The Big Lie About Germany

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[@campagnollo]

In Germany on the autobahn, the rear mirror isn't your friend. You are married to the rear mirror.

[@Capt.-Nemo]

I drive with the mirrors folded, so it's quicker on the Autobahn.

[@SN8808]

If you are female, rear mirror is an unknown concept to you.

[@andreasherzog2222]

@@Capt.-Nemo ROTFL

[@MS-io6kl]

As an Austrian, I would go even a step further, the rear mirror becomes almost an extension of your eyes. I only discovered how much I use the rear mirror unconsciously, while moving apartments a few years ago. The furniture in the back of my car blocked my rearview, and I felt half blind, as if I had suddenly lost half my field of view.

[@RenateWest-j3d]

​@SN8808 In 1960s I Australia my Mum learned to drive in Melbourne CBD( she was 27, went I. Lunch hour).She was taught to check rear vision mirror every 3 seconds.She is 87 a d still a very good and safe driver.

[@Annie_in_wonderland_123]

As a German who has lived in the US my experience is somewhat different from yours when it comes to the stress factor. Driving in the US was extremely stressful for me…idiots in huge trucks, that’s about as stressful as it can be! No one follows any rules, you’re constantly slowed down by drivers who are just „chillin‘“ and don’t even get me started on the state of the highway restrooms… I happily pay to pee if it means I can do it in a clean restroom over a sh!thole with a big gap on the side of the door!

[@cheker2222]

Agree. Same experience

[@mirandahotspring4019]

As someone who has lived and worked in Germany I totally agree! In Germany you pretty much know what other drivers are going to do.

[@LostPhysx]

As long as you actually get a clean restroom after paying. My last few experiences taught me to hop the barrier next time...

[@tnit7554]

@Annie_in_wonderland_123. The non existing TUEV adds up to even more stress in the US. Which is the next vehicle part hitting my car, a bumper ,a loose windshield wiper or an exhaust pipe only? 😂🙄

[@THOUGHTCRIME_No1]

@tnit7554 That's right. Especially driving at night and regularily over long distances you can basically only dare with a big car like a pick-up and role over it, since you never know what big piece of metal junk you encounter next time on the road.

[@wandilismus8726]

German Autobahn: Controlled Chaos American Highway: Chaos

[@weinhainde2550]

ich find Autobahn entspannend - Bundes- und Kommunalstraßen nerven

[@pablodelsegundo9502]

Not just American highways in 2024. Even parking lots can be maniac nodes.

[@MaximilianSittich]

German guy here, who drove trough the entire US as well. Driving on US highways (I did Interstate 40 most of the time) and at some points, I was scared to hell. Random items lying on the street, from oil cans to blown tires. Massive trucks and massive urban traffic, especially in the LA area. Some people really drove without caution. Even if driving here in Germany requires more skill and attention, I just felt safer in the end.

[@Andre-mz3eg]

Not to mention those silly "four way stops" (vs. right before left). Good luck "proofing", that you did stop first, after an accident...

[@doloresmey]

@@MaximilianSittich compared to the German road signs, the American ones are extremly poor. I found not knowing (without navigation system) wich side to exit on a four-lane highway in time to be extremely frightening! If you consider how long in advance you are told in Germany wich direction the motorway is going in, it’s a blessing! We really missed that in California too. Apart from that, it was a very nice trip.

[@RobertKorte1]

@@doloresmey at least, an exit or change of motorways is announced 2 km up front in germany

[@BlueFlash215]

Same here. Mostly I drove through NC and TN. Blown tires EVERYWHERE. They are a real hazard and nobody seems to care. I have yet to see more than 3 blown tires in total on a German Autobahn with two decades of driving.

[@BlueFlash215]

​@@Texaner1836You can easily determine who is wrong at right before left in Germany. What am I missing?

[@Mr.Magnetix]

remember: we pay for the whole speedometer, were gonna use the whole speedometer

[@ZebSound]

its true with the focus on the autobahn, but you can cruise at 120-130 kmh in the right lane without stressing out

[@axelurbanski2774]

Or 100

[@SamGamgee8012]

Maybe on a Sunday, but on every other day you constantly have to overtake the semis which for me is much more stressful than going 200+ km/h in the left lane.

[@Invhytas]

@@SamGamgee8012 I mean you don't 'have' to overtake the semis. Can just cruise at 84km/h and chill and you'll still get to your destination just fine.

[@manuelwie]

@@SamGamgee8012 This is you stressing yourself out for "being stuck" behind those semis, tho. The feeling of " I have to overtake this truck right away" instead of waiting for a bit (and yes, sometimes that's a minute or two in high traffic areas or times). This is the same mentality as those "Hey, I can make that gap" people pulling out right in front of you and then not even feeling the need to properly accelerate instead of waiting until you're past them (oftentimes as the last car in the line). If everyone just chilled a bit more while on the roads, it would only be half as bad. I personally don't find it stressful at all. And don't get me wrong. I'm not saying I'm not one of these people, at times, as well.

[@highks496]

@@manuelwie I always promise myself "today I am going to set my cruise control to 140 km/h and just chill" and it never works. You can't go 130 or 140 on the Autobahn. You're either going to be stuck behind trucks forever at 86 km/h or you're going on the left lane and suddenly you're at 210 - whoops how did that happen?

[@HoldMySoda]

Sorry Nalf I made totally different experiences. At the moment I am in Chicago and made a road trip from Savannah to Illinois. Pre Covid, back home In GermanyI used to drive almost 100k kilometers per year. The traffic in and around bigger US cities can be hell. People drive so recklessly and it looks like they don’t even know what they are doing. I faced more high dangerous situations the last two weeks than in one year in Germany. In general Americans are so polite and kind. When they cross your way in a grocery store they say excuse me all the time and they really don’t want to bother you. Unfortunately some of these folks forget about their manners as soon as they sit behind a steering wheel.

[@hannesfrischat7138]

German driver here who has moved to Sweden. Sweden is quite similar to the US concerning highway driving. I got accustomed to the Swedish relaxed driving style very fast, enjoying the slow, steady pace. Compared to that driving in Germany is stressful and hectic, to say the least. On the other hand one can not ignore that in Germany there exists a high collective ability to steer very precisely and disciplined, almost like in a swarm of birds or in a pack of jet planes. The overall driving ability in Sweden is considerably lower which can sometimes lead to unnecessarily risky situations.

[@highks496]

I have the same experience whenever I drive through Switzerland (as a German). It is so relaxing and you can actually use your cruise control for hours. In Germany it's always like you're on a race track. It has it's moments but it can also be really annoying when you just want to get somewhere.

[@Gr8Buccaneer]

you think driving on the autobahn is stressfull? take a drive to the 8 lane roundabout in paris/france arround the "Arc de Triomphe". 😆

[@quelandil5738]

There are rumours about people starving on the inner circle because they chickened out. The only way is to simply drive in the direction u want and don't care, that usually works 😁

[@Gr8Buccaneer]

@@quelandil5738 anyone saw "National Lampoon’s European Vacation"? they stuck there a whole day..hahaha

[@gloofisearch]

Yes, I love that. Always a nice challenge🤣

[@arthur_p_dent]

actually, this particular traffic circle is technically not a "roundabout". In a roundabout, you have priority when already in it, wheras on the Place de l'Étoile, priority is from the right, i.e. cars already in the circle must yield to cars entering it. That said, this traffic circle seems to work. Low speed = low accident rate, and when accidents do occur, they seldom involve serious injuries.

[@TheUlli1964]

@@Gr8Buccaneer Just wanted to write the same😃

[@easy_watching]

What a great video about driving on the Autobahn. In the last few weeks I drove more regularly on the Autobahn and it's exhausting, even only for a couple tens of kilometers. You talked about the high requirements of getting a license to actually be prepared to drive. But you forgot that we also have strict regulations and require regular checks about the state of the cars to ensure the cars don't fall apart at those speeds. Which probably also helps to keep the deaths lower.

[@kosiara87]

Germany: follow strict rules and drive as fast as you can -> SAFETY USA: drive slow but watch Netflix at the same time and play on you phone

[@1972Ray]

There are more good drivers in the US then there are drivers of all types in Germany. There are 238 million registered cars in the US. Thats just cars. How is there any comparison between Germany and the US?

[@svend.7324]

I'm German. We were recently on holiday in Denmark - that's around 600km from us with about half of it in Germany on the motorway. The outward journey was relaxed: I drove between 120 and 140km/h. No traffic jams. So you can drive relaxed in Germany. The return journey took almost 2 hours longer: lots of traffic jams and traffic. However, there were sections where I could drive at 240km/h. However, this really requires a lot of concentration. And if you're not used to that (or have never done it before), then it's total stress because you can neither correctly assess the speeds of others nor constantly pay attention to the traffic situation around you. Because at 240km/h you are driving in at least 3 cars: the car in front of you, your own car, and the vehicle behind you. In reality, there are at least 5-6 cars: those in the next lane, the cars that are approaching and also the ones at large far ahead (i.e. in the distance) are just as important. You have to learn this and approach it carefully over time. Otherwise the accident is only a matter of time. So yes: it's not always nice on the German motorway, but being able to drive well over 200km/h is still just incredibly fun. And I love it (like most Germans)...😊🤙

[@mortenvanlinden567]

We were in DK in August. At Hamburg, A7, and the ring HH, it was really terrible. There was a tunnel in HH, it took us 3 quarters to get through - construction works. The A1 & A3 below HH ( to NRW en RLP ) was no hair better. Normally I do not drive faster than 200 km/h { the car is limited at 250 km/h} : there are merging sections all the way, and the Specialists change lanes in an unpredictable way. Above 130 km/h, you get a Teilschuld if something happens. ( Once I was almost pushed off from the left lane to the roadside - an expert did not look at his mirror when changing lanes. I drove only 130 km/h.) And indeed: there is the Gefährerkennung: you have to anticipate from the movement and the location of the surrounding cars what they will be doing. It is indeed tiresome.

[@raven1508]

What's most stressful on the highway are the people who drive slowly in the wrong lane, changing lanes without signaling or looking in the mirror. Above all, many people should practice the zipper process again. It's stuck there. If the zipper on her pants worked like this, the pants would be open all the time.

[@stilldointime]

Population density of Germany? To put it more in perspective, The country Germany is slightly smaller than the state of Montana. Montana has about 1M people and Germany has a population of about 84M. Think about cramming 84M people into Montana!!

[@macareuxmoine]

That’s why this German is constantly dreaming of Montana 😅

[@rainerm.8168]

Montana is as the name says mountainous. Not much room for too many people.

[@stilldointime]

@@macareuxmoine You are welcome anytime.

[@stilldointime]

@@rainerm.8168 I am not sure if you have been to much of Montana, but only about a third of the state is mountainous. Perhaps another comparison is that Texas (hills not mountains) is almost twice the size of Germany and has just over a third of the population (30 million). I don’t think a lot of Americans understand the size and population density of the US versus E.U. countries.

[@macareuxmoine]

@@stilldointime be careful, I might take up your invitation 😅

[@McGuiver1601]

The main difference is: Germans are driving - Americans are passengers in their own car. I am always shocked to hear things like: you have to be focused all the time while driving. It's like saying you have to breathe while running. Of course, you have to. You are moving a 2t +x piece of metal and plastic at a high speed. Pay attention, for god’s sake!

[@BlueFlash215]

Been living in NC. The Interstate was horrible. Where I was briefed on how to act when I get stopped by police (keep hands on wheel, don't open the door, don't talk back). The roads were littered with blown tires. I've once seen a blown tire on a German Autobahn right when the accident happened. Crusing speed in Germany with a family wagon was 200-220. Almost everyone can estimate you speed. Even if I have to drive behind someone for a minute, it's OK. The "Rettungsgasse" enforced by law as well as better driver education was the biggest factor. We drove to Tennessee, got in a traffic jam and ALL Lanes were blocked. Nobody moved for the ambulance. They tried to move for police. I immediately drove to the ledtmost space since I was in the left lane. Instantly several drivers used the new gap to drive forward like 10-20 yards. Then they were stuck and caused another lane to form. I was so flabbergasted. Somebody was probably dying or seriously hurt and nobody gave a sh*t. I don't see the Autobahn as stressful, even construction portions just flow (except Hamburg). You can pick the right lane and you'll have tons of space. Even on the left lane you have enough space to overtake trucks. You can go to safety driving instructors if you feel stressed. That shouldn't be the case. Normally new drivers will stick to the right or middle lane until with months of driving they get more comfortable. You can watch how traffic flows, how fast cars approach. I'm living in an area in Germany with a lot of US Americans. The accidents they cause are hilarious. There are statistics for every police station that show who was involved. US American drivers do seem to have huge problems adapting. It got that bad that the city installed street lights at every intersection, Yields were replaced with Stops, US American police will now always work with German police if an accident happens. Even our American neighbos (whom I love dearly and enjoy living next to!) came to ask me if I have construction foam since they need to fix their car. I went to check what they wanted to fix. It was a broken suspension and their exhaust pipe was ripped open. I told them to go to a car mechanic but they denied it. They were sure it wasn't too bad. How can you fix a broken suspension with construction foam? Now that I'm a dad myself, I don't go over 180 if he's in the back. He also loves curvey rides from town to town. I guess the myth about the Autobahn impacts new drivers negatively. They expect to get sucked into a wormhole. Just drive behind a truck if you feel unsafe and don't be angry if you hug the left lane and people get mad.

[@BonnerRepublik]

The word is „Americans“ not „US Americans“. If you say Americans no one thinks you might be talking about Canadians or Mexicans…because they have their own demonyms.

[@SH-mz8ie]

Remembering the days when driving in an empty German car park would stress out NALF.

[@jamesfischer589]

American who loves driving on the Autobahn :) I feel safer as other drivers tend to be more predictable. You didn't mention, but good to note variable speed limit signs that can apply to specific lanes. Recently caught in morning Frankfurt traffic with posted speed limit of 60kph (37mph) in all three lanes.

[@Herzschreiber]

German here....... I fully agree, and "more predictable" is the key word for understanding why some Germans feel extremely stressed out and uncomfortable when driving in the US. "predictable" is our comfort zone, and "even not obiding the few existant rules" drives us nuts! :)

[@highks496]

I don't even want to know how bad American drivers are - because a lot of people in Germany aren't good drivers. It's not like everybody around here is a super-aware professional driver. There's a lot of stupid idiots around here who don't use their mirrors or their blinkers.

[@Desperoro]

I have it exactly opposite. Driving in US is stressful nonsense and driving in Germany just makes sense. Your highway limit is limit for rural roads in Germany. Common 😂 I drive very comfortably in Germany and don't need to break any law. Everything makes sense. In US? 6 lanes and limit 30mph and you absolutely don't understand why and most people drive 40-45mph. Interstate? Limit 70mph, people drive between 50 and 85 mph. You drive 75, in front of you is someone chilling 50mph and on the right side is huge semi truck overtaking you. And drivers in US so much don't focus. They eat, drink, play with cell phone, almost sleep whatever... And cars are also in quite bad shape...

[@Skektik]

Let me tell you, those drivers license prices are way outdated. It's very common to pay around 3k and minimum 2k for a drivers licence in germany

[@ralfbettker-cuza7432]

Yep.

[@cv507]

anöthörr $cänn xD

[@emjayay]

Holy crap!

[@MetallicReg]

1-2k is more like 10 years ago. Now it is 3-4k. And if you happen to be blond, you will get a mark up of 6k for several extra exams.

[@Herzschreiber]

THANK YOU! ♥ I have been waiting for a video like this for years and years, because this prejudice of "unlimited freedom on the Autobahn" is wrecking my nerves steadily. And now you are the one who made it. I love you for doing so and I hope it will go viral. This f*ing Autobahn-tourism has to finally come to an end, because it isn't only dangerous for those tourists but for everybody around their imaginary "free-flght-zones".

[@hansmuller3604]

As a german of 60 years i used to drive as fast as I could with my car when I was younger. Today I drive a Ford C-Max with 182hp. It runs well over 200km/h. But I have to tell you that i rarely drive faster than 140km/h on a 2 lane "Autobahn". The faster you go the more dangerous it gets. 200 cuising on the left lane and a "lets say Fiat Panda" on the right lane does not look in the mirror properly and is set to overtake a truck with 100km/h is set to cause a terrible accident. You may be in hospital or at the cemetary. Hi speed in germany exhaust you!

[@thomasgabler3476]

i will never forget coming home from Austria about 10 years ago. Totally chilled cruising, but the second we crossed the german border the Wild Hunt broke loose.

[@aswinhanagal4293]

As an American who just went to Bavaria and Salzburg, the second I crossed the border into Austria, road design (especially signage) and driving styles improved dramatically

[@SN8808]

You explained how lane discipline in Germany is supposed to be, not how it actually is. Too many people chilling on the middle lane, which causes everyone to drive on the left lane, and ultimately cause Stau.

[@michaelburggraf2822]

Hi Nick! With all those YT videos fascinated about having no speed limit on the Autobahn that's a very good video putting things in a bit more context. I think that was long overdue and you're doing a really good job at that. Regarding drivers coming from behind at high speed: if you're driving at the allowed maximum speed or above the recommended maximum speed of 130 km/h nobody can expect you to make way immediately. Nobody can expect you to take a risk of causing an accident by abruptly switching lanes which BTW could make you the main cause of the accident. If somebody's driving very fast it's essentially his obligation to take care for the safety of others and himself. That said, drivers are supposed to conduct overtaking of slower vehicles in a reasonably short time. Also when switching lanes a driver has the main duty to do it safely. And setting an indicator does not entitle a driver to switch a lane - he's just obliged to inform other drivers about his intention to switch lanes reasonably early. It's just courtesy to clear a lane for a very fast driver and I do that only if I can do it without much effort and without annoying other drivers. It's quite the same thing with acceleration or deceleration strips - allowing others to switch lanes to access or leave the Autobahn, driving instructors and testers are disapproving that practice.

[@anwa1973]

After 35 years as a driver (I like to drive fast), I can tell you that it's rare to see a BMW or Mercedes hanging off your bumper at 150 km/h or more and trying to pass you. It's mostly crazy people in vans. And if you ever drive in France or Italy, you will realize that this is not just a German problem.

[@mika.7663]

After 35 years of driving in Germany, I would disagree 😊

[@mortenvanlinden567]

Germans do tailgate, but it is tolerable compared to Dutch, Luxembourgish, Belgians, and Eastern Europeans. ( French have improved quite a lot in the last 2 years.) And yes, the Lieferwagens are a problem everywhere.

[@o21211671]

"With great speed comes great responsibility!". Pretty good summary. I found driving in the USA to be quite unpleasant, a mixture of very boring (not chill) and "random". The drivers are sometimes unpredictable in their oversized vehicles and some obviously do not know what they are doing. You should mention the different "general" rules: Right before left instead of stop signs; Red means red, no "turn right at red"; No overtaking on the right; No general ban on overtaking for stopping school buses.

[@peteroverheater]

German Autobahn Driver here (of course in a BMW). For me it is more relaxing to drive 200km/h or 125mph because you only have to look forward. Driving 130km/h or 80mph makes me almost fall asleep on an empty Road, on a crowded Autobahn it is horrible because you have to look 360° all the time. On the other hand, when we were in Houston for three weeks driving 85mph was totally fine for me, I did not have the urge to go faster.

[@highks496]

In Germany it's either being stuck at 85 km/h behind trucks on the right lane, or going 200 on the left. That's the two most reasonable ways to drive. So often I tried to set my cruise control to 140 km/h and just chill, but it doesn't work. That speed is so in-between that you're always either too fast or too slow.

[@LythaWausW]

I drove from Seattle to Moab, Utah last year and the speed limit was mostly 80 with people going way, way faster. It was so stressful cuz a lot of those highways had no shoulder, so...like German highways. But you're right about the exhaustion and stress that you get as you enjoy the Autobahn. Even as a passenger I cannot relax, due to all the narrow lane construction zones with LKWs brushing up against my car and even hitting me and spinning me off the lane. Thank you for the video, you are so right.

[@Anakianaj]

Not long ago my partner and his brother got their hands on the new Porsche for a weekend. The highway wasn't exactly empty. But if you can go from 80 to 230 in three seconds... you don't care about that. The most shocking thing? It really doesn't take long until 230 feels like a perfectly normal cruise speed. So normal, that breaching 300 isn't even a big deal anymore. (yes, kmh.) I did not enjoy and am glad tht car was just there for a weekend. 😬 --- Cruise speed of 180 though - that's chill.

[@invalid8774]

Yeah some cars are built so good that driving 200 kph (120 mph) with them feels like 100 (60 mph) in your average daily driver. In these cars driving 100 feels like youre crawling. 911 is certainly one of those.

[@Anakianaj]

@@invalid8774 was actually the fully decked out Hybrid Panamera Turbo S; The 300-something stretch aside it was actually really comfortable even in the backseat 😂

[@JJJT-]

@@Anakianaj The Panamera Turbo S is quite a fast car, but it takes 8.1 seconds from 100 - 200 Kmh. 80 - 230 in 3 seconds is even hard for a hypercar wit over 1500 HP to get at.

[@Anakianaj]

@@JJJT- I don't want to sound mean but you do realise figurative speech is a thing, right? 😅 And just to be on the safe side: The whole comment is a bit tongue in cheek. Of course you take the utmost care if you don't have the highway to yourself and don't just go to 200+ whenever you have enough room to accelerate (regardless of that taking 3 or 13 seconds). And yes, 300 was still a big deal - just not as big a deal as I would have expected (as someone who's not been in a car that went past the 220 prior to that ride). And while 180 is a good cruise speed ... and by comparison chill - it's generally still too fast to be actually chill.

[@14FrensAnd88Eagles]

I have a pretty fast car (Mustang Shelby GT500) and anything over 130 or so (way less than what it can do) and I start thinking about the dangers of getting wrapped around a tree. No way would I want to drive 200 mph.

[@LastJewishSamurai]

I lived there for 9 years and felt safer on the autobahn then driving in the US. In the US drivers are impatient, distracted by their phones and don’t know the rules of the road. The roads were generally in better condition. German drivers pass you on the left only. When traffic goes down a lane German drivers let others in so traffic moves. It called zippering mean you let someone in then you move on and they do the same for you. The left lane is for passing and if you aren’t passing you move to the right. I live near a US interstate and just about everyone is doing near 80 and do many are passing recklessly. Otherwise nice video and I really miss living in Germany

[@howiedo1124]

Ok, so, as an American transplant I found some things here I can agree with as well as a few I would disagree with. Biggest point that you failed to mention was the volume of truck traffic on the autobahn during peak driving hours. This would be the main contributing factor to stress, especially on the two lane stretches between the larger metropolitan areas. And even when you have 3 or more lanes the trucks are trying to pass each other at low speed which still only leaves basically one lane for the rest of us. So there’s that. Now, there are ways to attempt to avoid this, for example, if you know you’re going to have to make a long 1/2 day cross country drive, do it during off peak hours. I have noticed that truck traffic is almost non existent after dark. Also I like to make use of the adaptive cruise control system. I have an older BMW (wink) diesel estate wagon that will easily maintain 160-180kph without cracking a sweat. I set a safe following distance, stick it in the left lane and let the big dog eat wherever it can! When I arrive upon a construction zone or “Baustelle” I welcome this as a nice break from the action! The right lane is always the widest and the car can get a reprieve as well. I’ve long maintained that driving on the autobahn is a stimulating and quite civilized game of leapfrog. It’s child’s play for any driving enthusiast! Pick your windows for the longer trips wisely and enjoy! Also, Podcasts audiobooks and classical music are your friends that help reduce stress and make the miles tick by in seemingly no time at all!

[@athego]

Würde mich mal interessieren wie groß der Anteil der Leute ist, die auf englisch kommentieren aber auch deutsch sind.

[@bastyaya]

Warum?

[@doloresmey]

Die meisten, weil die Zuschauer international sind.

[@c.b.4270]

The Chanel owner makes his content in english , so I ,as a German, message in English.

[@eXeLeNeRgY]

​@@c.b.4270Stick to german.

[@izno73]

this is not the yellow from the egg.

[@billbissenas2973]

Back in ‘85, I took a taxi from the Frankfurt airport on the autobahn. I still have nightmares about that ride, 41 years later.

[@roncenti]

German driver here living in LA. I have crossed the US in my car at least 5 times. I compare this to sitting in my recliner and having the country cruise by. It is that relaxing. Most of the time there are almost no people. BUT when you come to big cities like Chicago, Atlanta or Los Angeles, you have utter chaos and no rules. But this is horrible for a German (maybe tourist or new expat) because the no rules thing is confusing and the anger to use the lights and horn is almost unbearable but when you are used to it... All good. In Germany I am stressed out if I have to drive 200km. Oh I am behind that truck. I need to pass. I do and some person races up to you like the flash (superhero) and uses his lights and you see them cursing and you rush and try to go as fast as possible and get back into your lane. It is horrible. They gave me a manual stick car as a rental once.... I almost died.

[@wacholder5690]

I'm a travelling computer field engineer working for the same company for 37 years and spent most of my days on the road. Did about 4 million so far. My annual roadbook is around 90 - 100.000 kilometers for the job and - believe it or not - I prefer driving on the Autobahn rather than in city traffic or on small and winding country roads. Except there are total jams. Autobahn-driving requires attention and situational awareness. An eye in the mirror and a far out look out on how the traffic developes. I my years since I got a driving license (in 1978) I was involved in *one* accident on the autobahn - where I stopped at the end of a jam ... but the guy behind me didn't. The other incidents happened on parking lots, at a very narrow country road (where a tractor and trailer scratched my car) and one at a red light in the middle of a city (where the guy in the Honda behind me obviously never guessed I would really stop at a red light ...). The rather complicated process to get a driving license and the awareness of the dangers *and* the "pass on the left only" rule contributes to relative road safety on Autobahns.

[@AlphaHorst]

Driving on the german autobahn is so chill. I only drive irregulary and the worst part is always towns and cities, especially if you have never been there before. Once you are on the autobahn you put your cruisecontrol wherever you want and just drive until you are slowed to 80 and chill some more. And just to add to that. You loterally ahbe to always be compketely focused on the road and traffic and your sourrundings in germany when driving. There is no "laid back driving" where you just cruise and look ahead from time to time. You will fail your driving test the moment your examiner notices that you are not properly looking at everything. A frind of mine failed for not doing a visiual check behind him on the left when turning right on a a crossing in the middle of nowhere. When driving on the autobahn you have to turn your head around as much as possible and turn your body a bit as well otherwise you will fail the exam. When driving in the city it is your duty to be vigilant and notice everything. The theoretical test includes videos showing different scenarios, after each you will be asked wht you need to look out for. One I had showed a motorcicle illigally passing between traffic for less than 1s and if I had missed that i would have instantly failed the test, as those questions, along with questions regarding right of way have a zero mistakes allowed rule. I don't know the current test, but back in 2014 it was 60 questions (20 video, 20 right of way and 20 other) and i could have 3 mistakes in anything but the aforementioned caes. I failed my test because I did not notice that the baby buggy was empty indicating that there is a child hidden behind the parked cars which i need to be aware of with my foot ready to hit the brakes hard. So again. There is no "chilling" in germany when driving. But on the autobahn it is only cars you need to worry about in 99% of cases so it is a lot less stress and actually quite "chill" when compared to the rest.

[@johnlabus7359]

A couple of weeks ago I took a trip to Oregon that took me from Portland>Hood River>Bend>Corvallis>Newport>Salem>Portland. The driving was wonderful and what I saw was gorgeous! If you go too fast there, you'd miss all scenery! I'd also add that the east coast of the USA can be way more stressful to drive with its denser population. When I was 16, all of my friends and I couldn't wait to get our driver's license. Today it seems like the teens don't care as much about driving.

[@josefv-y8m]

Indeed, read this recently...only 70% of the germans have a license until the age of 25...and even US has "only" about 85% at this age, which is surprising to me, since you reach almost nothing without a car in US...someone walking by feet is an alien.

[@cocoacrispy7802]

Eastern Oregon is truly a driver's paradise: well-engineered roads, spectacular scenery, and no traffic! P.S.Did you try Bakeoven Rd, Shaniko to Maupin?

[@martinhuber1174]

I am from Austria and drvie on the german Autobahn regularly. Why would that be stressful? First of all you should check your rear view mirror every few seconds, no matter which road. And you should check it additionally when going to overtake, which means change lanes. Next thing: the people going like a cruise missle only do so when traffic is very low. If it is more denser, they will not go more than 200 kph... That means the closing speed is not so high that you would not see them in time. And with even more traffic, they wont go any faster than everyone else. You only have to realize that lookking 50 yards back is not enough. Make that 2-3 football fields and you should be good. And keep up the regular rear view mirror check after the lane switch. Try watching videos where they are going 300+ kph (200 mph). You will see there is almost no traffic at all... Mostly early sunday morning. And they will lift the throttle if they even think that a car in front might overtake someone. Tu summarize: if you want to prepare yourselves for the german Autobahn, get used to check the mirror every 3-5 seconds. You will recognize any faster car immediately. That will increase your driving skills on all roads. Oh, and keep on the right if you are not passing someone.

[@uteiaquinto8440]

A very accurate analysis. That's exactly the point: It is so stressful! I just had a group of cruise ship passengers from Canada and the US ask me if there is no speed limit still on the Autobahn. Well...yes..., but I should have explained the whole situation - next time. Thanks, Nalf!

[@loko8572]

Best Video in a long time! LG from the BMW driver❤

[@loko8572]

Not saying any before were bad though

[@SN8808]

Didn‘t see that coming.

[@jasonm4062]

One of the reasons we have such a high fatality rate here in the United States is because we don’t teach our young people how to drink responsibly.

[@HoopsKevinski.]

"Avg 65 mph on US *interstate".* LOL! Here in Phx, 85+ is city freeway fastlane. In LA (night) 85 is slowlane *with* getting tailgated. Jerkiest drivers: Phx & Dnipro, Ukraine. Far worse than Kyiv (IME, 2021).

[@emjayay]

Yes, even in the NE it's more like 70-75 average speed (when possible) or more, not 65-70. Certainly in Oregon where he's from.

[@theheinzification]

I've frequently heard from people from the US how bad the experience on the American highways is. Whatever. Austria (not Australia) here. Our traffic laws are overall similar to Germany, but are still often quite different in many details. Like we have a 130 km/h maximum speed limit on the "Autobahnen", which makes driving here way more relaxed. I don't like driving on the German Autobahn exactly because of the lack of this overall speed limit. Sticking to the "Rechtsfahrgebot", meaning you always need to stay in the most right lane whenever possible and you're not in the process of overtaking is a survival necessity in Germany. And it's often used incorrectly. For example, when you overtake someone and as soon as possible go back to the right lane, but not taking in account a safety distance to the car in front of you and/or behind when you mingle into the right lane.

[@zanderalex2463]

I know both in America - cruising on the open roads and the stress in the big cities. I love cruising there! I was just in Los Angeles - every kilometer is pure stress, despite the 5-lane highway.

[@lifeisawave]

I am a German who has many years of experience driving and riding in Germany. I used to live for 8 years in Thailand and I enjoyed the less aggressive style of driving. The beginning was hard to adjust to the slowly drivers, it was like in slow motion but after a view years I really enjoyed it sonmuch because you can travel for 10 hours and you would arrive chilled and relaxed. You can enjoy the surroundings and there is overall less pressure and stress. In Germany most drivers have no patience and gets angry very quick. If you drive 70 km/h because there is a speed limit of 70, you will create a traffic jam behind you because everyone wants to go faster. You have to drive a bit faster then the speed limit to avoid pressure and tailgating from behind you. In Thailand on the other side you can drive even 40kmh where is a speed limit of 120kmh and no one will tailgate you. Everyone is generally very calm and polite. It’s so much more pleasant and enjoyable. After 8 years in Thailand I just get headaches on German roads. It’s just much less enjoyable, mostly no joy but stress. I did a couple thousand miles in the US through 4 states: California, Nevada, Utah and Arizona and enjoyed it very much, especially the long lonely roads through the desert. It was a big joy for me. That feels like holidays for me. It was a wonderful road trip. Netherlands is also great to drive there. What I don’t enjoy at all is driving in big cities like Bangkok and Paris. The traffic jams are the hell for me. It’s something we can’t avoid in busy cities but there is no good reason for the aggressive driving style in Germany. People are stressed and can’t relax like in other countries.

[@robertflatley19]

Really enjoyed this video. I’m from the UK and just did a road trip to Germany and agree with a lot of your observations. Had the added stress of having the steering wheel on the wrong side of the car too. I have driven in the US a few times and while a little stressful I find it easier than continental Europe. Yes it’s the other side of the road but speed limits are in mph and road signs in English which makes things a little more familiar I guess

[@Roger-np3wi]

I confirm every single one of your sentences about the German autobahn. This - among other things - has meant that I haven't had a car for over 30 years. Germany is a small country and I live in a big city, I can get everywhere without a car and without stress.

[@robetheridge6999]

Montana once had no speed limit. Then...government happened. The government said that they would hold money unless they reinstated the speed limit. When they reinstated the speed limit, the Troopers were a little more lenient and you could pay a $20 fine on the spot. Deaths rose drastically after the speed limit was reinstated.

[@darkredvan]

The problem on the Autobahn are mostly not the drivers who drive fast. It‘s the ones that drive carelessly, unfocused and slowly chugging along. And yes, you have to stay focused, alert and take into consideration drivers who drive stupidly. First you have to check the rear mirror constantly, you have to „know“ where every car / truck in your vicinity is at a given moment (and what the driver might do in the next several seconds, anticipate it. If you are in the middle lane you need to know exactly: is the right lane just beside you empty? Is the left lane empty? Is a fast car rushing up on the left lane? Can you safely go right, left, if someone just pulls over in front of you? Stay alert, stay focused and the Autobahn is safe, and yes, you can go fast. But remember: there is always someone faster, even if you think you are the fastest. Expect some stupid drivers as well. You are driving on the safest road there is.

[@heinz-josefwestenholtsky4642]

The problem on the Autobahn are the drivers who drive fast. That comparing small fraction of drivers forces the whole population to adapt to their high speed and urge and coerce people who want to use the autobahn their own but sensible way. Compare trying to drive 120 km/h in France, Switzerland, Spain with Germany. Great experience! In those countries, if you want to drive about 100 to 120 km/h, you can easily overtake trucks and return to the right lane. In Germany, very often no way. In southern France, the only idiots who copy German fast driving style [tm] are (many!) Swiss.

[@darkredvan]

@@heinz-josefwestenholtsky4642 If you do not want to drive fast, nobody can make you drive faster than you want to. No need at all to go faster than 120 Km/h if you do not want to. You even can go ~ 90 - 100 in the right lane between trucks.

[@Lifeinbelize]

I grew up in Germany and went to the driving school to get my license. It was exactly the same back 45 years ago. I totally agree with you

[@bbiggs279]

I’m an American living in Germany. 100% agree with Nalf. You forgot to mention the super short on-ramp merge lanes. Other German driving gripes: lanes ending without warning, T-intersections without a yield sign where the entering traffic has the right away to traffic to their left, and stop lights on the wrong side of the road so that you can’t see them without leaning your head out over the dashboard.

[@miroari4559]

I wholeheartedly agree with everything you said in this video. We once went on a trip through Florida decades ago. We went to the Munich airport by car and went home by car again. After three relaxing weeks on the Florida highways the German autobahn came as a shock. We were really stressed out when we arrived at our hometown after only one and a half hours on the autobahn. Whenever I have the choice I prefer to take the Landstraße instead with speed limit and a little less traffic.

[@BlueFlash215]

US Americans in Germany, if they bring their car, have a big disadvantage. Their seats are often really low or the dashboard is high. I wondered why they are "lying" behind the steering wheel until I saw a documentary about cars on different continents. A lot of US American drivers that sit really high in their pickup truck, do still have a huge dashboard in front of them. They have trouble seeing pedestrians in cities but they can see really far ahead on the Autobahn. Driving with my brother-in-law I asked him why he doesn't clear his trunk so he can use his rear-view mirror. He said he focuses on the traffic ahead.

[@petebeatminister]

Driving on the Autobahn has BECOME stressful. You should have seen it before 1989, before the iron curtain fell. Then you often times didn't see anybody else for 20 km, and just a few trucks here and there. Today its total madness. And its even expected that cargo traffic will further increase a lot!

[@huubjoanfranssen8980]

As a Dutch guy not living in NL. I miss my yellow number plate… NL = Nur links 😂

[@miriamreiss]

We have a joke here in Germany, if you failed your driving test three times, you'll get a yellow number plate......sorry......🤷😂....btw, I love driving in the Netherlands, their Autobahn System is way better maintained as the one in Germany and with it's Speed Limit it's way more relaxing to drive.

[@huubjoanfranssen8980]

@@miriamreiss i know…. ;-) I use it in my advantage… scaring German drivers out of my lane! 😈 (What good is it to have a yellow plate if you cannot scare a couple of Germans with it! lol) Honestly Dutch roads are boring… just 100km/h. Pfff ;-)

[@Likr666]

@@miriamreiss What I like about dutch highways is the space and the wider turning circle to go on/off the highway. These are way more condensed in Germany and you have to brake and accelerate harder what makes it more dangerous. In Germany road constructions take months and years while in the netherlands lots of road constructions are done over night or within a few days. But relaxing? The problem are the dutch drivers. They have lost the sense for safety distance. If there's a gap of 10m, someone will cut in. Of course there are some idiots in Germany doing the same, but in the netherlands it's a normal thing.

[@TheyCalledMeT]

NL = Nur links mit 110 😂

[@DooferHein]

Schwarze Schrift auf gelbem Grund, halt dich fern und bleib gesund!

[@khecke]

I got my German driver license in March of 1952 and I drove not only in Germany, but in many other Countries in Europe. It is more stressful to drive in Europe, than in the US where I got my first American driver license in 1957. There is no question, that I prefer to drive in America and Canada. Lately I let my car drive itself and it also finds its destination that I entered into the car's computer. Every year more an more cars will be able to drive without a human.

[@Thinkle911]

Some time ago i travveleld for work through half of germany on a weekly basis: Your car needs a speed limiter, so you don't need to keep track of that and you need to keep an eye on the rear mirror and give way. it is your task and responsibility. A lot of people do not understand that and stick to the middle lane, because "the right lane is for trucks". That is very, very wrong and ruining traffic flow for everyone. The one who wants to cruise mindlessly shall go to the right and get behind a truck: best fuel efficiency you can get.

[@kosa4038]

Hey man! No line on the Autobahn is for chilling! Stay concentrated for 100% all the time - regardless how fast you drive and drive a quality car. Crashing with 120km/h is an experience you don’t want to have. I know what I’m speaking about! I once had a rollover at that „snail-pace“. The car was scrap, but thank god and to the BMW engineers my boy and I survived with no injuries.

[@Byteloser]

I'm a German living in Canada, and without hesitation, I’d choose the Canadian highway over the German Autobahn any day. I have two sons-one studying in Germany, the other in Canada. When we visit Germany, we stay at my sister’s place for the first few nights since it's closer to the airport. Here's the crazy part: The distance from my sister's place in Germany to my son's place is 251 km. The distance from our home in Canada to my other son's place is 231 km. As much as I enjoy the thrill of driving fast in Germany, the travel time is almost identical. Despite the Autobahn’s reputation, I’ve never made it to my son's place in less than three hours, thanks to traffic jams and endless construction zones.

[@dedeegal]

Das mit den "ewigen Baustellen" stimmt leider. Aber ansonsten kann die Autobahn total entspannt genutzt werden. Bei Regen suche ich mir einen LKW und hänge mich dahinter. Sind dann zwar nur 90km/h ... aber dafür komplett entspannt. Ansonsten fahre ich selten schneller als 140 km/h. Höchstens mal zum "mit-schwimmen". Normal eher zwischen 120 und 130 km/h. Bei drei Spuren dann selten ganz links. Aber wir haben hier eine Richtgeschwindigkeit von 120 km/h. Wenn irgendein Spacko deutlich schneller fährt ... und es zum Unfall kommt ... dann muss der auf seine Kosten nachweisen, dass der Unfall auch passiert wäre, wenn er nur mit 120 km/h unterwegs gewesen wäre. Sonst hängt er mit >=50% drin. Und das kann er wohl selten nachweisen.... Natürlich nützt mir das nix, wenn ich tot bin. Aber es passiert halt auch nicht, weil die Leute das wissen. Bei drei Spuren pro Richtung kann man locker mit 120 bis 140 km/h auf der Mittelspur bleiben, sofern rechts keine Lücke von mindestens 500m entsteht. Da blinkt höchstens mal einer von tausend hektisch mit dem Fernlicht rum ... aber lass ihn ... das ist ein Schwachkopf mit Mini-Schniedel, der tief sitzende Komplexe hat. Solche Menschen sind bemitleidenswert, weil ihre fragwürdigen "Gaspedal ganz runterdrück"-Kenntnisse meistens die einzigen sind, die sie haben. Lass sie. Und lass dich nicht auf "Road-Rage" mit derartigem Bio-Ausschuss ein. Jaaaa.... das war jetzt sehr böse von mir. Und es kommt ja auch nur alle zehn Jahre mal vor, dass ich an so einen gerate. Ich fahre seit über 30 Jahren und ich hatte noch absolut keinen Unfall auf der Autobahn. Eigentlich sowieso nur einen. Und da war ich eigentlich zu 100%, offiziell nur zu 95%, NICHT Schuld. ...ein russischer Militär-LKW hat mir in der Ostzone die Vorfahrt genommen. Ich kannte halt die Regel nicht, dass die grundsätzlich Vorfahrt haben.....selbst wenn ich auf einer "Bundesstraße" bin ... und die von einem Waldweg einbiegen.... lange her....

[@martin123456456]

Richtgeschwindigkeit ist 130km/h du Schleicher. 😉 Nein. Schon richtig. 120-140 km/h ist eine vernünftige Reisegeschwindigkeit. Das mit dem LKW mache ich besonders gerne mit dem Wohnmobil. Man darf zwar schneller aber Spaß macht das nicht. Mit meinem 1er BMW fahre ich auch nur selten mal schneller als 140. Es bringt halt nix. Nur mehr Risiko und höhere Kosten. Was aber trotzdem auch dann nervt sind Leute, die immer in der Mitte fahren obwohl rechts frei ist. Es ist ja auch nicht umsonst verboten. Wir halt nicht so oft geahndet, dass es wen stört.

[@GrouchoEngels]

Jetzt bin ich aber neidisch auf deinen *GANZ* Großen...

[@rrl4245]

In June we drove all over Southern Germany - a lot of it on the Autobahn (in a big M5 BMW). Couldn't believe how perfect the road surfaces were. It made driving at 200KPH much, much safer, If they can have such nice roads, with their climate, why can't the USA?

[@jensschroder8214]

I live in North Rhine-Westphalia. I only know Autobahn with construction sites and speed limits. Especially the A45 with its many bridges, which all need to be rebuilt. And then the Lüdenscheid bridge gap. The motorway bridge was closed overnight and later demolished. The result is that the entire traffic in Lüdenscheid is stuck in a traffic jam in the city. Heavy trucks are also being sent on a longer detour. Standing freely in a traffic jam on the highway instead of driving freely.

[@Chercht]

I have 16 years of driving history in Germany and also did some road trips in the US (roughly maybe 5000 miles), as well as some driving in Greece, Ireland, Czech Republic, Austria and a few other European countries. I actually prefer the US driving style, because I can use cruise control at longer times. Here in Germany, you are constantly switching lanes, because on the right lane are all the slow trucks (with speed limiters), on the left lane are the race drivers who like to do full speed, no matter the traffic situation and the middle lane is constantly merging between both. If you want to drive a constant speed with cruise control, you are adjusting all the time (or your car does adjust automatically) because you either have slower cars in front of you or someone chasing and annoying you from behind. As soon as you want to overtake somebody, people magically gain speed and you also have to speed up. It's a mess and sometimes really annoying. Of course it's more relaxed when the roads are empty, but thats not often the case. In the US, people seem to respect your security zone more and in my experience, do less tailgating and drive less agressively than in Germany. Because the speed is limited, the speed differences between lanes are not that big and you don't need to adjust and switch lanes that often... and I actually like passing on the right lane, when it's safe. Really annoying, when someone is driving slow and refusing to leave the middle lane in Germany, even though the right lane is free... you can't just pass on right. So all in all, I find driving in Germany on a busy Autobahn way more stressful than in most other countries with speed limits. And despite our intense driver training, most people think they can handle fast speeds when they don't actually know what they're doing. I did two driver safety trainings with the ADAC and learned how cars would behave in emergency situations... I think everybody should do that... it gives you a whole different perspective, how losing control about your car feels. When you drive 200 km/h on a road you can barely see whats coming up front, where side winds can happen or people can behave unforseen, it is everything but safe... but thats a whole different story.

[@willionaire77]

couple of training sessions with your parents and 50 bucks for the license explains A LOT why lot of americans are bad drivers. One thing that always baffles is the casual attitude towards driving and texting (causing lots of crashes). Especially because lots of americans don't have insurance either. 😵😵‍💫 The moment our legislative realized how dangerous it is - it got banned immediately. And the fines are equally high and enforced by police. I don't wanna people scroll through instagram and "chill" when they should keep their attention on traffic. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@Xassaw]

Maybe if you had a brain, you might realize that the US is considerably bigger and has a far bigger population of people driving therefore you’re going to obviously have more accidents and more deaths. Duh You could probably fit the whole Country of Germany just in the city of Dallas!

[@FredericiasChannel]

Wow! I'm glad I'm not the only one that gets stressed out driving in Europe!

[@mmai5651]

I completely agree with you! If there were no traffic or construction, driving in Germany could be quite relaxing. Unfortunately, as you said, it often ends up being stop and go. However, similar to Germany, I remember how stressful driving on the I-95, the major north/south artery on the East Coast, could be, especially knowing that you can get overtaken from the right.

[@AnnupVarkey]

Autobahn is not at all stressful if you just cruise in the right lane at 120 kmh; the stress comes only if you have a time deadline and you expect to do the distance in the time Google Maps says you will.

[@jamesd9900]

Great vid, thanks! I've spent time driving in Germany and honestly, I found it much more relaxing, mainly because people drive better there and their roads are simply better. Granted, I live in Southern California where our Freeways are very messy and stressful. Plus, we have many driving that don't even have drivers licenses and insurance. California.. ;D

[@rgbx6923]

I live near Hamburg. When I'm driving to the city centre or the other side of the city, I can choose the Autobahn or normal streets. I always take the Autobahn except Google maps tells me it is more than 15min more time, because it's way less stressful than driving through an urban area.

[@tdrewk15]

Wholly disagree with most of this perspective. I visit Germany for about a month each year, and I find the experience to be far far less stressful if you follow the basic rules of the road that technically apply in both countries (Left lane is for passing). If you camp in the left lane, then yes, driving in Germany will be stressful when you have a beamer running up your butt. The solution to far less stressful experience is too simply cruise in the right lane at the posted speed limit and then you'll find your trip to be safe and enjoyable. And if you want to drive faster you don't have to deal with all the fools in the states who choose the left lane for their leisure driving. On an additional note, Germany has far fewer traffic lights at intersections (Right before left is the rule) and therefore you don't have to come to a full stop or wait nearly as often for lights to change. This allows you to travel at a much more natural pace without artificial interuptions. The one primary aspect that is more stressful in Germany is non-highway driving, where you need to be much more alert for pedestrians, bicycles, scooters on roads that are much more narrow.

[@yves2932]

101 for stressless passing of construction zones: engage the speed automatic and stay in the right lane. Its boring as hell.

[@piekay7285]

4:20 All lanes that aren’t the rightmost lane are only for passing! Don’t drive slow on the middle lane!!!

[@astara5802]

98 % of the drivers do not have the ability to understand that and never ever won‘t

[@CavHDeu]

​@@astara5802 like the dutch 3 lane roundabouts

[@highks496]

The biggest problem is that the right lane is always blocked by trucks at 90 km/h (that's about where their limiter sets in). And of course as soon as there is three lanes, the truck that goes 91 km/h has to overtake all the other trucks going 89 km/h. German Autobahn is a constant switch between "truck lane(s)" and "racing lane(s)". That's what make it most stressfull in my opinion. Without the trucks, everything works out much smoother. I think they should allow trucks to go 120 km/h and everything would be much less stressfull.

[@CavHDeu]

@@highks496 this is called Elefantenrennen but they love to do it on two lane Autobahnen even more

[@pakabe8774]

As I was young I've been friend with a guy who said to be son of an American diplomat (but given he was about 25-30years old and had to go back for a week or so to the US of A as 9/11 happened, made me believe he was the diplomat himself). We were on Autobahn with his diplomatic car at a rainy day with 50 meters of sight at 220km/h at night. I really didn't feel that comfortable, but he only said, his car assistant systems would make it pretty safe and he already had heavy accidents, without even any scratch. I've had to trust, but never forget the most dangerous (not fastest) drive in my life.

[@Agent-Z314]

Our highway (Autobahn) in Germany is stressful, people are stressed and aggressive 😬. At night it's OK 🤣

[@Anthyrion]

Um Sascha Fahrnünftig zu zitieren: "EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEY!" oder auch "MEINE FRESSE! WAS IST DENN LOS?! MAAAAAAAAAAAN!" und natürlich mein Liebling: "SAG MA, HAM SIE DIR INS GEHIRN GESCHISSEN?! 😁

[@invalid8774]

Thats due to the density, lets invest more into public transit so only the car enthusiasts will drive. ;)

[@ScribbleTAS]

@@Anthyrion Mittelspurschleicher!!!

[@RobertKorte1]

if you are in temper to be stressed at all, relax and drive with the rest of traffic....

[@highks496]

@@RobertKorte1 The problem is: there's not really a "rest of traffic" in Germany. I have tried again and again to just chill out at 130 or 140 km/h on a German Autobahn and it never works. At some point I'm going 210 km/h again because it's either that, or being stuck behind trucks at 86 km/h on the right lane.

[@marswind285]

Very accurate description. But I prefer our high vigilance driving more than driving e.g. in Austria or Netherlands. Because I can judge the dynamic here, but I cannot always get easily used with the rythm in our neighbour countries.

[@hansdampf3468]

The most stressfull tracks are the ones with only two lanes. Either you are stuck behind the trucks are you are pushed from behind, overtaken at the right while still driving 190+ is more common than you might think. Three lanes and more are just relaxing and more or less like driving on auto pilot. But beware the trucks overtaking each other.

[@Someone-fu7wz]

As a german I love it that we don't have speed limits. But I agree (depending on the time you are driving) it sometimes is so dense, that it's just a big headache.

[@lindaniedringhaus8790]

Just returned from14 days in Germany. After three days, I decided not to rent a car. The bicycles, the crush of people, no way!

[@MostHigh777]

Actually I think you under quoted the US limited access highways. You gave the length for interstates but of course many of the limited access highways in the US are not interstates. Total mileage is just under 100,000 MI.

[@highks496]

If you want a really chill driving experience with high-skilled drivers and perfect roads: go to Switzerland! They have a speed limit of 120 km/h on all highways and their fines for speeding are so extremely high that nobody dares to drive more than 125 km/h. I mean I have to admit I like to drive 230 km/h from time to time and it has its moments, but driving through Switzerland is so relaxing! If you just have to get from A to B, the Swiss driving experience is way better than the German driving experience.

[@narve7337]

I haven't driven in the US before but whenever I cross a border into a neighboring country of Germany (mostly to the west/north, NL BE DK), I feel like traffic is so relaxed compared to Germany. Everyone is going approximately the same speed, everyone is chilling along the way and the second I reenter Germany, I'm stressed out again. A general speed limit might not reduce deaths and/or accidents on German roads but it would definitely decrease the stress levels of everyone driving here.

[@sitagarg4238]

The introduction to the issue is presented is serious like a Hollywood movie 😅

[@thanhliemnguyen7938]

Where is the big lie here ??? My most stressful experience ever was to drive from LA downtown to Anaheim on this huge eight-lane highway where if lucky I could only drive at 55 mph but most of the time at much lower speed. Yes in Germany there are too many "eternal" Baustellen, yet what a pleasure to push my car up to 250 km/h and my cruise speed at which I feel comfortable with is about 190 km/h. I live in Germany and I always enjoy these free portions of the Autobahn. On the other hand when I drive in France, I am always nervous as there are a lot of radars and mobile controls from the Gendarmerie. Driving on some long, empty autoroute at 130 km/h is boring.

[@Herzschreiber]

"The big lie" is the US proint of view, because Americans mostly think that this prejudice is true. Germany does not lie, it is the prejudice which is "a lie". And since NALF speaks to his fellow Americans mainly, it is okay to put it like that.

[@laisa1956]

Driving in the right lane is not a choice, it is a must (Rechtsfahrgebot). You can be fined for driving in the middle or left when there is no traffic in the right lane. And overtaking on the right side is also forbidden and fined.

[@rowenabaliho881]

Thanks for providing all the numbers and statistics for comparison, much appreciated❤

[@plneky1171]

I experienced the Autobahn in three time periods. As a child, passenger in the late-1950's, little traffic, the first VW Beetles, few people could afford cars and the ones on the road couldn't go very fast. In the early-1980's, driving a Mazda RX-7, certain areas of the Autobahn with light traffic, the A27 up to Bremerhaven and the A81 Wurzburg to Stuttgart were great fun. Early 2000's, much more traffic. Obey the rules of the road and stay focused, no problems. Had to drive early in the day or late at night to avoid traffic. I wonder if the traffic Stau season in August is still happening. It seemed that everyone in Scandanavia was driving to the Mediterrean on summer holiday.

[@Spartan16231]

Yeah I’m a Brit loving here in Germany for decades! Yes, it is great with the no speed limit, and yes, those opportunities to actually use it where driving so fast will get you to your destination so much quicker than pottering along at 130kph, are few and far between. Road works, stubborn drivers with the cruise set at 120kph tailing over a truck when they see you coming like a bullet, but still won’t be hurried… oh yes. They just ain’t gonna be hassled. So to get the best of the unrestricted speed limit, you want to be driving between midnight and 6am. Other than that, enjoy potting your foot down for a burnout now and then, but for long haul, 130-140kph and chill.

[@aykutdurak3555]

If you drive a car with expectation of "chilling", you will always feel stressful.

[@nigelsheppard625]

When I lived in Germany in the 80s and 90s I used to avoid the autobahn for longer journeys and took the train. These days that's not really an option.

[@CurtisCT]

American expat here living in Austria for the past 20 years or so, have been on the German Autobahn many times on trips to Scandinavia, etc. When I first came to Europe, it was a joy riding on the Autobahn. Long stretches of road and you could drive as fast as you wanted. Nowadays however there are 'Baustellen" (road works) every 5 minutes or so. Then there're the constant traffic jams, it's just no fun anymore. Last time I was on the German Autobahn a year ago it was almost IMPOSSIBLE to drive 200+ km/h for more than 3 or 5 minutes because of the construction sites. The unlimited speed limit in Germany is now more a theoretical than a real-life construct.

[@macklewis4882]

I drive mostly in eastern Germany and it's not as crowded😊

[@mr.wilson2251]

I have just returned from my USA vacation (San Francisco > Pacific Grove > Lake Tahoe > Bend > Portland (OR)) and can only confirm your statements. Overall, driving in the USA is more relaxed than in Germany. Except for the system of stop signs on all streets at an intersection. This is a real challenge at large intersections with two lanes each!

[@paulabernasor]

Nothing can be more stressful than driving around California. With poorly maintained roads, random pick-up trucks and cars speeding up beyond the actual limit and suddenly changing lanes without signalling. Some even overtaking at supposedly no overtaking zones. On top of that the soul-sucking maximum speed limits which makes you spend a good fraction of your life on the road with all the lanes.

[@rezamostafid8810]

Every word is TRUE... I learned to drive in Germany in the late 70ies. At our school we had a logbook that needed to be stamped...it was structured around the recommended syllabus. We HAD to learn to drive after dark and we HAD to learn how to get on the Autobahn, how to drive on it ( including all the overtaking rules e.t.c. ) and how to safely exit the Autobahn. Furthermore and I don't know if this still holds: We needed to attend a one day first aid course, get a certificate for it, show it for the examination and have it with the driver's license at all times. This rigorous training stood me in good steed when driving elsewhere in the world ( North America, Australasia e.t.c. ). The most courteous and pleasant driving I experienced in the UK....( albeit that was in the late 80ies and early 90ies ... I wouldn't know how it is today )

[@Drehzahlorgel]

A side note, regarding the topic of "no speed limit". Yes, it is true, there is no real "speed limit" on those sections of the Autobahn. But and this is a huge one: You should always remind yourself that, the faster you drive, the sharper your senses need to be (and of course, that no technical malfunctions are happening or your tires go "pop"). If you drive 180, 200, 250+ or 300+ km/h on the Autobahn and an incident/accident is happening: Well.. 1. I hope you have super human reaction time 2. I hope your breaks are godly 3. I hope you have enough space to break Otherwise, I dont want to switch places with you or other people, that are involved. So, if you want to drive fast, be mindful of the consequences it can lead to.

[@maskharat]

Cars that can drive that fast have the corresponding breaks, tires, chassis to be able to handle the forces, which makes the handling at 200 the same as at 100. If your car isn't build for it, though, you're in very dangerous territory.

[@Drehzahlorgel]

@@maskharat Your statement is partially true. Why only partially? 1. A car needs a driver with a brain. Everyone is different when it comes to reaction speed. 2. A lot of cars can go 200, 250 km/h. They are not top modern cars, that are released today. They are older cars and cars, that are heavily tuned (still street legal in Germany). Even if you drive a brand new one. Driving very fast needs highly sharp senses.

[@highks496]

There's also a legal caveat for going fast on the Autobahn. If you're going above the "Richtgeschwindigkeit" (recommended speed) of 130 km/h, you are probably going to be liable for any kind of accident at least to a certain percentage. If you're going above 250 km/h, as far as I know you are always going to be liable 100% for any kind of accident and your insurance might have a reason to pull out and not pay.

[@realpirate]

Also, there might be a somebody not used to the BAB ( vulgo American ) who does irrational things and buggers up the flow . I nearly witnessed a lynching the other day, when a car with US Army plates did not do the Rettungsgasse thing . Autobahn only works safely when EVERYONE keeps to the rules 🙂

[@azando3740]

When we talk about Germany and the Autobahn, you should consider the land mass of Germany in relation to the USA and the population of 85 million. Germany, along with the Netherlands, is one of the most populous countries in the world. Consequently, there must be a very high traffic density. Due to the heavy traffic volume, the lack of a speed limit automatically means a massive restriction, so traffic must be more strictly regulated.

[@yahouallavoix4512]

great observations. 😊 thanks for sharing!