We are going to germany this summer and i would like to know if it is realy so dangerus to drive on the german autobahn? <BR>Are the germans good drivers or not? <BR>Thanks for your help <BR>John

John - there are some really good posts on this subject. Do a search when you can - lots of good information. The autobahn is safe to drive on and the Germans are excellent drivers. They drive fast - that's all. <BR> <BR> Lot's of three line roads, the trucks stay on the right - travel lane is in the middle (stay there) the left lane is for passing. <BR> <BR> Contrary to what a lot of people believe, there are speed limits in places They are well marked and there are cameras that can (and will) ultimately lead to a speeding ticket..... <BR> <BR>First time drivers should take some time to get accustomed to the speeds. Even after 4 years of driving there - it takes me a day or two to feel really comfortable driving at higher speeds than I'm used to here at home. <BR> <BR>Use your directionals, don't flash your lights at people and don't use rude hand gestures. Also - USE YOUR HAZARD/WARNING lights when braking. Trust me. It could save your life. <BR> <BR>Have a great time - driving is a blast once you're used to it.

Very good answer from stacey. but I would add that many autobahns are ONLY two lanes (each direction) - - three is NOT the rule. and do NOT "sit" in the leftt hand lane if you are not sure if you want to drive 80 kph or 160 kph. stay in the right hand lane and pass as much as you want to or need to. but then return to the right hand lane. <BR> <BR>Until you are ready to drive consistently 200-240 kph, maybe (and you probably never will do that, at least not in a rental car). <BR> <BR>As stacey said, Germans are VERY good drivers, but driving over 150 kph requires some getting used to, and TOTAL concentration. Preferably NO conversation in the car. It is not for everybody. <BR> <BR>Best wishes, <BR> <BR>Rex <BR> <BR>

The accident rate on the autobahn is extremely high. Don't let people sugarcoat this simple fact. Driving there is very dangerous and you need to accept the risk. <BR> <BR>It is also very hard to adapt, since all your learned sense of speed and distance will be incorrect. Example: the first time I was on the autobhan, I was driving along and looked in my rear view mirror. I saw a car a long distance back and unconsciously calculated that I wouldn't have to worry about him, since he was way back. A few seconds later, I started to change lanes when the same car whizzed by me at 180 kph. I just barely avoided the accident. My sense of time and distance was way off because I was not used to drivers going 180. <BR> <BR>

First, understand that German drivers, as a whole, are excellent. Better, more observant of the laws, and more 'onsiderate' than US drivers, if that's your base of comparison. <BR> <BR>The roads, whether Autobahn or otherwise, are in prime condition. I don't know how Germans stand to drive on our beat up roads when visiting here. <BR> <BR>Lanes seems a bit narrower. Three-lane portions are rare. <BR> <BR>Roads extremely well marked, though with a different system than we're used to. You'll also find the rules a bit different. For example, it's a misdemeanon to run out of fuel on the Autobahns. (And quite unnecessary.) And the rules are obeyed ... for example the requirement to keep to the right except when passing. While some parts of the Autobahn have speed limits (e.g. 140 km/hr or 100, much has no limit. There are some cars that will drive at 150 mph (250 km/hr) ... and you really don't want to be parked in the left hand lane ... either they'll get you or the Polizei will. <BR> <BR>All told, if you're a good driver you'll enjoy driving the Autobahns. If you're a lousy driver you'd be well advised to stick to the (mostly) two-lane highways in the "B" series (Bundesstrassen ... national highways). <BR> <BR>You'll find a bit more on driving in Germany at www.twenj.com/bavariacar.htm and more importantly, links to several good sources on signage and regulations.

Sugarcoating would be wrong. So would taking the mathematics out of context. The murder rate in many American cities is also "very high". Good safety precautions are a good idea in many places in many situations. <BR> <BR>In nearly two years here, and close to two dozen trips to Europe since 1969 (all but one since 1986), I have never met, or talked to, or heard a posting on this board from someone who PERSONALLY knew anyone involved in a traffic accident on an autobahn (or autoroute, or autostrada). <BR> <BR>I know one person, who knows someone who knew someone who was murdered in Columbus, Ohio. <BR> <BR>This says almost nothing about the statistical probability of either event. <BR>

We have driven 3 times over 10 years on the Autobahn. The advice above is very prudent. We did not have any problems but when you view the aftermath of an accident, it reinforces the high speed problems. A few items to note: <BR>1. Keep to the right, we had no problem driving at our own pace in that lane. <BR>2. Unlike the US speed will change with road conditions. The electronic signs will reduce speed in fog and rain. <BR>3. If you must pass do it quickly and get back in the right lane. <BR>4. Italy is the worse for driving, we have seen where there is 2 lanes that impatient drivers will try to drive through the middle creating a 3rd lane. <BR>5. We have driven with a BMW (preferred for control) and Ford Mondeo station wagons with out good pickup. Take it easy at first until you feel comfortable with the car. <BR>6. Are you use to manual transmission? Most rental cars are, and even if you reserve an automatic, it may not be available. <BR>7. Sundays are wonderful for driving, there are no Trucks. <BR>8. August is terrible for driving, especially at the beginning, since the whole country goes on vacation. <BR>9. Get a michelin road atlas and bone up on the different street signs in effect so you know what "Ausfart" is. I may have misspelled that. <BR> <BR>Hope this helps!

Um, Rex..... I've been in two wrecks, on the same road (the A6), in the same circumstances, since December. Neither of them my fault. I'm still on crutches from the broken ankle in April. <BR>Still trying to figure out who's going to rent me an automatic in July......

All good information above. <BR> <BR>As a recent first time driver in Germany, I found German drivers, the autobahn and secondary roads excellent. <BR> <BR>Adapting to the speed spread - slower vehicles (lots of commercial trucks) - in the right lane, with occasional speed demons in the left, was handled by maintaining an in between and personally comfortable speed (about 80 MPH similar to some US freeways in the West). <BR> <BR>The fact not mentioned by many posters is that the autobahn does have construction zones where speed is reduced. Oftentimes from no limit to posted limits that progressively decrease (normal as in US construction zones). <BR> <BR>The difference is that in Germany the speed reductions happen in rapid and short order. One must be aware and alert for the construction zone signs and speed postings. Miss the first one and you will be braking a bit more than what is comfortable. <BR> <BR>Overall, I found driving in Germany a breeze, and the German people excellent drivers. <BR> <BR> <BR>

Yikes! Okay, I won't be using that anecdotal expression anymore. <BR> <BR>Where I grew up, stacey, folks would say you "wuz snakebit". Sorry for your injuries. <BR>

John: Most of the previous posts are excellent on this topic but I wanted to add my 2 cents worth! Here are a couple of thoughts I haven't seen: <BR> <BR>1. There is an emergency phone every 2 kilometers on the autobahn. If you look at the little posts that are every several yards along the autobahn, you will see a directional arrow. Those arrows point you to the nearest emergency phone. <BR> <BR>2. When you get off the autobahn, don't assume you can get right back on! It is not like in the U.S. where there is an entrance for every exit. Somtimes you go a very long way (and it is EASY to get lost) before you can re-enter the Autobahn. <BR> <BR>3. The autobahn numbers are not directional (east-west-north-south). So, you really need to know what major cities you are heading toward. It does you no good to know you want to head east -- you have to know what major city/town is in your path! The signs list the upcoming exits in cities/towns in (I believe) descending order with the farthest town listed first. <BR> <BR>4. There are no big trucks (semis) allowed on the autobahn on Sundays but you will see LOTS of RV's! <BR> <BR>The only problem I had with the speed of travel was judging how fast cars come from behind when you are in the passing lane. <BR> <BR>I found driving on the autobahn exhilerating! Good luck!

I'm just returned from Germany and had the same concerns that you did. Fear not, I think you'll end up enjoying the autobahns. They always leave the left lane open for passing, which is great for making time. I wish this was attended to more in the U.S. My first day back in the U.S., I found myself racing over to the left lane and racing up to 85 m.p.h. Then I remembered where I was. You'll be fine, just remember not to pass on the right. You'll adjust eventually...it's not the Indy 500 as I thought it might be.

Just two more points: Never pass on the right as long as the traffic isn't reduced to a crawl. That carries high fines and is very dangerous since people don't expect it. It happens and one should look into the mirror but it's about the worst thing you can do, comparable to driving drunk. <BR> <BR>If there's a speed limit and you're driving at the allowed limit, don't take this as a justification to stay in the left lane while other vehicles want to pass. It's illegal since the speeding of the other vehicles is considered less of a problem than a bunch of enraged drivers unable to pass a slower vehicle.

Just returned from Germany where I rented a car and drove several hundred miles on the autobahn. My rental company gave me an automatic transmission, which I had not requested, but it did make things a bit easier. The autobahn is not to be feared. The above posters make good points. You quickly learn that the average speed is higher than here, but it's not that hard to adjust. What no one mentioned is that the traffic is often so heavy that high speeds are not possible. Traffic backups on the autobahn are among the worst I have ever seen. One day, the traffic in the opposite direction was backed up at least 6-7 miles. I found that driving the two-lane secondary roads was more dangerous than the autobahn. Slow-moving vehicles, driving sometimes half the speed limit, cause impatient drivers behind them to attempt to pass, often without sufficient view of oncoming traffic. I saw three almost head-on collisions. Don't worry about driving in Germany. Enjoy your trip.