do see it happen occasionally, it is illegal and can result in a large fine.
9. Well you should have been driving 60km/hour, but now you have to wait for the next sign to see what the new speed limit is.
10. One-way
So how did you do? Are you ready to drive in Germany? Please share your result below. Also remember the importance of having proper insurance, especially having motorhome insurance if you are renting a caravan for your travels in Germany.For a very comprehensive guide to traffic signs in Germany please see German Traffic Signs and Signals.
Disclaimer: I have not yet driven in Germany as I don’t have a car, but am hoping to in the near future.