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German states call for higher fines for reckless drivers and parking offenders

The federal states are calling for stricter fines for speeders, tailgaters and parking offenders, arguing that they endanger others with their behaviour.

Published: 20 April 2018 10:56 CEST
German states call for higher fines for reckless drivers and parking offenders
Photo: DPA

Such drivers need to be “carefully sanctioned” in order to create a “necessary deterring effect,” according to a draft resolution at the two-day Conference for Transport Ministers on Thursday in Nuremberg. The working document did not specify concrete fines.

The ministers want to ensure that heavier fines are levied not only on dangerous traffic violations, but also parking violators. Such parkers also pose a risk, they say, because they often block bike lanes, intersections or emergency parking spots.

The proposal is supported by all the German states, according to information acquired by German news agency DPA. The country’s police unions have long advocated for heavier traffic fines, with a fee based on how dangerous the activity is assessed to be.

Police set up not-previously revealed checkpoints across Germany on Wednesday, with some states catching thousands of speeders across the course of the day.

SEE ALSO: The curious way Stuttgarters are deterring selfish parking

Improving road safety

Federal Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer (CSU) also called to improve the road safety of trucks in order to decrease fatal accidents.

“At the international level, we are pushing for stricter regulations, for example, that emergency brake assistants must not be shut down,” Scheuer said.

New trucks in the EU must already have emergency braking systems, but the driver can disable them. In their coalition agreement, the Christian Democrats and the Social Democrats agreed to implement mandatory “non-disconnectable” emergency braking systems.

The two parties also called for mandatory “turn-off assistants,” which are supposed to compensate for treacherous blind spots in lorries and buses. The systems can emit warning signals or brake automatically when they detect a pedestrian or cyclist in the way.

The Green party called on Scheuer to “immediately put into force a national rule until an EU-wide decision comes into effect,” stating that more than 40 percent of truck accidents could be prevented and 553 lives across the EU saved per year.

Next Wednesday, the issue will be discussed in the Bundestag (German parliament).

READ ALSO: What you need to know about German driving licences

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EXPLAINED: The changes to Germany’s driving licence theory test

Anyone now taking their written test to get a German driver's licence has a bit more prep work to do. New questions have been added to the test this month.

Published: 20 April 2024 08:13 CEST
Updated: 22 April 2024 17:21 CEST
EXPLAINED: The changes to Germany's driving licence theory test

A total of 61 new questions were added to the theoretical driving licence test as of April 1st, both for a regular licence and several special categories. 

That’s not necessarily encouraging news for anyone aspiring to work toward earning their German driving licence. The country’s process for earning a driving licence is already notoriously difficult and expensive – regularly costing more than €2,000.

READ ALSO: How much does it cost to get a driving licence in Germany?

However, adding new questions to the theoretical driving test is standard procedure in Germany, in fact it happens every six months. 

The relevant authorities suggest that these regular updates are necessary because the road transport system and its related legal framework is constantly changing.

But that doesn’t mean the test is constantly getting longer. Questions are added to a catalogue of potential questions for the driving test, but outdated questions are also removed. 

Ultimately the written test that a prospective driver will face consists of a total of 30 questions chosen from the catalogue. Of these, 20 will cover basic material and 10 will cover knowledge specific to vehicle class B, which is passenger cars.

Who creates the driving test?

Germany’s theoretical and practical driving licence test is continuously developed by the Technical Inspection Association (TÜV) and DEKRA, an auditing company which manages testing, inspection and certification for vehicles, among other things.

Mathias Rüdel, managing director of the TÜV | DEKRA joint venture, told German regional broadcaster MDR that the catalogue for the theoretical driving test contains “a total of 1,197 basic and supplementary tasks”.

One or more questions could potentially be created to test students’ understanding of each of these tasks. 

READ ALSO: More than a third of German driving tests failed in 2022

Rüdel added that there is not a set maximum number of tasks which could be included in the test. Instead, the number of tasks correspond to the relevant road safety content being taught, which is a result of European and national frameworks.

Asked which types of questions make up the biggest part of the driving test catalogue, Rüdel suggested that emphasis is placed on the subjects of ‘hazard theory’ and ‘behaviour in road traffic’.

READ ALSO: Germany sees ‘record number’ of cheating cases on driving licence exams

What does it take to get a driving licence in Germany?

Germany’s rules around driving licences are notoriously strict. 

Advocates for the country’s regulations say that ensuring drivers are properly trained is a benefit to society, because unsafe driving comes with severe consequences for drivers and pedestrians alike.

But drivers holding foreign driving licences that are considered invalid in Germany, despite years of driving experience, and even some German parents who have to shell out thousands of euros to put their kids through drivers’ education, suggest that the process seems excessive and over-priced.

The basic steps to earn a driving licence are:

  1. Pass an eye test
  2. Complete a first aid course
  3. Complete a driving school course (Fahrschule)
  4. Request a licence / make an appoint to apply (If you don’t have a foreign licence this covers you while you are learning to drive)
  5. Pass the written theoretical test
  6. Pass the practical in-car test

READ ALSO: ‘A year-long ordeal’: What I learned from getting my driving licence in Berlin

More information on the entire process can be found here.

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