Driving On The German Autobahn vs. US Highways - No Speed Limit? Busting Autobahn Myths!

In Germany, driving a car is a privilege like nowhere else, and the German highway - the Autobahn - is a worldwide symbol for unlimited speeding. Here, everyone is allowed to drive as fast as they like. But is that really true? And what other myths exist about the autobahn? Euromaxx reporter Meggin Leigh set out on the famous autobahn to find out what's true, and what's not.

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CREDITS
Report: Meggin Leigh / Robert Richter
Camera & Edit: Robert Richter

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[ethankim]

The drivers in Germany is the ONLY reason why the autobahn exists. Very well cultured and disciplined drivers compared to the rest of the world.

[johnhfischeriii]

In the USA it is NOT legal to pass on the right. Drivers in the USA do not follow the rules.

[AB-kcwm]

I drove in Germany last April -Frankfurt to Nuremberg and it was really good!! I love driving in high speed but I respected when I saw some signs to reduce the velocity . Trucks drivers don’t threaten small cars . It was a great experience and I will repeat more often when I am there.🇧🇷❤️🇩🇪

[JoBlack]

1. We in Germany have well mantained cars (no junks, good tyres, etc)
2. People actually check their mirrors and use the signal lights
3. Nobody sleeps on the 3rd lane (like I experienced în US)....you pas somebody, then back on 2 lane...

So there is no point on having a speed limit, for every inch on the need to forget using the phones while driving....speed doesnt kill, lack of attention does it !!!

[robertkupper]

I have driven on the Autobahn many times over the last 40 years and loved every minute of it. I have always been amazed at the general courtesy displayed by the other drivers and it is so refreshing to share the Autobahn with like minded drivers. The sections of "no speed limit" are well chosen with good visibility and straight road with no high gradient or curves. The Autobahn is engineered for high speed and when combined with educated drivers is as safe if not safer than any speed controlled highway. It sets the example of what can be achieved if the people who use the roads are responsible, courteous and properly trained to use such a road system. Unfortunately not all countries see driver education as relevant or even necessary once they have passed their initial driving test. The lunatics I encounter on a daily basis here on West Australian roads would not last five minutes on the Autobahn without causing death and destruction and yet the authorities here continue to concentrate solely on speed reduction as a means of reducing the road toll. The Autobahn proves that speed does NOT kill unless it is combined with another ingredient such as alcohol, drugs, stupidity, complacency, ignorance or arrogance, all of which can be addressed by proper legislation and education. Long may the Autobahn remain speed limit free as it is today.

[ChristophS]

Try the Autobahn in the Ruhrgebiet. You are always stuck in traffic jams. No speeding possible

[alphacause]

The meticulous and conscientious nature of German culture, as exemplified by things like the the rules governing the Autobahn, how Germans emphasize punctuality, and the precise engineering in their products, is why I have such fondness for it. So many other nations would do well to emulate this mentality.

[alexvasilyev]

The topic of the video is not covered at all. Just go out on a Sunday when there are no trucks and drive 20-30 km on the highway with no speed limit. It's really relaxing.

[jackt]

Just completed my trip to Germany on the autobahn and i must say the autobahn is very well regulated and drivers have sense of safety generally. Coming from southeast asia, we have similar highway in Malaysia, although the highways have a speed limitation of 110km/h, drivers generally ignore the speed limits and go in excess on 200km/h with "competitions" between drivers.

[paulsj]

The myth of unlimited speed has been busted by insurances and courts a long time ago. At speeds above 130 kmh, the driver always shares liability in case of an accident, by virtue of that speed, even when driving faultlessly - should be enough to throttle to reasonable speeds!

[andydufresne]

Here in California, I call the left lane the narcissist lane. Narcissists enter the freeway and cut straight across to the left lane because they think it's where they get to take it easy. When you come up behind them, do they move over to the right and let you pass? Of course not. They glare at you in the mirror and slow down because it's their job to police speeders. The red on your face and smoke coming out of your ears is proof to them that you're an evil person and they're doing right by keeping you in line. They will match the speed of the person next to them to ensure you can't pass on the right, but if you finally get the opportunity to do so, they will speed up to prevent you getting in front of them and before you know it, you're both doing 100mph, even though their original goal was supposedly keeping the road safe from speeders. When you finally do get in front of them, they slow back down and wait for their next victim. Then, when they are a hundred feet from their exit, they cut back across all lanes at the last minute and just barely make the off-ramp. I have been seriously considering moving to Germany. I'm longing to live among mature people and enjoy driving.

[LeftyStratPlayer]

Saying there are not many rules on the U.S. Interstates isn't necessarily true. There are drive-right, pass-left laws on the books in almost all the states, and they are starting to be more rigorously enforced, especially in the Western states with the 75-80 mph speed limits. For example, camping in the left lane in Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas can earn you a reckless driving or impeding traffic violation with up to a $600.00 fine for a first offense.

[Jimmy-mu]

Autobahn is the safest highway in the world

[JJ-J]

I am from Germany and think indeed that our Autobahns are one of the bests on this planet. However over the last few decades Germany had become one big Baustelle (roadworks) and very, very busy with a lot of traffic jams. Although it is allowed to drive at high speed at some places, one has to be very aware of foreign drivers who are not used to Thijs and make the dombest mistakesbecause they have no clue what is happening when other drives do 200 km +. In my several trips to the USA i found it relaxing that the speed was regulated. The “keep your lane” principel one has to get used to but I think it’s great. So when you come over here, please be fully aware that we indeed sometimes drive very fast but the Autobahn is not a track!

[pacoheineck]

I’m half German and when I did the G1 test in Canada, I failed the first time but I would’ve passed if it wasn’t for one simple question. It was “where can you pass”. Growing up w a German family I was always taught only on the left, even when driving in Canada. Well in Canada, it’s legal to pass on the left or the right, so I failed that time. Now I have a g2, which is pretty much a full license. Driving in North America you need to simply be patient and aware. I just try to be patient as I know Canadian and American drivers are really dumb and don’t have/follow rules nor do they have societal unwritten rules.

[StefanBoogert]

I think the biggest myth is that when the speed limit is gone everybody drives 200kmh. But in reality most people drive somewhere between 130-160kmh

[ardiris]

The price of gas is its own speed limit.
(:

[patrec]

1:53 - so rather than moving over to the right hand lane, as she should, this "journalist" wants to claim that a car almost hit her. Lady! You are the reason so many Germans are frustrated with autobahn drivers, because you don't adhere to the rules and drive at a mediocre speed in the middle lane. MOVE

[yagi]

Non-German here. I drive on German highways (and other roads) a couple of times a year and it’s not a myth that German motorists are *generally* law-abiding, disciplined people. Driving on limitless chunks of highways is actually not dangerous because of this general self discipline and, provided you also pay constant attention to your driving environment, it goes alright. That said, there are so many local speed limits on the Autobahns that unlimited chunks have effectively become more the exception than the rule. For my part, I’ve never exceeded 180 km/h even on the limitless parts because I just don’t feel comfortable when higher than that, so if would be unreasonable and irresponsible. Driving on an Autobahn, even on chunks that have no limits, is not about speeding for the sake of speeding.

[hunchbackaudio]

I don’t like driving in Germany and avoid it if possible. Always got to be aware of speeding missiles in your mirror when overtaking. The trucks are doing 90 km/h and the speed difference with some drivers is way too much. And I don’t know what asphalt they use but it get pretty slippery when raining. And although constantly working on the road it still looks like patchwork. I like the Dutch and Scandinavian highways a lot more. The only remark I have on the Scandinavian highway is the constant changing of the speed limit, it can become very costly if you’re not paying attention.