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Men claim nearly 80 percent of driving points

German men have more points on their driving licences than women, largely due to drink driving, but according to figures released on Monday both genders have totted up the most points from the same offence – speeding.

Men claim nearly 80 percent of driving points
Photo: DPA

As of the start of this year more than seven million men had points on their licences as opposed to just two million women, figures from the Flensburg-based Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) revealed. Of those who have any points, 22 percent were women, 78 percent men.

President of the KBA Ekhard Zinke presented the report on Monday, saying that “two thirds of registered people only have a few points.” This meant that 6.5 million people had just between one and seven points.

More than 470,000 people had between eight and 17 points – and of these just ten percent were women. This did not mean, Zinke said, that women were necessarily better drivers than men, and warned against interpreting the figures either way.

The KBA did not, Zinke explained, keep a record of how long the offender had been driving for, nor how often and how far they tended to drive.

Speeding was the top offence for women and men, of whom 1.126 million and 4.021 million respectively had points for going too fast.

The second source of points for women drivers was failing to give right of way – 226,000 to be precise. This was followed by drink driving, which earned 170,000 women points.

For men this was the other way around with 1.234 million being caught drunk at the wheel and getting points. Failing to give way landed 611,000 male drivers points.

The number of people drink driving was, the KBA, dropping each year but those caught driving while under the influence of drugs had gone up. In 2012, 31,600 people were caught “drug-driving” compared with 30,400 the year before.

DPA/The Local/jcw

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DRIVING

What you should do if you lose your driver’s licence in Germany

Non-EU nationals who live in Germany can often exchange their old licences for German ones. But what do you do if you happen to lose your German licence - or if it gets stolen? Here's a step-by-step guide.

What you should do if you lose your driver's licence in Germany

Losing an important document can be a nightmare scenario for foreigners in Germany – especially if it’s the one you rely on to get around. So if you search for your driver’s licence one day and suddenly realise it’s missing, you may feel the urge to panic. 

Luckily, there’s a two-step process to follow to get a replacement and ensure nobody else can misuse your licence in the meantime. However, German law requires you to act quickly.

Call the lost and found and/or file a police report

If your driver’s licence is lost or stolen in Germany, you’re required to let the police know as soon as possible. You can do this at any police station in Germany. 

There may be one place you should try first though before going straight to the police.

If you think your licence may simply have been misplaced, rather than stolen, you can call your local Fundbüro – which deals with lost property – to see if someone has returned it. Many of these are at local city halls, while many public transport companies have their own. Deutsche Bahn also runs one of these for things that are lost on long-distance trains in Germany.

If you still can’t find it, whether you’ve lost your licence or it’s been stolen, you’re required to file a police report. 

Once you’ve filed the report, the police will give you a confirmation letter. You can use this to apply for a replacement licence.

READ ALSO: How to get a German driver’s licence as a third-country national

Get in touch with the traffic office

Once you’ve filed a police report, you’ll need to get in touch with your local Fahrerlaubnisbehörde – or “traffic licencing authority” – to get a replacement licence. In Berlin, for example, you can go online and book an appointment for this.

You’ll need to bring a few documents with for your appointment to get a replacement licence. These include a biometric passport photo, the loss or theft report from the police, and a piece of legal ID. You’ll also need to pay a fee – which can vary depending on your local authority.

READ ALSO: What you should do if you lose your residence permit in Germany

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