Driving: Germany vs. USA | This Surprised Us!

[@th.a]

With regard to 'Turn Right on Red' Nick Alfieri from the NALF KZbin channel found a very good explanation and reason why this can only be found occasionally inGermany. Nick is a US football player who is playing for the Schäbischhall Unicorns. At first he was of the same opinion you stated. But after he enquired this topic he changed his mind and came up with a good explanation. The whole US traffic and is rules are primarily made for cars. Cyclists and pedestrians are a minority and therfeore caring for their safety isn't this important. Traffic in Germany and whole Europe is to a lesser extend made purely for cars. To protect cyclists and pedestrians is it simply safer to regulate turning right by a traffic light. And I think he has a point here.

[@glennet9613]

Where it is safe there is often a right turn lane that avoids the traffic lights.

[@fireskorpion396]

I agree, as far as I've heard Americans completely disregard the existence of pedestrians. I like watching Not Just Bikes where it's all explained, and channels like Adam Something

[@de00001]

And there are traffic lights with a green arrow pointing to the right that indicates, that you can ignore the red traffic light and turn right after a little stop to watch for cyclists an pedestrians

[@th.a]

@@de00001 there are no traffic lights indicating the right to turn on red in Germany. The right to turn right on red is indicated by a green sign with a white arrow pointing to the right. In the rare cases where you will find these signs you have to stop as if it was a Stop sign and when the road is clear you are allowed to turn right on red. By the way this is one of the few leftovers from the former German Democratic Republic, Easter Germany.

[@de00001]

@@th.a sorry for confusing you. "traffic lights with a green arrow..." was meant to mean "there is a green sign with a white arrow ....", I should have been more precise. And I hoped people get this right by interpreting "a little stop" as "as if it was a STOP sign ...". Btw, I see those green things a lot in West Germany, but: I know it as a leftover from East Germany ;-)

[@nettcologne9186]

Germany: The problem that you cannot see the traffic light clearly when you are in the front row is resolved by the fact that the car behind you immediately honks when you are not driving when the traffic light changes to green :-)

[@TypeAshton]

hahahaha oh man. YES, even if you can't see the light, they will make sure you know about it .005 seconds later.

[@xFD2x]

Its most important you have the correct reaction to a traffic light when you are nearing an intersection. At that moment the European traffic lights are closer to the driver and have better visibility than the American ones. The amount of American drivers blasting through a red light proves this point.

[@TypeAshton]

I think the US also has a lot of distracted drivers which leads to running red lights. Being on the cellphone while driving is a huge problem there.

[@AleaumeAnders]

@@TypeAshton Also geography/astronomy might have some part to play. In Germany you usually have two traffic lights. One combined with the pedestrian traffic lights, so basically a tad to much to your right if you are the first car. Your Beifahrer should see it well enough though. The second one straight above you, also badly visible again if you are in the first car. And again, let your SO crane their neck, you as the driver are supposed to drive. BUT: even if the sun is rising/setting, and you are almost blinded, at least one of those two she should still be visible, as they are on rather distinct angles from you. And as written before by FD2: much better visible to the 2nd and 3rd car, so honking ensues. If all lights where just just straight ahead, in some distance, they'd be completely useless to all drivers on your direction.

[@whattheflyingfuck...]

awesome xD

[@SiqueScarface]

2:35 The main reason why traffic lights in Germany are on your side of the crossing is clarity. Germany with its old town centers has many very irregularly shaped crossings, and a traffic light at the opposite side can not easily be attributed to a certain lane or even a road. When the first traffic lights were introduced in the 1920ies, Germany experimented with the placement of the traffic lights on the opposite side or hanging down from cables spanned across the crossing. In the 1950ies, all those installations were removed due to constant confusion of drivers. 3:20 Turning right on red lights is not often used in Germany due to pedestrian and bicycling traffic. When you are waiting on a crossing, chances are high that you not only have to watch out for car traffic, but also for pedestrians and other traffic you don't regularly have in the U.S.. Thus in Germany, turning right on red lights is decided on a case-by-case base.

[@berlinptu72]

putting the traffic lights on your side also increases security, by not letting you enter the crossing due to miscalculating the size (of the crossing) or the position of the stop line(?) , especially at bad light conditions

[@Hensepens64]

Same is true for most European countries regarding no free right turn when lights are red.

[@bemixto]

@@berlinptu72 I think you are right. If traffic lights are on your side of the intersection, you will not protrude as much into the crossing as you maybe would if the lights are on the other side. I have experienced this a couple of times overseas with cars invading pedestrian space in such situations. A small hint for such situations: while the pedestrians traffic lights (for those crossing in front of you) are green, don't bother looking for your traffic lights color. It will defenitely not be green until pedestrian lights change to red.

[@MichaelEricMenk]

In Norway, most intersection have a light further away in addition to the at the stop line. For the intersection that do not have this (or it to high anyway), I will stop before the stop line. Problem solved.

[@MichaelEricMenk]

Regarding turn-right-on-red, research have found out that this greatly increases the probability of running over pedestrians. I do not remember the number, it was BTW an American source.

[@shift-happens]

Even if it's very convenient (for car users), the reason for not allowing turn right on red is safety, especially for bikers and pedestrians crossing in the same direction. You can find studies coming out of the Netherlands that show how deadly turn right on red actually is. It gives a false sense of entitlement to turn right without looking.

[@SirHeinzbond]

and the solution would be shorter cycle of turning lights... could be easy programmed but no one does....

[@ADRIAN-zh4ti]

@@SirHeinzbond doesn't work: Traffic jam

[@SirHeinzbond]

@@ADRIAN-zh4ti kzbin.info/www/bejne/oZ_Fh4qOr7FnY5Y look at this, doesn't look like jam in Netherlands... but okay, the have integrated infrastructure for all users...

[@derpopanz4502]

Pedestrians or biciklers are not very common in the US... or they already died out ;-)

[@elsyvien]

@@SirHeinzbond yeah but we don't want more people on the road we want to get them of the road. Making things more convenient would bring more people to drive cars.

[@foshizzlfizzl]

Hey some advice from a German driver. The lights are always doubled or trippled. So if you are stopping at a light.. You don't have to look upwards to see the light. Just turn your head to the side. It rare that you will have to look upwards. Turn left on red: In Europe are far more people walking, crossing or driving) riding a bicycle. Also there are intersections with the Straßenbahn (tram) in lots of cities. If everybody would turn on red, there would be far more accidents on our small roads.

[@mishXY]

Turn right* on red. There is no turn left on red lol

[@katioely8672]

That's what I thought. Red light? Just watch the light at the side 😅

[@melisssak1912]

In some, maybe rare cases we have a sign under the red light with a green arrow (no light!). With this you are allowed to turn right after checking your way, even with red light (circle). If you have a green arrow as a light means also no pedestrian on your way. With a green light as a circle and you wanna turn right, pedestrians could maybe have green on their way, too. Can be really dangerous!

[@BrandonLeeBrown]

@@mishXY There is left turn on red with one way streets.

[@MenschGusti]

7:20 Hammond thats the worst thing I’ve ever seen. Hammond: It’s brilliant

[@ThePixel1983]

My instructor in Germany told me early on: "You are behind the wheel, you are handling a weapon." This stuck with me.

[@TypeAshton]

I was tought this too at a young age. It's important to point out.

[@mllecamill3]

@@TypeAshton Thats why I dont understand the driving with 16 years or even younger in the US. Driving a car is a huge responsibility. You are still a child. Its scary.

[@pebo8306]

@@mllecamill3 In the US 12 years old may kill elk or handle a machine gun!(and kill the instructor.as happened once)!

[@derohneusername]

@@mllecamill3 to be fair, you can drive scooters in Germany on public roads starting at age 15. It's expected that you have experience ie by riding a bike for years to school or so. Still, a test is required. Given that scooters offer little to basically zero security for the rider, I think (today at least) that it's somewhat crazy that it's actually allowed to be a part of the team "motorized road users" and yet everybody on the road makes you feel like you are an annoyance (25kmh when 15, 45 kmh 16 and up) and hindrance, passing you dangerously, pushing from behind, etc.

[@cappie1708]

@@mllecamill3 I'm sure that has to do with the zoning policies. Kids living in the suburbs are entirely depend on their parents to get somewhere because of huge distances and lack of public transport

[@x0kosmus0x]

3:36 You just demonstrated why "right on red" isn't a thing in Germany. You looked left and then immediately turned right. If a pedestrian would cross the street, you might hit them.

[@TypeAshton]

Yes you're right that the editing didn't show this, but I can assure you I have looked both directions. That being said, it's clear why it won't work in Germany or most of Europe. In the United States, there are almost no pedestrians on the streets (excluding major cities), so it sort of works. Although it does increase the risk for accidents.

[@x0kosmus0x]

@@TypeAshton sorry didn't want to offend you. I'm sure you are a careful driver, but sadly other people are not.

[@scratchy996]

You can look right, left, watch for pedestrians, start driving and hit a cyclist who was in the dead spot of your right side mirror, while you were looking to the right for pedestrians. It's very risky, unless the intersection is in a wide open space, with very little foot traffic.

[@christiang5209]

@@scratchy996 few foot traffic or cyclist made it more dangerous, for the ones who are there ... Canada and i believe Australia made the experience, that after cyclist need a helmet that they are less cyclist on the road but more head injuries per km. One reasoning it was that rare occurance of cyclist, make the cars unaware of them. While when you drive in Stockholm it is impossible to gain the habit that you dont look for them.

[@mondvogel6124]

@@TypeAshton it works just fine in germany as well. there is areas in Germany (mostly old DDR) with the "green arrow" which is basically turn on right; works just fine! These are btw different from the green arrow by the traffic light, but a little static sign of a green arrow attached to the traffic light

[@spaltersar]

Streets in Germany are tight, because most of the cities and villages had been founded way before automobiles existed. They were simply made for pedestrians and some carts per day. Even when houses were rebuilt, the size of the roads still remained. Some cities were re-planned after WW2 because they were bombed to ground, but most of smaller cities which were no target in WW2 have small roads.

[@TypeAshton]

Absolutely! There is definitely a different historical factor to the scale of cities and the infrastructure for sure.

[@spellespelle7363]

There´s another simple reason there have to be only one Mainroad/Hauptstraße these are build and paid from the country thats why they have numbers (4,75m wide Rule @ StVo), villages got many Community/Gemeinde Streets/Straßen or even private ones ... build and paid from the villages or house owners ... Americans planned well with their colonies Germans:- castle here.... castle there.... lets connect them like color by numbers :D

[@Prussian84]

@@spellespelle7363 2,75 - 3,75 m. 4,75 m would be fine.. . That`s not tight in my oppinion. I was in UK with my 1,86 m car .. I survived it without an accident.

[@ManfredPrefi]

@@spellespelle7363 That is not completly correct. The width of the road has nothing to do with that who has to pay the road. Often, the streets are blurred with intention, yes, some roads are "built back" - so narrower to make the traffic slower.

[@chrisbee9643]

even citys like erfurt, who suffered bombing were not replaned but just restored.

[@Jimmy-Vance]

The editing was brilliant. Loved the little memes in between. Love from a random Kraut. Stay safe guys!

[@TypeAshton]

Thanks so much!

[@fritzfeuerdorn2833]

4:55 you don't need to worry about the speed cameras at all! :P There is a nice trick: Match the black number on the signs on the roadside with your speedometer and your fine! :D

[@Warentester]

In Germany, changing direction always requires you to give way to all other traffic, and that includes bicycles and pedestrian. Turning right on red could encourage potentially dangerous turning behaviour given the amount of non car traffic. Germany did introduce the "Green Arrow" to allow right on red in intersections where there is little pedestrian/bicycle traffic to be expected.

[@TypeAshton]

That's a fair point and I could also see this causing the pedestrian path (zebrastreifen) to be blocked.

[@winterschmied4583]

@@TypeAshton Not only blocking the pedstrial crossing. I'm living in the Ruhrgebiet Area, but I think it's quite similar to other Cities where many traffic occures. Here we not only have the crossing pedestrians but many cyclists too. And Jonathan, as a cylcist himself, should know, that cyling in heavy traffic on those smaller streets here in Germany is far more dangerous. So to protect not only the (slower) pedestrians but also the (much faster) cyclists crossing at their green light it is not that easy to put a green arrow on each Street. In the more rural Areas with much lesser crossing traffic from pedestrians or bicycles the green arrow could be much easier installed. But here in Germany that had to be done in a way to make a new rule, like: what crossing, why this crossing and not that, how would some other rules would be affected etc. So you see that's not that easy. By the way, if a Road user is in any way harmed due to that green arrow, and wouldn't be harmed if that sign hadn't been installed the Government could be sentenced to pay a huge sum. I think that also is a reason for not using that everywhere. By the way, Happy new to you.

[@roelli79]

Well, it was not Germany that introduced the green arrow, in fact it was a thing in GDR ever since, after re-unification it became an official sign in the western part, too. Nowadays unforunately more and more of these green arrows disappear.

[@Warentester]

@@roelli79 Are you saying the GDR is not Germany?

[@Chuulip]

Additionally there is a green arrow light as well. The difference is that the green arrow sign allows you to turn right after stopping briefly and checking the traffic, even if the light is red, whereas the green arrow light means you can pass without special precautions (obviously while still making sure not to run over bikes and pedestrians on your right)

[@svay3074]

It's quite hillarious. I am living in Germany. Me and a lot of my friends got our driver's licenses recently. Almost noone feels absolutely safe. It is quite insane to imagime how it would be like if the only training we had was with our parents...

[@TypeAshton]

I think that is one of the reasons why not many rules in America are followed correctly or at all. They were not taught the rules. We feel relatively safe in Germany driving, it's just at a faster pace with some extra stress sprinkled on top.

[@Arltratlo]

one reason you can have a gun in the USA and not in Germany.... both times you need to prove in Germany you are not a lunatic, in the USA you are need nothing to prove!

[@MistedMind]

@@Arltratlo Yep.... both licenses are given next to everyone, darned be the consequences. "If they are murderers - we'll just have to see if they murder someone and then arrest them! Problem solved!" "If they are careless drivers we'll just have to wait till they cause a giant crash with fatal casualties and arrest them! Problem solved!" Many/most(?) Laws in the US ASSUME everyone is a Law abiding citizen and hence no regard to "what could happen if...." is given. Ignoring reality until it#s too late.

[@IgorDellaPietra]

one advice from a german driver who has it's license for 10 years: dont worry if you parents are scared when they drive with you. even though you might drive safe and careful - they are always scared of having their car or worse their kid damaged in some way ^^ you are going to understand when you have children of your own. and another advice: a lot of guys drive one handed and dont really look when changeing lanes. dont be that person. keep up the rules of your driving instructor. you are sitting in a moving weapon and not on your couch at home

[@xBrainZy]

I have 2 years experience of driving and I agree with you.

[@alexanderschulz5961]

Additional info: The driving license costs you around 2000€ in Germany with all courses and fees. If your traffic violations are large, you will receive points (penalty points), up to 3 for large violations. If you have 8 points, your driver's license can be revoked for life. The authority for all of Germany is based in Flensburg. This has also found its way into everyday language: E.g. I received a letter from Flensburg. Ok when did you drive too fast.

[@vincentlavallee2779]

I find the so called explanation of turn on red is unacceptable. We have cities where there is a large number of pedestrians that cross the street, so I do not see that as an issue. The driver must look for them before turning as well. As for cyclists, those that turn right on red have to look for them too, either by looking to the right, or looking into their right mirror. Hopefully, the cyclists are not too far forward, in the way of a right turn. A lot of our Turn right on Red are on right turn only lanes so there better not be a bicyclist in that lane if he/she is planning on going straight. And for regular lanes (can go straight or can turn), bicyclists should be out of the way for cars turning right on a red light. Of course, bicyclists become an issue when the light turns green, and the car wants to turn right. But this has nothing to do with 'turn right on red'. Basically, the Europeans are not as innovative as Americans, which is so evident with all the key inventions the world uses that have come from the US.`

[@paularvozm]

As a german i would actually have to hold me back from "going all in" on the speed when i drove on the american freeway the first time, because i was so used to our Autobahn. The highway speed i drove in the US felt like a relaxing ride on a country road to me. I was also always surprised when someone passed me on the right, as this is totally illegal on highways here in Germany.

[@izoyt]

sorry, but u.s. highways are mental (especially driving around florida etc). i feel much safer on autobahn, doing 150-220 km/h, than cruising at 90 km/h on their highway. pure chaos with over taking, broken tires all over, aligators lol, you name it etc etc.

[@bryanboone7363]

Sorry, but it's all in your head that you think the Autobahn is so fast and amazing. It's not. Studies show that the average speed on US freeways is 73 mph (117 kmh). Average speed on the Autobahn is 78 mph (125 kmh). In the USA, you will see people regularly driving 80 to 85 mph (136 kmh). While there are lots of people that drive 220 kmh (135 mph) on the Autobahn, these speeds are completely absurd. If you get into a car accident at 135 mph, your car vaporizes. No seatbelt or airbag is going to save you. 75 mph is bad enough. In the USA, you can also get pulled over for passing on the right, although, most cops won't. The reason why people usually don't is because most people are bad drives and they don't even think about blocking someone wanting to get by. So when everyone is doing it, it is hard to pull everyone over for it. Also, another thing that people like to do is claim the Autobahn has better roads. Anyone who says this usually has no idea why. They just think the Autobahn sounds cool and that it's good because it has no posted speed limit on some of it. It's really a myth that people just keep repeating and everyone thinks is true. In reality, the Autobahn is nothing special compared to US roads. The amount of construction is basically the same, and there are plenty of smaller roads that make up the Autobahn that are in pretty bad shape too. Germany didn't invent magical materials to build a road with. It's exactly the same materials. Concrete, steel, and asphalt. The USA has some of the largest and widest roads in the world. Both in terms of width, and length. The Pan-American road is the longest road in the world, and I-10 in Texas is one of the widest in the world. Between 18 and 26 lanes wide, depending on how you count them.

[@paularvozm]

@@bryanboone7363 I never said the Autobahn was special, nore did i say it was better than US highways. I just stated my experience on them compared to the Autobahn. Its basically a highway system like any other with the only exception being the non-existent speed limit. But even that will probably be gone in a few years, when green politicans set the speed limit to 130 like most europeans countries.

[@bryanboone7363]

@@paularvozm "I never said the Autobahn was special"......"Its basically a highway system like no other" So is the Autobahn special or not?

[@paularvozm]

​@@bryanboone7363 Ah man, you got me. Wanted to say "... like any other". Thats what happens when you type too fast

[@chrisdieter9594]

I find how you made this video very special and also difficult!.. Good idea to ride in the US and Germany at the same time to explain the differences!.. Big compliment!👍😘

[@codex4046]

With regards to the traffic light position: The reason why the light is closer so you are unconciously looking to the closer part of the intersection where cyclists and pedestrians are. It's one of the design principles that make the road design safer. I'm not sure about Germany but in the Netherlands if you stop at a light with the stop line directly visible underneath your left mirror you should be able to see the overhead traffic light without issues as well.

[@moony2703]

Interesting, I was thinking maybe it encouraged people to park further back to give those crossing room, but that also makes sense! There is a straight section with a bunch of traffic lights in my town so if I'm approaching a light from far away and it's already green I'm going to be watching it (and the opposite side of the intersection instead of the side closest to me) like a hawk so I have time to decide to break or keep going at the intercetion which means that if I'm the car in front I'm very much not watching the footcrossing but the lights and traffic. Granted nobody should be crossing at that time _anyway_ but still. So yeah I could see how putting the lights closer (or better yet more roundabouts...) could perhaps help with this!

[@moony2703]

*watching the light like a hawk in case it turns Orange and I need to figure out if I'm far enough out to break or not.

[@gonun69]

Be aware when overtaking bicycles in Germany that you need to keep a distance of at least 1.5 metres in cities and at least 2 metres outside of cities. This means there are some streets where it isn't possible to legally overtake bicycles even if it seems that there's enough room.

[@cristianc.6302]

In Belgium there are streets painted all red (usually very narrow one way street) and on theese streets you, as a driver, you are not allowed to overtake a cyclist.

[@Rorimac67]

@@cristianc.6302 Alternatively you can then just push him a little forward. That will work surely. ;-)

[@RePlayBoy101]

nah its actually 1m in cities and 1.5m out of cities acording to EU regulations .... also if the bicycle creates a column of 5 or more cars, they are required to give way so no matter what , you will pass the bicycle

[@edwardrichtofen611]

And if you are a ass cyclist you actually drive in the middle of the lane OR you really want the 1,5 m. The road rage problem comes form both side, Bike need only 1 meter max and cars need to take the 1 meter seriously. As a car driver and a cyclist, I get mad at both side, but to be honest, I get more mad at cyclist, because they often times drive like asses (most often, driving in the middle of the lane)

[@RePlayBoy101]

@Kreuhn Kohrman obviously ... a cyclist must be taken as a vehicle and you shuld not pass it if you can do it in a safe manner

[@itsmebatman]

When I was 18 and got my German driving license I too thought driving really fast on the Autobahn would never get old. Alas, I got older and realized it's a freaking waste of money, because you consume so much more fuel. That's not just because driving fast consumes more, but also, because you constantly have to slow down and accelerate again which makes it even worse. So now, about 2 decades later I usually cruise at around 140 km/h and chill.

[@TypeAshton]

Yes this is something I thought when I moved here from the United States. In reality it's quite difficult to truly drive fast. It's a lot of hard braking and stau's. Not really the same as many dreamed.

[@ValerieJLong]

Indeed. "Go with the flow" is much easier, even if the flow may be 120 km/h here and 160 km/h there sometimes. Driving fast is okay (1) outside rush hours, (2) outside urban areas, (3) if you have three lanes, (4) on sundays with little to no truck traffic...

[@jennyh4025]

My favorite speed after a stressful day at the office is actually 93 km/h on a nearly empty Autobahn. I don’t have to pass trucks and no truck is (legally) fast enough to catch up with me and crawl into my trunk.

[@brag0001]

@@TypeAshton if you absolutely want to go crazy fast, drive during the night. A lot less traffic also means a lot less obstacles slowing you down ... You will still be wasting a lot of money gaining very little in return though ...

[@koborkutya7338]

@@TypeAshton I had one occasion when - due to a Lufthansa stike - we were forced to rent a car and drive through Germany from Hamburg to Passau. That of course was a pain but I was also looking forward getting on the motorway and floor it, no restriction - I planned to travel at 180kmph or more, just to get it done fast. And then reality kicked in: during afternoon and evening hours in the dense indstrial region around Hanover you have very high traffic, we could not go faster than 100-120, then during the night hours we got light rain and foggy and still quite some heavy traffic so most of the time I could not drive faster than 110-120 again. I drove at 160 altogether about a net of 10 minutes in the entire trip. Also, I heard (don't know if it's true) many insurance companies stipulate that if you cause damage when driving above 140kmph they will not cover. So, no limits OK but then it's entirely your risk. In general, I thought much more motorists will drive at high speeds on the Autobahns but the reality was it was not much faster than in my home country (Hungary)

[@michaelhaas4431]

For me as a German driver it took a while to realize that the traffic lights in Germany which are installed high above the road are meant to be seen from far away whereas the lights to the left and right are for the drivers right in front of the intersection (thus way better to see from this position).

[@petergeyer7584]

The last time my in-laws visited us in Germany, we took them on a road trip. They were both having panic attacks before we even left the city (Berlin) because of all of the cyclists and pedestrians constantly coming at us from all directions. They asked how I could drive under these conditions. I just told them that you actually have to pay attention when you drive here, and it becomes natural with enough practice.

This is also bad in Berlin. This is also the case in Münster. But that’s really extreme there.

[@maxsangorgonio6647]

@petergeyer7584 "...you actually have to pay attention when you drive here". 😂Very well put! People here in the U.S. are too busy with their damn phone to pay attention, and now with all of these new "Safety Features" that are being put on new cars, they expect the car to pay attention!

[@realist1977]

They should go to India! There you can see another level up. I'm German, but I refused to drive there...

[@xaltos6196]

The traffic lights on the other side of the crossing only works so well if you have a square simple crossing. But this is not always the case in Germany. There are really complicated crossing with for example 6 streets, extra lanes for a tram, bikes, pedestrians ...

[@TypeAshton]

True! I would wonder if it would be more helpful to hang the lights in the middle of the intersection. In wonky/diagonal crossings or where there are extra lanes for trams, sometimes the US will string cables across the intersection and hang lights in the middle to make it more clear.

[@noahstip109]

@@TypeAshton Imagine this on the Kronenbrücke, of course, it would work somehow, but I think the point of Xal tos is quite valid... Anyway, love seeing my hometown in your videos, thank you so much for your work here😊👍👍👍

[@korbendallas5318]

@@TypeAshton I think that would add to the confusion. Putting them across the street makes them easier to see, putting them right next to the stop lane makes it very clear where they belong to. I agree that the US way is probably only possible with a very square road system. Mixing them depending on the type of intersection is probably the worst solution. Traffic is complicated enough.

[@andrewcharlton4053]

In the UK we solve that with multiple sets. So near traffic lights like in Germany and then also ones on the far side like in the US, however most of them are on vertically mounted poles rather than spanning across the junction or interchange. Often on large roundabouts that are traffic controlled we'll have 3 sets of lights that show the same information.

This comes from not using grids of streets I guess.

[@nephilion]

2:40 to add, having the stoplight on your side also encourages you to keep the proper distance to the white line and not go too far into the intersection (prevents creeping), potentially blocking cyclists or pedestrians crossing. If you can't see the light, you are too far into the intersection.

[@TypeAshton]

Yes good point. In the United States it's very common people stop FAR past the white line.

[@Colaholiker]

It also depends on the car. If you drive a car with a ridiculously long hood that may work. With my car, which has a very short "nose" (and there are even smaller ones, like the Smart), my front bumper aligns with the white line and still I have to twist and turn to see the traffic lights on some intersections. Especially if you're tall and your seat is all the way back. Stopping too early can create a different kind of problem - while you may be able to see the light, you may never see it turn green, as at least here, many traffic lights will have an inductive sensor in the street to check for waiting cars and adjust the cycle accordingly. If you stop before this sensor triggers, you're going to wait... and wait... and wait...

[@lindsaywebb1904]

I hated this when I moved to Germany from Australia, but eventually I realised it was a much cleverer system to maintain safety at the intersections

[@BUFU1610]

@@TypeAshton got to agree with OP, I have never twisted my head like you in the video and I've driven 15 years. If you can't see the traffic lights to your *side*, you are doing something wrong. But I think the French have actually the perfect system for that problem: They have basically the same lights as Germany, but a teeny tiny one down in your perfect eye sight! I just love that!

[@drfisheye]

There is also the lower trafficlight on the right, no need to look up. Very often there is a pedestrian and/or bike crossing before the lights, with the white stopping line before that. So then there is enough room to see the lights high up.

[@betaich]

Right on red: Bad idea here because of way more foot and bicycle traffic. In Germany most lights are as such that when the cross direction has green foot and bicycle traffic has also green, most of the time they even have longer green than cars. So if you had turning right on red on all intersection at least in cities you would have a lot of injured or dead bicyclists or pedestrians. Intersection were it is safe to turn right on red have either a dedicated light signal to turn right or a physical green arrow sign. For the density and differences in city planning I would recommend the channel not just bikes, from a Canadian living in the Netherlands. He also explain that narrow 30 km/h streets are safer for everyone from playing or traveling kids to drivers. Regarding the drivers license, that is very well known it was so well known that until 10ish years ago it was quite common for exchange students from Germany to make their license in the US for the reasons you mentioned, it stopped 10 years ago because the visas for Exchange students now most often have a passus in them that you are not allowed to make a license (or at least that was what I was told)

[@TypeAshton]

I understand the need for safety, intersections are smaller and there are a lot of pedestrian traffic and bicyclists - However, theoretically if the light was red because traffic was moving in a perpendicular direction, neither bicyclists or pedestrians would (should) be crossing the street. Unless of course, you are waiting for those to cross immediately in front of you (also moving perpendicular). We have always been so impressed by how well German driver's anticipate cyclists/pedestrians on green lights. It makes us feel so much safer. ❤️❤️❤️

[@betaich]

@@TypeAshton If I have it right in my head when the perpendicular traffic to you has green the same goes for the pedestrians and bikes in that direction, therefore you would hit them, provided there were crossings for them on both sides (which is mostly true for pedestrians) when driving in any direction, or have I something wrong here? Either way it was a good video from you two. Also who of you answered right now? That is all very confusing or my sleep deprived brain thinks it is. :D

[@JensFrank]

@@TypeAshton There are signal phases were only left turns are allowed. So, if you're waiting at a red traffic light and the traffic from your right and left is allowed to turn left only, the pedestrians to your right can advance to the middle-of-the-street island. If you would now be allowed to turn right, this might interfere with them. And slowly, you start to see traffic lights in Germany that have all cars on stops and all four pedestrian crossings are "green". Not having "turn right on red" gives much more flexibility for the traffic planers. If they think it's OK, they can add a sign to the traffic lights allowing it.

[@martinpaulsen7211]

Bei Rot rechts abzubiegen ist keine neue Idee. In vielen „neuen Bundesländern“ gibt es das kleine Schild an der Ampel, dass einem das Rechtsabiegen auch bei Rot erlaubt. Diese Idee wurde auch in einigen „alten“ Bundesländen übernommen, z.B. in Flensburg (Schleswig Holstein) siehe de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gr%C3%BCnpfeil

[@betaich]

@@martinpaulsen7211 ich weiß, bin aus den neuen Bundesländern, deswegen steht es ja auch in meinem original Kommentar als Ausnahme,

[@rientsdijkstra4266]

Nice video! However, there is one point I want to make: The fact that you can not go right through a red light in Europe is very simple and logical! As the Not Just Bikes channel explained: Road in America are very much developed with ONLY CARS in mind. And then it is logical that you could turn right trough a red light if there is (or seems to be) no other traffic. HOWEVER. In Europa and there tends to be many more pedestrians and especially cyclists coming from all directions, and also from right behind you, who will want to pass you to go for instance straight on. It will be very hard for you as a car driver to spot all of those, and that will make your behavior very unpredictable and dangerous for those other road users. Because when they try to pass you on the right hand side to go straight on, while you turn right through the red light, you will scoop them up while they are in your blind spot. So from a European perspective it is completely logical, and necessary, that you can not turn right through a red light, even if you think(!) nobody is coming! EDIT: I now see that others have given the same reaction. But hey: the point is here to be made...

[@gbrdhvndi]

Turning right (left in the UK) on red is also legal in many countries across Europe, but only on junctions/intersections with a dedicated lane for turning right (left in the UK)separated by a physical barrier (raised pedestrian safety island), so it looks like an adjacent road with its own traffic signals.

[@Krabbat]

Turn right on red is in Germany also optional legal if there ist a green arrow at the traffic lights. If it is a lightend arrow you may go on. If there ist only a road sign with a green arrow additional at the traffic lights you must (!) Stop and check for traffic first (a rule that the most of germans also not know). Road signs with a green arrow are even more in the eastern Countys of Germany, because of the history. In the former socialist germany was turn right on a red light with the green arrow sign allowed since a long time. Remember: if there is only a green arrow sign. Stop-check-go. If there ist a green arrow light you may go.

[@fespa]

Very interesting takes, especially being from another country and currently living in Germany. Some of the 'whys' of your observations can be found in the 'Not Just Bikes' channel. About the driver's license: there is a 40% fail rate on both the theoretical and practical exams here in Germany, which says a lot about the quality of the drivers the government is striving for. As I tell my kids: Driving is easy. Being a driver is not.

[@TypeAshton]

We were also recommended this channel by a few others and VERY much enjoyed the content. Really good stuff. ❤️❤️❤️ Also, great advice for your kids. I can imagine that with such a hard exam and the costs of acquiring the license, it is quite the incentive to be an attentive driver.

[@romanryuninvalek487]

You can tell the quality of German drivers. I am from Prague and whenever I drive in Germany I make sure I am on par with the local drivers and am proud I can be as good as them. Which is not so easy on super busy fast autobahns or on busy city streets where your reactions have to be super quick but you still need to respect the rules. I feel more relaxed in Italy where they are quick but also flexible to tolerate other drivers reckless style.

[@asphalthedgehog6580]

@@romanryuninvalek487 Im from a 'big' busy city in the Netherlands, but it was quite a challenge for me the first time I drove in Italian cities. You really need an aggressive driving style there to get where you want to go to. At a 3 line road 6 cars stand next to eachother at the traffic light. Better own a fast car and quick reactions if you're standing on the right but have to turn left the next crossing. Arc de Triomphe (Paris) is a fine challenge too if you drive there for the first time. But from colleagues who have been driving in Egypt or India this is child's play: no rules there, only faith you'll survive.

[@thomasalbrecht5914]

Interesting video, well done. Re ”Turn right on red”: there’s an exception to this which was carried over from East Germany, in the shape of a small tin sign next to the stop light displaying a green arrow towards the right. At such junctions, you have to stop briefly at the red light, check that the coast is clear, after which you may turn right on red. The general rule excluding this takes into account that in Germany the stop lights are also there to let pedestrians cross from the sidewalks that are mostly absent from the American “stroads”... and that drivers will already harass those pedestrians when the lights are green for both (when moving in parallel). Also, you’ll have more cyclists that may come from behind ignoring the red lights (they have no license plate to identify a trespasser...) and that could be in danger if a car suddenly decides to turn right on red.

[@TypeAshton]

Yes that makes sense to us as well. There is almost no foot traffic in the states except for major cities. I could see the zebrastreifen being continuously blocked, which would create a dangerous situation for many pedestrians.

[@HauptmannMumm]

Ein Nummernschild hindert niemanden an einem Rotlichtverstoß :)

[@MichaEl-rh1kv]

There was a great hype after reunification for that sign that allowed to turn right at a red traffic light - but in most cities in the western startes nearly all of these signs are now vanished again. Sometimes since they caused dangerous situations, sometimes since traffic routing was slightly changed, sometimes because some decision maker within the local traffic authorities simply did not like them. Maybe sometimes also because many West German drivers simply couldn't become accustomed to them and the according rules. In East Germany however they are still ubiquituous.

[@ContinuumGaming]

@@HauptmannMumm Ich würde mal sagen: Doch. Sicher nicht jeden, aber wenn Du mit einem Nummernschild identifizierbar wärst würden es weniger sein, weil Du eben dann auch geblitzt werden könntest, etc. Aber macht natürlich eine Menge mehr logistischen Aufwand, usw. aus.

[@mllecamill3]

Damn, someone was faster. :D

[@argonautilus739]

I personally think what you missed is that in Germany, as in most of Europe I believe, there is a big difference to a round green lights meaning compared to a green arrow. "You're permitted to drive when possible," compared to "You're permitted to drive and no one can legally be in your way".

[@jacobcarlson4010]

I like this idea. If only we could make americans care enough to make the distinction.

[@MrGeneration83]

Over half of all the accidents that happens in intersections in the USA, happens when people turn right on red and the majority of accidents are car on pedistrians/bikes.

[@willp.8120]

False

[@TheMVCoho]

Zero chance this is true.

[@richardbowles7690]

Bravo. And, fantastic you take the time to create a well-edited video. Thank you. Two other topics to consider: vehicle lighting in Europe vs. USA (rear fog light, and headlights), and deeper-dive into fines, especially for "drink driving." Baffles me how we have inferior headlights in USA, both the lumens and quality of focus. Am speaking as former rallye co-driver and veteran of many events in Europe in USA.

[@liferethought]

Completely agree that driving in Germany is much more relaxing and helpfully structured. The one thing I find crazy in Germany is that most Americans can get a German license automatically without any test. But the states that Germany recognizes are across the board the states with the lowest driving standards in the USA, while states with the highest standards and most restrictive licenses (like New York State) are not recognized. This is because Germany gives reciprocity to those states that likewise recognize German licenses, so, in effect states with lower standards get automatic licenses, while states with high standards can't. :)

[@TypeAshton]

That is really interesting! I was curious what parameters Germany uses to establish reciprocity with driver's licenses. I had originally thought it was which states had the most comprehensive driver's education. For example, my Illinois license was an easy transition (no test or class required in Germany). But we also have a very strict driver's education requirement in Illinois (a semester class that is integrated into the school system, required driving hours with a parent AND with a certified driving instructor, a vision test, a hearing test, a comprehensive written driving exam, a comprehensive driving practical exam and a test at the DMV with "surprise" driving exams in person 1-2 times per month)..... by comparison, in Missouri you just need to log hours with a parent, pass the 10 question test at the DMV and you're good. No class required or driving with a certified Instructor. However, Germany won't let you exchange your Missouri driver's license.

[@liferethought]

​@@TypeAshton Yeah, as they've explained it to me, if New York State or the other states not on the list would agree to recognize the German DL, then Germany would provide reciprocity and no longer require these tests. It would be much better if, as you say, these decisions were based on comprehensive driver's ed. Texas is another state that get's reciprocity in Germany even though there it is possible to get a license without even taking a physical driving test (only a computer test that is easy to pass with common knowledge is required). :) not ideal.

[@klamin_original]

3:00 the problem with traffic lights being on the other side of the road would be the fact that we have many diagonal crossings with more than 4 directions. It would be very hard to be able to see which traffic light would be specifically for your lane in bending crossings and inner city crossings, because unlike the US we don’t have grid patterns.

[@kellyk3933]

I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoy your vlogs. They're the perfect combination of informative and really entertaining (and funny). I'm always happy when I log on and one of your vlogs is waiting for me. The more I learn, the more I think I'd be a really good German because I'm all about rules :)

[@TypeAshton]

Thank you so much for such a nice compliment! We're really happy that you enjoy watching our videos. ❤️

[@Catarrer]

As a german guy its absolutely fantastic to get some comparisons about driving in germany and the USA. Thanks a lot. Great video :)

[@Pevi70]

I don't know if it is the same in Germany but in the Netherlands you are required to pass a government theory and practical exam. Together with driving lessons from an authorized driving school this takes on average 30-40 one hour lessons and costs about 2000 euros if you pass the first time. As far as I understood, this is not the case in the US, but could perhaps explain the 'discipline' of drivers in comparison to the US.

[@TypeAshton]

Yeah there is a lot of variability from one state to the next. I (Ashton) had driver's ed as an actual class we were required to take in High School.... Jonathan on the other hand only had to drive around with his mom to log hours and then pass a 10 question online test.

[@anatopio]

@@TypeAshton In France we have 3 ways of obtaining the license, the most common and at the age of majority (18 years old) to pass the highway code then to do a minimum of 24 hours of driving before taking an exam. The other is to pass the highway code which you can now pass from the age of 15 and then do 20 hours of driving in a driving school, subsequently you will be issued a certificate and you can only drive on national territory. accompanied by a person who has had a driving license for more than 5 years, you must drive a minimum of 3000 km for at least 1 year and you can get your license from 17 years and 6 months allowing you to drive alone only on the day of your majority. And then young drivers who have a red A behind their cars have special traffic rules for 3 years (or 2 for those who have driven accompanied) (80 outside the city, 100 on dual carriageways and 110 on motorways ).

[@d34d10ck]

3:30 This is actually a perfect example, why this is possible in the US, but most of the time not in Germany. No pedestrians or cyclists in the US.

[@ThePixel1983]

Yeah, turn right on red is dangerous for people outside of cars.

[@endymion2001]

Thanks, this was fun! One thing I want to add: merge lanes! Huge difference. In Germany merge lanes are used to accelerate your car to match the speed of others cars and then smoothly merge into the traffic on the right lane. In the US, IS270 south from Frederick, MD towards Washington DC e,.g., people slowly get onto the merge lane, then stop (STOP!?!?!?) right at the junction to wait for a gap. And since there usually are no gaps, this causes extreme delays and hold ups.

[@TypeAshton]

Yes great point. On the East Coast there are many merge lanes which are extremely short (~20m long). I've also seen many people just stop and wait for a gap to go, it's quite dangerous. The other issue here is many drivers will not move to the left to give right of way to the merging vehicles.

[@endymion2001]

On the other hand: long distance driving in the US is usually much more relaxed than driving on the Autobahn in Germany. I guess, w/ a 65 mph speed limit in Germany we would not need so many rules either :-)

[@ShirosTamagotchi]

the "right on red" also exists in germany but it is only allowed on special intersections (usually less busy ones). They are marked with a green arrow that points to the right, a so called "grüner Pfeil". They are more common in the east of germany. The example you used at 3:47 is a perfect example why in this case you really should not use "right on red" here: The big red bus is blocking your view so you can´t see to the left. To get a proper view you need to drive far forward onto where the pedestrians walk. There is also a reason why the traffic lights are on your side of the street: Sometimes there is a difference between having green to drive straight and to drive right. In that case, there is no way to place the traffic lights on the other side of the street.

[@Luk4sWorld]

A short appendix regarding stretching your neck on a intersection with traffic lights: Traffic lights with a big full circle are for every lane, therefore you can use the lights on the sides as well. However if theres a traffic light that does not have circles, but arrows instead, that light is only for the lane indicated by the arrow. It overrides the "normal" traffic light. On intersections where each line gets controlled independend of each other and you cant use the lights to your side, the stop line for the cars is much further back. Lights hung directly above you are usually for the cars in the back. In the end, the only occations I have to stretch my neck is when a big car blocks my view to the side or I overshoot the stopping line by a large margin. Have an ergonomic trip, friends!

[@mm2255]

3:15: "I just watch to my left and see if...". Yea, right, and what about the pedestrians on your right side crossing the street in front of you from right to left? You just demonstrated why we do not have right turns at a red stoplight in Europe. ;-)

[@juergenschoepf2885]

My daughter got her drivers license shortly before we left AZ for good. Just a bit of driving around with us, a computer test which was darn easy and then she had to drive around 100 yards and park the car (no, not parallel parking). Before we allowed her to drive back in Germany, the AZ license can be exchanged to a German one, she had to drive with one of us for 6 months to get at least a bit of experience. Especially in old cities traffic lights on the other side of the crossing would be a bit tricky as there are pretty often multiple roads joining. After a while you get used to it and just don't go all the way to the line........ Man of the new cars also use the cameras to show the traffic light on the screen.

[@andreasmetzger7619]

About not seeing the stop lights when you are at an intersection: Most roads have two stop lights, one "above" you and one on the side. I always struggled with the lights "above" me bc you can't see them enough but the one on the side is perfectly visible

[@hebneh]

Another significant difference is that now, in the USA, virtually no cars are standard-shift anymore...whereas in other countries, virtually all cars ARE standard. When I've driven in the UK I've made sure that the rental cars are automatics so that I don't have to cope with being on the other side of the car, on the other side of the road AND have to shift as well, which I'm not too adept at.

[@Groza_Dallocort]

But automatic gearboxes are becoming more and more standard at least in Sweden

[@hebneh]

@@Groza_Dallocort More car manufacturers are changing to automatics as well.

[@Kiwi_Bayer]

Wow regarding the führerschein thats mindblowing you guys had to do that. I literally just exchanged my home one to a German one. I also do know that different states do things differently, which comes as no suprise as thats how its like with everything. I think driving education is also really high here and they're taught to respect the rule.

[@Gardor]

I love how you set this up.. You have a continuous script and switch back and forth to a whole different country. Very fascinating.

[@TypeAshton]

Thanks! We're so glad you enjoyed it!

[@michaelgrabner8977]

From a pedestrian point of view is the "turn right although it is red" rule endangering my safety while I´m crossing the cross road while I am having green...that´s why it is no thing in Europe because pedestrians are seen as "equivalent traffic participants"/ "gleichwertige Verkehrsteilnehmer" and therefore saftey for everybody comes 1st especially for "the vulnerable traffic participant". I think that "turn right rule" is also the reason why those US traffic lights are on the other side across the road, because it is red for passing/crossing particulary there, so when you then turn right you actually aren´t passing by/crossing that red light.

[@TypeAshton]

Fair point! We grew up in the midwest where there is very little pedestrian traffic. I would be curious to learn more from a "before" and "after" studying the right on red in cities like New York with very heavy pedestrian traffic. Also, I guess I never thought about the crossing/passing by a red light issue with lights on the same side of the intersection. That is also a very interesting perspective! Thank you!

[@accelerator5524]

oh pleaseee. in germany there are so many lights that turn green with the pedestrian light. obviously you can turn after the pedestrian have crossed the street. its an old rule which should be overwritten to allow that turn right on red.

[@michaelgrabner8977]

@@accelerator5524 No it shouldn´t and it won´t anyway..there are turn right lanes anyway where it makes sense..no matter how much you are whining...just get over it...or just move to the USA for the sake to be able to turn right, who is stopping you for doing that..

[@accelerator5524]

@@michaelgrabner8977 i told you that there are green lights for cars which want to turn right and a lot actually in germany, while pedestrian lights turn green too? are you too dumb to get that?

[@darkjedi74]

The driving ages actually vary from state to state here in the US. I’m originally from Iowa, and I know most Midwestern states you can get your permit at 14 and license at 16. This was done largely to help out in more agricultural areas, so kids could help out on family farms. Plus they don’t have near as much city traffic to deal with. But here in Maryland, you have a lot more urban traffic, it’s much less agricultural, and the permit and license ages are 16 and 18 respectively.

[@justbecause9645]

Facts

[@gloofisearch]

Love you guys. Always fun watching your videos, especially this one as a German living in Las Vegas. Here in Las Vegas are so many accidents, it's unbelievable. I looked up how many per year and it was 284 in Las Vegas in 2019 and as a comparison I took Munich with 21 dead that year and Munich has by far a more complex road system than Las Vegas! You should also mention that the drivers license in Germany does not only take long to do and the test is hard, also, if you miss it 3 times, you cannot redo it for several years. Plus the cost is about 2000 EUR for a drivers license for the first time due to all the mandatory driving lessons that include mandatory driving at night, on the Autobahn, parallel parking between real cars and 1 hour test drive with a DMV person. If the US would do that, so many more lives would be saved.

[@TypeAshton]

Thank you for such a nice compliment and you also make a great point about the cost and difficulty of the driver's license being a huge deterrent for poor driving behavior. I think that makes a lot of sense.

[@pawl23]

Germany can afford to make it difficult to drive because they have other modes of transport which function well.

[@americanexpat8792]

@@TypeAshton I respectively disagree. I have been in 40 countries in my life and been an expat for many years, now retired in Ireland. As an engineer, it's fairly obvious to me that the bottleneck to road safety here in Ireland has little to do with driver education and FAR more to do with the need for much better designed roads. Hazards on the road are FAR greater here than in virtually anywhere in the US. I find American roads to be safer than in virtually any other country I have been in and I speak from experience having driven at least 500,000 km in my life.

[@americanexpat8792]

The driving test requirements here in Ireland are similar - bordering on sheer ridiculousness. I feel sorry for parents that have 2-3 kids. Imagine shelling out 5-6 K just on driving lessons for your kids. Sure hope you make a lot of money. As a retired engineer who ran oil refineries for a living, (so I was used to very stringent safety regulations for all the right reasons), I thought the driving test process here in Ireland was overly bureaucratic and designed to make you fail. I never felt it really was about improving road safety - and safety was something drilled into me during my 40 year career. If Ireland and Europe really wanted safer roads, they should spend their time and money designing better roads with fewer hazards. That's the true bottleneck. Yes, that costs more money, probably a lot more money, but has some hope of moving the needle. The current approach is a lot like widening the bottom of your beer bottle without changing the diameter of the neck. Won't get any more flow that way!

[@jimf671]

Favourite thing in Germany was always the rule about giving way to faster traffic. When I did military motorcycle dispatch rider way back in 'mesolithic' times that was really very very helpful! Favourite autobahn trip was getting a Stuttgart taxi (Merc E) to Heidenheim at 200+km/h on the autobahn followed by rally driver demo on the hill roads. All conducted with highly impressive precision.

[@kamikazestryker]

yeah I remember during my driving license school days. I really needed to study alot of rules and only by passing the teachers tests did he let you participate in the actual tests. They make sure you won't forget all these rules and laws. I do my "Schulterblicke" or shoulder look all the time just naturally, making sure nothing comes from the blind spot behind the car. I hope you guys have fun staying in Germany.

[@justbecause9645]

US does this also.

[@CHarlotte-ro4yi]

I find it interesting that you mentioned Germans being quite disciplined regarding the „Rechtsfahrgebot“ because as a German who lived in Belgium for a while I found that compared to Belgians Germans are driving chaotically 😅 Edit: I really want to compliment you guys on the transitions between the „German“ and the „US“ video snippets, it’s really well done!

[@TypeAshton]

I'm sure it is all perspective. It isn't done perfectly in Germany but compared to the US, German driver's are much more disciplined. 😊 And thank you for the compliment on the editing. We are glad you enjoyed it. ❤️

[@Imzadi76]

Interesting perspective. I live near the border to the Netherlands and Belgium in Germany, and Belgium drivers have a terrible reputation here.

[@njr582]

I lived in Belgium (French part) for a period and the fact that the driver coming from the right has the right of way must have been the 11th Commandment in previous Walloon bible editions. You could have a large thoroughfare through a city center, lined with tall hedges and frequently connected to side streets leading into neighbourhoods on either side. People driving out from these small sidestreets, obscured by hedges, fences, bus stops and what not - oftentimes didn't even look to their left where 50 kph traffic was continuously approaching them - from the left. Took some getting used to! Great video by the way!

[@Warentester]

I can only confirm that in the UK there is zero lane discipline. People are hogging the middle lane and the one closest to the oncoming traffic (DE/US: left lane UK: right lane). This is probably a consequence of the speed limit, as people assume that there can't be anyone coming from behind if they are driving the speed limit, so they don't see the need to move over even though the rules would require them to do so.

[@dfolt]

I am German, and I've lived in Belgium for seven years and driven cars on all continents. And honestly, Belgian drivers are amongst the most terrible in the world. I always tried to describe their style as a mixture of German agressiveness and French nonchalance, which does not go very well with each other.

[@dirkschwartz1689]

Great video, guys! It was interesting to hear that the requirements for getting a driver's license in the U.S. can differ so much from place to place. A few additions to the rules regarding this in Germany: 1. You can start learning to drive and then after passing the test actually drive with adult supervision at the age of 17. 2. You need to take a vision test. 3. You need to take a certain amount of classes before you can do the written test. 4. You need a "clean" police record (meaning that convicts of a certain level of infractions or even crimes cannot get a driver's license). 5. If you're under a certain age (I think it's 21 now but I am not sure) you are on probation for 2 years after passing your test. This means that your license can be revoked much more easily for infractions. 6. The practical test needs to last at least 45 minutes and contain a certain amount of different situations and test scenarios, comparable to the rules for a private pilot license for airplanes in the U.S.

[@TypeAshton]

I think someday we might need to make a video on getting a driver's license in Germany. Jonathan and I both were able to exchange ours for a German license without needing to take the exam or class in Germany. However, we also had to bring over a certified copy of our clean police record. Thankfully neither of us have ever had any accidents or tickets.

[@franny5156]

I remember 5 slightly differently... I thought those were two seperate things 1: you have a two year probation after you got your drivers license 2: everyone under the age of 21 has stricter rules concerning alcohol: when you're over 21 you are allowed to have a small promille amount of alcojol in your blood i think it's 0.5 promille. Under 21 you're not allowed to have any I think

[@dirkschwartz1689]

@@franny5156 You're right, there may (now) be different or additional aspects to the probation period.

[@BUFU1610]

@@dirkschwartz1689 yep, that's now 2 years, starting with your license or "Prufbescheinigung" for "begleitetes Fahren", so you could be done with it at 19! But if you have certain incidents, it can be prolongued to 4 years..

[@BUFU1610]

@@franny5156 that part about under 21 is right, but when you're over 21 it depends.. if you are still in your "Probezeit" that same 0 tolerance law applies!

[@leecarlson8612]

Having grown up in Berlin and drove in Europe for several years I know the differences. what i found is that there is much more common courtesy on the road, the flashing of the headlights when turning left at an intersection, respect for bikes and motorcycles etc. But in reading the comments below, (unless things have changes) I rarely heard a horn honk. Honking your horn was held to prevent accidents and never used in anger. When I landed at JFK when I moved to the states and heard all the cabs blowing their horns, I was shocked. And the comic book I received to study for my NM drivers license was shocking. fFr cry from the sign book and the manual and only being able to miss 2 on each test. oh boy I could go on!!!!

[@jameswhiteii4679]

I noticed lazy hand placement on the steering wheel while driving, two hands gives maximum control. Driving with hand at 12:00 places your arm in extreme danger when the air bag deploys.

3:30 the light is green. There is a green arrow pointing to the right. If the traffic light is an arrow, you don't have to expect crossing/meeting traffic. If the light is round, you may expect traffic across or opposite to you.

[@themomorain]

3:47 well germans have pedestrians and cyclists on their streets (I feel like usa is extremly pedestrian and cyclist unfriendly with many citys beeing built for cars not for people). Thats why you cant turn on a red light you can even see a pedestrian crossing in your own footage right there (cause the pedestrian has green while you have red). Hope this helped :)

[@miwo_ro]

Just coming back from another US Trip and honestly the turn right on red is really something I wish we have in Germany as well. You probably missed one important point why cars and engines are much smaller in Germany. Prices for Gas, insurance and Tax. Driving a F1500 or RAM in Germany is possible but way to expensive and makes no sense because you will not find any parking lot. But Gas prices massively increased in US. We had about 5USD per Gallon in Nevada & California. Nice video well done

[@mjordan812]

"You don't have to know how to drive to have a driver's license". SO true. And demonstrated daily by my fellow motorists. 9 years in Europe here (6 in Italy and 3 in Germany - '68 through '78) with the US Air Force. I love driving in Europe. Another fun fact - vehicles with US plates (motorcycles at least) appear to be invisible to Euro photo radar. Or so I hear.

[@apveening]

In Germany motorcycles are invisible to photo radar. For a speeding ticket (with accompanying fine), they need both the license plate and a recognizable photo of the driver. Motorcycles don't have a license plate on the front and the helmet makes a photo of the face impossible.

[@identitymatrix]

3:50 Turning right on a red light is legal, if there is a green arrow sign besides it. Even though you are then allowed to turn right, you need to stop before doing so. Its basically the same as a STOP sign. Only if the lights are red of course. You do never have the obligation to turn right, you could also just not do it and wait for the lights to change to green.

[@Brpwndood]

I got my licence at 16 in Belgium in the 80s where you had to do 8 hours of theory classes and then score more than 80 percent to pass. That test was multiple choice with scenerios on a slideshow with trick questions, i.e a red light peeping out behind trees in an obscure position. Then another 8 hrs of practical lessons with a driving test where you had to do parallel parking, reverse down a gauntlet, etc topped off by a drive around Brussels with the teacher and test invigilator telling you where to go. Of course they take you down the trick intercections like one where the light would always be red shortly after turning on a green. I only passed cause I knew friends that took it and clued me in. One important thing to remember in Belgium is to stop completly at a red light before the solid white line. There is zero tolerance for that and even touching it with your tire will get you a 2000 euro fine. Also if your not driving in a priority street, then the person on the right has priority so give way to them. Driving in North America for the first couple of times I almost insinctivly ran a red light since the lights are wayyyy off than where your supposed to stop but got used to it. In Paris they were smart enough to put little repeater lights at eye level to avoid you craning your neck to see! And oh..the problem with right turn on red is that nobody uses them as intended..people must to come to a complete stop and only proceed if the way is clear..not do a rolling stop as many also do at 4-way stops. Probably the reason for 4 way stops were because drivers cant be trusted due to lack of testing standard testing.

[@wora1111]

Alter für Führerschein: Meine Töchter haben ihren ersten Führerschein in der dritten oder vierten Klasse gemacht (für das Fahrrad). Das nächste ist dann Mofa, gefolgt von Moped oder Auto. Mit dem deutlich dichteren Netz für den öffentlichen Nahverkehr spielt das aber auch keine große Rolle.

[@rolf_0815]

That was great, thank you very much, I remember doing the same in California, being 23, I took a vision test, a short written test, drove around the block and got my driver’s license 😂😂 (of course that took place a long time ago) greeting’s from Switzerland

[@TypeAshton]

It totally makes sense why some state's have reciprocity with Germany for an exchange of your driver's license and other's do not. Depending on where you are from in the US you may still need to take driver's education in Germany if you plan on staying.

[@juppjames9635]

The most of this differences are based in different city planing. In North America cities are planed for the car, that went even so far to destroy totally healthy neighbourhoods to ajust them for cars. Not Just Bikes has a few videos up about this topic, and Eco Gecko has a whole series up on YT for a more broder context, The Suburban Wasteland.

[@TypeAshton]

We just checked out a few of his videos! They are really great! Thanks for the recommendation.

[@peterlanisch5912]

yeah, the size of the cities and nations you are comparing has probably nothing to do with it, captain genius.

[@juppjames9635]

@@peterlanisch5912 You mean with city planing? Let me guess... you haven't watched a single video i mentioned above, but you have a really strong opion on it... Am i right?

[@peterlanisch5912]

@@juppjames9635 no, I actually spend around 10 years in the US, but nice try.

[@juppjames9635]

@@peterlanisch5912 Which obviously qualifies you as an expert on city planing, car dependency and walkability. How could i miss that?

[@simonmanfrahs4897]

Regarding looking for Bikes when you turn: you actually have to look for bikes when you turn since they get priority over cars if they are driving parralel to you. also bikes are allowed to overtake you on the right while you stand at a red light for example, which causes many accidents when cars dont see the bike standing right next to them. not looking for bikes on EVERY turn will most likely fail you your driving tests.Edit: also you are allowed to drive on bike lanes as long as there are no bikes nearby(if the bike lane is on the street)

[@dermudejoe4386]

This is the best KZbin video I've seen so far about the differences in driving between Germany and the USA.

[@TypeAshton]

Awesome thank you so much!

[@edward_j_leblanc]

When my son was 7, we moved from Germany back to the US for a few years. When I went to get my NM drivers license, my son came with me and, of course, I kept him near me when I took the written test. It was 20 questions and I think I only had to get 15 right. I told him that he was not allowed to speak to me or else someone might accuse us of cheating. I did allow him to look over my shoulder and said he could answer the questions in his head. He had never ready anything about driving rules, but got all the questions right. He could have passed the driving test at age 7 without ever having read anything. (I also got all the questions right.) I remember that one of the questions was "what does a red sign with eight sides mean".

[@TypeAshton]

That's really funny! It does not take much knowledge to be permitted to drive in many states.

[@koffiegast]

@Czerny Or "what is the minimum required mm depth in the profile of your wheels?"

[@EnbyFranziskaNagel]

@Czerny I have not taken the theory test but read my sister's materials. The question I remember the most is:" there is a bus at a bus stop with hazard lights on. What do you do? " The answer was slow down to walking speed to pass the bus and focus on passengers to ensure no one gets endangered. This lesson was so important that a variation of this question was in every mock test.

[@stepanfedorov561]

@@koffiegast Interestingly, in Russia the same questions.

[@RobTheWatcher]

"Education requirement" is a huge issue in the States. Not only when it comes to driver's licenses.

[@TypeAshton]

True.

[@Arltratlo]

i think for many, education in the USA is how to use the smart phone and ask for the manager!

[@einarreriksson4598]

"Are you 16?" no "Let me ask you again!"

[@faultier1158]

Part of the problem is that the US can't really allow people to fail, because driving in usually the only way of transportation. Driving being so optional in Germany means that you can treat it much more like a privilege to be earned.

[@SikkyCheesecake]

My mind blew away when you said you where 14 and driving! Im dutch, which is very similar to Germany in driving. Im also 19 and I don't have a drivers licence. Im learning my theory now... which means learning all the rules and road signs and practising online roas situations. Then I need to pass a test. Without this test you arent even allowed to do your actual practical driving exam. You are allowed to start driving lessons without this theory test but it is not advised to do so.

[@TheMVCoho]

Sounds painful, but you will do fine. I started driving at 6 sitting on my dads lap on gravel roads doing the steering while he managed the gas and brakes. Kids used to learn how to drive on tractors and other machines long before they ever got their licence.

[@Krautrock007]

Right turns are allowed on red when there is a small sign with a green arrow pointing to the right at the right traffic light. Then you are allowed to turn when the road is clear, but you have to stop at the stop line and if necessary at the sight line (as with the stop sign) and you also have to watch out for pedestrians and wait if they want to go straight across the road.

[@jorgx.1989]

2:10 You misunderstood the thing about the traffic lights. If there is a traffic light above the lane, there is always another one on the right-hand side of the lane. The first vehicles in the row do not have to twist their necks to see the traffic lights above, but look comfortably at the traffic lights on the right. The vehicles further back then either look at the traffic lights above the lane, or to the right again.

[@TypeAshton]

Unfortunately for me, I often stop at the perfect position that the light to the right is obscured by the rear view mirror. :)

[@jorgx.1989]

@@TypeAshton Then you are obviously driving a very high car, because the traffic lights are much higher than the rear-view mirror and they are also clearly in front of the stop line. But even if it is, you're not the first car in line and you'll notice when the light turns green and the others start in front of you ;-)

[@galdavonalgerri2101]

Heute mal auf deutsch 🙂 Dankeschön für das schöne Video, ich fand besonders die Schnitte sehr gelungen. (1) als Beispiel für einen roundabout = Kreisverkehr habt ihr eine Stelle gefilmt, die gar kein Kreisverkehr ist. Beim Reinfahren steht dort das Schild "rechts abbiegen" und *kein* Kreisverkehrschild. Der Grund dürfte sein, dass eine Straßenbahn in der Mitte geradeaus durchfährt. Diese Bahn hat Vorfahrt. Das ist unvereinbar mit der Regel, dass derjenige, der im Kreisverkehr drin ist, *immer* Vorfahrt hat. Ansonsten stimmt es natürlich, dass es viele Kreisverkehre gibt; und ich finde das besser als Kreuzungen, an denen alle stoppen müssen. (2) Ich stimme zu, dass die US-amerikanischen Führerscheinprüfungen viel zu leicht sind und dass man in den Staaten einen Führerschein bekommen kann, ohne fahren zu können. Es zeigt sich z.B. daran, dass US-Bürger oft keinen Schaltwagen fahren können. Vermutlich damit zusammenhängend gibt es immer wieder Fälle, in denen in den USA behauptet wird, ein Auto sei ungewollt immer schneller gefahren und der Fahrer habe nichts dagegen tun können. Das sind immer Automatikwagen und jeder Schaltwagen-Fahrer hätte selbstverständlich auskuppeln können, um eine Beschleunigung zu beenden. In Deutschland gibt es sowas praktisch nicht. (3) Ampeln hinter der Kreuzung sind nicht machbar, wenn es kleine Kreuzungen mit vielen Straßen sind. Es wäre nicht eindeutig, welche Ampel für welche Fahrtrichtung gültig sein soll. Wenn man so anhält, wie die Haltelinie es vorschreibt, kann man meistens die Ampel vor der Kreuzung sehen. Aber es wäre schön, wenn eine kleinere Zusatzampel tiefer am Mast zusätzlich vorhanden wäre, damit man nicht den Hals verdrehen muss. Im Vereinigten Königreich (UK) sind solche Ampeln üblicher. (Edit: Beispiel i.stack.imgur.com/VYDsJ.jpg ) (4) es gibt in euren Videobeispielen fast keine Fußwege und wenige Radwege. In Deutschland sind Fußgänger und Radfahrer viel häufiger. An fast jeder Ampelkreuzung laufen diese Wege parallel zur Autofahrbahn. Rechtsabbiegen bei rot würde bedeuten, dass die Autofahrer vorwiegend nach links schauen, ob ein vorfahrtsberechtigtes Auto kommt. Das Übersehen der parallel geradeaus fahrenden oder laufenden Radfahrer und Fußgänger würde wohl oft passieren.

[@wernerruf7761]

"Das sind immer Automatikwagen und jeder Schaltwagen-Fahrer hätte selbstverständlich auskuppeln können, um eine Beschleunigung zu beenden."?! Noch mehr dumme Vorschläge? Machst Du das auch, wenn Du eine Passstraße hinunterfährst? Dann kannst Dich schon mal damit vertraut machen, warum es bei Passstraßen vor Kurven häufig so komische Stichstraßen gibt, die bergauf führen und hoffen, dass da nicht gerade einer entgegenkommt, wenn Du über die Gegenfahrbahn wechseln musst, um dorthin zu kommen. Um zu bremsen oder eine Beschleunigung, z. B. bergab zu beenden, kuppelt man nicht aus, man geht vom Gas und lässt den Motor bremsen! Erst kurz vor dem Stillstand wird ausgekuppelt. Auskuppeln und den Gang rausnehmen, kann man allenfalls in der Ebene, wenn man voraus eine rote Ampel sieht und den Wagen ausrollen lassen will, ohne dabei Benzin zu verbrauchen. Immer vorausgesetzt, man hat eine "moderne" Kiste mit elektronischer Einspritzung, die dann den Saft abriegelt, mit Vergaser und so mancher alten mechanischen Einspritzung funktioniert das mit dem Benzin sparen nicht, die fördern munter weiter.

[@galdavonalgerri2101]

@@wernerruf7761 Hallo Werner, > „Fälle, in denen in den USA behauptet wird, ein Auto sei ungewollt immer schneller gefahren und der Fahrer habe nichts dagegen tun können.“Du hast nicht bemerkt, dass ich von Fällen spreche, in denen das Auto angeblich unerklärlich von allein beschleunigt habe.(vielleicht hätte ich es deutlicher machen müssen - aber mein Kommentar war eh schon zu lang).Beispielsweise so etwas: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hH-QcpybqM6BrNU Natürlich kann jemand mit ein wenig grundlegenden Fahrkenntnissen * die Bremse treten * auf N schalten (bei Schaltgetriebe: Leerlauf) * den Motor ausschalten Und mit einem Schaltwagen kann man eben zusätzlich noch auskuppeln, was man immer tut, wenn es sinnvoll ist.

[@TypeAshton]

Ja, die Bedenken, auf Rot rechts abzubiegen, sind ein berechtigter Punkt. Daran habe ich bei Dreharbeiten in den USA nicht gedacht. Aber ehrlich gesagt habe ich nach meiner Erfahrung Dutzende von Beinahezusammenstößen mit Autos an "rechts vor links"-Kreuzungen gehabt. Tatsächlich ist im vergangenen Jahr in Freiburg an einer solchen langsamen Kreuzung jemand ums Leben gekommen. 💔

[@galdavonalgerri2101]

@@TypeAshton Ja, die Bedingungen sind in den Ländern sehr unterschiedlich. Ich war erstaunt, an vielen US-amerikanischen Kreuzungen weder Fußwege noch Fußgängerampeln zu sehen. Ich glaube, das deutsche Konzept von Tempo 30-Zonen und "rechts-vor-links"-Kreuzungen akzeptiert eine Unfallgefahr für Autos bei niedriger Geschwindigkeit. Gleichzeitig soll es möglichst effektiv die Geschwindigkeit verringern und die Aufmerksamkeit steigern. Für Autos funktioniert diese Idee meiner Meinung nach. Auch Fußgänger profitieren vom niedrigen Geschwindigkeitsniveau. Das Problem sind Verkehrsteilnehmer mit hoher Verletzungsgefahr, Radfahrer und andere Zweiradfahrer. Insbesondere wenn Radfahrer übersehen werden (möglicherweise kein Licht) sind sie die Leidtragenden bei Zusammenstößen auch bei geringer Geschwindigkeit. In deutschen Fahrschulen werden zukünftige Autofahrer während ihrer Ausbildung häufig über solche Kreuzungen geschickt. Der Fahrlehrer weiß, dass in der Prüfungsfahrt derartige Stellen geprüft werden. Tut mir leid für den beschriebenen tödlichen Unfall. War es ein Radfahrer?

[@arnoschaefer28]

I think that the traffic lights being on the near side of the intersections may be due to German cities being typically much less regular/grid based than American cities. So if you have a complicated five- or six-way intersection, you often have little choice but to put the traffic light on the near side so it is clear what street it applies to. Could you find a solution with traffic lights on the other side? Maybe, but it was decided at some point in history to do it differently, and the StVO being a federal law, that is how it has been everywhere ever since. I agree that in a perpendicular grid, traffic lights on the other side make much more sense.

[@TypeAshton]

That is a fair point. I am sure once the standard is implemented, it is difficult to change later on.

[@buster2256]

@@TypeAshton Also there's usually (I yet have to see an exception) a traffic light to your right or left which is easily visible from the front row. At 2:17 in the video it is on the right side. On the left is another one for left turning traffic. Same at 11:00.

[@TheNiqOne]

Always interesting as a german to watch these videos. I strongly agree with the traffic lights and without looking up the origin of why they are on the different side i would guess that it's because in germany they roads for cars where mostly built in dense existing "roads" through medival cities and in the US the modern cities were built for cars. Regarding the drivers license i knew that in some states there is little kids can drive at the age of 14 and i think it's dangerous especially in pressuring situations on the road. I startet my theory lessons with 16 and finished my practical test three month after my 17th birthday. In germany some states have "begleitendes Fahren" so teens can drive with a parent or other person above 25 until they are 18 until they get the real drivers license and can drive alone.

[@TypeAshton]

It really is astounding how you can get a driver's license so young in the US. I personally like the 18 year old requirement for a German's driver's license. I was so young and inexperienced when I started driving. It scares me now that I am an adult.

[@andreaseufinger4422]

About the traffic lights, you are right, those in the US are easier to observe, but that's only once you have figured out where to stop and where YOUR traffic light is situated. Not all intersections are as easy as the one you show in the video. If you have more than just two orthogonal streets, it becomes complicated and the European way is easier to figure out, especially if you don't know the area

[@Beater06]

14:10 That actually changed a few years ago. I am not up to date with that rules but i think you can pass the drivers license with 16 or 17. After that you have to drive with one of your parents for example for a year. I think thats a good rule.

[@HummaKavula-c5f]

Pedestrians (and cyclists) are the main reason right turns on red are not allowed all over Europe.

[@TypeAshton]

I understand the need for safety, intersections are smaller and there are a lot of pedestrian traffic and bicyclists - However, theoretically if the light was red because traffic was moving in a perpendicular direction, neither bicyclists or pedestrians would (should) be crossing the street. We have always been so impressed by how well German driver's anticipate cyclists/pedestrians on green lights. ❤️❤️❤️

[@rafiki1100]

@@TypeAshton but the pedestirans and bicyclist crossing direcly in front of you have green also.

[@HummaKavula-c5f]

@@TypeAshton You are forgetting about the pedestrians and cyclists crossing your street in a perpendicular direction (left to right and vice versa). They have a green light at the same time as the main traffic moving perpendicularly. A right turn on red policy would inevitably increase the risk of crossing a street for this category of road users, even when they have a green light. And this risk would increase in case of heavy traffic and/or large vehicles stopped at the traffic light blocking right turning drivers' view of the pedestrian/cyclist crossing. Right turns on red can only work in countries without pedestrians and cyclists.

[@tillappelhans4985]

Everytime I see a video of Americans showing how easily you can turn right on red and how safe it is, there is not even one pedestrian on the street. I believe as soon as there are pedestrians (which is absolutely normal in Europe), it is quite dangerous, as you look left to see if there are cars coming and not right, where you going to run over a pedestrian.

[@TypeAshton]

Turning right on red is still legal even in major cities (most of the time) and I do have memories of cars sitting in the crosswalk which pedestrians then need to walk around. So, yes, this is a legitimate concern when pedestrians are common.

[@oliverrochlitz4837]

Thanks for the good laugh at 13:10 We had a similar rule in german territories in the middle ages. In the Sachsenspiegel from 1220, a german book where the author Eike von Repgow wrote down common rights, it is stated that the person with the bigger vehicle had the right to go first. I'm glad that this is no longer the case. :)

[@TypeAshton]

hahah it is an old American proverb: "He who hath the greater truck goeth first". 🤣🤣

[@jhdix6731]

According to my old physics teacher, the right of way is closely related to momentum (=mass x velocity): Either you are fast and small enough to jump into any gap, or heavy enough to force your way 🙂 I guess we all agree that trains usually win...

[@alihorda]

you can just look at the pedestrians' lamp which corresponds to your own, it should turn green in parallel so you don't have to look up if you are at the front

[@antheus_s]

As a Dutch citizen that lived 5 years in all around Germany I was annoyed on a daily basis because of how rude people were and how many of them did not know some of the most basic rules. Getting into arguments with people stating that the right lane was only for trucks.. but now I know about the U.S. 😅

[@TypeAshton]

I am sure it is all about perspective. There will surely be some countries who are even more disciplined (and it sounds like the Netherlands is one of them)... but yes, American sometimes feels like a free-for-all by comparison.

[@thereallotharmatthae]

Haha i had some good road raging in NL, too.

[@ma.re978]

Omg, I hate when the right lane is free (on a three lane highway) with a car cruising comfortably in the middle lane at 120kmh/70mph for miles without ever switching… and I’m German…. Makes my inner Mrs-Know-It-All-and-will-tell-you-about-it come out 🤦‍♀️

[@pheumann86]

True. As a German I enjoy driving in the Netherlands (also for example in France) because people are far less aggressive. Also, once you adapt to having a general speed limit on highways, I found it to be quite relaxing not having to check in the rear view mirror every five seconds for someone coming at me out of nowhere with 200+ kph from behind while I pass someone with like 130.

[@antheus_s]

@@thereallotharmatthae I am not saying that this does not happen in the Netherlands, I notice a decline in overall driver skill here too, but it is by far less of a problem in the Netherlands compared to my personal experience in Germany.

[@TheBlackob]

As a german: To be honest, I think I would be scared to death driving in the US. If you state that you feel saver on german roads, because we tend to follow the rules more and we look out more for cyclists, then I can only imagine the horrors of US streets. I got my drivers licence 3,5 years ago, and my motorcycle licence half a year ago. While it is extremly expensive to get a drivers licence, I personally think, it's not enough. After completing my car licences exam I did not feel ready to drive on my own. Each time I am on the street I encounter so many people who I think have won their licence rather than earned it that I think you should re-take the pratical exam every few years (if this would be feasable at all). It's scary to think, that our drivers licence procedure is considered one of the best world wide.

[@Nigolasy]

Yeah, what they said about cyclists and how we germans always watch out for them... I don't think I'd dare to cycle in america now that I've heard how fascinated they are by how we treat cyclists. It's so insane how our licensing is so good, compared to the rest of the world and you still don't feel like it's good when you only know german traffic.

[@Fluxikator]

I had the same feeling hearing this. But maybe we are just more sensitive to bad behaviour on our own roads because we're not used to worse driving. XD

[@dan_kay]

I've lived in Texas for four years, and driving was a charm. Large roads, large intersections, turn right on red - loved it!

[@Nigolasy]

@@dan_kay But did you use a bicycle? That is what we were about. Driving cars in germany feels good. Cycling is okay but often times, we still feel unsafe. Then hearing americans praise how well we germans behave with cyclists and how much attention we pay to them... I'm scared for every person trying to cycle in america LOL

[@dan_kay]

@@Nigolasy Only you brought up the cycling. The OP didn't mention it at all.

[@clausbitten]

I could imagine that having the traffic lights way in front of the cars (other side etc.) could lead to more accidents from the sides, because the drivers only looks rather easy straight ahead. The shorter focal distance in germany may lead to more situational awareness, especially for pedestrians that may cross you road at the stop.

[@greenflame9968]

ngl that clip from 9:01 is triggering me :D i would have moved over to the right lane aaaaages ago

[@gourmetbiker7633]

Love your videos. I am working for a US company for 18 years now. I was shocked when I came to Alabama and it took me a few weeks to get adjusted. I couldn’t understand why someone would buy a nice Mercedes with a V8 and then only drive 70 MPH. On the other side I shocked my boss in Germany doing 220 km/h in a BMW on the autobahn ;.) this was his first time in Europe that time.

[@Luredreier]

16:35 Yeah, here in Norway you have to know how to do first aid, you have to know how to drive on snow and ice and other slipery surfaces, you have to know how to drive in the dark, you have to pass a quite comprehensive theoretical test and so one and so forth... You'll often see a drivers licence here costing perhaps 3 300 USD, but it could easily go much, much higher. And like I've mentioned in other comments. Speeding just 20 kph (12 miles per hour) above the speed limit could result in you losing that licence in some cases. Meaning that you might have to pay that sum all over again, and you might even be banned from even doing *that* for some period of time after a traffic violation... Our laws does *not* play around when it comes to traffic. But it is showing good results. There's just 3 traffic deaths pr 100 000 motor vehicles pr year in Norway. Compared to 6,4 in Germany and 14,2 in the USA...

[@DonDuracell]

Driving in the US is more on cars with automatic transmission so it's a bit easier to get going. I joked with colleagues in Seattle that the best anti-theft vehicle would be a car with right hand drive and manual transmission. 😀 And the driving age of 18 in Germany has another benefit. Drinking age for beer is 16 so (mostly) you're out of your worst first drinking sessions before you're getting behind the wheel of a car.

[@TypeAshton]

It is true! They don't teach you how to drive manual transmission in the US as part of driver's education. I didn't learn how to drive manual transmission until I moved to Germany.

[@DonDuracell]

@@TypeAshton to be fair nowadays with all the hybrid / electric cars coming more and more into fashion the number of cars with an automatic transmission in Germany is rising. But unless you request it at the driving school you still get taught how to drive a car with manual transmission. Because otherwise you're only allowed to drive cars with an automatic transmission. Oh, I totally forgot. Frohes neues Jahr! 🎆

[@TypeAshton]

Happy New Year to you as well! ❤️❤️

[@HalfEye79]

I think my car wouldn't get stolen, but wrecked in the US. Sure, I have a automatic transmission. But only because of another thing. The gas pedal is left and the break pedal is right in my car. And this switch of the pedals would be too complicated with a manual transmission with three pedals.

[@tobyk.4911]

@@HalfEye79 the gas pedal left and the break pedal right? Why is that? (I agree that this would prevent almost any other person from driving far with it)

[@no-damn-alias]

What you also should've mentioned is the difference in fuel prices and the way you usually pay your fuel and how you get the different qualities. Also the big amount of smaller diesel cars is rather allien to Americans. Also car prices e.g how much a Corvette costs in the US and how much a Corvette or a comparable car costs in Germany. Still an interesting video.

[@TypeAshton]

Great points! I believe this is something we can cover in a later video as it can become fairly complicated.

[@johannes9640]

3:50 There is actually a rare situation when there is a green arrow on a plate next to the red light (not the illuminated ones but those on a simple plate) there you are also allowed to turn right on red(of course you still have to look for the traffic from the light thats acually green) and can only drive walking speed But thats a very rare sight to see and its mostly a thing you learn in driving school and that most people forget about after

[@SirWallace2]

3:10 There are a lot green arrows where are you can go right on red. But if it isn't there, that's probably because of pedestrians and bikes. To keep them safe

[@michaelhines5647]

Last year I visited Germany, took a train from Paris to Stuttgart and rented a car, drove around the city then to Munich, Heidelberg and Frankfurt. I was worried at first but it was so not stressful not to have to worry about defensive driving or driving for everyone else. One thing I did notice, is unlike here in the U.S. while at a stop light you get the amber light before the green which I thought was a great feature.

[@apveening]

That is something I would like to see implemented here in the Netherlands as well.

[@themeantuber]

18 is the legal age for driving in most countries around the world, America is the exception. Even though, I do believe America got it right in this case.

[@julianreverse]

The "bike lanes" you showed are called "death strip" in Germany for a good reason.

[@TypeAshton]

I have had the biggest problems with these "deathstrips" when vehicles are turning across them, especially when moving faster than the cars.

[@noahluppe]

The shown "bike lane" is not a full bike lane ("Radfahrstreifen") but only a "Schutzstreifen" (safety lane (?)), wich has less strict implications for the car traffic. Radfahrstreifen with a solid line are prohibited to drive, park or wait on, except you can cross it where it's a broken line, e.g. at an intersection. The Schutzstreifen is a broken line, where if needed a car might drive cautiously on the Schutzstreifen, e.g. if the street narrows or you need to make room for the oncoming traffic. stoping for delivery and loading may also be permitted on the Schutzstreifen.

[@MsSpike2005]

Exactly at 3:49 you see the answer why you are not allowed to turn right on red. A pedestrian is crossing the road right there. There is a permanent green arrow at some intersections, but only at possible intersections.

[@jacobuserasmus]

3:04 Traffic Light position is interesting. I have not even thought about it. Where I live we have it on both sides.

[@TypeAshton]

We just need to get better about looking to the sides and not to the front. Just our driving habits from the states.

[@eddyz3874]

I think the part with the driving licence is pretty important. I got my driving licence 15 years ago in Germany and Im sure i wouldnt pass on first try. So if I would teach somebody to drive, I would probably theach him worng. Thats why i think to have a driving school with standard requirements and a standard test organisation is important. Same with educating police. A basic training for a couple of weeks and then "learning on the shift" for 2 Years with an senior officer just isn't the same. Young officers will learn bad habits from their older coleagues instead learining it the right way at the "police school".

[@TypeAshton]

Yes I agree with you. That's one of the issues with primarily learning to drive with a parent. They might not know the rules correctly, therefore they teach the wrong lessons. It's best to learn from a professional.

[@philipphermann9454]

Even after 5 years you forget a lot. My sister is doing her test this month and I learned with her. Did you know only vehicles below 2,8 t are allowed to park on the curb when it is allowed by the blue sign (VZ 315)? I always thought it is 3,5 t.

[@calise8783]

I personally like the US traffic signal locations better as well as the right on red, however I understand the reasons for the differences. European intersections are much smaller/narrower with more traffic. Also Europe has many more pedestrians and bikers that drivers need to watch for. If right on red were allowed as often as in the US, as they are allowed in some locations in Europe, there would undoubtedly be many more accidents/injuries. Then I have a teen currently going through driving school in Germany and many family members as well as myself who optionally did driver’s Ed in the US, the US system is a joke. My niece got her permit on Tuesday and tested the next day for her license which also was not even on the road with real traffic but in a parking lot with traffic cones in the US. People actually learn to drive here in Germany. Much better.

[@TypeAshton]

It is really quite scary to think of how young you can be to get a driver's license in the United States with very little training. After all, you are operating a motor vehicle with the power to do real damage. It is a lot o responsibility.

[@marksawyer1841]

A german (like me) would say: "No, they don't learn to drive, they 'just' learn the rules and how to operate a car just well enough to not straight kill themselves or others just by getting out on the road"😉😁 Germans have really high expectations when it's about driving and if you want to insult a german really, really, really bad, don't call them a "Nazi", just call them a bad driver😁

[@ottoe4925]

When looking at you guys sitting in your car, the first thing I noticed is that the Passat offers adjustable seat belts (at the so called B-column, behind the front doors). They can be adjusted in height by pushing from underneath to lift them up or lower them while pressing on the top part and pushing them down (see manual!). In your car, on both sides,they are set to the bottom while I think, both of them should be put to a higher position. I'm talking about nothing else than safety inside the car (I used to work as a car designer for some time at Mercedes-Benz...): @ Ashton: in your case, the belt then would run between your breasts rather than on top of the right one (which is medically seen, a little questionable, and- althought being a man, I guess it's quite uncomfortable this way). Just try it, you will see... . One more thing: the little boy in his child seat is sometimes sitting on the left, sometimes on the right side. Acording to accident statistics, it would be more safe to have him seated always on the right side (less impacts, more safe).

[@peter_player]

3:09 in Europe there is also this rule of turning right, the difference is that the yellow light flashes

[@yeetgod1144]

I live in Virginia. To get your drivers license here, you have to take an in-classroom course as well as behind-the-wheel instruction. These are administered by either a high school or a third party company.

3:29 In Germany there is the green arrow sign (Grünpfeilschild) for this!