National Transport

Driving Basics & Renting a Car

This page last updated August 13, 2010
This page covers some of the essential points you'll need to know about driving in Germany as well
as basic information about renting a car.

On this page:
Rental cars
Fuel
Breakdowns
Maps
Traffic laws
Roads
Other sites of interest

Rental cars
Renting a car in Germany entails about the same as it
does in the US. Most of the major US and European car
rental agencies are represented in Germany including
Avis, Hertz, Budget, Alamo, Sixt, and Europcar. Rental
cars are available at all airports and many major rail
stations and other city locations, although you'll often pay
more for the convenience of the latter.
For Americans, the best deals are usually available by
booking with a US firm before departure. You will not only
get the best rate, but it will be set in US dollars. You will
need to book these at least 14 days before you plan to pick-up the vehicle. Rental rates vary
considerably between the various companies, but all are fairly competitive. Call around or check the
web to get the best rate. Alternatively, you can use a consolidator service like AutoEurope. Once you
find the best rate and firm-up your itinerary, reserve right away to ensure you get a vehicle. Note that
base rates do not include the 16% Value Added Tax (VAT), registration fee, or any airport fees;
expect those to equal 25% or so of the daily rental rate. Rates do, however, include the required
third-party liability insurance.
To rent a vehicle, you will need your driver's license and passport. I would recommend using a major
credit card for the rental as most automatically cover your insurance deductible in the event of an
accident or other mishap. However, be sure to check with your credit card company to verify that it
does offer this coverage, that it applies to rentals in Germany, and what you must do to qualify for this
(e.g. waiving the Collision Damage Waiver [CDW] option on the rental contract.)
European rental cars generally come equipped with a manual transmission (the word "standard" really
does apply here.) If you want (or need) an automatic, make sure you specify this when you book. It
will probably cost extra, though. If you really want luxury, you may also want to inquire about renting
a high-end German sports car or sedan; most rental agencies keep ample numbers of these available
for those tourists with the desire and corresponding budget.
Most car rental agencies will allow one-way rentals within Germany (pick-up the car in one city and
return it at another) for no extra fee. If you want to do this, make sure that this is the case before you
rent. Most rentals also allow unlimited kilometers. If you plan to travel outside of Germany, make
sure that this is noted on the contract and that the vehicle is properly documented for international
travel. Chances are, most agencies will permit travel to most other western European countries (Italy
can be iffy), but probably not anywhere east of Germany except Austria.
Things to check before you leave the rental lot
Every rental vehicle should have a green insurance certificate ("Green Card"). It is important that you
have this before you drive off. If you are stopped by the police, travel to a different country, or have
an accident, you will need to produce this document. Make sure that the vehicle has all of the
required emergency equipment (warning triangle, first aid kit, spare tire, and jack) and a parking disc.
Also, verify what type of fuel the vehicle uses-- many German cars use diesel, which helpfully is the
same word in German. Before venturing out on the road, make sure you know where all the buttons,
knobs, and controls are. Take a little test drive around the lot to get a feel for the car. This will allow
you to make any necessary discoveries or adjustments before you get out into the foreign driving
environment where you will need to concentrate. If you have any questions, ask the lot attendant-- in
my experience, they're more than happy to help.

Fuel
Gasoline (Benzin) and diesel (Diesel) are readily available throughout Germany, although filling
stations (Tankstellen) are not nearly as prolific as in the US. Still, you should have little problem
finding a place to "tank-up" (volltanken) when you need to. Most small towns have at least one
station, and there are 24-hour stations located at intervals along the Autobahn and major highways.
The major brands are Aral, Avia, BP, Elf, Esso, Fina, Jet, Total, and Shell. Most stations are now self-
service (Selbstbedienung, or SB-Tanken.) Like the US, unleaded fuel (bleifrei) is now the norm.
Pumps in Germany work basically the same as in the US. Europe uses a different formula to
calculate octane ratings, so the scores will appear to be higher than those for corresponding grades in
the US. Also, remember that fuel is dispensed by the liter.

Typical filling station
Americans will likely experience "sticker-shock" when it comes to gas prices in Germany. Expect to
pay three to fours times more for gas in Germany than in the US. As of January 2010, regular
unleaded averaged 1.35 per liter (or about US$7.25 per gallon) and diesel was about 1.13 (about
US$4.27 per gallon). Most of this cost is due to high taxes. See the "Other sites of interest" below
for links to a sites with current fuel rates.

Breakdowns
Germany has a couple of major automobile/motorists clubs. The biggest is the ADAC (Allgemeiner
Deutscher Automobil Club, General German Auto Club). The other is the AvD (Automobilclub von
Deutschland, Auto Club of Germany.) Both offer the usual array of motorist services. Of most
interest to the tourist is the roadside breakdown service (Straenwacht, Pannenhilfe) operated by
both clubs (but especially ADAC), which offers assistance to both members and non-members. Basic
help from these "yellow angels" is free, but you will have to pay for parts or towing. To summon help,
use the nearest emergency telephone, located at 2 km intervals along the Autobahn (see the
"Emergencies" section of the Autobahn page) and 5-10 km intervals along Federal Highways.
Arrows on the roadside posts will direct you to the nearest one. Where emergency telephones are
not provided, call 0180/2222222 from a phone booth or mobile phone.

ADAC breakdown assistance vehicle

Maps
German maps are, like most other things Teutonic, excellent in quality. The best maps are from
Hallwag (the German franchise of Rand McNally) and the ADAC auto club. The RV Verlag Euro-City
series of city and metro maps is excellent (each map seems to be almost the same size as the city
itself!). Michelin also publishes a competent collection of regional and city maps. Even the free maps
available from tourist offices tend to be more than adequate in scope and detail.

Traffic laws
Licensing, traffic and parking laws, and signs and signals are covered in detail the traffic laws and
signs and signals pages.

Roads
Germany has the world's second largest road system (after the US)-- pretty amazing for such a small
country. There are 636,000 km of roads, with over 221,000 km of this total being trunk roads and
highways, providing paved access to even the most remote corners of the country. These roads carry
a huge and growing volume of traffic. In 2009, there were over 55 million registered vehicles, up from
36 million in 1990 and 17 million in 1970. In addition, Germany serves as the crossroads of Europe
funneling much of the continent's east-west and north-south traffic.

Typical rural road
You will find that the roads in Germany are well-engineered and maintained; rarely will you find a
pothole, and snow removal is almost instantaneous. Signage is uniform and comprehensive. To put
it succinctly, Germany's roads are first class.
One note about the road system: most of the roads in the former East Germany have now been
rebuilt or upgraded from their previously dilapidated condition. Unfortunately, the expense of doing
this has resulted in delays in maintenance and expansion of roads in the west. Still, the overall quality
of the road system is excellent.
Roads and streets in Germany and in Europe in general tend to be narrower than Americans are used
to. That is one reason (along with high gas prices) that small vehicles are the rule here.
Germany has a hierarchical road system ranging from unpaved forest paths to the world-renown
Autobahn. Here is a brief description of the road types in Germany:
Forest/country lanes (Waldweg, Feldweg) - Paved and unpaved one-lane roads. These
are in generally good repair. Forest lanes are usually restricted with access controlled by a
barrier.
City streets (Strae) - All town and city streets are paved, sometimes with cobblestones.
Generally in good repair. Frequently narrow with tight corners, but usually with enough room
for two cars to pass. Usually named (although signs may be hard to find at times). Variable
traffic.
Community link roads (Gemeindeverbindungsstrae) - Two-lane roads connecting
villages and smaller towns. Usually well-maintained. Light traffic.
County roads (Kreisstrae) - Two-lane roads connecting small and medium-sized towns.
These roads have official numbers starting with a "K" or with the official county code.
Sometimes these numbers may appear on guide signs or maps, but usually not. Universally
well-maintained. Light to moderate traffic.
State roads (Landstrae or Staatsstrae) - Very similar to county roads. Usually connect
larger towns. Again, these roads have official numbers (usually four digits) starting with an
"L" or "St", but these numbers do not usually appear on signs. Universally well-maintained.
Moderate to heavy traffic.
Federal roads (Bundesstrae) - Somewhat larger and usually significantly busier than state
and county roads. The routes are numbered with "B" numbers (e.g. B35) and marked with
signs. These roads are usually two lanes but frequently, especially in cities and
busy tourist areas, they may have four or more lanes. In larger cities, they may even be
expressways (Kraftfahrstrae, Schnellstrae), or so-called "Autobahn-similar"
(Autobahnhnlich) roads, marked with signs. Federal roads connect large towns and
cities and tourist areas. Usually equipped with emergency phones at 5-10 km intervals.
Universally well-maintained. Generally heavy traffic.
Motorways (Autobahn) - See my special Autobahn page.
European Highways (Europastrae) - These aren't separate roads, but rather are co
designated with other highways, usually Autobahns. The European Highway System, with
routes designated with an "E", provides for continuous numbering between countries,
regardless of domestic route numbers. For example, near Saarbrcken, the German A6
crosses into France and becomes France's A32. However, both roads carry the E50
designation making it easy for international travelers to follow the route. European Highways
are marked with the sign.


Romantic Road route marker
Tourist routes
Germany has over 80 theme highways for tourists. The most well-known is the Romantic Road
(Romantische Strae), a 180-mile route through small, picturesque Bavarian villages from Wrzburg
to the foothills of the Alps at Fssen. Other popular routes are the Castle Road (Burgenstrae) from
Heidelberg to Nrnberg and the Fairy Tale Road (Mrchenstrae) from Frankfurt to Hannover.
Guided bus tours are available along these routes, but the best way to see them is by driving
yourself. The routes are well marked and information is available at every town along the way. If you
do choose to travel one of these routes, do so outside of the prime tourist seasons to avoid the
crowds and get the best hotel and restaurant rates.

National Transport
The Autobahn

This page last updated January 11, 2012

The Autobahn from the driver's view
The Autobahn is the pinnacle of the German driving experience, perhaps the ultimate in driving
altogether. Virtually all of the world's serious drivers have heard of it and longed to take their shot at
conquering it. Teutonic cars are known for their precise engineering and craftsmanship; the Autobahn
completes the driving equation.
Some people are disappointed the first time they drive on the Autobahn. They come with visions of a
twenty-lane superhighway where cars are barely a blur as they whiz by. In reality, the Autobahn looks
like a typical freeway, and despite rumors to the contrary, not everyone is hurtling along at the speed
of sound. The stories of speed anarchy are only half correct-- many sections of Autobahn do in fact
have speed limits.
Still, the Autobahn offers the transcendent driving experience. The roads are superbly designed, built
and maintained, even now in the east where the German government had to undo 40 years of
Communist "maintenance". Amenities are numerous, and drivers are well-trained and cooperative.
It's literally life in the fast lane on the Autobahn. (Don't tell me you didn't see that coming. <g>)

On this page:
History
Design
Traffic regulations
Speed limits
Traffic
Construction and closures
Service areas
Signs and markings
Electronic signs
Emergencies
Other links of interest

History
What is widely regarded as the world's first motorway was built in Berlin between 1913 and 1921.
The 19 km long AVUS ("Automobil-Verkehrs- und bungsstrae") in southwestern Berlin was an
experimental highway that was (and occasionally still is) used for racing. It featured two 8 meter lanes
separated by a 9 meter wide median. Italy built several expressways in the 1920s and Germany
followed with its first "auto-only roads" opening in 1929 between Dsseldorf and Opladen and in 1932
between Cologne and Bonn. More routes were planned in the early '30s and Adolf Hitler, seeing the
propaganda benefits of a high-speed road system (as well as the immediate military and employment
value), started a program to build two north-south and east-west links. The first of these
Reichsautobahnen opened on May 19th, 1935 between Frankfurt and Darmstadt. At the end of World
War II, the Autobahn network totaled 2,128 km. Construction on new sections finally started again in
1953, with 144 km added between 1953 and 1958, bringing the total to 2,272 km. Starting in 1959,
the Federal Republic began Autobahn expansion in earnest by embarking on a series of four-year
plans that expanded the Bundesautobahnen system to 3,076 km by 1964. Major additions continued
during the next two decades and the system reached 4,110 km in 1970, 5,258 km in 1973, 6,207 km
in 1976, 7,029 km in 1979, and 8,080 km in 1984. A new series of five-year plans, with the goal of
putting an Autobahn entrance within 10 km of any point in Germany, had expanded the net to over
8,800 km by 1990. The reunification of Germany in 1990, however, put those plans on hold as the
federal government focused on absorbing and upgrading the Autobahns it inherited from East
Germany. The incorporation of those eastern Autobahns put the total Autobahn network at almost
11,000 km in 1992. Additions to the unified network increased the total to 11,515 km in 2000 and
12,531 km in 2007. This makes the Autobahn network the world's third largest superhighway system
after the United States and China.

Map of current Autobahn network
Early Autobahns were rather crude by today's standards. The first Autobahns, like their Italian
counterparts, featured limited-access and grade-separated crossings, but no medians. The first
Reichsautobahnen did have narrow medians but lacked shoulders, and ramps and waysides had
cobblestone surfaces. When Germany was reunified in 1989, the Autobahns of East Germany were
in virtually the same condition as they were in 1945, exhibiting the aforementioned qualities as well as
inadequate signing, infrequent (and often non-functional) emergency telephones located in the center
median, and service areas consisting of a dilapidated roadhouse next to a wayside. Newer West
German Autobahns had for many years featured 3.75 meter wide lanes, shoulders, landscaped
medians with crash barriers, frequent roadside emergency telephones, and ample, well-adorned
service areas. After reunification, the German government expedited upgrading of the old East
German Autobahns in a series of "German Unity Transport Projects." By the end of 2009, the
program was nearly completed with about 2,100 km of upgraded or newly-built Autobahn.

Design

Typical section of Autobahn
The general rule for design is to provide for unimpeded, high-speed traffic flow. Unimproved older
segments aside, most Autobahns feature the following design elements:
Two, three, or occasionally four lanes per direction. Lanes on rural sections are generally
3.75 meters wide except the left lane of newer three lane segments-- it's 3.5 meters wide. On
urban sections, all lanes are 3.5 meters wide.
A landscaped "green" median 3.5 or 4 meters wide (3 meters in urban areas). A double-sided
guardrail runs down the middle. Blinders are often used on curves. Some newer sections
have concrete barriers instead of green medians.
Outside emergency shoulders and long acceleration and deceleration lanes.
Full grade-separation and access control, generally provided by half cloverleaf interchanges
at exits and full cloverleafs or directional interchanges at Autobahn crossings. Interchanges
are generally well-spaced, sometimes exceeding 30 km between.
Grades of 4% or less. Climbing lanes are provided on most steep grades.
Gentle and well-banked curves.
Freeze-resistant concrete or bituminous surface.
Roadbed and surface measuring about 75 cm (30 inches) in thickness.
In addition, Autobahns also feature the following amenities:
Reflector guide posts at 50 meter intervals.
Frequent parking areas, often equipped with toilet facilities.
Extensive and ample service areas featuring filling stations, restaurants, and hotels.
Automated traffic and weather monitoring and electronic signs providing dynamic speed limits
and/or advance warning of congestion, accidents, construction, and fog.
Emergency telephones at 2 km intervals.
Pre-signed detour routes to facilitate emergency closures.
Standardized signage.
Wildlife protection fencing, crossover tunnels and "green bridges".
Maintenance is superb. Crews inspect every square meter of the system periodically using vehicles
with high-tech road scanning equipment. When a fissure or other defect is found, the entire road
section is replaced. Signs, barriers, and other features are also well maintained.
Urban Autobahns
Generally speaking, the mainline Autobahn routes avoid the metropolitan cores. Instead, spur routes
provide Autobahn access into and within the cities. These spurs are usually built as "urban
Autobahns" (Stadtautobahn). Design features of urban Autobahns include six or eight lane elevated
or depressed roadways with frequent and more closely-spaced diamond interchanges. The standard
rural signage standards are suspended in favor of more appropriate closely-spaced overhead signs.
There are sometimes no emergency phones or roadside reflector posts. Tunnels, overpasses, and
sound barriers are more frequent and nighttime illumination is often provided.
Tunnels and bridges
To help maintain safe grades, the Autobahn system is well-endowed with tunnels and bridges. So-
called "valley bridges" (Talbrcke) are often over 500 meters high and sometimes over 1 kilometer
long. The Autobahn system now has over 65 tunnels, both through mountains as well as in urban
areas. As a result of the tunnel disasters elsewhere in Europe during the past few years, extra
emphasis has been placed on tunnel safety. All Autobahn tunnels have extensive safety systems
including 24-hour video monitoring, motorist information radio and signs, frequent refuge rooms with
emergency telephones and fire extinguishers, emergency lighting and exits, and smoke ventilation
systems.

Autobahn tunnel (left) and valley bridge (right)

Traffic regulations
To safely facilitate heavy, high-speed traffic, special laws apply when driving on the Autobahn:
Bicycles, mopeds, and pedestrians are specifically prohibited from using the Autobahn, as are
any other vehicles with a maximum speed rating of less than 60 km/h (36 mph).
Passing on the right is strictly prohibited! Slower vehicles must move to the right to allow
faster traffic to pass, and drivers should stay in the right lane except to pass. When passing,
you must do so as quickly as possible, and it's in your best interest to do so lest you become
a hood ornament on that Porsche that was just a speck in your mirror a second ago and now
is close enough for you to see the look of distain on the driver's face. You are, however,
allowed to pass on the right in heavy traffic when vehicles have started queuing, but only at a
slow speed. You may also pass on the right while you are still in the designated acceleration
lane upon entering the Autobahn.
Stopping, parking, U-turns, and backing-up are strictly verboten, including on shoulders and
ramps (except for emergencies, of course.)
Entering and exiting is permitted only at marked interchanges.
Traffic entering the Autobahn must yield to traffic already on the Autobahn.
On Autobahn sections with three travel lanes, trucks over 3.5 tonnes and any vehicle with a
trailer are prohibited from using the far left lane.
During traffic jams, motorists in the left lane are required to move as far to the left as possible
and those in the adjacent center or right lane must move as far to the right in their lane as
possible, thus creating a gap between the lanes for emergency vehicles to pass through.
If you have a breakdown or accident, you must move to the shoulder if possible and place a
warning triangle 200 meters behind the scene. You must report the incident to the authorities
using the nearest emergency phone (see below).
It is illegal to run out of fuel on the Autobahn. Technically, there is no law specifically against
this, but it is illegal to stop unnecessarily on the Autobahn and this law is also applied to
people who run out of fuel as such an occurrence is deemed to be preventable.
There are no tolls for passenger vehicles to use the Autobahn. However, trucks now must
pay a per-kilometer fee. This fee is collected electronically.
In addition to the official laws, most drivers follow the following customs:
Motorists at the rear of a traffic jam usually switch on their hazard blinkers to warn
approaching traffic of the slowdown.
Many drivers flash their high beams or switch on their left turn signal to politely (or not)
request that you vacate the left lane to let them pass. There are conflicting opinions about
whether this is legal or not and why, but there are reports that drivers have been cited for
doing this. While there is no specific law regarding this, it appears that such actions can be
construed to violate Germany's coercion laws, so do so at your own risk.

Four-lane Autobahn section

Speed limits
Despite the widespread belief of complete freedom from speed limits (and a lobbying effort that has
the same influence and deep pockets as the American gun lobby), some speed regulations can be
found on the Autobahns. Many sections do indeed have permanent or dynamic speed limits ranging
from 80 to 130 km/h (50-80 mph), particularly those with dangerous curves, in urban areas, near
major interchanges, or with unusually constant heavy traffic. In construction zones, the limit may be
as low as 60 km/h (37 mph). Also, some sections now feature nighttime and wet-weather speed
restrictions, and trucks are always regulated (see table below). That said, about two-thirds of the
Autobahn network has no permanent speed limit, although there is always an advisory limit of 130
km/h (81 mph). This recommendation is generally seen for what it is-- an attempt by the government
to cover itself without having to upset millions of Porsche and BMW owners (aka voters.) However, if
you exceed the advisory limit and are involved in an accident, you could be held responsible for some
of the damages even if you are not at fault.
MAXIMUM SPEED LIMITS
(These are "default" limits; where posted, signs override these limits)





Some individual vehicles, such as buses and trucks, may have a speed limit even when there is no
posted limit. A decal resembling a speed limit sign displayed on the back of a vehicle indicates that it
may only travel the speed shown, usually 80 or 100 km/h.
Over 3,200 km of Autobahn now feature dynamic speed limits which are adjusted to respond to traffic,
weather, and road conditions. These speed limits and conditions are indicated using a rather
elaborate system of electronic signs (see below).
A movement by the environmentalist Green party to enact a national speed limit has not made great
strides. The Greens claim that the high speeds contribute to air pollution which has caused
widespread Waldsterben, or forest destruction. As a result, some Autobahns in forest areas have
seen new limits imposed, but a national limit remains unlikely, as demonstrated during the coalition
government negotiations in 1998. In those talks between the then-new Federal Chancellor Gerhard
Schroeder's Social Democrat party and the Greens, one of the final points to be resolved was the
Greens' desire for a nationwide 100 km/h speed limit on the Autobahns. In the end, a compromise
was struck whereby energy taxes would be raised and local governments could reduce speed limits
on city streets, but no national Autobahn speed limit would be implemented. Subsequent discussions
by various groups of a possible blanket limit have met with immediate and formidable political
resistance.
A national speed limit of 100 km/h (60 mph) was enacted in November 1973 during the energy crisis.
It was repealed less than four months later.
In 2008, the federal city-state of Bremen enacted a 120 km/h speed limit on all Autobahns in that
state, the first and thus far only federal state to do so. However, in practice, this only affected 6 km of
Autobahn as the remainder of the 60 km of Autobahn in that state already had speed limits in place.
Accident rates
Despite the prevailing high speeds, the accident, injury and death rates on the Autobahn are
remarkably low. The Autobahn carries about a third of all Germany's traffic, but injury accidents on
the Autobahn account for only 6% of such accidents nationwide and less than 12% of all traffic
fatalities were the result of Autobahn crashes (2009). In fact, the annual fatality rate (2.7 per billion
km in 2009) is consistently lower than that of most other superhighway systems, including the US
Interstates (4.5 in 2009). Furthermore, a 2005 study by the German government found that Autobahn
sections without speed limits had the same accident rate as those with speed limits.

"End of all restrictions" sign, indicating the end of all
speed limit and passing restrictions

Traffic
Because of Germany's location in central Europe, traffic on the Autobahn is generally quite heavy. In
2008, motorists logged a staggering 225.3 billion kilometers on the Autobahn, averaging almost
50,000 vehicles per day on any given segment. As a result, traffic jams (Stau) occur frequently on the
Autobahn, especially on Fridays, Sundays, holidays, and anytime after an accident or during bad
weather or construction. Regional traffic reports, with a variety of names including
Verkehrsmeldungen, Verkehrsdienst, Verkehrsfunk, and Stauschau, are excellent and are provided
on most radio stations. Germany is divided into several traffic reporting regions
(Verkehrsrundfunkbereich); signs along the road indicate the local radio stations carrying the
traffic reports for the region you are in. You will need to have a working knowledge of German to
understand them, though.
In addition to radio traffic reports, many sections of Autobahn are equipped with traffic monitoring
systems and electronic signs (see below) to warn of downstream incidents or congestion and to
reduce the speed of traffic as it approaches the jam. On sections without electronic signs, the
Autobahn police (Autobahnpolizei) do an excellent job of warning of unexpected jams via portable
signs, signs mounted on police cars parked along the shoulder, or on banners draped from
overpasses. Traffic information is also available from several other resources including the websites
of radio and TV stations, auto clubs, and government agencies, and increasingly through on-board
telematics systems.

Typical weekend and holiday Autobahn traffic
A couple of notes about traffic reports: sometimes the "traffic report" may include information that has
nothing to do with traffic such as emergency alerts, police bulletins, etc. Also, if you have a German
rental car with a cassette or CD player, don't be surprised if your Falco tape or disc is interrupted by
reports of a Stau somewhere-- German radio tuners continue to monitor the last-selected radio station
even when a tape or CD is being played. Radio stations broadcast a special tone at the start of traffic
reports which causes the tuner to switch the audio from the tape or CD to the radio so that you can
hear the information. Traffic reports use one of several terms to describe varying levels of congestion:
"Stau" usually means a colossal traffic jam where you'll probably get to know the people in the cars
around you, "stockender Verkehr" indicates the only slightly more tolerable stacking or slow-and-go
type traffic, while "dichter Verkehr" or "zhfliesender Verkehr" denotes the hardly-noteworthy heavy or
sluggish but moving traffic.
As a stopgap measure to help improve traffic flow, traffic is now being permitted to use the emergency
shoulder as a traffic lane during congested periods along some sections of Autobahn. Lane control
signals, signs, or other cars doing so indicate when this is permissible.

Congested Autobahn with shoulder open to traffic

Construction & closures
Autobahn maintenance and improvements don't escape the German penchant for obsessiveness. As
a result, construction zones (Baustelle) are frequent and widespread. The standard protocol for large
projects is a traffic shift-- the lanes for both directions are narrowed and crammed onto one side of the
Autobahn so that the other side can be worked on in its entirety. Such situations are well-marked with
signs and speed limits are usually reduced greatly in these areas.

Autobahn construction area
Note the yellow road markings. These supersede all regular markings in work zones.
In the event that a segment of Autobahn must be closed due to an accident or other emergency, pre-
posted provisional detours are ready to guide traffic around the closure. As you exit, look for the U-
numbered detour sign on the exit ramp-- this denotes the detour route for that exit. Follow the
same-numbered route over the secondary roads and you'll eventually arrive at the next downstream
entrance ramp. If that entrance is also closed, just follow the next sequential detour number to reach
the next entrance after that. However, there is one small gotcha-- odd numbers continue in one
direction, even numbers in the opposite direction. So if you're following an odd numbered route, be
sure to follow the next sequential odd number (and, obviously the same goes for even-numbered
routes.) These routes also come in quite handy if your patience runs-out and you want to get around
a Stau.

Service areas
The Autobahn has an extensive system of service areas (Rasthof, Raststtte) generally spaced
between 40 and 60 kilometers apart. These usually feature a filling station (Tankstelle), restaurant or
snack bar, convenience store, telephones, and restrooms. Many also feature hotels, showers,
playgrounds, conference rooms, and chapels. There are over 700 service areas in operation and
they're open 24 hours a day. A brochure with maps and charts showing the network of service areas
and the facilities available at each can be obtained at any service area and is also available on the
web (see links below).

Autobahn service area
Signs announcing the approach of a service area give the name of the service area, the distance to it,
and one or more pictograms indicating the services available there:

Fuel Restaurant Snack bar Hotel

Service area approach sign
The white sign at the bottom indicates the distance to the next service area.
Smaller parking areas, many equipped with restrooms (WC), are even more abundant along the
Autobahn. These are marked with signs like the one below.

Approach sign for parking area w/ WC
The past couple of decades has seen the proliferation of service facilities (mainly filling stations and
fast-food restaurants) just off Autobahn exit ramps. Especially increasing in popularity are truck stops
(Autohof). These generally offer facilities comparable to the service areas, but usually at considerably
lower prices. Most are now marked by special signs on the Autobahn like the one below.

Autohof announcement sign

Signs & markings
Signage on the Autobahn is excellent. All direction signs on the Autobahn as well as those giving
directions to the Autobahn are white on blue. Signage before interchanges is standard both in form
and placement.
Overhead signs are being used increasingly more frequently. These signs generally take on the
forms shown in the various pictures below. Note that the route number shields are typically located at
the bottom of the signs rather than at the top like in the US. Drivers should also be aware that unlike
the US, directions on the Autobahn (as well as other roads) are not given using the cardinal directions
(North, South, East, West), but rather by destination cities. Know what the major cities are along your
route before you start out. A helpful idiosyncrasy is the tendency to list major cities on signs for
connecting Autobahns that lead toward the route that will actually take you to that city. The most
important cities start appearing on signs hundreds of kilometers away. One other peculiarity is that
when several cities are listed, the farthest city is generally listed first or on top; in the US, it's usually
the opposite. The last place listed is usually the name of the next exit. Finally, you may come across
names that include a one or two letter abbreviation (e.g. "S-Degerloch" or "HH-Zentrum"); these
correspond to the official license plate registration city abbreviations and indicate an exit for a district
or other destination in that city. So "S-Degerloch" would be the exit for "Stuttgart-Degerloch" while
"HH-Zentrum" denotes "Hamburg-Zentrum", or "downtown Hamburg".

Advance guide signs for Autobahn crossing


Typical overhead advance guide sign for exit


Exit signs at Autobahn crossing

Overhead "butterfly" exit signs
Autobahns bear a one, two, or three digit number with an "A" prefix (e.g. A8); however, the "A" is not
shown on signs. The one and two digit numbers indicate mainline routes; three digit routes are
spurs. Route numbers are assigned by region (e.g. the area around Munich is region 9, so most
Autobahns in that area start with 9) and even-numbered routes generally run east-west while odd-
numbered routes north-south. Route numbers for spurs and connectors usually start with the parent
number followed by an additional digit or two to make three digits total (e.g. the A831 branches off of
the A8; the A241 branches off of the A24.) Route markers are an oblong white and blue hexagon:

Here are the main signs you will encounter:

Autobahn entrance
Marks entrance ramps to the Autobahn and indicates the start of
Autobahn traffic regulations
This symbol is also used on signs giving directions to the Autobahn


Initial interchange approach sign
Placed 1000 meters before exits; 2000 meters before Autobahn
crossings
Shows the interchange number and name
The symbol indicates the type of interchange:

Exit


Crossing


Advance interchange directional sign
Placed 500 meters before exits; 1000 meters and 500 meters
before Autobahn crossings
Shows a schematic of the interchange and gives additional
destinations and route numbers


Interchange countdown markers
Placed 300 meters (3 stripes), 200 meters (2 stripes), and 100
meters (1 stripe) before the exit
Interchange number appears atop the 300 meter marker


Exit sign
Located at exit point
Occasionally placed in the median
When placed overhead, may be repeated several times above the
exit lane


Exit sign
Marks the exit ramp


Interchange number
Shown on the initial interchange approach sign and on the first
interchange countdown marker
Interchanges are numbered sequentially


Provisional detour
Marks a pre-posted detour route for use in the event that the
Autobahn must be closed
Follow the same-numbered route to return to the next Autobahn
entrance
Can also be used to bypass Autobahn congestion
Odd numbers go in one direction, even numbers in the opposite
direction


Provisional detour schematic
Used to direct Autobahn traffic to the next sequential provisional
detour route when traffic cannot return to the Autobahn at the next
entrance


Alternate route
Indicates a recommended alternate route on the Autobahn system
for specific vehicles or destinations in order to avoid congestion
Type of vehicle or destination will be shown in conjunction with this
sign


Distance Sign
Placed after every entrance
Lists distances to major cities along the route
Distances to other nearby major cities accessible from an
intersecting Autobahn are listed at the bottom with the respective
route number


End of Autobahn Sign
Located on exit ramps from the Autobahn and indicates the end of
Autobahn traffic regulations
Also used to warn that the Autobahn ends ahead




Examples of diagram signs for complex interchanges
Pavement markings on the Autobahn are fairly obvious. You can see examples of several of these in
the picture below and on other pictures on this page:
Solid white line: Marks the left edge of the road or, on the right side, marks the inside of the
shoulder or the right edge of the road. Also used sometimes between traffic lanes to indicate
that changing lanes is not allowed.
Long, thin broken white lines: Separate traffic lanes.
Short, thick broken white lines: Separate a deceleration (exit) lane or acceleration
(entrance) lane from the main traffic lanes.
V-diagonal markings: Mark the restricted area at an exit gore.
Yellow markings: Used in construction zones and supersede all regular white markings.
See the Signs and Signals page for complete information on German road signs and markings.

Typical lane markings

Dynamic signs
During the past couple of decades, German traffic engineers have developed sophisticated traffic
control systems to manage traffic along many Autobahns and urban expressways. These automated
systems consist of surveillance cameras, speed monitors, and special electronic variable message
signs, as well as equipment to detect and automatically warn of fog, rain, and ice. The primary intent
of these systems is to gradually and systematically reduce the speed of traffic approaching or driving
through areas with congestion, construction, or hazardous weather conditions. Studies have shown
that these systems have reduced accidents by as much as 30% within three years of being installed.
The first such system was tested in the early '80s on the A8/A81 near Stuttgart and has since been
expanded to over 1,300 km of Autobahn, especially those subject to frequent congestion or
dangerous weather conditions, as well as in and approaching tunnels. These systems have also
been installed on several non-Autobahn urban expressways, and the government is spending 40
million a year to continue their expansion.

Autobahn electronic signs showing 100 km/h speed limit and construction ahead
While you will find some electronic signs that just show plain text messages (similar to those in use in
the US), most of the systems in use display facsimiles of official traffic signs. These allow authorities
to use the standard pictogram signs to warn of downstream conditions or to implement dynamic
regulations. A common use is the temporary implementation or reduction of speed limits to respond
to traffic, road, or weather conditions. Occasionally, these speed limits are set per lane. It is
important to obey the speed limits indicated by these signs and you will find that the limits shown are
generally very appropriate for the prevailing traffic or weather conditions. It should be noted that the
speed limits and other regulations shown are indeed enforceable, and many areas are also equipped
with photo radar that is integrated with the system (and thus is aware of the current speed limit). The
signs can also indicate lane closures using the standard international lane control symbols. Below
are examples of these electronic signs.

Danger

Congestion Road work Slippery road Watch for ice or
snow


Speed limit No passing for End of speed End of no End of all
vehicles over 3.5t limit passing for
vehicles over 3.5t
restrictions


Lane open Lane closed ahead
Merge in the direction indicated
Lane closed
You may not drive in this lane

In addition to the symbols above, the following word messages are used, usually in conjunction with
the "danger" sign:
UNFALL (accident)
NEBEL (fog)
STAU (congestion)
In addition to marking lanes closed by accidents or construction, lane control signals are used in
some areas to close lanes to help reduce congestion at interchanges. For instance, if there is
significantly heavier traffic merging from Autobahn 1 onto Autobahn 2, the right lane on Autobahn 2
will be closed to provide an unobstructed lane for the heavier traffic to merge into.

Electronic signs showing left lane closed ahead and 100km speed limit in open lanes
When different speed limits are shown on a single gantry, the limit shown applies to the lane under
the sign. In the example below, the speed limit in the left lane would be 120 km/h, 100 km/h in the
center lane, and 80 km/h in the right lane.

Over 1,700 km of Autobahn are part of dynamic alternate route systems. These systems employ
changeable guide signs which, when activated, display recommended alternate route guidance to
help drivers avoid congestion. Some areas employ "substitutive routing" where the destinations
shown on the standard blue guide signs are changed using mechanical panels to re-route traffic onto
different routes. In other areas, "additive routing" is utilized. In this case, the regular blue guide signs
are static, but additional white signs with changeable panels and the big orange "alternate route"
arrow symbol are used. The arrow points in the recommended direction to follow along with the
destination city, route number, or vehicle types (e.g. trucks) that the suggested alternate route applies
to. For instance, in the picture below, traffic headed to Deggendorf and the Munich airport is being
advised to exit in 1200 meters and follow the A99 and A92. Once you are on one of these alternate
routes, continue to follow alternate route arrow signs until you have reached your destination or have
returned to the original route. Note that many times much of the alternate route is marked by
permanent static signs, but a dynamic sign is used at the initial "decision point".

Changeable sign showing recommended alternate route

Emergencies
In the event of an accident, breakdown, or other emergency along the Autobahn, you are never more
than a kilometer away from help. Emergency telephones (Notrufsule) are located at 2 km intervals
along the sides of the road. The direction to the nearest phone is indicated by small arrows atop the
roadside reflector posts. In long tunnels, emergency phones are located in safe rooms every 100-200
meters.

Autobahn emergency phone

Roadside post with arrow pointing
direction to nearest emergency phone
The emergency phone system was privatized several years ago. All calls go to a central call center in
Hamburg. In the event of an accident, dispatchers there will immediately connect the caller to the
nearest police or emergency services office. For breakdowns, the dispatcher will obtain the
information necessary to send the appropriate service. This may include the "Yellow Angels" of the
ADAC or AvD auto club, a tow truck, or an insurance, dealership, or rental car repair service.
Roadside assistance is free, but you'll likely have to pay for parts. If you need to be towed, there is no
charge to remove the vehicle from the Autobahn, but you will have to pay for towing beyond that. If
you're driving a rental car, all services should be covered by the rental agency. Depending on the
time of day, volume of calls, and traffic conditions, response time for a breakdown may vary from a
few minutes to possibly over an hour.
There are now two varieties of emergency phones in use. On the older phones, you will find a cover
with a handle. Lift the cover all the way and wait for a dispatcher to answer. The newer phones don't
have a cover; instead, they have an external speaker/microphone area with two buttons that you can
press to connect you to the appropriate dispatcher. There is a yellow button with a wrench symbol for
reporting a breakdown and a red button with a red cross to report an accident. Press the appropriate
button and wait for a reply. In most cases, the location of the phone is transmitted automatically when
your call is connected. If not, you will need to give the dispatcher the kilometer location of the phone
as indicated on a label on the inside of the cover or near the speaker and your direction of travel. For
an accident, report the number of vehicles involved and any injuries. For a breakdown, be prepared
to report the vehicle's license number, make and model, color, and your auto club, insurance
company, or rental agency. An English-speaking dispatcher is usually available.

Man demonstrating how to use an
old-style emergency phone
After calling, return to your vehicle or the accident scene and wait for help. For breakdowns,
someone will arrive shortly to assist you. In the event of an accident, a cavalry of emergency aid will
descend on you. Police, fire service, ambulances, and emergency doctors all respond to Autobahn
crashes. A medical evacuation helicopter is also always on standby.

Old-style emergency phone

New-style emergency phone


National Transport
Rules of the Road

This page last updated November 28, 2011
Below is a rather complete overview of the German traffic code based on my interpretation of the
current Straenverkehrs-Ordnung (Road Traffic Ordinances), as well as numerous contributions by
readers.

On this page:
Licensing
General laws and enforcement
Right-of-way
Speed limits
Passing/overtaking
Drinking & driving
Parking regulations
Urban traffic regulations
Traffic calming zones
Autobahn traffic regulations
Additional prohibitions
Accidents
Other sites of interest


The most important section for foreigners is the right-of-way discussion.
When you're done, you can test your knowledge here.

Licensing
If you are visiting Germany and will not be establishing residency, then your own driver's license from
your home country, state, or province is valid in Germany for as long as you're there. If you will be
establishing residency in Germany, your driver's license is valid for six months from the date when
permanent residency is established, which in practice is generally assumed to be the date you enter
the country. You will have to obtain a German driver's license in order to continue driving after that
six month grace period expires. If your residency will be for longer than six months but less than one
year (and you can legally prove it), you can obtain a six month extension to use your existing license.
If you're using a foreign license to drive in Germany, you're supposed to carry an official translation of
your license in addition to the license itself, but if you speak the language well enough, I've found that
you should get by fine. If you should get into a situation where you need to have a translation, you
can get one from the ADAC automobile club for about 40. If you want to have a bit of "insurance",
you can take care of this before arriving by getting an International Driving Permit (IDP) in your home
country. In the US, these are available from AAA for $10 plus two passport photos. (If you're unsure,
my recommendation is to get an IDP before you go-- better safe than sorry.) Keep in mind that an
IDP does not replace your official driver's license-- it is just a translation of it in an internationally
recognized format. You must carry your official license with your IDP in order for it to be valid.
If you will be in stationed in Germany with the US military, you will need to obtain a driver's license
issued by the US Armed Forces. See the USAREUR driver's handbook at
http://www.hqusareur.army.mil/rmv/regulations/aep190-34.pdf, then come back here for a
supplemental guide!
If you are not affiliated with the US military and are going to be living in Germany longer than one
year, you will need to get a German Driver's License (Fhrerschein). To do this, you must have a
valid license in your home country and have not lived in Germany for more than three years. The
process starts with a visit to the local traffic office (Straenverkehrsamt). What happens next will
depend on where you hail from. Germany has reciprocal agreements with many countries and US
states allowing driver's licenses to be converted. If you're lucky, you may have to do nothing more
than fill-out some paperwork (although after you finally finish all the required forms, you may wonder
just how lucky you really are!) If not, you may still get off only having to take the written test.
Otherwise, you'll have to go through the whole testing procedure, just like the Germans do. Note,
though, that when a conversion is possible, only holders of non-commercial vehicle licenses can
convert their existing license to a German license.
If your license was issued in one of the following US states, you can convert your license to a German
license without any testing: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa,
Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma,
Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Washington
(state), Wisconsin, Wyoming, and Puerto Rico.
Licenses from these US states require the applicant to take just the written test: Connecticut, District
of Columbia, Florida, Indiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oregon,
and Tennessee.
For a complete and current list of all US states, Canadian provinces, and other countries with
reciprocal license agreements, see the sites listed in the links section at the bottom of this page.
Conversion of licenses from all other US states will require you to take both the written and practical
(road) tests. In all cases, you will probably have to take the vision test, which is usually administered
by a commercial eye doctor (at your own expense, of course.) You may also be required to take a
first-aid class.
If you can convert your license without testing, simply complete the required paperwork and submit it.
If you have to take the written test, it will given at the traffic office. The test consists of sections
covering laws, signs, vocabulary, theory, and energy conservation. To prepare for the test, you can
study this site and/or take a course at a German driving school (Fahrschule). Be wary, though-- you
just want the short laws and signs class, not the full driving course. The latter course currently costs
around 1,500 and consists of 25-45 hours of instruction, including 12 hours of theory, and oodles of
practical experience including night and Autobahn driving. Make sure you ask for the special class for
new residents. If a school tells you they don't offer it, find one that does.
If you have to take the practical on-the-road test, it will be conducted by a driving school and will last
about an hour. It will most likely include a short trip on the Autobahn. If you need practice, most
driving schools offer short courses to prepare for the practical test as well. Once you pass these
tests, you will have a German driver's license valid for the rest of your life!

New EU-standard German driver's license

General laws and enforcement
The minimum age to drive in Germany is 18. Traffic drives on the right and passes on the left (not the
other way around, as some Americans inexplicably think.) Seatbelts must be worn by all passengers.
Children under 12 years old or shorter than 1.5 meters may not sit in the front seat unless they are in
an approved child safety seat. However, you may not use a child safety seat in the front seat if there
is an active airbag.
The basic premise of German traffic law is the "doctrine of confidence", which in effect says that
motorists must be alert, obey the law, and drive defensively at all times so that all motorists and other
road users (including pedestrians) can have confidence in each other. Motorists must be especially
alert for and anticipate the actions of elderly or disabled pedestrians or children, all of who are exempt
from the doctrine of confidence. All road users must act to prevent endangering, hindering, and
unreasonably inconveniencing other road users.
Drivers must have third-party liability insurance and must carry proof of that insurance as well as proof
of ownership (registration or rental papers) at all times. Vehicles must carry a warning triangle
(Warndreieck) and a super-duper highway first aid kit (Pkw-Verbandkasten) in which I defy you to find
any band-aids. Germany does not require a fire extinguisher (Feuerlscher) to be carried, but you
may want one anyway. You are required to place the warning triangle 100 meters behind your
vehicle if it is disabled (200 meters on the Autobahn), although I have yet to see anyone actually put it
that far back.
You must leave your doors unlocked while driving to facilitate rescue in an accident. It is illegal to
drive with your parking lights only; you must use your headlights at night and during inclement
weather. Motorcyclists must ride with helmets and headlights on at all times.
Fines and penalties
The police are allowed to collect fines (Verwarnungsgeld) for most minor traffic offenses on the spot.
If you don't have enough cash on hand, you can usually pay with a credit/debit card. If you are unable
or unwilling to pay (you have the legal right to do so), your vehicle may be impounded (at additional
cost to you, of course), although in most cases you'll probably just be issued a citation to appear in
court later. Note that if you refuse to pay the spot fine, you may be assessed a higher fine when you
go to court, and some fines are based on your income. You need not fear when paying spot fines--
the German police are very professional and corruption is very rare, and you will always be given a
receipt for the payment.
Some traffic violations are considered to be felonies and may be punishable by imprisonment if lives
or property are endangered. These include driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, leaving
the scene of an accident, illegal passing, U-turns and wrong-way driving or backing-up on the
Autobahn, failure to yield the right-of-way, and reckless driving including excessive speeding.
Germany operates a point system for driving offenses. Most minor violations accrue one to four
points, with more serious violations earning five or more points. Points for minor offenses are
expunged after three years; other offenses will remain on the record for five to 10 years depending on
the offense. Motorists who exceed four points on their record at any given time can attend a driving
safety class to eliminate four points from their record (two points if the total is greater than nine.)
Those who accumulate 14 points are required to attend the safety class. They may then voluntarily
obtain counseling from a traffic psychologist to eliminate two points from their record. Anyone who
accumulates 18 or more points will have their license suspended indefinitely. The US military also
has a point system that varies somewhat from the German system.
Enforcement
Most moving-violation enforcement in Germany is done via enforcement cameras. Germany probably
uses such cameras more than anyone else (except possibly Britain). Permanent and temporary
cameras-- both automated and manually-operated-- are used to catch speeders, red-light violators,
and tailgaters. Sometimes an obscure sign will warn you of the existence of such a camera, but it's
usually too late by the time you see it. Citations are mailed to the registered owner of the vehicle
within a few weeks. If you're driving a rental car, the ticket will go to the rental agency. They, in turn,
will report you to the police as the driver of the vehicle and the ticket will be forwarded to you,
although they frequently drop cases against non-EU residents-- it's too much of a hassle since the
odds of collecting are pretty slim. An interesting footnote: the police stopped sending a copy of the
photo a while back when several spouses discovered cases of infidelity when they opened the
violation notice. Now, you have to go to the police station yourself to see the photo and contest it if
you so desire. Such an effort is usually fruitless, though.
Some enforcement is still done the old-fashioned way with police using both marked and unmarked
vehicles looking for violations. If you get busted, you'll likely be signaled to pull over by a "lollypop"
traffic paddle (see picture below) being held out of the window and perhaps a flashing sign on the
back of the vehicle reading "Polizei-- bitte folgen" ("police-- please follow".) These vehicles typically
have on-board cameras recording constantly and the video is used as evidence if the violation is
disputed.


Right-of-way
Germany uses a hierarchical system to assign right-of-way (Vorfahrt, Vorrang) at intersections as
follows:
Police officer: A police officer directing traffic overrides all other traffic controls. Many
officers use obvious motions to direct traffic. However, if an officer is not motioning and has
both shoulders facing you (often with arms outstretched), you must wait. This applies to
traffic behind him as well as in front of him. If he has just one shoulder facing you (i.e.
standing parallel to your path), you have the right-of-way. If he has one hand in the air, he is
preparing to change the traffic flow (equivalent to a yellow light) and all traffic must stop.
Police and crossing guards may also use a traffic paddle ("lollypop")-- this is equivalent to a
stop sign.

Traffic signals: Traffic signals are the next highest right-of-way control. Traffic signals are
discussed in detail on the Signs, Signals, and Markings page. Remember that you cannot
turn right on red in Germany unless there is a sign next to the signal. If a right on red is
permitted, you must come to a complete stop first.

Signs: Signs are the most common right-of-way control. Germany uses a system of "priority
roads" (Vorfahrtstraen) to assign right-of-way. Priority roads are marked with the
sign. Traffic on a priority road has the right-of-way ("priority") over other traffic at all
intersections along the way. Intersecting streets will have a yield or stop sign. The yield sign
indicates that you must give the right-of-way, but you don't have to stop if the way is
clear. The stop sign indicates that you must first come to a complete stop, then
proceed when the way is clear. Often, priority roads make turns at intersections in towns.
These turns are indicated by schematic signs showing the direction of the turn. (On the
schematic, you are approaching from the bottom.) Traffic proceeding in the direction of the
thick line has the right-of-way. Traffic leaving the priority road must yield to other traffic
continuing along the priority road but still has the right-of-way over traffic on the other streets.
By the way, if you are following a priority road that turns, you still must use your turn signal.
Priority roads are cancelled by the sign or by a yield or stop sign. On roads that are
not priority roads, right-of-way may be granted by the sign. This sign indicates that
you have the right-of-way only at the next intersection. Be aware that right-of-way signs are
also usually posted at signalized intersections. However, the signal takes precedence over
the signs unless the signal is not operating; then the signs govern traffic.

Also, note that the "end of traffic calming zone" sign and "end of pedestrian zone"
sign also require drivers to yield to all other traffic including pedestrians.

Default right-of-way scheme: If there is no policeman, no signal, or no sign indicating the
right-of-way, then the following default scheme is used:

o Public road has priority: Traffic on public highways has priority over private drives,
forest and farm paths, and dirt roads. Also, sunken curbstones across your roadway
indicative that you must yield.
o Right has right-of-way: When two public roads cross at an uncontrolled intersection,
then right-of-way is always given to traffic approaching from the right. This includes
"T" intersections! In the US, traffic on the through street of a "T" has the right-of-way.
In Germany, you must yield to the right, even if you are on the through road. This
also includes the rare situation where a main road and small side street cross at an
uncontrolled intersection.
o Right-of-way in congestion: When traffic is heavily congested, normal right-of-way
rules go out the window and the "zipper rule" (Reiverschlu) goes into effect. This
means that cars feed one at a time alternating from each direction, regardless of who
has the posted right-of-way. The "zipper rule" also applies when one lane ends and
merges into another-- each vehicle in the through lane must allow one vehicle from
the truncated lane to merge in. Do not enter an intersection if traffic is backed-up on
the other side of the junction, even if you have a green light.
Other right-of-way rules
In situations of otherwise equal right-of-way, vehicles going straight have priority, followed by
right turns; left turns go last.
Traffic entering a roundabout technically has the right-of-way unless the entrance is marked
with a sign (which it usually is). (Footnote: you must use your turn signal when you
exit a roundabout.)
Emergency vehicles with a flashing blue light and siren sounding always have the right-of-
way; you must pull-over to the right-hand side of the road when one approaches.
You should yield to streetcars at intersections. Don't pass a stopped streetcar if it is
discharging passengers directly onto the street; you may continue on when the doors have
closed.
Buses leaving a marked bus stop have the right-of-way.
On narrow road sections, the sign gives you the priority over oncoming traffic and the
sign means you must yield to oncoming traffic. On narrow mountainous roads, traffic
going uphill has the right-of-way.
On roads where passing is difficult or not allowed, slower traffic is required to pull over when
possible to allow faster traffic to go by (waysides are sometimes provided for this purpose.)
Pedestrians always have the right-of-way when in a crosswalk.
Vehicles entering an Autobahn or expressway must yield to other traffic already on the main
roadway.
Drivers must never assert their right-of-way-- safety takes precedence in all situations.

Speed limits
In Germany, there is a set of general or "default" speed limits (Geschwindigkeitbeschrnkung). These
are the limits you must obey in the absence of signs:





>7.5t

Within urban areas


Outside urban areas


Autobahns &
Expressways

Some vehicles may be exempt from the 80 km/h Autobahn speed limit. These vehicles display a
decal on their rear resembling a speed limit sign indicating the speed they're permitted to travel.
Signs, of course, supersede the default limits.
Beware of signs. These indicate the speed limit for an entire neighborhood. The speed limit
on the sign remains in effect on all streets within the zone until you pass a sign.

Here are a few other points about speed limit signs to be aware of:
Although the speed limit cancellation sign will only show the last posted speed limit, it
actually cancels all previous posted limits and indicates a return to the default speed limit for
the road you are on. For example: You're traveling down a rural road at the default speed
limit of 100 km/h when you come to a sign. So you slow down to 80. A kilometer or so
later, you come to a sign, so you slow down to 60. After a while, you pass a
sign. What speed do you return to? The answer is the default speed limit of 100 km/h. The
sign cancels all previous posted speed limits, not just the 60 km/h limit.
Whenever a speed limit sign is mounted beneath a warning sign, the speed limit only applies
until you pass the hazard indicated on the warning sign. For instance, if you you come to a
sign with a sign below it, the 60 km/h speed limit is in effect only until you pass
the traffic signals, after which you can then return to the default speed limit if no other speed
limit signs are posted.
The sign indicates the end of all previous posted speed limits and the end of any no
passing zones. However, the default speed limit still applies.
Other speed limits
When fog reduces visibility to less than 50 meters, the maximum speed you may drive is 50
km/h.
When a bus is stopped at a bus stop with its hazard lights flashing, traffic in both directions
may only pass at a speed of 7 km/h or less (i.e. "walking pace").
Whenever a child or an elderly or handicapped person is near the road, drivers are required
to remove their foot from the accelerator and be prepared to stop. German courts have
upheld that the driver is ultimately responsible for preventing accidents in these situations no
matter the actions of the other person.

Passing/overtaking
Passing or overtaking is not permitted in the following situations:
When there is a solid white line on your side of the road and/or a no-passing sign
At pedestrian crosswalks
At or on the approach to a railway crossing (i.e. between the initial warning sign and the
crossing)
When passing another vehicle:
You may not exceed the speed limit
You must use turn signals before pulling out and again when returning to the right lane
You must return to the right lane as soon as safely possible without endangering or impeding
the vehicle you are overtaking
Drivers being overtaken must allow plenty of space for the passing vehicle to complete their
maneuver; they must slow down to accomplish this if necessary. It is illegal to speed-up to prevent
being passed.
Passing on the right is prohibited except on multilane roads (including the Autobahn) when traffic in
the left lane is stopped or is moving at less than 60 km/h; in those cases, traffic in the right lane may
not exceed 80 km/h. Passing on the right is also allowed on roads controlled by traffic signals,
although in practice traffic is typically traveling at less than 60 km/h in those cases anyway.
On roads where passing is difficult or not allowed, slower traffic is required to pull over when possible
to allow faster traffic to go by (waysides are sometimes provided for this purpose.)

Drinking & driving
The penalties for driving under the influence in Germany are harsh. Severe penalties are assessed to
first time offenders, usually including the suspension of your license. Penalties for drunk driving now
start with a blood alcohol limit as low as 0.03. With the high alcohol content of German social
beverages, it doesn't take long to hit the limit. And, if you have an accident, the courts may determine
whether alcohol was a factor even if your blood alcohol content is below the limit. The best advice is
this: if you drink AT ALL, don't drive! Don't forget that driving under the influence of drugs
(prescription or recreational) is also illegal.

Parking regulations
In Germany, you are considered "parked" if you leave your vehicle or if you stop/stand for longer than
3 minutes, unless you are actively boarding or discharging passengers or loading or unloading cargo.
You may not park:
Within 5 meters on either side of an intersection
In front of driveway entrances or exits, or on the opposite side of the street if the roadway is
too narrow to allow vehicles to enter or exit the driveway
If parking will obstruct the use of marked parking places
Within 15 meters on either side of a bus or streetcar stop marked with a sign
Within 50 meters on either side of a sign when outside of urban areas or within 5 meters
when inside an urban area
On a priority road outside of urban areas
In front of a curb-cut or wheelchair ramp
Adjacent to a traffic island or median
On the street side of another parked vehicle ("double parked")
On a marked bike lane
Anywhere there is a sign
You may not stop or stand (on the side of the road):
On narrow roads or in blind spots
Near sharp curves
On or within 5 meters approaching a pedestrian crosswalk
On railway crossings or tracks
In or adjacent to turn lanes (those marked with arrows on the pavement)
In front of and approaching a fire station driveway
Within a traffic circle or roundabout
At a taxi stand marked with a sign
On the Autobahn
Within 10 meters in front of , , or signs, or traffic signals, if parking would
obstruct the view of the sign or signal
Anywhere there is a sign
Except where prohibited (see above), on-street parking is generally permitted. When you park, there
must be a gap of a least 3 meters between your vehicle and the middle of the street or the nearest
lane line. In many places, you may park partially or entirely on the sidewalk to fulfill this requirement,
but look for signs permitting this (or other vehicles doing so) before you do it. If you do, make sure
there is sufficient room for pedestrians on the sidewalk. Vehicles over 2.8t may not park on the
sidewalk.
You must park on the right side of the street unless:
You are on a one-way street and parking on the left would leave sufficient room for vehicles to
pass.
There are rails along the right side.
You may not park, stop, or stand in a traffic lane if there is a shoulder or parking lane.
When parking on a street at night, you must use your parking lights unless you are parked near an all-
night street light. Street lights that do not remain on for the entire night are marked by a white and red
band around the lamppost.
The sign indicates where parking is permitted on streets or gives directions to an off-street
parking facility. When used to mark on-street parking, it is usually accompanied by additional signs
indicating when parking is permitted, who is permitted to park, or that the use of a parking permit,
voucher, or disc is required. For more information on finding parking in cities and using parking
facilities, see the Driving & Parking in German Cities page.
Parking Control Zones
The sign indicates the entrance to an area or neighborhood where there is a general parking
restriction. All streets in the area are included in this restriction until the sign is reached.
The sign indicates the entrance to an area or neighborhood where parking is permitted on all
streets in the area with the use of a parking disc or voucher as indicated by a supplemental sign. All
streets in the area are included in this restriction until the sign is reached.
Parking vouchers, discs, and meters
Signage for on-street parking may require you to use a voucher, disc, or meter to restrict the length of
time you may park. See the Driving & Parking in German Cities page for information on using each
of these systems.
Violations
Parking fines generally range from 5-25 and if you are obstructing traffic or a driveway, your vehicle
will, with great Teutonic efficiency, almost surely become the temporary property of the police. In
such an event, call the police to settle the situation.

Urban traffic regulations
The sign marks the entrance to an urban area. Upon passing this sign, several special
traffic regulations go into effect:
Speed limit: 50 km/h
You may not honk your horn except when necessary to avoid a collision.
Parking is prohibited within 5 meters of a railroad crossing.
You must ensure that your vehicle can be seen when parked at night. This may require the
use of parking lights if street lighting is inadequate or does not remain on all night. Such lights
are marked by a red & white band around the lamppost.
The sign indicates that you are leaving the built-up area and its associated traffic
regulations. The following general regulations apply:
Speed limit: 100 km/h
Parking is prohibited on priority roads.
Parking is prohibited within 50 meters of a railroad crossing.
Disabled vehicles must be marked with a warning triangle.

Traffic calming zones
Traffic calming zones (Verkehrsberuhigtezone) are usually implemented on small residential streets.
The start of a traffic calming zone is marked by the sign and the sign marks the
end of such a zone. Within traffic calming zones, the following rules apply:
Traffic must maintain the lowest possible speed-- no more than 7 km/h.
Pedestrians may use the entire street; children are permitted to play in the street.
Motorists may not endanger or hinder pedestrians; when necessary, motorists must wait.
Pedestrians may not unnecessarily hinder traffic.
Parking is not permitted outside of marked spaces except for boarding/discharging and
loading/unloading.
When leaving the zone, you must yield to all other traffic.

Autobahn traffic regulations
Special rules apply when driving on the Autobahn. These are listed on the Autobahn page.

Additional prohibitions
Use of mobile phones is prohibited while your vehicle is in operation. The only time you are
permitted to use a mobile phone is if you are parked and the engine is turned-off. You may
use a hands-free mobile phone when driving if it does not impede your hearing (i.e. one
earphone only).

Vehicles with a gross permitted weight of 7.5 tons or more (with several exceptions) are
prohibited from all public roads on Sundays and public holidays from 00:00 to 22:00. This is
to help prevent traffic jams.

Vehicles that have not passed an emissions test may be banned from the downtown area of
cities during severe air pollution episodes. When pollution reaches excessive levels, police
set-up checkpoints marked with "SMOG" signs along major corridors into the city.
Beginning in 2007, local governments were permitted to establish so-called "environmental
zones". Access to these zones, marked with "Umwelt Zone" signs, is restricted to
vehicles displaying one of the red, yellow, or green colored emissions stickers specified on
the supplemental sign mounted below the main sign. These zones may be permanent or may
only be activated only during air pollution alerts.

Motorists are prohibited from unnecessarily revving their motors or slamming their car doors
excessively. It is also illegal to drive back and forth unnecessarily (i.e. "cruising") in towns.

Accidents
If the unfortunate should happen and you should be involved in an accident, the steps to take are
basically similar to those in the US and most other places. Here's a list of what you should do:
Stop immediately. This also applies if you are not directly involved in the accident but are a
witness. Germany's Good Samaritan law also requires you to stop and render aid if people
need help, even if you are not a party to or did not witness the accident.

If anyone is injured, call for an ambulance and the police. From a phone booth or cell phone,
dial 112; on Autobahns or other major highways, use the nearest emergency telephone (the
direction to which is marked by arrows atop the black and white posts along the roadside).
You are required by law ("Good Samaritan Law") to give first aid to any injured persons.
Remember that super-duper first aid kit you're supposed to carry? This is where it comes in
handy. Do not move anybody that is injured unless it is absolutely necessary. If there is a fire
or spilled fuel, get everyone involved away from the vehicles and call the fire department (dial
112 or use an emergency phone.)

If nobody is injured, and the vehicles can be moved safely, you should mark the location of
each vehicle, then move them out of traffic. You can mark the locations either by drawing a
diagram of the site and vehicles, taking photographs, or using "traffic chalk" to mark the
physical locations of the vehicles on the pavement before you move them. Most German
automotive first aid kits have a stick of traffic chalk (it looks like a big yellow or white crayon.)
Secure the accident site using a warning triangle placed 100 meters behind the scene (200
meters on the Autobahn.)

Exchange information with the other drivers including your driver's license, passport,
insurance green card, and rental information. As a tourist, it is in your best interest to then
call the police to the scene (if you haven't already) and have them take a report (dial 110 or
use an emergency phone). This ensures that all the proper legal requirements are satisfied
and helps protect you from future problems.

The police may ask you or your passengers to make a statement regarding the circumstances
of the accident. You are not required to make a statement, but you still must provide valid
identification and other legal documents (e.g. car registration, insurance, etc.) and must sign
the accident report.

Do not sign any documents unless you know what you are signing. Never sign documents
from people (other than uniformed police) who mysteriously appear at an accident scene--
there have been reports of "helpful bystanders" (Unfallhelfer) who attempt to get those
involved in an accident to sign powers of attorney, loan applications, and other dubious
documents in the confusion.

If you damage an unoccupied vehicle, German law requires you to wait at the scene for at
least 30 minutes for the owner to return. If the owner does not return, you must then report
the accident to the police in person. As a tourist, it is probably best to call the police to the
scene rather than go to a police station. You might even want to do this immediately instead
of waiting for the owner to return.

Once the police have cleared you, you can leave the scene. If you are driving a rental car,
you should contact the rental agency immediately to report the incident. They will give you
instructions on what to do next and will dispatch a tow truck if necessary. If your accident
happens on the Autobahn, your vehicle may be towed off the Autobahn immediately by the
police.

If you need further legal assistance or advice after an accident, you should contact the
nearest consulate or embassy. If you are a member of the national auto club in your home
country (e.g. AAA in the US), the German ADAC auto club may also be able to assist you as
they have reciprocal agreements with most national auto clubs.

National Transport
German Traffic Signs & Signals (Page 1 of 2)

This page last updated January 28, 2010
Below is a comprehensive guide of German traffic signs, signals, and markings. This guide is
designed for both the short-term tourist wanting to learn German traffic signs in preparation for a trip
as well as for someone who is studying to get a German or US military driver's license. This topic is
divided into two pages. These pages may also be of interest to road and sign aficionados.

On these pages:
Signs
o Vehicle class symbols (Page 1)
o Supplemental signs (Page 1)
o Warning signs (Page 1)
o Railway crossing signs (Page 1)
o Right-of-way signs (Page 1)
o Speed limit signs (Page 1)
o Regulatory signs (Page 1)
o Parking signs (Page 2)
o Service signs (Page 2)
o Information and guide signs (Page 2)
o Miscellaneous signs (Page 2)
o Additional sign symbols (Page 2)
o Additional sign information (Page 2)
o Sign vocabulary (Page 2)
Signals (Page 2)
Road markings (Page 2)

SIGNS
Germany has a comprehensive and uniform traffic sign system. All signs have standard shapes and
colors and use easy-to-understand international pictograms and symbols. The sign system was
overhauled in the early '90s to more closely conform with European standards.
Below, you will find a complete guide of German traffic signs with their official meaning and additional
notes. These signs are from the official German traffic code and include all updates through 2007.
Officially, German traffic signs are divided into three major categories: warning signs, regulation signs,
and guide signs. However, I have divided the sign collection into several additional categories and
I've placed each sign where it most logically belongs regardless of its official designation.
In the German traffic code, most signs are assigned an official number. This number is used on traffic
tickets and accident reports when a sign is involved in the incident. You can obtain the official sign
number for each sign on this page by holding your mouse over the sign for a second (works with most
web browsers). Note that the 2009 revision to the traffic code eliminated the official number and
definition for some signs although the signs themselves were allowed to continue to be used as
necessary.


These pages include changes made to the traffic code regarding signs that took
effect in September 2009. Signs marked as "obsolete" are being phased-out by
2019. Signs marked as "deprecated" no longer carry an official definition, but can be
used as needed. Signs marked as "new" were added in 2009.

Vehicle class symbols
Traffic signs in Germany employ a set of standard symbols to indicate the type or class of vehicle
being referred to on the sign. Some of the symbols are inclusive in that they encompass several
lesser classes as well. The following table outlines these symbols and their meanings:
Symbol Description Other lesser included classes

Motor vehicles
Includes all multi-track motorized vehicles






Passenger vehicles
Includes all cars and light trucks



Vehicles over 3.5t
Includes all vehicles with a permitted gross
weight over 3.5 tonnes, their trailers, and
any other vehicle that does not qualify as a
passenger vehicle; it specifically does not
include buses


Motorcycles
Includes motorcycles, motorcycles with
sidecars, and mopeds


The following are the remaining vehicle class symbols:

Mopeds Bicycles Buses Motor homes



Passenger vehicles
with trailers
Vehicles over 3.5t
with trailers
Slow moving vehicles
Includes tractors and
other vehicles that
cannot exceed 25 km/h
Horse-drawn vehicles
(New)



Cattle/animals

Riders Pedestrians Tracked military
vehicles


Streetcars Rail vehicles Vehicles with marked
hazardous cargo
Vehicles carrying
more than 3000 liters
of water-pollutants


Supplemental signs
The German sign system uses a fair amount of "supplemental signs" (Zusatzschild). These are black
and white rectangular or square signs mounted below a parent sign and are used to modify or give
additional information, such as exemptions, restrictions, or more specific details, regarding the
condition shown on the parent sign. Supplemental signs use symbols wherever possible, but most
supplemental signs use words. To help you decipher these signs, a complete vocabulary list is
provided at the end of the signs section.
Because of the large number of supplemental signs, not all of them are shown on this page. Instead,
I've included the most frequent ones in their most common usage, especially the ones that use
symbols.
The most common use for supplemental signs is for distances. There are two such signs-- the
distance to the parent sign's condition, and the duration of the condition:

Distance to the condition shown
on the parent sign
Duration (length) of the condition
shown on the parent sign
Here are some examples to better illustrate the difference between the two types of distance signs:








Traffic signals
200 meters ahead
Rough road next
800 meters
Autobahn ends
2 kilometers ahead
No passing next
1 kilometer


Warning signs
This section contains signs that give advance warning of hazards on or near the road. The standard
shape for warning signs in Germany is a red triangle.

General danger
This sign marks an area where extra caution should be used. It is rarely used
by itself; instead, a supplemental sign is usually mounted beneath this sign with
information on a specific hazard for which no individual sign exists. Some
examples of the more common combinations are below.









Accident hazard
Marks an area where a
high number of
accidents have
occurred
Sliding danger
Used to warn of a
downhill section with
strong side winds that
may cause a vehicle
pulling a trailer to lose
control
Tree overhang
Drivers of trucks and
other high-profile
vehicles should beware
of low trees
Winter sports along
road
Watch out for people
and be aware that the
road may not be salted
or sanded







Soft shoulder
(Obsolete)
Avoid driving on the shoulder
Soft shoulder for heavy
vehicles
(Obsolete)

Rough road edge
(Obsolete)
There is a rough drop-off along
the edge of the road


Curve (left) Curve (right) Double curve
First curve is to the left
Double curve
First curve is to the right


Lane shift (left)
All lanes shift to the left
Lane shift (right)
All lanes shift to the right


Lane crossover (left)
All lanes cross over the median to the left
Lane crossover (right)
All lanes cross over the median to the right


Lane split
Left lane(s) crosses over to left side of median;
right lane(s) remains on right side of median
Road shift
Traffic is shifted briefly to the
left/right, then back again.


Steep upgrade
The degree of the
ascent is shown
Steep downgrade
The degree of the
decent is shown;
prepare to downshift
Falling rocks
(Deprecated)
Watch out for rocks on
the road and do not
stop or park
Strong cross wind
Prepare to adjust
steering as necessary
and avoid passing


Rough road Beware of ice/snow
(Deprecated)
The road or bridge
ahead freezes easily
(applicable during Winter
months)
Slippery when
wet or dirty
Avoid sudden braking,
accelerating, or steering
Loose gravel
(Deprecated)
Avoid sudden braking,
accelerating, or steering


Road work
Watch for workers,
machinery, dirt, or mud
on the roadway
Traffic signals ahead
Be prepared to stop
Quay/riverbank
(Deprecated)
There is an unguarded
quay, riverbank, or
landing ahead or
alongside the road
Drawbridge
(Deprecated)
Be prepared to stop


Pedestrians
Marks a general area where
pedestrians may be on or near
the road
Pedestrian crossing ahead
(Deprecated)

Pedestrian crossing
Marks a crosswalk and indicates
that pedestrians have the right-
of-way


Watch for children
Posted near schools and playgrounds; reduce
speed and be prepared to stop quickly
Crossing guards
Marks a crosswalk where school crossing guards
may direct traffic


Wild animal crossing
Be prepared to stop or swerve
suddenly; use low-beam
headlights
Domestic animal crossing
(Deprecated)
Watch for animals and mud on
the road
Frog crossing
(Deprecated)
The road ahead is used by
migrating frogs


Congestion hazard
Marks an area where
congestion frequently
occurs; be prepared to
slow down or stop
Bicycle crossing Buses
(Deprecated)
Watch for buses
entering, leaving, or
crossing the road
Low-flying aircraft
(Deprecated)
Be prepared for sudden
noise and, at night, for
the glare of landing
lights


Two-way traffic
Generally posted where
oncoming traffic is
unexpected, such as
when coming from a
one-way street to a two-
way street
Road narrows Road narrows (left
side)
Road narrows (right
side)


Two-way traffic
The number of lanes in each direction is shown


Left lane ends


Right lane ends


Lane added (left) Lane added (right)


Lanes added to another roadway
The lanes from your roadway are added to another roadway; you will not have to merge


Railway crossing signs
This section shows all signs related to railway level crossings.

Railway crossing ahead
This sign formerly indicated an unguarded railway
crossing ahead; however, as of late 2009, it will
now be used to warn of all railway crossings; you
may not overtake between this sign and the
crossing
Guarded railway crossing ahead
(Obsolete)
This sign formerly indicated a railway crossing
with barriers or half-barriers ahead; it will still be
seen until all instances have been replaced with
the "railway crossing ahead" sign to the left by
2019; you may not overtake between this sign
and the crossing









Railway crossing approx. 240 meters ahead
These countdown markers are located on the left and right sides of the road respectively and indicate
that the crossing is about 240 meters ahead; a different distance may be shown on the marker if
applicable


Approx. 160 meters to railway crossing
A different distance may be shown on the sign if
applicable
Approx. 80 meters to railway crossing
A different distance may be shown on the sign if
applicable









Railway crossing on crossroad (left) Railway crossing on crossroad (right)


Railway crossing (St. Andrew's cross)
Posted at the crossing; you must stop here if a
train is approaching
Electrified railway crossing
This railroad crossing has electrical wires
overhead; high profile vehicles should exercise
caution





Railway crossing signal
This is now the standard
railroad crossing signal in
Germany; yellow indicates a
train is approaching-- stop if
possible; red means you must
stop and remain stopped until
the signal turns off
Railway crossing flasher
(Obsolete prior to 2009)
This is the old standard railroad
crossing signal in western
Germany; you must stop when
the red signal flashes
Railway crossing flasher
(Obsolete prior to 2009)
This is the old standard railroad
crossing signal in East Germany;
you must stop when the red
signal flashes


Right-of-way signs
This section shows signs related to right-of-way assignment.

Priority road
You have the right-of-way at all
intersections on this road until
cancelled by a "Yield", "Stop", or
"End of Priority Road" sign;
outside of urban areas, parking
is prohibited on this road
End of priority road
You must yield at all
subsequent intersections
Priority
You have the right-of-way at the
next intersection only


Yield
You must give way to traffic on the intersecting
road
Stop
You must come to a complete stop and give way
to traffic on the intersecting road







Priority road turns (left)
The priority road (wide black line) turns left in the intersection; the other lines represent other streets
at this intersection







Priority road turns (right)
The priority road (wide black line) turns right in the intersection; the other lines represent other streets
at this intersection









Yield to Priority road
The priority road (wide black line) turns in the
intersection; you must yield to traffic following or
leaving the priority road coming from the left or
approaching from straight ahead
Yield to Priority road
The priority road (wide black line) turns in the
intersection; you must yield to traffic following or
leaving the priority road coming from the right or
approaching from straight ahead









Stop and yield to Priority road
The same rules as "yield to priority road" above
apply, but you must come to a complete stop first
Stop and yield to Priority road
The same rules as "yield to priority road" above
apply, but you must come to a complete stop first







Yield to roundabout
Traffic in the roundabout has
right-of-way
Yield and watch for bicycles
You must yield to all intersecting
traffic, including traffic on the
bicycle path
Stop ahead
There is a stop sign 100 meters
ahead


Unmarked intersection ahead
The next intersection is
uncontrolled; yield the right-of-
way to traffic approaching the
intersection from the right
Priority over oncoming traffic
You have the right-of-way over
oncoming traffic along the
narrow one lane road ahead
Yield to oncoming traffic
You must give way to oncoming
traffic along the narrow one lane
road ahead


Speed limit signs
Below are the various signs related to speed limits.



Maximum speed limit
Shown in kilometers per hour
(km/h)
Speed limit zone
This sign is posted at the
entrances to a neighborhood
where the speed limit shown
applies to all streets in the
neighborhood until the "End of
speed limit zone" sign is
reached
Conditional speed limit
The speed limit shown is only in
effect when the road is wet


Minimum speed limit
Shown in km/h; you must travel at this speed or
faster unless road, weather, or traffic conditions
make it necessary to drive slower
Advisory speed limit
(Obsolete)
Shown in km/h; indicates the recommended
speed limit for good road, weather, and traffic
conditions; this sign is being phased-out by 2019


End of speed limit
The general speed limit
now applies
End of speed limit
zone
End of minimum
speed limit
End of advisory speed
limit
(Obsolete)


Minimum speed limit by lane
A new lane is added ahead and the minimum speed limit(s) shown applies to
the indicated lane(s)


Minimum speed limit by lane
The minimum speed limit(s) shown apply to the indicated lane(s)


End of minimum speed limit by lane
These signs also typically indicate a lane ending


Regulatory signs
This section contains various signs that provide regulation. In Germany, the standard shape for most
regulatory signs is a circle. A red circle indicates something is prohibited, while a blue disc indicates
something is required.

No passing
You may not overtake other vehicles except
bicycles, mopeds, and motorcycles
No passing for vehicles over 3.5t
Vehicles with a permitted gross weight over 3.5
tonnes are not allowed to overtake any other
vehicle except bicycles, mopeds, and motorcycles






No passing
Passing of tractors and other
designated slow-moving
vehicles is permitted
No passing
The no passing restriction
applies only to vehicles with a
permitted gross weight over 3.5
tonnes, buses, and any vehicle
pulling a trailer
No passing
The no passing restriction is in
effect only between 8:30am and
6:00pm and applies only to
vehicles with a permitted gross
weight over 3.5 tonnes, buses,
and any vehicle pulling a trailer


End of no passing zone End of no passing zone for
vehicles over 3.5t
End of all restrictions
This sign cancels all previous
speed limit and passing
restrictions; however, the general
speed limit applies




Road closed
All vehicles are
prohibited; a
supplemental sign
indicating exceptions to
this prohibition often
accompanies this sign
Motor vehicles
prohibited
Applies to all motor
vehicles except
motorcycles and
mopeds
Vehicles over 3.5t
prohibited
Vehicles over 7.5t
prohibited


Bicycles prohibited Mopeds prohibited
(Deprecated)

Motorcycles and
mopeds prohibited
Multiple prohibition
All motor vehicles,
including motorcycles
and mopeds, are
prohibited


Horses prohibited
(Deprecated)
Pedestrians prohibited


Vertical clearance
Vehicles, including loads, higher
than the indicated height are
prohibited
Horizontal clearance
Vehicles, including loads, wider
than the indicated width are
prohibited
Length restriction
Vehicles, including loads, longer
than the indicated length are
prohibited


Lane crossover with width restriction
All lanes cross over the median and the width restriction shown is in effect
for the indicated lane(s)


Lane shift with width restriction
All lanes shift and the width restriction shown is in effect
for the indicated lane(s)


Weight limit
Vehicles with an actual composite weight
exceeding the indicated limit are prohibited
Axle weight limit
Vehicles exceeding the indicated weight on any
axle are prohibited


Minimum following distance
Vehicles with a permitted gross
weight exceeding 3.5 tonnes
are required to maintain the
indicated minimum following
distance
Hazardous cargo prohibited
Vehicles transporting marked
hazardous materials are
prohibited
Water polluting cargo
prohibited
Vehicles transporting more than
3000 liters of water-pollutants are
prohibited





Emergency traffic
restriction due to air
pollution
Only vehicles displaying
a valid emissions
inspection sticker are
permitted
(shown only when applicable)
Traffic restriction
zone for reduction of
air pollution
Only vehicles displaying
one of the indicated
colored emissions
inspection stickers are
permitted
End of traffic
restriction zone for
reduction of air
pollution

Snow chains or tires
required
A speed limit of 50 km/h
applies
(shown only when applicable)




Do not enter One way street
Traffic on this street
must travel in the
direction of the arrow
One way street
Bicycles are exempted
and may travel in either
direction
One way street
(Obsolete)
The street you are on is
one way; this sign is
being phased-out by
2019


Mandatory direction of travel
All traffic must turn left
Mandatory direction of travel
All traffic must turn right
Mandatory direction of travel
All traffic must turn either left or
right


Mandatory direction
of travel
All traffic must continue
straight ahead (i.e. no
turns)
Mandatory direction
of travel
All traffic must continue
straight ahead or turn
left (i.e. no right turn)
Mandatory direction
of travel
All traffic must continue
straight ahead or turn
right (i.e. no left turn)
No U-turn


Mandatory direction
of travel
All traffic must turn left
here
Mandatory direction
of travel
All traffic must turn right
here
Pass by on left
All traffic must pass the
obstacle on the left side
(i.e. keep left)
Pass by on right
All traffic must pass the
obstacle on the right
side (i.e. keep right)


Shoulder open to traffic
The right-hand shoulder of this
roadway can be used as a
traffic lane; this is generally
done only during periods of
congestion to provide additional
capacity
Shoulder lane ends
If you are in the shoulder traffic
lane, you must merge to the left
immediately
End of shoulder lane
Do not drive on the shoulder past
this point



Pedestrian path
Pedestrians only
Pedestrian zone
Marks the entrance to an area
reserved for pedestrians; all
adjacent streets are included
until the "End of pedestrian
zone" sign is reached
End of pedestrian zone





Bicycle path
Bicycles only
Bicycle path
Mopeds also allowed
End of bicycle path



Pedestrian & bicycle path
Pedestrians and bicycles only; both can use the
entire pathway
Split pedestrian & bicycle path
Pedestrians and bicycles only; pedestrians and
cyclists must keep to the side of the path
indicated by the sign


Bus lane
All other vehicles prohibited
Bus lane
This sign shows which lane is
reserved for buses
Bridle path
Horses only


Traffic calming zone
Marks the beginning of an area where traffic
calming rules apply
End of traffic calming zone



Tunnel
Posted at the entrance to a tunnel and indicates
that low-beam headlights must be turned-on, that
U-turns are prohibited, and that accidents or
breakdowns must be moved to a designated
emergency wayside
Emergency wayside
Marks a roadside bay inside a tunnel for stopping
in case of an emergency or breakdown; all other
use is prohibited


Autobahn entrance
Posted on Autobahn
entrance ramps and
indicates that Autobahn
traffic regulations begin
Expressway entrance
Motor vehicles only
End of Autobahn
Located on Autobahn
exit ramps and
indicates that Autobahn
traffic regulations end;
may also be used to

warn that the Autobahn
ends ahead

Parking signs
In this section are all signs related to parking, both prohibition signs against parking as well as signs
indicating where parking is allowed.

No stopping
Stopping or standing on
the roadway is
prohibited
No parking
Prohibits stopping on
the roadway for more
than 3 minutes except
for passenger
boarding/discharging
and loading/unloading
Parking restriction
zone
Posted at entrances to
a neighborhood or area
where parking is
prohibited on all streets
in the area until the
"End of parking
restriction zone" sign is
reached
End of parking
restriction zone



No stopping (end)
This sign marks the end of a no
stopping area
No stopping
Stopping or standing on the
roadway is prohibited in either
direction from this sign
No stopping (start)
This sign marks the beginning of
a no stopping area


No parking (end)
This sign marks the end of a no
parking area
No parking
Parking on the roadway is
prohibited in either direction
from this sign
No parking (start)
This sign marks the beginning of
a no parking area





No stopping on shoulder

No parking on shoulder

Taxi stand
This area is reserved for taxis
only-- other vehicles may not
stop here; the supplemental sign
indicates the number of taxis
allowed to wait here


Parking area
Marks an area where parking is
permitted; also used to give
directions to parking areas
Parking management zone
(New)
Posted at entrances to a
neighborhood or area where
parking is permitted on all
streets in the area with the use
of a parking disc or voucher as
indicated by a supplemental
sign; effective until the "End of
parking management zone sign"
is reached

End of parking management
zone
(New)


Parking garage

Indexed parking facility
Marks or gives directions to a numbered parking
facility (e.g. parking lot #8)









Restricted parking
You must use a parking
disc to park here and
you may only park for
the length of time
indicated
Restricted parking
You may park here only
if you have an official
handicapped permit
Special parking
Parking for vehicles
with trailers allowed;
vehicles may remain
parked for longer than
14 days
Special parking
Parking for travel
trailers allowed;
vehicles may remain
parked for longer than
14 days






Parking area (end)
This sign marks the end of
a parking area
Parking area (start)
This sign marks the start
of a parking area
Directions to parking



Parking on sidewalk allowed
This sign indicates that parallel parking half on the
sidewalk and half in the street is permitted on the
right or left side of the street respectively
Parking on sidewalk allowed
This sign indicates that parallel parking
completely on the sidewalk is permitted on the
right or left side of the street respectively


Parking on sidewalk allowed
This sign indicates that perpendicular parking half
on the sidewalk and half in the street is permitted
on the right or left side of the street respectively
Parking on sidewalk allowed
This sign indicates that perpendicular parking
completely on the sidewalk is permitted on the
right or left side of the street respectively


Hiker's parking
(Deprecated)
Indicates an area where you may park and hike a
circuit trail
Park & ride
Indicates a facility where you may park your
vehicle and transfer to public transportation


Service signs
Below are signs that are used to give directions to motorist services on or near the road. These signs
are especially used along the Autobahn. Service signs are a symbol in a white field on a blue square
or rectangle.


Filling station Filling station w/
unleaded gasoline
(Obsolete prior to 2009)
This sign is now
obsolete as all stations
have unleaded fuel, but
it may still appear on
older signs
Filling station w/
liquefied petroleum
gas
Filling station w/
compressed natural
gas







Restaurant
(Deprecated)
Snack bar
(Deprecated)
Hotel
(Deprecated)
Auto repair shop
(Deprecated)


Telephone
Emergency telephone


Rest rooms/toilette First aid station Police station


Tourist information Traffic information radio
This sign shows the name and
frequency of a radio station
giving local traffic information;
the letter at the bottom indicates
the traffic reporting region that
the station covers
Campground


Information and guide signs
Below are signs that give directions or other information.

Entering urban area
Posted at the entrance
to a built-up area and
indicates that the 50
km/h speed limit and
other urban traffic
regulations begins
Leaving urban area
This is usually the
backside of the
"Entering town area
sign" and indicates the
end of urban traffic
regulations and the
return to the 100 km/h
rural speed limit; the top
section shows the
distance to the next
town
Leaving urban area
Same as the sign to the
left except that the
white top section
indicates that the next
town is in the same
municipality as the one
you are leaving
Place name
Marks small towns that
do not require the
"Entering urban area"
sign; this sign is also
used occasionally to
mark other places of
interest


Tourist destination
Used to give directions
to tourist attractions
Tourist route
Marks one of the
several designated
tourist roads
Scenic area
Denotes a scenic or
tourist area along or
near the Autobahn
River name
Shows the name of the
river the road is
crossing


Federal Highway route
number
Autobahn route number European route number


Federal Highway
direction marker
Shows the direction and
distance to major
destinations; posted at
the crossroads
Federal Highway
direction marker
(Deprecated)
Alternate form of the
sign to the left
Secondary road
direction marker
Shows the direction and
distance to major
destinations; posted at
the crossroads
Secondary road
direction marker
(Deprecated)
Alternate form of the
sign to the left


Secondary road direction
marker
Shows the direction to minor
destinations
Local direction marker
Shows the direction to an
important local destination
Direction to Autobahn
Shows the direction to a nearby
Autobahn


Advance direction
sign
Gives advance notice of
directions at the
upcoming intersection
Advance direction
sign
Gives advance notice of
directions and the lane
configuration at the
upcoming intersection
Consolidated
direction sign
Shows route
information for all
directions from the
intersection
Autobahn entrance
direction sign
Shows route
information for
Autobahn entrance
ramps ahead





Routing for designated vehicles
Vehicle types shown on the sign must follow the
route as indicated
Routing for designated vehicles
Vehicle types shown on the sign turn here


Autobahn interchange
initial approach sign
Placed 1000 meters
before Autobahn exits
and 2000 meters before
Autobahn crossings
and shows the type,
number, and name of
the interchange; the
symbol denotes the
type of interchange:

Exit


Crossing
Autobahn
interchange advance
directional sign
Located 500 meters
before Autobahn exits
and at both 1000
meters and 500 meters
before Autobahn
crossings; shows a
schematic of the
interchange and lists
additional destinations
Autobahn
interchange number

Autobahn
interchange
countdown markers
Located at 300 meters
(three stripes), 200
meters (two stripes),
and 100 meters (one
stripe) before the
interchange; the
interchange number
sign is typically
mounted above the 300
meter marker


Autobahn exit
This sign is placed just
prior to the exit; it is
sometimes placed in
the center median
Expressway exit

Expressway exit
Shows an exit for local
destinations
Exit
Marks an exit ramp
from the Autobahn or
expressway


Truck stop
This sign indicates that there is an off-Autobahn
truck stop at the indicated exit with fuel, food, and
other services; pictograms indicating the available
services often accompany this sign
Autobahn distance board
Placed after most entrances and lists the distance
to major cities along the route; distances to major
destinations via intersecting Autobahns are listed
at the bottom with the corresponding route
number


Detour approach
Indicates that a
detour/diversion is
about to start; often
accompanied by a
supplemental sign
indicating the distance
to the start of the detour
Detour direction sign

Numbered detour
route
Used where there are
multiple detour routes in
effect; follow the same-
numbered route
End of detour


Provisional detour
These signs mark pre-
posted detour routes for
use in the event that an
Autobahn must be
closed or as an optional
route to bypass
congestion; follow the
same-numbered route
to return to the next
Provisional detour
schematic
Used to direct
Autobahn traffic to the
next sequential
provisional detour route
when traffic cannot
return to the Autobahn
at the next entrance
Alternate route
Indicates a
recommended alternate
route on the Autobahn
system for specific
vehicles or destinations
in order to avoid
congestion
End of alternate route
(New)
Autobahn entrance


Detour route schematic
Indicates that the road ahead is
closed and graphically shows
the detour route (e.g. turn left in
80 meters and follow the road to
B-Dorf and A-Dorf)
Routing schematic for
designated vehicles
Indicates that the specified
vehicle type is prohibited ahead
and indicates that there's a
posted detour route (e.g. no
hazardous vehicles ahead, so
follow the posted route 80
meters ahead on the left)
Complicated traffic route
Shows special routing required to
go in the direction indicated (e.g.
there's no left turn ahead, so
follow the route shown instead)




Dead end street

Dead end street
Children are allowed to
play in the street
Dead end street
(New)
However, there is a
through path for
pedestrians and
bicycles
Water protection area
Posted in
environmentally
sensitive areas;
reminds drivers of
vehicles carrying water-
hazardous cargo to be
extra careful




Bus or streetcar stop
Parking or stopping
within 15 meters of this
sign is prohibited; do
not pass streetcars
stopped on the street to
board or discharge
passengers; yield to
vehicles leaving the
stop
School bus stop
Watch for children
during the times
indicated
Pedestrian underpass
(Deprecated)
Pedestrian bridge
(Deprecated)


National speed limits
information
Posted at international
borders and informs
drivers of the general
speed limits
Customs post

Toll road
Motorists using this
road must pay a toll
Toll road
Vehicles over 3.5
tonnes must pay a toll
to use this road


Street name signs
These signs may be
mounted on a pole or
on the sides of a
building
Streetlight does not
stay on all night
Posted or painted on
lamp posts that turn off
during the night; if you
park near this street
lamp at night, you must
leave your parking
lights on; the time that
the light turns off may
be marked in the red
area
Turn headlights on
Posted before tunnels
to remind drivers to
switch-on their
headlights
Turn headlights off
Posted after tunnels to
remind drivers to
switch-off their
headlights


Miscellaneous signs

Reflector guide posts
Posted every 50 meters
along the roadside, left
and right sides
respectively
Reflector guide posts
Posted on the roadside
at an intersection
Obstruction marker
This sign is posted on
the edge of an object in
or adjacent to the
roadway, left and right
sides respectively
Obstruction marker
This sign is posted on
the edge of an object in
or adjacent to the
roadway which you may
pass on either side


Curve markers
The chevrons point in
the direction to travel
Parking hazard
Mounted on the back of
vehicles and trailers
that may slow or stop
on roadways (i.e.
maintenance vehicles)
Mobile lane closure
board
Used in construction
areas to temporarily
close lanes; pass by on
the side indicated
Barricade







NATO military bridge classification signs
Posted near bridges and viaducts and indicates
the safe load-carrying capacity of the bridge for
military vehicles
Church services
Posted near the entrances to towns and lists
scheduled Sunday church services; the gold
church denotes Catholic Masses, the purple
church denotes Protestant services, the green
church denotes Pentecostal services


Construction project information
These signs are posted at the beginning of major construction zones
and give information about the project


Additional sign symbols
Here are some common additional symbols you may see on signs in Germany.

Airport Train station Car train Truck train


Ferry or harbor Hospital Roadside chapel Industrial district


Sports park Stadium Handicapped-accessible
rest room/toilette


Additional sign information
In the past two decades, electronic sign systems have been installed on Autobahns and
expressways. These signs are capable of displaying facsimiles of official traffic signs and carry the
same authority as their static counterparts. Common signs include speed limits and congestion
warnings. When mounted overhead, these signs have added flexibility as they can be used to assign
speed limits to specific lanes or to display lane control information. See the "Electronic signs" section
on the Autobahn page for more details and examples.
In cities and towns, you will frequently come across convex mirrors mounted on high posts or on the
sides of buildings next to the road. These mirrors are provided to help drivers see around tight
corners where the visibility is blocked by a building or other obstacle.

Sign vocabulary
Words are sometimes used on traffic signs, especially on supplemental signs. Here is a rather
complete list of vocabulary used on German traffic signs.
Abblendlicht - dipped (low-beam) headlights
Abstand halten - maintain following distance
Achtung! - attention!
Alle Richtungen - All directions
Allee - avenue
an geraden Tagen - on "even" days (i.e. Tue.,
Thur.)
an ungeraden Tagen - on "odd" days (i.e. Mon.,
Wed., Fri.)
an Sonn- und Feiertagen - on Sundays and
holidays
Anfang - start, begin
Anlieger frei - residents and local traffic allowed
Anlieger bis Baustelle frei - residents and local
traffic allowed as far as construction site
Anlieger oder Parken frei - residents, local traffic
and parking allowed
Anwohner frei - residents allowed
auch - also
Mi - Wednesday
mit Ausweis Nr. - with permit number
mit Parkausweis Nr. - with parking permit
number
mit Parkschein - with parking voucher
Mo - Monday
Mofas - mopeds

Nebel - fog
Nebenstrecke - secondary route
Nothalt - emergency stopping area
Notruf - emergency telephone
nur - only

lspur - watch for oil on lane

P + M - carpool parking
P + R - park and ride
auf dem Seitenstreifen - on the shoulder
Ausfahrt - exit
Ausfahrt freihalten - keep driveway exit clear
Auer - except
Autobahn - freeway, superhighway
Autobahndreieck - Autobahn "triangle" (i.e. "T"-
crossing)
Autobahnkreuz - Autobahn crossing/junction
Autogas - liquified propane gas
Autohof - truck stop

Bahnhof - railway station
Baustellen ausfahrt- construction site exit
Baustellenfahrzeuge frei - construction vehicles
allowed
Behelfsausfahrt - auxilliary exit
bei Nsse - during wet conditions
bei Rot hier halten - stop here on red
besetzt - full, occupied (e.g. parking lot)
Betriebs- und Versorgungsdienst frei - service
and maintenance vehicles allowed
Bewohner frei - residents allowed
bis Baustelle frei - allowed as far as construction
site

Di - Tuesday
Do - Thursday
Durchgangsverkehr - through traffic
drfen berholt werden - are allowed to be
passed

Einbahnstrae - one way street
Einfahrt - entrance
Einfahrt freihalten - keep driveway entrance
clear
einorden - get into lane, merge
Einsatzfahrzeuge frei - operations vehicles
allowed
Ende - end

Fhrbenutzer frei - ferry users allowed
Fahrrad - bicycle
Fahrradstrae - bicycle path
Fahrschule - driving school (marked on vehicles
operated by student drivers)
Feuergasse - fire lane
Flughafen - airport
Forstwirtschaftlicher Verkehr frei - forestry
vehicles allowed
Fr - friday
frei - exempt, allowed (e.g. "Anlieger frei" =
"Residents allowed"); also means "available"
(i.e. parking spaces)
freihalten - keep clear
Frostschden - frost/freeze damage
Fugnger - pedestrian

Gasse - alley, lane
gebhrenpflichtig - toll/fee required
Parkausweis - parking permit
Parken in gekennzeichenten Flchen 2 Std. -
parking in marked spaces for 2 hours
Parken in gekennzeichenten Flchen erlaubt -
parking in marked spaces allowed
Parken Sa und So erlaubt - parking permitted on
Saturday and Sunday
Parkhaus - parking garage (above ground)
Parkplatz - parking place, lot
Parkscheibe - parking disc
Parkschein - parking voucher
Parkscheinautomat - parking voucher
dispensing machine
Parkuhr - parking meter
Pkw. - passenger vehicle (car)
Polizei - police

Radfahrer absteigen - bicyclists dismount
Radweg - bicycle trail
Rasthaus - service area
Rasthof - service area
Raststtte - service area
Rauch - smoke
Reiverscluss erst in 200 m - "zipper" merge
begins in 200 meters
Richtung - direction of travel
Rollsplitt - loose gravel/chippings

Sa - Saturday
Sackgasse - dead end, cul-de-sac
Schleudergefahr - skidding danger
Schnellstrae - expressway
Schule - school
Schulbus - school bus
Schlerlotse - school crossing guard
So - Sunday
Sperrgebiet - restricted area
Sperrung - closure
Spur - traffic lane
Spurrillen - lane grooves
Spurrinnen - lane grooves
Stadtmitte - downtown/city center
Stau - congestion/traffic jam
Strae - street
Straenbahn - streetcar
Std. - hours (abbr. for "Stunden") (e.g. "2 Std." =
"2 hours")
Straenschden - road damaged
Streugut - road sand/salt
Stunde - hour

Tankstelle - filling station
Tiefgarage - underground parking garage
Tollwut - rabies (used on signs to warn of a
rabies outbreak area)

berholen - overtake, pass
Umleitung - detour/diversion
Unfall - accident
Gefahr- danger
gesperrt - closed, blocked (e.g. "Strae gesperrt"
= "road closed")
Glatteis - "black ice"
grne Welle bei 60 km/h - all green signals
("green wave") at 60 km/h

h - o'clock (e.g. "8-16 h" = "8am - 4pm")
Hafengebiet; Schienenfahrzeuge haben
Vorrang - harbor area; rail vehicles have right-
of-way
Haltbrucht - wayside/stopping area
Haltestelle - bus/tram stop
hier gilt die StVO - official traffic laws are in
effect here (often posted at private parking lots)

Industriegebiet; Schienenfahrzeuge haben
Vorrang - industrial area; rail vehicles have
right-of-way

kein/keine - no (e.g. "Keine Mofas" = "no
mopeds")
keine Wendemglichkeit - no place to turn
around (i.e. on dead-end street)
Kfz. - motor vehicle
Krankenfahrzeuge frei - ambulances allowed
Kreuzung - intersection
Kreuzung freihalten - keep intersection clear

Landwirtschaftlicher Verkehr frei - agricultural
vehicles allowed
Land- und forstwirtschaftlicher Verkehr frei -
agricultural and forestry vehicles only
Licht! - turn on your headlights (when entering a
tunnel)
Licht? - turn off your headlights (when coming
out of a tunnel)
Licht ausschalten - turn off headlights
Licht einschalten - turn on headlights
Lieferverkehr frei - delivery vehicles allowed
Linienverkehr frei - scheduled transit vehicles
allowed
Lkw. - truck

verboten - prohibited
Verkehr - traffic
Verkehrshelfer - school crossing guard
verschmutzte Fahrbahn - dirt/mud on road
Verkehrsfhrung gendert - traffic pattern has
been changed
Vorfahrt - right-of-way/priority
Vorfahrt gendert - right-of-way has been
changed
Vorfahrtstrae - priority road
Vorrang - right-of-way/priority
Vorsicht - caution

Wasserschutzgebiet - water protection area
Weg - way, lane
Werktags - workdays
Wildtollwut - rabies (used on signs to warn of a
rabies outbreak area)

Zentrum - downtown/city center
Zufahrt bis XX frei - access permitted as far as
XX (house number or other location)


SIGNALS
Traffic signals in Germany are the same red-yellow-green type found in the US and elsewhere.
Signals are usually located on same side of the intersection as the approaching traffic and are often
mounted overhead as well as on the right and left sides of the road. Signals generally operate the
same as most other places, but there are a few idiosyncrasies. Below are illustrations and
descriptions of various signals and related signs that you will come across in Germany. Items marked
with are especially important for US visitors.

Typical German traffic signals

Figure 1
Traffic signals in Germany use the same red, yellow, and green lights found in the US
and elsewhere. Red, of course, means STOP. Green means PROCEED with caution,
and yellow means PREPARE TO STOP. In Germany, however, an extra indication is
added: just before the light changes from red to green, the yellow signal comes on briefly
in conjunction with the red. This means PREPARE FOR GREEN and is helpful if you are
driving a manual transmission to give you a bit of warning to get into gear. Figure 1 (left)
shows the signal cycle.

Some locations have partial signals consisting of just the red and yellow lamps as shown
in Figure 2 (right). These function just like regular traffic signals minus the green
indication. So, when the green light would normally be on, there is instead no signal. If
you come upon one of these signals showing yellow or red, obey it like you would any
traffic signal. Otherwise, ignore the signal and obey any other signs or signals, or in the
absence of such, use the default right-of-way rules. These types of signals are usually
located at railway crossings.

Figure 2


Figure 3
Intersections in Germany often have signals controlling each permitted direction
of travel, such as the examples in Figure 3 (left). If a signal at an intersection
has an arrow for the direction you want to travel, you must obey it. If you don't
see a signal with an arrow for the direction you want to go, then traveling that
direction may not be permitted; be sure to look for signs. A full green signal
without any arrows (like in Figure 1 above) usually means you may travel straight
ahead or make a right or left turn unless otherwise prohibited by signs.

In the case of left turns, the signal shown in Figure 4
(right) indicates a protected left turn.

Figure 4

When the right-of-way for left turns changes from permitted to protected (or vice-versa), a different
style of signal is used. In this case, the left turn signal is located across the intersection on the left
corner. There are two varieties in use: a green-yellow combination, or a single green signal. The
combination signal consists of a flashing yellow arrow (Figure 5 below) or a solid green arrow (Figure
6). The yellow flashing arrow shown in Figure 5 indicates a left turn is permitted but not protected--
use caution and yield to oncoming traffic. When the green arrow is on, as shown in Figure 6, then the
turn is protected. In some cases, there is only the single green arrow signal (i.e. no flashing yellow
arrow.) Just as in the other cases, the green arrow indicates a protected left turn. If the arrow is off,
then obey the signals for through traffic and yield to oncoming traffic when turning left.


Figure 5


Figure 6




Figure 7
Always watch for and yield to pedestrians and cyclists when turning left or right.
Sometimes there will be a flashing yellow signal like the one shown in Figure 7
(left) adjacent to the other signals warning you that pedestrians crossing the
intersecting street also have a green light.

Right turns on red are not universally permitted in Germany. However, such a
turn is permitted at intersections with the green arrow sign shown in Figure 8
(right) but only after coming to a complete stop and yielding to all other traffic and
pedestrians. This is the only traffic law retained from the former East Germany
and thus is still somewhat rarely found in the western states, although it is now
being implemented more in many areas.

Figure 8

Many intersections have special right turn signals. These two-section signals consist of green and
yellow arrows and are used to allow traffic to make a free right turn while the signal for through traffic
is red. So, if you encountered the signals in Figure 9 (below) and you wanted to turn right, you could
do so without having to stop. The cycles for these can vary depending on the phasing for the signals
at the intersection; the two most common cycles are shown in Figure 10. When the right turn signal
is dark, you must obey the signals for through traffic.


Figure 9

Figure 10

A flashing yellow signal or a traffic signal that is completely dark indicates that the intersection is
currently not being controlled by the signals. Most traffic signals in Germany are switched off at night
and sometimes on weekends as well. Also, some pedestrian crossing signals turn themselves off
after a period of inactivity. To provide for traffic control in this situation, nearly all traffic signals also
have right-of-way signs installed nearby, usually near the rightmost signal face. Motorists must obey
the signs when the signal is off or flashing. So, if you encountered Figure 11 (below), you would
have to yield. If you encountered Figure 12, you would have the right-of-way. The signs also provide
regulation in the rare event of signal malfunction. Where used, a flashing yellow almost always
indicates that you must yield or stop. However, you may have to stop or yield even if there is no
flashing yellow-- watch for the signs. There is no flashing red signal in Germany. When the signals
are off and you are required to stop, you do not need to stop at the stop line or sign; instead, you
should stop at a location where you can safely see the traffic on the intersecting street.




Figure 11



Figure 12

When the traffic signals are in operation, the signal takes precedence over the sign. Therefore, if
you encountered Figure 13 (below), you would have to stop. In Figure 14, you could proceed without
stopping.




Figure 13



Figure 14

Lane control signals are used in areas where reversible lanes are used, or in areas where lanes may
need to be closed periodically. They are also used in conjunction with the electronic sign systems
found on the Autobahn and urban expressways to close lanes after accidents and during road work.
They are the same standard arrow and X symbols used in many other countries:


Lane open Lane closed ahead
Merge in the direction indicated
Lane closed
You may not drive in this lane


ROAD MARKINGS
Road pavement markings in Germany are generally similar to those in the US. Unlike the US,
however, all regular road markings in Germany are white, including those used to separate opposing
traffic. Yellow road markings are used in construction areas and supersede the regular white
markings. Below are diagrams and descriptions of most of the road markings you will encounter in
Germany. The light blue numbers on the diagrams correspond to the explanations.


1
Stop line
You must stop behind the thick solid line across your lane.
2
Wait line
A thick broken line across your lane is the equivalent to a yield sign (and is often used in
conjunction with it.) If necessary, you must wait behind the broken line across your lane.
3
Priority road
A broken line passing through an intersection along the edge of one of the roadways indicates the
path of the priority road.
4
Pedestrian crosswalk
Zebra-striped markings across the roadway mark a pedestrian crosswalk. You must yield the
right-of-way to pedestrians in the crosswalk.
5
No stopping/parking zone
Zig-zag lines next to the curb mark a specific area (often near a near a bus stop or driveway)
where you may not stop or park.
6
Numbers
Numbers on the pavement in your lane usually indicate the speed limit. Often used during
sudden drops in the speed limit for safety reasons.
7
Letters and numbers
A combination of letters and numbers on the pavement usually indicate route numbers. These
are frequently used at complicated intersections to guide motorists into the correct lane. For
instance, a marking such as "B27" indicates that the lane you are in follows the B27 highway.
8
Intersection arrows
Arrows on the pavement in your lane indicate which turns are allowed from your lane.
9
Restricted zone
You may not drive in an area with diagonal lines.


10
No passing in one direction
You may pass only if you have a broken line on your side; you may not cross a solid line on your
side to pass.
11
No passing
You may not cross the solid center line to pass.
12
Merge arrow
An arrow slanting toward the right in the center of the roadway warns passing traffic to merge to
the right as a no passing zone is approaching.
13
Lane separation line
Short broken lines between opposing traffic lanes indicate that the passing zone is ending.
14
Lane separation line
Long broken lines between opposing traffic lanes indicate passing is allowed (unless prohibited
by a sign). This marking is also used to separate traffic lanes traveling in the same direction.


15
Edge marking
A solid line along the side of the roadway marks the edge of the roadway or separates the travel
lanes from the shoulder.
16
Lane separators
Long broken lines separate traffic lanes traveling in the same direction.
17
Acceleration/deceleration lane
Short, thick broken white lines separate a deceleration (exit) lane or acceleration (entrance) lane
from the main traffic lanes.
18
Restricted zone
You may not drive in an area with diagonal lines.
Colored curb markings are not used in Germany. Head-in and parallel parking lines are obvious and
similar to those used in the US.
On streets not signed as one-way, here are the default lane assignments based on the number of
marked lanes on the street:
2 lanes: The left lane is for oncoming traffic; the right lane is for traffic moving in your
direction.
3 lanes: The center lane is reserved for left turns only. You may not pass. The far left lane is
for oncoming traffic; the far right lane is for traffic moving in your direction.
4 lanes: The left two lanes are for oncoming traffic; the right two lanes are for traffic moving in
your direction. These are usually separated by a single or double solid white line. Even if
separated by a broken white line, you may not cross the center line to pass.
5 lanes: Same as 4 lanes except that center lane is for left turns only. (Very rare.)
Odd lane arrangements or assignments are usually marked fairly obviously, either on the road surface
or by signs.

Local Transport
City Driving & Parking

This page last updated January 28, 2010
German cities, like most major European and world cities, are old and congested. Driving in these
cities is generally more of a hassle than a necessity, especially with the excellent public transportation
available. Still, there may be times when you want or need a car in town, or just got lost leaving the
airport and ended-up in downtown Berlin, so here's some things to know and keep in mind regarding
driving and parking in German cities.

On this page:
Driving
Parking

Driving
The central parts of most German towns and cities feature a lovely system of narrow, disjointed, and
often one-way streets lined and clogged with cars. You may find yourself feeling like a rat trapped in
a maze. A recent study determined that the average German spends 65 hours a year stuck in traffic
or waiting at traffic lights. Having said that, I can say that driving in town, even "downtown", usually
isn't too bad. After the war, many German cities rebuilt their downtown districts and designed them to
make automobile navigation a little easier. If you have experience driving in dense urban areas, you
should manage fine in most German cities.

Berlin residential street
Of course, the best advice is to get a good city map, study it, and make sure you know where you're
going before you head out. Directional and guide signs may be hard to spot in the urban clutter, so
be sure to keep an eye peeled for them (having a passenger on the look out can be especially
helpful.)
Another piece of advice I would offer is this: park your car somewhere convenient and use public
transportation to reach your final destination. This may save you a considerable amount of time,
money, and cursing. You'll find many German cities have outlying park and ride (P+R Anlage)
locations for this purpose.
Pay close attention to traffic signs and signals. Many Germans describe their streetscape as a "sign
forest" (Schilderwald) due to the abundance of traffic signs. Be especially on lookout for for
and signs-- miss one of these and you might become the new hood ornament on a
delivery truck. Traffic signals are usually easy to see, but sometimes right-of-way signs may be
difficult to spot. Also, look closely for parking or no parking signs before you park on the street to
make sure that you may legally park there (more about this in the next section.) Especially watch for
the many hidden driveways marked with obscure "Ausfahrt freihalten!" ("do not block the exit") signs
or you may return to find that the police have performed their magic and made your car disappear.
Some money will have to disappear from your wallet to make the car reappear.
Another sign to watch for is the sign-- this sign marks a bus lane. You'll find these along some
major boulevards in the larger cities. You may use this lane only if you're turning right, and you must
not enter the lane until just before you make your turn. Taxis are often allowed to use this lane as
well.
Keep a sharp eye out for unmarked intersections, especially in residential areas, and yield the right-
of-way to traffic approaching from the right.
German motorists are rather "trigger-happy" when it comes to green lights. Many drivers are already
entering the intersection when the signal turns green, so be prepared to go or expect some cranky
honking from the guy behind you just mere microseconds after the green comes on.

Typical town road
To avoid the one-way maze, use larger two-way avenues and boulevards to get as close to your
destination as possible, then use the one-ways as needed to finish the job. If you get lost in the one-
way rat trap, be warned that a couple of right turns will most likely put you in France instead of back
where you started.
You would think that the Germans, with their collective obsessive/compulsive disorder, would have
something as simple as house numbering organized to a fault. Instead, you have to consume a
couple of liters of beer before it makes any sense. Houses are often numbered up one side of the
street then back down the other. When more houses were built along the same street, they repeated
the process with the new houses. So on the four corners of a single intersection, you could have
house numbers 20, 21, 40, and 110.
With house numbering in disarray, it's no surprise that street names are as well. A street can change
names anywhere it wants to (even in the middle of the block), and each name is guaranteed to be
longer and just as irrelevant as the last one. Helping to add syllables is the fact that attached to each
name is a suffix denoting the kind of roadway. For instance, Strasse or Strae is "street" and Weg is
"lane" or "way". However, Allee is not "alley", but rather "boulevard" or "avenue"; gasse is "alley."
There are others, but those are the usual suspects.
Many of the largest German cities have multi-level intersections in their central areas. You'll often find
that through traffic passes in a tunnel under major signalized intersections. In some of the busiest
places, there may be extensive underground trafficways. Again, make sure you study a good city
map before you start out.
Congestion in German cities is no better or worse than other European and world cities. Rush hours
are generally 7.00-9.00 and 16.00-18.00 on weekdays. In some of the trendy nightlife districts, you
may find yourself staring at brake lights until well after 23.00. Popular shopping areas will usually be
congested and parking particularly hard to come by on Saturdays.
Definitely be on the watch for pedestrians. They always have the right-of-way in zebra-marked
crosswalks, but oftentimes they'll dart-out between cars and other locations. In residential areas, be
on the lookout for children playing near streets-- you're required by law to pass by them at the slowest
speed possible. The same holds true if a handicapped person is in or near the street.
Basically, driving in cities in Germany involves the same skill, patience, and sense of humor as driving
in cities in the US and elsewhere. Use common sense and pay attention and you should do fine.

Parking
Your biggest problem may not be navigating cities, but finding someplace to (legally) stash your
vehicle reasonably close to your destination. In most German cities, you'll have a good selection of
parking facilities. There is the ubiquitous on-street parking as well as off-street parking lots
(Parkplatz), above-ground garages (Parkhaus), and underground garages (Tiefgarage). Most large
cities have extensive parking facilities, and parking maps are usually available from the tourist
information offices. Unfortunately, there are often not enough spaces to go around, and you may
have to drive around a little while before you find a place, all the while feeling like the losing
participant in a round of musical chairs. Still, except on the busiest days and during the peak times,
you should be able to find a place within a reasonable amount of time. Costs for parking in Germany
are a little on the pricey side.
On-street parking
Parking on the street is the most common means of parking in Germany. Unless specifically
prohibited by a sign or general regulation, on-street parking is usually permitted everywhere (see the
parking section of the road rules page for laws regarding on-street parking). The sign along
the street specifically indicates where such parking is permitted, although when used it is usually
accompanied by additional signs indicating when parking is permitted, who is permitted to park, or
requiring the use of a parking permit, voucher, or disc. Here are some examples:






Parking only with a parking
disc
You may only park for the length
of time indicated (e.g. 2 hours).
Parking requires purchase of a
parking voucher (Parkschein)
Parking only for residents
with indicated permit number
Note that a new parking sign was introduced in 2009: This sign marks the entrance to a
parking management area. Parking is allowed on all streets in the area (unless otherwise posted)
with the use of a parking disc or voucher as indicated by a supplemental sign until a sign is
reached.
There are many more signs related to parking on the German traffic signs page (page 2) as well as
additional vocabulary used on signs.
As noted above, on-street may require you to use a parking voucher, parking disc, or parking meter.
Here are directions on the use of each:
Parking vouchers (Parkschein) ("pay & display"): The sign "mit Parkschein" requires you
to purchase a parking voucher before leaving your vehicle. These are obtained from a nearby
machine (Parkscheinautomat)-- look for tall signs marking the location of these, usually at the
ends of the block or mid-block. The operation of these machines varies, and some of them
will give you instructions in English-- press the button marked with a British flag if there is
one. Generally, you'll want to locate the parking rates (Parkgebhr) on the front of the
machine. Determine how much time you'll need, then deposit the corresponding amount.
The display will indicate how many minutes the amount you've inserted will buy. On some
machines, you can press the "+" or "-" buttons to add or subtract time from that amount. If
you add time, the machine will indicate how much additional money to feed it. Once you've
selected and paid for the time you'll need, press the designated "finish" button (often green)
and the machine will dispense a small ticket (voucher) as well as any change. Return to your
vehicle and place the voucher on the dashboard where it may be easily read from the
outside. You must return to your vehicle before the expiration time shown on the voucher. If
the nearest voucher machine is out of order, you should use another one in the same area;
you will usually find another one across the street, at the other end of the block, or around the
corner. If you cannot locate another machine, use a parking disc instead (see below); you
can then stay up to the maximum length of time shown on the machine or signs. Some areas
only require you to use a parking vouchers during certain times; check the signs or schedule
on the machine. Oftentimes, the machines will shut off when parking vouchers are not
required, but push the buttons to be sure it's not just taking a nap.

Two varieties of parking voucher machines
Parking discs (Parkscheibe): A parking disc is a blue cardboard or plastic card with an
adjustable time dial. You can obtain these for free or nominal cost from most gas stations,
newsstands, tobacco shops, and police stations. Rental cars should already have them (if
yours doesn't, get one from the agent before leaving with the car.) Signs indicating that you
must use a parking disc will also indicate the length of time you can park. Turn the dial so
that the arrow points to the time of your arrival, rounded-up to the next half hour. For
example, if you arrive at 10:40, set the disc for 11:00. Then place the disc on your
dashboard. You must return to your vehicle within the indicated time period. So, for instance,
if you arrived at 10:40 and the signs said that you could park for 2 hours with a parking disc,
you would set your disc for 11:00 and you would have to return to your vehicle by 13:00
(1:00pm). As with many things in Germany, this mostly works on the honor system, but spot
checks are conducted. Many areas only require you to use a parking disc during certain
times; be sure to check the signs. Outside of those times, you can usually park as long as
you want, but double-check for other signs showing some other restriction.


Parking disc

Parking meters (Parkuhr): Parking meters are not very common in Germany, and rapidly
becoming even less so. If you do stumble upon one, you'll see that they work just like their
US counterparts: deposit your money, look and see how much time the meter shows, and
return to your vehicle before the time expires. In the event of a defective meter, you must use
a parking disc. You may then park up to the maximum time normally permitted at that
location (i.e. the maximum time shown on the meter.)
Violations
Parking fines generally range from 5-25 and if you are obstructing traffic or a driveway, your vehicle
will almost surely be towed, and quite quickly. In such an event, call the police to settle the situation.
Parking lots and garages
Besides indicating where parking is permitted on the street, the sign also gives directions to
off-street parking facilities. Directions to garages are usually indicated by signs. In many
larger cities and towns, there are electronic signs indicating which lots and garages are available
(Frei) or full (Besetzt), or showing the number of available spaces. Parking facilities are often
numbered to assist you in finding them (e.g. lot P1, garage P2, etc.)

Parking availability sign
Very few lots allow you to park for free. The ones that do usually require you to use a parking disc
(see above). The rest require payment, and you'll be hard-pressed to find a lot or garage with an
attendant. While some lots use parking vouchers (see above), most use an automated centralized
self-pay system. When entering the parking lot/garage, you obtain a time-stamped ticket from the
entry gate. Park your vehicle and take this ticket with you. When you are ready to leave, but before
you actually return to your vehicle, find a parking payment machine (Kassenautomat). These are
usually located near pedestrian entrances. Insert the ticket you received from the entry gate into the
designated slot on the machine and the amount due will be displayed. Pay the amount shown and
the machine will return your ticket or dispense a new one. If you also want a receipt, push the button
marked "Quittung" immediately thereafter. Then, return to your vehicle and exit the lot/garage. At the
exit gate, insert the ticket into the machine there and the barrier will open. You generally have 15
minutes to reach the exit gate from the time you pay. If for some reason you don't make it within this
time period, go back to the payment machine and start the process again using the ticket that you
received from the previous payment.
Most lots and garages are open 24 hours; however, some are not open overnight. If you're going to
be out late, make sure that the lot or garage you use will still be open when you return!

Parking payment machine