Seven Rules for Driving on the Autobahn

The autobahn in Germany, Austria and Switzerland can be a fun, fast way to reach your destination – or a frustrating traffic jam (Stau) experience. This guide is designed to help you make your autobahn experience as positive as possible. Below we present our “German Way Autobahn Rules” – the most important rules of the road for driving on the autobahn and other European limited-access highways.

The A6 autobahn at the A5 exit in Germany. PHOTO: Hyde Flippo

The Rules of the Autobahn
If you are used to driving on interstate highways and freeways in the US, you need to know about the differences between US traffic laws and those in Germany and Europe. When driving in Germany, you need to drive like a German – at least like the good German drivers. That means not only knowing the rules (official and unofficial), but adapting to a different style of driving. Europeans, Germans in particular, have a more aggressive approach to driving. If you remain a typical, more laid-back American driver, you could have problems. You also need to be alert and pay even more attention to the road than required in the US. The high-speed autobahn is no place to make mistakes! Here are seven vital rules that can make you a safer, better driver on Germany’s high-speed freeways.

“Wrong way!” A warning sign on an Austrian autobahn. PHOTO: Hyde Flippo

GW Autobahn Rule 1: No passing on the right!
The first thing any driver needs to know about the rules of the autobahn is that passing on the right is verboten! It is illegal to pass a vehicle on the right. You must move into a left lane in order to pass. (The only exception is when traffic is moving at a very slow rate of speed, such as during a traffic jam. Also see “Rettungsgasse” below.) The pass-on-the-left-only rule is one of the things that make the autobahn work.

GW Autobahn Rule 2: Double check your side-view mirror before moving into the left lane!
Always check your left side-view mirror! Especially on sections of the autobahn with no speed limit, this is critical. Speeding cars can sudddenly appear out of nowhere and zoom past you at speeds exceeding 100 mph. You may be doing the “recommended” speed of 130 km/h (80 mph) and see German drivers passing you as if you were standing still.

GW Autobahn Rule 3: Slower traffic stays to the right!
As in the US, whenever possible, move into the right lane. Most German drivers are good about this, but some non-German drivers are not. If you are passing several vehicles in a row (usually trucks), you can stay left or in the middle lane, but as soon as there is space, move right. If you see a vehicle coming up from behind you at a higher rate of speed, signal and move over. Don’t be surprised if they flash their high beams. It’s common and only considered mildly rude. Just move over.

GW Autobahn Rule 4: Always use your blinkers!
German drivers use their signal lights to indicate a lane change, and so should you. German-made cars have blinker controls that make the turn signal blink three times and then shut off automatically. A slight nudge on the control lever activates that feature. A stronger push activates the normal turn signals that you have to turn off, or that turn off after a right or left turn.

GW Autobahn Rule 5: Obey the speed limit!
Contrary to popular myth, there are speed limits on the autobahn. While there are still a few stretches of autobahn where it is legal to put the pedal to the metal and drive at top speed, those sections are limited, and growing more limited by the year.* While it may be legal, it may not be wise. You will also see square blue signs with white numbers reading “130” in Germany. That means 130 km/h (80 mph), the recommended top speed on the German autobahn (and the legal maximum speed on motorways in most European countries). The legal speed limit is a black number on a round white sign outlined in red (see sign images below). Sometimes there are also overhead electronic signs indicating the speed limit and warnings. Many autobahn sections have limits of 120 km/h (75 mph), 110 km/h (68 mph) or lower, especially in urban areas. Germany uses unmarked police cars and automated roadside radar/photo devices that take pictures of violators. Yes, you will see scofflaws who blatantly exceed the posted limit, but it can be expensive if you join them and get caught. – See more about speed limits below.

GW Autobahn Rule 6: Take a break every two hours!
Driving on the autobahn can be draining. After two hours or so, it’s wise to take a break. The autobahn has rest stops (Raststätten) with gas stations, restaurants, shops, picnic tables and toilets (with an entrance fee of one euro!). There are also more modest stops along the way with just picnic tables and parking. Take advantage of these for occasional breaks from driving.

GW Autobahn Rule 7: Go with the flow!
German drivers can be aggressive on the autobahn. When they pass you and suddenly cut in front of you, with a much smaller comfort zone than is normal in North America, don’t take it personally. It is just the way they drive. You’d think that for all the money it can cost to get a German driver’s license (up to $3,000!), they would be better drivers. Well, for Germany, they are, and you can’t change that. Just learn to go with the flow and realize that you are not in North America. – Also see: How to Get a German Driver’s License.

*Advocating autobahn speed limits in Germany is like advocating tougher gun-control laws in the US – and just about as likely.

AUTOBAHN SIGNS
Speed limit	End of speed limit	Advised speed limit
End of restrictions	No passing	End of no passing
Sign images from Wikimedia Commons

More Autobahn Advice

“Stau” Warnings
Unfortunately, construction delays and traffic jams are also part of driving on the autobahn. If you understand German, most German radio stations announce the location and length of traffic jams (Staus, pron. SHTOWS, rhymes with “cows”). It is not uncommon for such congestion to stretch out for many kilometers.

Some GPS navigation units (a GPS is called a Navi in German, pron. NAH-vee), can also identify traffic problems and route you around them. Bring your own Navi or rent one with your rental car. If you bring your own, make sure it has updated maps for Europe.

This graphic demonstrates the proper way to align your vehicle when there are three autbahn lanes. Notice that the right emergency parking lane is not blocked. PHOTO: Wikimedia Commons

The “Rettungsgasse”
German and Austrian traffic law requires drivers to form a Rettungsgasse (emergency vehicle lane) whenever traffic backs up on the autobahn due to an accident or some other emergency requiring ambulances, fire trucks, police, or any other emergency response. If there are only two lanes in each direction, drivers are required to move their vehicles to the far right and far left, creating a middle open lane for emergency vehicles. If there are more than two lanes then drivers in the right-side lanes stay far right, while drivers in the third or fourth left lane stay on the far left. The far right emergency parking lane should not be blocked unless signage or a police official indicates otherwise. (See illustration.)

You should keep all doors closed and avoid standing outside the vehicle in the free lane, which could hinder the free movement of emergency vehicles. Many German and other drivers fail to follow this rule and other Rettungsgasse rules, causing delays and endangering lives.

How not to form a Rettungsgasse. PHOTO: Alexander Blum (Wikimedia Commons)

Speed Limit Signs in Germany
In Europe, including Germany, you will rarely see warnings like “reduced speed ahead.” One minute you may be doing 130 km/h, and suddenly you see a 110 limit sign. You are expected to pay attention to the posted limits. Approaching a construction zone (or on exits in France), you will see a series of speed limit signs, usually starting with 100, (62 mph) then another sign with 80 (50 mph), then another with 60 (35 mph). You can’t resume speed until you see an end-of-speed-limit sign or a new posted speed. See the sign examples above.

Paying for Gasoline (Benzin)
At autobahn and other gas stations, you pump gas (or diesel) and then go inside to pay the cashier. (Lock your car and leave it at the pump, since no one can pump gas there until you’ve paid.) The cashier will ask for your pump number (You do know your German numbers up to 10, right?), so note that before you go inside. You can pay cash or use a credit card. Some stations require pre-payment during late hours, but usually you pay after you pump. Non-autobahn stations in Germany may or may not accept card payment. Look for the usual credit card logos at the door or by the register. (The EC/Giro card is not a credit card; it is a bank debit card for European residents only.)

Credit card readers at the pump (pay-at-the-pump) seem to be a thing of the past in Germany. I never found one on my last trip. I always had to go inside and pay the cashier, whether cash or credit.

Next | Autobahn Tolls

Related Pages
AT THE GERMAN WAY

• The Autobahn – Legend and reality
• Autobahn Tolls in Austria and Switzerland
• Driving a Rented a Car in Europe – You must be 21 or older!
• Driving: Environmental Zones – Many cities in Germany have “green” environmental zones that require a special auto sticker for entry.
• Driving in Germany – General information
• Expats in German-speaking Europe
• Police – The Polizei in Germany, Austria and Switzerland
• Travel and Tourism – Travel-related information and resources of all kinds for Germany, Austria, Switzerland

ON THE WEB

• The Autobahn – From “Getting Around Germany” site by Brian Purcell
• Arbeitsgemeinschaft Autobahngeschichte – The history of the autobahn from a German association
• Driving in Germany (U.S. Embassy, Berlin: Living in Germany)

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