rewBlitz: Driving without a licence in Germany

A few years ago, British broadcaster James May told the story of a German who refused to believe it was possible to drive without a driving licence. Whether that story is true is impossible to say, but it raises the question: What would happen?

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[ulliulli]

You can drive your car without a licence... as long as you drive on your own ground. So, when you have a big garden or a field or something, you are allowed to drive your car there, because a field or your garden is not a place where the is valid. That's the reason why some people have a "Hier gilt die STVG/STVO" on their private ground (like private roads through a forrest etc)

[eltfell]

The day fine system is a scandinavian invention, btw.

[Mysterios]

It is sadly not as rare as many people might believe. I am a Rechtsreferendar (legal clerkship that is mandatory practical training before you can become a lawyer). In the beginning of the year, I worked for three month for the state attorney, representing them in small criminal cases in front of the court. If you looked at the criminal history of the "clients", the most common crime, next to drugs, was driving without a license.

[carlosbentzen]

Hey rewboss, have you ever made a video about why you moved to Germany? It's been 20 something years since you did but it would be pretty interesting to hear your story 😊 Also how your first years in Germany were like

[lindvanholt]

Obviously it's not a true story, but what "the German" said in this story could make sense if you consider that most cars in Europe are manuals. Automatic transmission cars - which are widespread in the US - are very simple to drive without having taken any lessons. In contrast, manuals actually have a learning curve in order to be driven on the open road. Just think of the amount of times you stalled the car while at a red light or waiting at a roundabout when you were still learning or just got your license.

If you don't have a license in Europe, it's very possible that you won't even know how to get the car moving; whereas in the US it's just a question of pressing the gas pedal.

[InspektorDreyfus]

...son.
Is that a test for people who get nervous when a sentence doesn't fin

[IIIOOOUS]

I think that was rather a language and a cultural misunderstanding than a super naiv German, who thinks nobody in Germany would drive without license.

[ulipeterson]

Yeah, i remember that phrase by James May.^^

[Baccatube]

You can even get fined if you actually own a license but get caught without having it on you. But usually they let you get away with that one.

[frankheyder]

And that's only for the "driving without licence" bit. There might be some other fines/sentences for things, like endangerment, combined with that.

[Seegalgalguntijak]

Many Germans who never made a license could actually think that they don't even know how to drive a car, how to obey the rules of the road, and all these things (and, since many cars in Germany have a manual transmission, they might even be right about not knowing how to drive a car, because that's what you learn during your first practical driving lessons, and many people aren't fully firm with it yet when they have actually passed their driving test and have their license).

[PlittHD]

I would like to add that driving without a license means in the case of an accident your insurance won’t pay out. That means on top of all the fines you will have to pay that as well. If the victim gets hurt you‘ll be in debt for ever.

[witerabid]

Sometimes Germans think they're funny when they "sarcastically" confirm people's stereotypes... I guess non-Germans find that funny but I find it pretty annoying.

[MichaelOglesby]

So, in other words, the punishment is so harsh, Germans make sure they have a licence to drive. Good thinking.

[matanadragonlin]

Yeah. "It is impossible bc it is not allowed"
The awareness of law is so deep among Germans that it is even not possible; Impossible 😁

(like this racism study within the police)

[jeanjacques]

If only the laws were the same in U.K. and imposed as rigorously as in Germany and double for not having insurance. Driving without insurance, licence or while banned from driving is extremely common in U.K. a special insurance fund had to be set up to cover uninsured losses in these cases which honest drivers have to fund.

[privatevendetta]

German here and I could see that conversation happening, but being slightly exaggerated. I once forgot to renew my identity card for a couple of years (which you are required to keep up to date). When speaking to the lady at the office she couldn't comprehend how I could go on living like that. She said but surely you have your passport up to date then. You are allowed to have that instead, but by law one of them has to be on you all the time and up to date. I pulled out my passport and requested a renewal for that as well.

[Renault_-MX]

I have to admit that I somewhat regularly drive without a licence (even though I have the class T tractor licence), but only because class T (stupidly) only covers driving trips with a agricultural/forestry purposes, and not ones like driving your old Hanomag Brilliant to a Oldtimer meetup.
And the reason why I find this stupid is that I can legally drive a 500hp tractor at 60kph with a 60t tridem axle trailer full of wheat to a grain merchant 120km away, meaning a 4h+ trip to and back; but I can't legally drive our 70hp tractor with 5.7t 25kph push brake trailer to get fire woods since it for private use.

I mean what is more dangerous, a 70hp track going at 25kph with someone who drove it for more then a year; or a 500hp tractor coming in at over 75 tons going 60kph, with a driver who has just come out of driving school.

[barbarossarotbart]

You even get problems if you have licence but the driver has none.

[Villariba]

Fährst du ohne Lappen, werden sie dich schnappen...