DRIVING IN GERMANY CULTURE SHOCKS | What Surprises Americans

Hollywood makes racing down the German #Autobahn look so much cooler than US Interstate System, but is it really all that epic? Plus, from the MUCH higher cost of der Führerschein (or driver's license) to pricy TÜV inspections and LAWS ON WASHING YOUR CAR (yes, seriously), we round up the biggest culture shocks Americans face while driving in Germany.

How to Get a German Driver's License:

Driving in Germany: An Essential Visitor's Guide:

Episode 55 | #lifeinGermany and #driving in Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany | Filmed April 26th , 2022

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Quick jump to your favorite section:

00:00 Intro
01:45 What America Gets Wrong About the German Autobahn
06:05 Are German Drivers RUDE?
09:27 Why Jonathan Got Yelled at in a Parking Garage.
12:09 TÜV in Germany vs. "Safety" Inspections in the USA
17:46 I Can't Work on My Own Car?!
20:45 How much does a driver's license in Germany cost?!
23:48 BIG ANNOUNCEMENT NEXT WEEK
26:10 Bloopers

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🛵 Our 101 TOP TRAVEL TIPS:

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Originally from the Midwest of the USA, we moved to the #blackforest in 2013 and quickly embraced #expatlife. As American expats living in #Germany, things weren't always easy, but we've grown to love our life in Germany. We started this #travelvlog​ to share our experiences with friends and family, and to help those who are interested in moving overseas! Whether you are interested in moving abroad, working abroad, studying abroad, raising a family abroad, or just want to #traveleurope, we're here to give you a first person look at what lies ahead. 😊🎥🌎

[berndegert]

Culture Shock driving in the US: On my second day after moving to the United States I didn't have a Florida Drivers license. I got caught speeding, 60 mph instead of 55 mph. The officer asked for the drivers license, so I handed my "grey german paper license". He looked at it, looked at me and asked: "Where are you from?" ... "Germany" ... He again glanced at me and said: "Okay, you guys over there know how to drive fast. But: This is not an Autobahn, so please slow down ... just a bit. Have a nice day!"

[gloofisearch]

For me, a German living in Las Vegas, driving here is like a nightmare. You always have to look around as you never know what others are doing. This shows the number of accidents you see on a daily basis no matter where you drive. The LVPD records nearly 61 crashes PER DAY and 284 people killed per year in 2019. In comparison, I chose Munich as I thought it has a similar metro population with 21 people dead, however, the metro area of Las Vegas has about 2.3 Million people and Munich nearly 6 Million. In addition, Munich has trams, tunnels, bicyclists and Autobahns and way more confusing traffic patterns than Las Vegas and still has way less people killed on the road.
I remember doing the driving test in Las Vegas. The Handbook is like 40 years old as it states "Do not switch gears when driving over a railroad crossing???". Really, that is important? Nothing in there on when to use your high beams but how many drugs will be what sentence. Due to that, you see people driving at night either with their high beams on or with no light at all, it's optional;-)

[tschaytschay]

I am German and I once stumbled upon a YouTube video in which someone filmed a German crossroad for several minutes. On this crossroad the signs went off and everyone around the world admired the German drivers for not ending in chaos. Everything was still smooth, no accidents and German viewers tried to explain the rule "right before left" to others in the comments. I was fascinated about how fascinated people could be by a German crossroad. :D

[Micsmit_]

A little addition to the mandatory first aid kit: in Germany, you are required by law to render first aid or at least call for help if you come by a traffic accident. Failure to do so is punishable with up to a year in prison or a hefty fine.

[FlorianH]

Two things you forgot to tell about the driver license here. To get the license you have to do a weekend training in first aid to help other people who get injured by an accident (you have to help by law in Germany) and you gave to go to an optical test at the doctor to make sure your eyes are completely fine.
Without this two certificates you are not allowed to do the drivers license test.

And thanks, you are so right with all you tell about German drivers. It is funny to hear but it is 100% the truth.

[milkymarssnickers]

Long story short : You can service, repair or modify you car yourself at home. There is no regulation that is prohibiting this at all. The "GarVo" mentioned is for construction and tax purposes as well as for security regulations regarding construction and maintenance of garages. So you are welcome to restore your barn find @home :)

[ulliulli]

maybe you should mention that discussions about introducing a speed limit in germany are at least as emotional as discussions about gun control in the USA. ^^

[multirider]

What I love about the Autobahn is not so much that I can travel at 200+ km/h but that one can simply cruise without having to constantly monitor your speed.

The Autobahn is quite safe and German accident rates are less than many other countries which simply proves .... its not speed that kills but speed in the wrong situation that is the killer.

[jola]

17:30 Doing maintenance and tuning on your own car by yourself is actually legal in Germany. Maintenance can actually be done without approval but tuning your car has to be approved by TÜV.

[markusweber]

I am Austrian, not German, but I am pretty sure that you can do any maintainence on your own vehicle in Germany. There is a big Tuning and Oldtimer Scene, with People rebuilding their Cars completely, of course with a TÜV inspection afterwards.

[dpmjole]

guys, it's not just Germany...
*in all of EU* you're legally obligated to have the first aid kit, a reflective vest and triangle in your car at all times
also, you need to have winter tyres during the winter and in certain parts of countries that often have snow you need to have chains as well 🤷

[Zeppelinschaffner]

To be fair, a four way stop does not exist here. There's the general rule that someone on your right or doing a right turn goes first, and you being "nice" and giving someone your turn just makes everyone slower. Just follow the rules and it'll all go faster 😅

[AstrumGV]

8:30 I think a big thing is that in Germany, they're taught to follow traffic rules extremely well, as these rules are there for a reason, to keep traffic predictable and people safe!

[Edit] on the first aid kit, you're also obligated to know how to use it, and to aid in any situation in which aid is required!

[fetzie]

My main impression of driving in America during a two week holiday in California was that American drivers in general do not know how to drive. And that includes the police.

[martingottwald]

As a German I think our "aggressive" behavior is more a result of expecting everyone being 100% concentrated when they take part at traffic. If some is not - we remind them of thinking about their behavior. But in the end, mostly it is a "friendly" mentioned reminder (in 98% of all cases - in the other 2 % I will kill you when you don't drive at a green light). Thanks for that video! like your honest view on our country.

[Scissrman]

The average for a driver's license is about 2500€ to 3000€.
If you fail your driving test, that alone is about 450€ for the redo, including a couple of hours of forced driving lessons.

[sm]

My German friend was over the alcohol limit and got his license suspended for two years. The police found out that he wasn't even living in Germany, he had a business abroad, so they emailed him telling him they know this, and that the counting will start when he comes back to live in Germany permanently again. That's heavy.

[friendlyoctopus]

I'm an American, but have lived in Munich for more than a decade, so I have car-related culture shock when I go back to the US. Well, the first thing is how hard it is to get around without it. In Munich, I don't need a car at all, so when my US license expired, I just never bothered to renew it. It is pretty limiting in the US, though - in my hometown, basically I can't do anything unless someone gives me a ride. Beyond that, even as someone who doesn't drive anymore, I really feel the differences in driving skill. I was in Orlando once, and I witnessed three crashes in three days just walking around. All cars just running into the car in front of them in traffic.

[martinschuessler]

I live in Texas but I frequently listen to local German radio. It always makes me laugh when the traffic report mentiones a vehicle stopped on the side of the road all the way across the state because that's a big deal. In the US, there's a car broken down on the side of the highway every few miles.

[hg]

Interesting fact:
the German TÜV was founded when high pressure steam engines became common in the 19th century and so did accidents with blown up steam boilers.
So they started by just checking the integrity of steam engines.