Can your Audi get you off speeding?

[jonas21]

Thanks, Jonas. Very interesting.

Can you or others reply regarding driver's education in Europe: Is it required, or does that vary? Is it very thorough/comprehensive? More difficult in Germany than elsewhere, due to unlimited Autobahn speeds & the knowlege required to travel those speeds safely?

I have no idea regarding differences in german to US drivers license program.
However here you just need to get a normal drivers license and can go as far as your car can.

[Lateknight]

Here in the UK we don't have anything like drivers education.

If you get banned (usually over multiple minor offenses or one biggie) all you have to do is sit your driving test/exam again before getting your license back.

Our test is relatively easy. (I had to look this up, its changed a bit since I passed)
You sit an exam of 35 multiple choice questions.
Then do a driving test of no more than 40 minutes or 9 miles. Your allowed to make up to 15 minor errors and still pass
Judging by some of the driving skill I've seen some drivers employ here in the UK, it makes me wonder how they even managed to pass that.

There are advanced driving tests you can take, but you are definitely not forced (or even encouraged) to take these at any time, no matter what indesgretion you have done in your car.

[Lateknight]

I have no idea regarding differences in german to US drivers license program.
However here you just need to get a normal drivers license and can go as far as your car can.

Jonas, Does your license test involve any mandatory Autobahn driving?

With Germany still having the last few stretches of unlimited roads, is it possible to have passed the license test never having done more than 100kph? To then legally do 300kph once passed?

[jonas21]

Jonas, Does your license test involve any mandatory Autobahn driving?

With Germany still having the last few stretches of unlimited roads, is it possible to have passed the license test never having done more than 100kph? To then legally do 300kph once passed?

When i made mine it was needed to have driven 2 longer parts on the Autobahn (say 2x2 hours). However there was no speed training (we did 180km/h topspeed...).
Basically you could just strip the learning hours (if you do know howto drive already...) and just go for the minimal program. That way it might possible.
But i am sure, most people here are not that insane to go for these speeds without getting sufficent further knowledge or testing this on a track with trainer.

[LU-RS6]

When i made mine it was needed to have driven 2 longer parts on the Autobahn (say 2x2 hours). However there was no speed training (we did 180km/h topspeed...).
Basically you could just strip the learning hours (if you do know howto drive already...) and just go for the minimal program. That way it might possible.
But i am sure, most people here are not that insane to go for these speeds without getting sufficent further knowledge or testing this on a track with trainer.

The fact that Germans are better drivers IMO is due to 2 facts:

Better "schooling" in driving
Better "schooling" via their parents

[manticRS6]

Let me give you my 2 cents. I was born and raised in Switzerland and lived there until age 26. At age 18 I learned driving by going to a professional driving instructor that taught me how to drive. At the time there was no law on how many instruction hours you need to be eligible for taking the driving test, but I took 22 hours. My understanding is that now they have a minimum of 30 or 40 hours of instruction before your even allowed to take the test. Also, while taking the instruction classes, if I went somewhere with my parents they slapped a big blue "L" sign (learner) on the back and I drove. That helped me a lot to get upto speed quickly.

One of the things that surprised me when I took the DMV test here in the US was how short and easy the test was. Besides the idiot proof multiple choice test, I was in the car for less than 10 minutes and went around the block maybe 3 times. Now let me compare this to the test in Switzerland. The test was almost 1 hour long. It included driving in the city, on the freeway and highway, regular parking, parallel parking, stoping and starting on an incline, save braking, save distance driving etc. And I remember that during the test, the test administrator kept asking me questions about driving, what to do if you had a flat or ran out of gas etc.

In my eyes the preparation in Europe is definitely better, but I dont know what the stats are when it comes to comparing who are the safer or better drivers.

[LU-RS6]

In my eyes the preparation in Europe is definitely better, but I dont know what the stats are when it comes to comparing who are the safer or better drivers.

I think the answer can be extracted out of your post.

[Benman]

The fact that Germans are better drivers IMO is due to 2 facts:

Better "schooling" in driving
Better "schooling" via their parents

+1000000!

Amen to that!

I am suprised that the EU countries do not raise rates based on tickets and such! Good for you guys! As JAX mentioned, our rates can quickly double after a few tickets so we have to watch out!

Ben

[Lateknight]

+1000000!

Amen to that!

I am suprised that the EU countries do not raise rates based on tickets and such! Good for you guys! As JAX mentioned, our rates can quickly double after a few tickets so we have to watch out!

Ben

In UK anything more than 4 points on your license (2 minor speeding offences or 1 excessive speeding offence) will load your next insurance rate.