Driving Abroad – Germany – Car Insurance

Germany has one of the most fast and efficient road networks in the whole of Europe. All the roads are well maintained and the autobahns are free to use and have no speed limits, but drivers are advised not to exceed 130 Km/h (80 mph).
If you travel along the autobahns you will notice that the quality of the service stations exceeds service stations in Britain by miles. Most service stations will have pristine restaurants, hotels, play areas, café’s, etc and they are seen frequently along the autobahns. You may even bump into Jeremy Clarkson along the way, testing a fine vehicle for Top Gear.

Driving on the German Roads

Using the autobahns can be extremely enjoyable, especially if you are driving a fast car with some horse power behind it but you do need to be aware of a few things before travelling. Some of the autobahns only have two lanes and other vehicles can appear out of nowhere in your rear mirror. Also always keep an eye on your petrol gauge. Driving at fast speeds uses up petrol a lot faster and it is an offence to run out of petrol on the autobahns but there are regular petrol stations so this shouldn’t be a problem.
German drivers always give way to the right unless road signs indicate otherwise. A yellow diamond in the road means that you have to give way to the right. Watch the road rage too - shouting and throwing hand signals at other drivers is seen as an offence and you will be fined if caught misbehaving.

Sights Worth Seeing

The Deutsche Alpenstraße (German Alpine Road) is a fine piece of engineering that stretches 280 miles across the Alps from Bad Reichenhall to Lake Constance. Taking this route will allow you to view a number of old historic buildings as well as travelling over and through a number of bridges, tunnels and viaducts.

German Laws of the Road

All passengers in the vehicle must be wearing a seat belt at all times.
Children under the age of 12 are not allowed to sit in the front of a car. Children under the age of 3 or less than 1.5m tall are not allowed in a car unless it has an approved child seat or restraint fitted. If over 3 years old and no special seating is available, a child may sit in the rear using a seatbelt.
Trams always have the right of way.
Horns are only allowed to be used in the event of an emergency.
A warning triangle and first aid kit must be carried with you at all times.
Don’t pass a school bus that has stopped to let passengers on or off.
Motorcyclists must dip their headlights during the day and wear a crash helmet at all times. This is the same for any passengers.

Standard Speed Limits

Urban Areas – 50 Km/h (30 mph)
Urban Stretches – 100 Km/h (60 mph)
Dual Carriageways – 130Km/h (80 mph)
Outside Built Up Areas – 80 Km/h to 100 Km/h (50 mph – 60 mph)
Motorways (Autobahns) – No speed limits although some local restrictions may apply.

Local Advice

In the winter, most German drivers fit winter tyres to combat the snow and ice. These are not easy to find back in the UK so taking a set of snow chains as an alternative is always a good idea. If you have an accident when there is snow on the road and do not have winter tyres or snow chains fitted then you will be held partly responsible for that accident. You are not allowed to exceed 30mph when you have snow chains attached to your tyres.
As from October 2005 German drivers are advised to use their car headlights all the time. It was also made illegal for drivers to use only their sidelights whilst driving.

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