Quote:
Originally posted by yellowline
I never thought I'd say this, but I wouldn't mind waiting until 18 for my license...if we had Autobahn type roads. Definitely wouldn't mind regularly doing 110-120 with my car.
We do need stricter standards for licensure here, though. Enforcement is also something we need.
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American's do not have an idea how easy they have it. I got my German drivers license when living there and some of it was waived but not all.
They require new drivers to get actual hands on experience in the snow, rain, high speed (85+) on the 'bahn as well as extensive first aid training and so on. They are REQUIRED to stop at all accidents and render aid, and EVERY car has a first aid kit. If you are stopped and no FA kit, you are fined.
If you are a new driver you pay car insurance at the 175% rate. As you drive with no points or accidents they slowly take 25% off every few years until you get to the 100% rate! What a novel idea!
If you want to ride a motorcycle, you are limited to a 500cc (27 hp) bike for the first two years. After that up to a 750 and then finally unlimited. Very strict with getting experience then moving up.
Do not have more than one drink in Germany then drive. In Denmark if you are in a pub and go outside to get your briefcase out of your car, putting the key in the lock gets you a drunken driven ticket. Doing it a second time gets you 30 days in jail. Third time is 1 year in jail. They have a very dim sense of humour over there on driving while drinking... Take the taxi or underground.
If you run out of fuel on the highway, you can lose points off of your license. Its not showing responsibility so they go after you. If you gesture at someone the other person can go to the police station and file a claim against you. You then get to prove that you did not do this (produce a witness) otherwise you are fined, period.
If you pass on the right side you get a ticket. Sitting in the left lane without passing, also a ticket. In the old days everyone turned their left blinker on to "nudge" some slow idiot in the left lane to move over, its now illegal.
If there is no speed limit and you are driving over 130 klicks (85 or so) and have an accident, even if its clearly not your fault, you are assessed part of the points, fined and get to pay part of the other cars damage. They reason that if you were driving slower you might have been able to avoid the accident.
It goes on and on like this, a totally different world... but still enjoyable most of the time. That is until you pay $5.50 a gallon of gas and high insurance rates. Oh yea, I thought that LA had traffic jams until I came to Germany. Two to three day traffic backup's on the autobahn during vacation times. Simply unbelieveable...
Joe A