Re: Autobahn driving (was: Your opinion, please!)

["Bruce Wolf" <bwolf -at- scheidt-bachmann-usa -dot- com>]

We lived in Germany several years.  My wife and I both got USAREUR licenses.
German licensing officials administered the written and driving tests we
took.  We learned that German requirements to get a license are higher and
most Germans are very safe drivers.

Our German friends said the high cost of cars, the high cost of insurance,
and the potential liability in case of an accident were the main reasons for
the safe driving in Germany.

When we returned to the States (the Boston area), the p*ss-poor driving was
quite a "culture shock" for us.  I'd guess that maybe, at the outside, one
in five drivers licensed in Massachusetts could earn a license in Germany on
the first or second try.

So, Jan, is writing procedures for driving instruction or testing anything
like writing computer-related procedures? (This is my feeble attempt at a
tech-writing tie-in!)

BW

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jan Henning" <henning -at- r-l -dot- de>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Sent: Wednesday, June 18, 2003 2:19 PM
Subject: OT: Autobahn driving (was: Your opinion, please!)



> and the
> almost fanatic requirements to get a license to drive in Germany.

Ahem... This isn't really the case. While requirements to get a license
might possibly be stricter than in theUS (I cannot really compare the
two), they are in no way 'fanatic'. There is alas ample evidence of
this when driving around Germany.

The theoretically unlimited top speed on autobahns is anyway something
of a red herring. Consider the following:

- While there is no general speed limit, many stretches of autobahn
have local speed limits. Since these limits naturally apply to the most
heavily used parts, most kilometers actually driven on autobahns are
driven in speed-limited zones. (Typical speed limits are 100 and 120
km/h - 60 and 72 mph.)

- There is a general 'suggested top speed' of 130 km/h (78 mph). While
you can't be ticketed for driving faster (when there is no local speed
limit), an accident at higher speeds may make you automatically liable
for part of the damage.

- Most people drive at speeds of between 120 and 150 km/h (72 to 91
mph) even when there is no speed limit.

So the autobahn isn't really like Indianapolis or Le Mans.

Regards
Jan Henning





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