Driving on the Autobahn: A Guide for Americans and other non-NASCAR Drivers (By Lynnae, because Ralph has no desire to ever drive on the Autobahn again)

Lynnae here – I don’t understand why people feel so apprehensive about driving on the autobahn (German freeways).  Ralph says it’s because it’s really fast and people drive like crazy, but he doesn’t like to drive anyway.  I loved driving on the autobahn.  Since I’ve driven on it for a total of greater than ten hours without any accidents or stress, naturally I consider myself an expert and would like to share some tips with you.  Hopefully, they will be helpful should you ever need to drive in Germany.

Some differences to be aware of:

1. Road signs do not include the cardinal directions for roads.  Instead they list a city or two that is in that direction.  For example, in the US you might drive on I35S knowing that it leads you towards Texas.  In Germany, it would be listed as I35 Dallas.
2. Multiple speed limits are posted.  This is because there are different limits at night and in the rain.  Be aware of which signs apply to you.  (Most signs are easily understood but it can’t hurt to brush up on them before venturing onto the autobahn.)
3. Keep in mind that the speedometer and speed limits are listed in kilometers per hour not miles per hour.  120 km/hour is only 74 mph.  So there’s no need to panic when you see the speed limit is 120.
4. The right lane is for driving and the left lanes are for passing.  Theoretically, this is also true in the US although many people do not drive this way.  This is the way Germans drive [plus, it’s illegal in Germany to be in the left lane without passing].  Understanding and implementing this is paramount to a successful driving experience in Germany.

Now that you know the basics, you are ready for the strategic portion of driving on the autobahn.  It is very dynamic driving and requires a lot of attention.

1. You cannot expect to maintain a consistent speed unless you are the slowest vehicle on the road.  (If you decide to do this, make sure you are in the rightmost lane.)
2. Expect that some, perhaps many, cars will be driving much faster than you.
3. When you move left to pass, make sure to look in your rearview mirror.  You want to check that the opening you are moving into extends far behind you.  Cars will come up behind you quickly and you don’t want to be surprised.  If the opening isn’t large enough wait for a bigger one.  If you wait long enough there will always be an opening.
4. If you feel comfortable, speed up once you’ve merged left into your passing lane.  Doing so will allow you to pass faster and get back into driving lane where you can slow down.
5. Anticipate the moves of the vehicles around you.  Doing so will reduce surprises and stress.  In the words of my grandfather, Warner Lange, “You need to drive every car on the road.”
   1. If a car is passing you and another car comes up behind it, be aware that the car may speed up to pass you and immediately slow down when merging in front of you.   Proactively slowing down will help everyone out.
   2. Try not to get stuck behind a slow moving vehicle.  It can be frustrating to be unable to move out from behind a slow moving vehicle.  If this happens to you, slowing down a little bit to create extra space in front of you will make it easier for you to accelerate into the next lane at a decent speed.  It can also be avoided completely by merging left before you are too close to the slow moving vehicle.
   3. Be aware of people merging into your lane.  Read the traffic around you.  It’s possible to predict with great accuracy the way people are going to merge.  If a car in the lane to right of you is quickly approaching the car in front of it, you may want to move left (if there is an opening) so the car will not be merging directly in front of you at a lower speed.  Always be aware of the traffic behind you and to your left and the traffic in front of you and to the right.
6. If at all possible, have a driving assistant.  It makes long drives more pleasant to have someone to help navigate, open things and hand them to you, and to converse with on long drives. [Because I wasn’t driving, I peered into a lot of other cars.  I didn’t see any drivers talking on the phone, shaving, eating lunch, etc.  They were just focused on driving way too fast.]

Summary:

German roads are great.  The signage is clear and abundant.  The speed limits when posted are reasonable.  The roads themselves are very well maintained.  Every now and again, there would be a sign for rough road.  This would mean the road had a slight dip or bump.  Usually I noticed no great difference.  All the roads were smooth and I haven’t seen a single pothole on the freeway.  The German drivers I shared the road with were very polite.  There was no tailgating of any kind.  They all left a lot of space and slowed down to posted limits in adverse weather conditions, at night and for road construction.

If you like to drive, it can be a lot of fun to drive on the autobahn.  Just relax, be aware and drive confidently.  It’s the same as driving in the US, except faster with better roads.

• Autobahn
• driving
• Europe
• Germany
• travel