![]() Other minor offenses include not leaving enough space when parking and parking in front of a driveway. Minor offenses, such as parking in dedicated zones without tickets or permits, will incur small fines of around €10. They don’t have the power to make arrests, but they can hand out fines, the revenue of which is collected by the Road Traffic Department (Strassenverkehrsamt). Most parking fines in Germany are handled by the Ordnungsamt, a second-tier police force who work for the city or municipality. This means that you only risk losing your license for more serious traffic offenses, rather than just a string of minor errors. Many traffic offenses carry fines but no penalty points. This is because the police operate a penalty system where not every misdemeanor results in points. As there are approximately 45 million registered car owners in Germany, the number of driving bans is relatively low. In 2018, 92,667 drivers lost their licenses completely and 464,179 who were subject to a shorter ban or suspension. Your license will not be reinstated unless you pass a medical psychological assessment. To regain your license, you must wait for the suspension to pass and then reapply. If you get eight or more points on your license, you will lose it. Having a system of just eight points means that drivers only must accumulate a low tally of points before losing their license. This replaced the previous 18-point system which had been used since 1974. The current system was introduced in 2014 and is based on just eight points for a license. This derives from the fact that the Federal Motor Transport Authority is based in Flenburg and keeps traffic records there. The penalty system in Germany is referred to colloquially as “ Punkte in Flensburg” (Points in Flensburg). Police will also use unmarked cars with mobile speed cameras, particularly in residential areas. The rate at which they use this strategy is seemingly quite random, so you can easily be caught out. This is in stark contrast to countries such as the UK or France, where speed camera warning signs are common. German police can be particularly crafty when it comes to catching speeders. Fixed cameras are placed in difficult to spot areas, with most of them not having warning signs. These take precedence over the generic speed limits which are in place everywhere. In built-up areas, the maximum speed is 50km/h which increases to 100 km/h outside these residential zones. You must always be vigilant for signs enforcing a different speed limit. It’s only the autobahns that operate a more flexible system. There also may be times when a restricted speed limit is introduced for certain sections of the motorway.Īside from the autobahns, Germany has speed limits on all of its roads, just like other countries. There is a recommended speed limit of 130 km/h on the autobahns, but this is only advisory. Traffic police will look at all the factors, including the weather, visibility and other road users to decide whether your driving is acceptable. German traffic police expect drivers to respond appropriately to the weather conditions and to ensure their conduct is always safe. Not having a defined speed limit does not mean motorists can drive however they choose. However, it is important to understand that Germany has high expectations of its drivers, including the autobahn. If you come from a country which has tight speed limits in place everywhere, this concept can be quite shocking. Unlike elsewhere, there is no official speed limit. Germany is famous for taking a pioneering approach on its motorways, the autobahn. Nevertheless, there are more traffic deaths in Germany than some other European countries, such as the UK or the Netherlands. Most visitors to Germany can adapt to driving on German roads without a significant culture shock or feeling at risk. It is true that Germany does not have a reputation for being a country of reckless and dangerous drivers. Most German drivers believe they are extremely capable behind the wheel of a car.
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