Sometimes fast driving on the Autobahn can drive you nuts fast. Learn the tricks to survive the speed while having fun.

AutobahnAfter a long flight, I get behind the wheel of the Audi and head for the Autobahn. Immediately the speed rush gets a hold on me and I feel my right foot pushing down on the gas pedal with unrelenting force. My lips curl upwards in direct proportion to my speed and before I know it, I am speeding through the beautiful German landscape at over 200km/h (125mph) grinning like a moron. I quickly check my rear view mirror and change lanes into the center lane, when a brand new Audi R8 comes screaming past me as if I stood still. I am almost maxing out my A4 at 220 when the flat racer flips me off as if I am riding a soapbox car.
As I look over to my better half, I can see her becoming stiff, clenching her teeth and digging her fingernails into the upholstery of the seat. No wonder, it has been 3 years since our last visit to Germany. With adrenaline pumping through my veins, I can only nod apologetically and keep going at full speed for another 30 minutes until the high is over.
I have just had my first fix of Autobahn. I grew up in Germany, famous for cars, beer and the Autobahn, but after many years gone, I realize how different it is to drive here. Passengers need nerves of steel and drivers need to know how to handle speed.

The German Autobahn is a high tech super highway with no general speed limit. It is unique in its construction for speed and is intimidating for everyone not used to racecar speeds. Every year car buyers from around the world pick up their cars in Germany to experience the ultimate freedom in car driving. Rightfully, most tourists name the Autobahn as one of the best experiences in Germany. First time visitors to Germany will find useful information in this article to make travels on the Autobahn safe and enjoyable.

German drivers are probably the most disciplined in the world, always paying attention to the road. To drive here, do it like a German and stay focused at all times. Lack of sleep and / or attention is always dangerous but especially at Autobahn speeds.

Car reviewers in North America have often criticized German cars for their lack of cup holders, but Germans simply do not eat or drink while they drive. Neither should you while you are on this freeway. Pay attention to the world around you and stay alert. At fast speeds, your car can travel large distances during a short distraction.
Braking times increase quadratic meaning that twice the speed will cause four times longer braking distances. Reaction time and braking distance add up to very long stopping times that require looking ahead and anticipating the flow of traffic. If you see cars way ahead of you braking, get ready to slow down and ease away from the gas pedal.

No Speed Limit SignFinish your coffee before you get into your car. There are not many drive-throughs and people rather sit down for a cup of coffee instead of taking it to go. When they get behind the wheel of a car, they focus on the road.

Although the Autobahn is one of the smoothest roads you can imagine, at 250km/h (156mph) even the smallest ripple becomes a giant bump and even the smoothest and longest curve becomes a hairpin curve. Keep both of your hands on the wheel while you are driving fast and keep them there until you slow down.

Changing lanes

The law forbids passing on the right. This rule is one of the strictest enforced with the harshest punishment for violators. The law also requires slower cars to use the rightmost lane, except for passing. This ensures a speed gradient from right to left, with the fastest cars in the leftmost lane and trucks in the right lanes. When you are flying low at 200km/h or more, you cannot handle the speed differential to trucks that often drive as slow as 80km/h.

You will also pass trucks and other cars with a speed difference faster than normal driving speeds in most other countries. That means you have to trust those drivers not to change their lines right in front of you. You must do the same for others. Before you are going to change lanes to the left, check your mirrors, look over your shoulder and check your mirrors again. Try to gauge the speed of other cars. Unlike in most other countries, distance is not enough. Some cars are approaching you extremely fast and even if you are already driving 160km/h (100mph) others might be twice as fast.
Look over your shoulder twice. German drivers get a thorough drivers education. The educators emphasize looking over your shoulder when changing lanes. Forget it once during your test and you failed, blowing away a lot of money.

If you are on the left lane, keep an eye on your rear view mirror. Drivers of fast approaching cars often warn others of their speed by flashing their headlights.
If someone is following you in the left lane, with their left blinker engaged, they are signaling you to make room for them to pass.

Passing on the right is only possible inside city limits and during traffic jams. If the traffic is moving slower then 80km/h on the Autobahn, you can also pass on the right with a differential speed of less than 20km/h.

Speed and Polizei

Speeders have small WienersAlthough there is no general speed limit, some sections of the Autobahn will be limited regardless, due to construction or unsafe driving conditions. Some speed limits are conditional. The most common conditions are weather ("bei naesse") or time related for noise protection of people living in the area.

The German police (Polizei) are very efficient at collecting fines for speed violators. They do not even pull you over to issue a ticket. Radar traps take snapshots of your car, your license plate and your face. Days later, you will find out via mail with proof included, fully automated. In order to limit divorce rates, the passenger is not recognizable on the photographs.

In some places, the police will even measure your distance to the car ahead of you and take a snapshot if you are tailgating, automated of course. Depending on your speed, you are required to keep a certain safety distance. The distance should be roughly equal to ½ of your speed. For a speed of 100km/h you should keep about 50m distance.
Unmarked, German brand, vehicles with camera and radar equipment patrol the Autobahn to pull over speeders, tailgaters and other violators. It also provides entertaining evening programming for German TV stations.

Radar traps come in different shapes and sizes. Some are permanent installations on top of a pole but most are portable. If you speak German, tune the radio to any local station, as they usually announce the location of radar traps. Radar detectors are illegal. Police will confiscate them and fine you for using them.

You can also get a citation for slow driving. Some uphill sections have minimum speeds posted for all lanes except the rightmost lane. Round blue signs with a number in the middle indicate the required minimum speed. There is also a general minimum speed for the Autobahn of 60km/h.

Construction Zones

Narrow Road in a Construction ZoneThere are always sections of the freeway that are being constructed or repaired. After the reunion, East Germany was a giant construction zone for many years. These days, you will find the best freeways in East Germany. Super smooth and wide lanes, without speed limit, flow through the country like pulsing veins through an energized body.
However, the Autbahnmeisterei is always working on some areas. The lanes can become very narrow, requiring you to steer between trucks on the right and a center divider at the left with mere inches to spare. If you feel uncomfortable, please get in the right lane and let others pass.
Construction zones also have stringent speed limits and are a police favorite to set up radar traps. Keep your eyes peeled for radar equipment or better yet, obey the speed limits in construction zones.

Installations

Driving on the German freeway can be stressful. Fortunately, the network of rest places is tight and functional. Easy to read signs inform the traveler of amenities at the rest stops. Gas is always a few cents more expensive near the Autobahn. It does not pay to find cheaper gas stations near cities instead, as the savings are not as great.

Info SignLarge brown signs at the Autobahn inform you of famous sights such as National Parks, Castles and historic towns. If you have time to spare, I recommend taking a detour and visiting one of those places. The signs also help you identifying your exit if you are already looking for one of the sights.

Most modern parts of the Autobahn are equipped with high tech guidance systems that inform of dangerous conditions and post speed limits if necessary or even guide the traffic flow.
Trucks are now required to pay a toll to use the Autobahn, but there are still plenty of them congesting the road. Fortunately, most trucks are not allowed to drive on Sundays, making this one of the most pleasurable days to experience the Autobahn.
It will also be one of the most expensive days, as I recently discovered that gas is also more expensive during the weekends. Fill up before Friday noon and after Monday noon if you can, to save a couple of Euros.

There are no carpool lanes on the Autobahn, but they would not make much sense either unless you make them the rightmost lane, due to the high speeds on other lanes.

Rules

Although the legal limit for alcohol is 0.05%, it is best not to drink at all while you are driving, especially on the Autobahn. In case of accidents, the police will not be kind if you had some. Even though Germans really know how to brew a good beer, you should stick to water if you are the designated driver. There is no law against open containers and people on rear seats can drink even while the car is in motion.

Authorities banned the use of mobile phones for safety. If you have a hands free installation, you can use your phone.

The future

High gas prizes and a national awareness for conservation and the environment have not helped to introduce a general speed limit. Germany is world famous for its environmentally friendly technology like zero emissions coal power, yet the country's officials cannot enforce a speed limit against the strong automotive lobby and other interest groups. Several attempts have been made in the past but have always been rejected.

Travel times are unpredictable due to traffic jams, accidents and road closures. Traffic jams have become a very big problem, especially during the holiday traffic season, when the Autobahn is a single traffic jam during weekends. Fortunately, the otherwise dense road system offers plenty of opportunities for detours.

The high prizes have also forced people to buy smaller cars. Daredevils in their egg shaped mini cars whiz along the freeway at death defying speeds. One cannot help to wonder how these small machines can go so fast.

Half of the new cars in Germany appear to be diesel powered. While those engines consume less than equivalent gas powered engines, they also increase particle pollution and pose a health risk that does not get much attention. Diesel powered cars can easily beat gas powered hybrid electric cars on long distance drives. No wonder most Europeans tend to prefer them to the more expensive hybrids.

It is hard to predict what the future will bring, but I think that the increasing pressure from environmentalists will eventually force officials to introduce a general speed limit. Until then, I recommend to get a fast car when you visit Germany and join in on the fun.

As I get into the Audi again, I wonder where to find another stretch of pristine Autobahn as nature intended it. I admit I am an addict.

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