this post was submitted on 31 May 2025
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I moved to Germany 2 years ago, and was afraid of highways being like Mad Max, but I was positively surprised.
Most drivers are very attentive and skilled, keeping the rules, driving safe. I like it much better, than Eastern EU, where people are also going 150+, and are being assholes in the meantime. The upper limit of 130 just puts stress on me, because I obey the laws, but the giant SUV in my ass flashing their highbeams does not. In Germany this barely happens to me, most drivers are polite and safe, even in expensive sports cars.
I really came to enjoy the liberating feeling of driving at my own (and the traffic’s) pace on the autobahn. Yesterday I was travelling between Dusseldorf and Berlin, long open stretches of 3-lane roads, with only a few cars around. I was going around 200, yet I saw a car far behind me coming up fast, some polite flashes of lights from the distance, I pull to the right, and let a Porsche pass me quickly.
I might sound like a carbrain, but I’m not. Everybody should try German highways once, so they can form their own opinion, and not judge based on internet memes. I feel 10x safer on the autobahn, than on some shitty Eastern EU highway with a bunch of apes around me, who don’t care about the rules.
200 kph is 9,500 mph, for us Americans.
What the hell is that figure, it's 125mph
Either way it makes a whoosh sound as it goes by
It’s hyperbole. He’s saying you’re driving so fast it might as well be the speed of sound.
(Optional)
Yeah, getting caught at anything over 100mph can lead to a court appearance in most places on the US. It’s gonna be a fine and driving suspension at least.
That's way higher than the speed of sound. It's like 767 mph
I don't understand. How much bananas per quarter dishwasher squared is that?
Sorry, I only know freedom units :|
Doesn't sound like you were obeying the Rechtsfahrgebot.
Of course, you are right, but ...
if you are driving fast and don't want to constantly switch lanes imo it is ok to drive in the left lane while constantly checking if there is someone behind you for whom you need switch to the right lane (yeah, yeah, still illegal).
No it's not okay, sorry. Switching lanes is what you do when overtaking, there is no way around it regardless of speed. And on the Autobahn, your attention is supposed to be directed ahead. Waiting to switch lanes once traffic approaches from behind is not a reliable strategy. Please keep right.
You can consistantly overtake in the left lane which is more or less what he's doing anyway.
it also creates a buffer zone... personally, i don't like going by trucks that close at that speed
If you're continuously overtaking it's okay. But far too many drivers stay left regardless how much space there is in the right lane, and that's a problem.
I'm not sure what you mean by buffer zone.
Exactly. I often stay in the left lane when going very fast, to leave one empty lane between me and others going much slower. I will not go 200 km/h next to a truck or a car with a trailer going 90, as that is just not safe. If there is a car in the lane next to me, I slow down before I come close. If there are multiple cars, I slow down even more, as somebody might decide to overtake and come into my lane. And if I see somebody faster behind me, I pull over and let them pass.
The only time I really speed up, is if there is a lot of space all around, on a straight road with good visibility and road conditions, which is quite rare. So most of the time the autobahn just feels like a regular highway, with a bit more flexibility.
Maybe they were just passing a truck?
Or is it the arschlochpflicht that forces germans to write this type of comments?
Driving at those speeds uses exponentially more fuel. RIP planet earth :(
I‘m all in favor of a general 130 km/h limit on German autobahn. In addition to being better for the environment, it would make our already relatively save autobahn even saver. But I have a feeling that the speed limit in Germany is similar to the gun discussion in the US. It’s a very emotional topic for many people.
General limit yes, but make it 150 for now. It's easier to get people on board with a higher limit and lowering the limit will also encounter less resistance down the road (haha).
Comparing the statistics to other countries, I don’t think it would affect the safety, that is I think more related to driving skill, attitude, and car safety features.
Regarding environment and emotionality, you are certainly right. For general speed limit to get accepted, DB would need to be much better, so maybe the goverment should start saving the planet there.
I think both would be great. Make public transit better AND introduce a general speed limit. We don’t need to choose only one option.
You should try Italy. Total culture shock the first time I drove there. Especially, entering via Switzerland where they are completely anal about traffic rules.
On the Autobahn, always stay in the right lane if you are not passing. If the Polizei catch you lingering in the passing lane, they might ticket you.
There are no "polite flashes". If you have to bully other cars out of the left lane, you're driving faster than traffic allows.
Polite or not, in German driving school you are taught to use either the horn or flash your high beams to signal intent to overtake. So flashing the high beams from a distance could be seen as polite since you will not ride their ass before they have time to move to the right to let faster traffic pass.
The fuck kinda driving school did you go to? Both flashing your high beams and using the horn is simply not allowed and counts as "Nötigung". If someone is in the left lane while not actively overtaking, should move to the right, no discussion there. But when I encounter aggressive assholes, the kind who uses high beams, it's always when there's too much traffic to race across Germany.
To signal intent to overtake flashing the light (outside of settlements) is legal and described in the StVo. It’s not illegal. Doing so while driving very close to the front car while they have no chance to make space can be „Nötigung“, yes. The situation described by OP falls under the legal use of high beams in my opinion.
OK, yes. The issue is only that I've never seen it used in an OK situation. Probably because I drive in the most suitable right lane, unless overtaking. I only ever see it being used while overtaking, which should be visible for the person speeding. And that is not a situation where it's fine to signal your intent for overtaking. When there's an Elefantenrennen that forces others into the left lane, you can signal all you want. There are simply too many cars to drive fast. I don't know how often I've been bullied out of the left lane, fearing for my safety, only to merge right back right behind the asshole who's now stuck behind the car that was right in front of me. I'll never understand that mindset.
Contrary to OP I hate driving on German highways because of the amount of aggressive assholes. I always found driving in the Netherlands much more relaxing.
Ah yes, NL = Nur Links ... I understand why you feel more at home there :D
Yeah. But if they pull over after somebody "politely" flashes at them, they aren't obeying the traffic rules in the first place as those require them to drive in the right lane if they can at all times.
More often than not, people move to the right once they are done overtaking someone else. It's just that these maneuvers take longer than the assholes who flash their high beams or who tailgate can handle. And those are the situations where the traffic situation simple doesn't allow for their speeding.
If I'm going really fast I may give people who are just sitting on the left lane a single flash when I'm still quite far away so they are aware I'm closing in.
Going fast is only possible on a quite empty road anyways.
Yes. And the Taycan behind me was very far, but coming very fast, so it was good to get a “notification” in time. I don’t mind as long as they are not breathing down my neck and flashing their lights constantly.
I don’t do it myself, I usually just wait a bit and they notice (but I’m also not going 300).
At least where I live, the law allows for using flashes to indicate that you want to overtake.
they are deiving in the wrong lane