Get tips and advice about driving in Germany to make sure your trip is a safe one. Additionally, if a driver is making a purchase of a more powerful vehicle, insurance will cost more in that case as well. The driver can refuse, but then has to have a blood test. [13] Every other establishment which does not apply to this scheme requires a Gaststättenkonzession [de]. Alcohol and road traffic accidents 12 4. [6], The "Bußgeldkatalog" of each state sets the possible fines for each violation of the act and varies slightly by state. However, this should not that he driving laws in Germany are lax in any way. The written test is multiple-choice; however, there may be more than one correct answer to each question. There are special cases of highway noncompliance that can instantly cause your German drivers license to be suspended. You should check with local authorities in order to understand the rules that may be in effect in these German states; they tend to change frequently and may or may not apply to your specific situation. If the lights on your vehicle are in any way broken, you should try not to drive at night in Germany. However, reports have also shown that Germans are actually drinking less beer than ever. Drink-driving test. Drink Driving, or Driving Under the Influence (DUI), whatever you want to call it, is a serious offence in most countries of the world, no matter what locals may tell you. The most frightening of sights appeared in my rear view mirror on this short ride home: blue, flashing lights. Licence and documentation. What you probably don't know as well is the German law on drinking and driving. With binge drinking gaining ground in Germany, the German government is seeking to crack down on drunk driving among young people by imposing tough new laws including a zero-tolerance policy. In Germany, the blood-alcohol limit is 0.5 mg of alcohol per mm of blood. In the USA< a 0.08% blood alcohol level is considered under the influence. Under federal law, it is illegal to serve customers outside of the establishent after 10 PM, or 11 PM with permission of the city (Emissionsschutzgesetz). That five-year difference to the US, where the drinking age is 21, appears to be significant. You may actually already have the right to drive in Germany and not even know it. ", "Sperrzeit - Verkürzung oder Aufhebung beantragen", "Sperrzeit; Beantragung einer Verlängerung, Verkürzung oder Aufhebung", "Keine Sperrstunde für die Simon-Dach-Straße", "Keine Landesregierung hebt Sperrzeitverordnung auf - Brandenburg kann noch gastfreundlicher werden", "Verordnung zur Ausführung des Bremischen Gaststättengesetzes (Bremische Gaststättenverordnung - BremGastV)", "In NRW soll es neue Sperrstunden für eine "gefährliche" Kneipenstraße geben", "Welche Sperrzeiten gelten für Rheinland-Pfalz? Vehicle registration cannot be completed until car insurance is obtained. Anyone who is looking to drive in Germany must understand the laws about drinking and driving in the country. Buying alcohol remains possible at these times. Hi - I was in Berlin in September and was arrested for drink driving an e-scooter. The speed limits are posted in a prominent fashion, and German police are on the lookout for tourists who do not follow the rules. The amount to be paid depends on a variety of factors, such as the blood alcohol, was anyone endangered, did an accident happen, are there any previous convictions etc. It is strictly prohibited to drive with parking lights alone in the country. The rules about passing at intersections can be quite difficult to understand in Germany. Legal drinking age in Germany. A new driver in the country must have at least 225 minutes and 50 km per session if the test is taken on a country road or highway. In some cases, all of the answers may be correct. However, this rule can be overridden by a diamond-shaped sign that details the priority roads at intersections. Because of the advanced surveillance that German police have, there does not need to be an officer on the scene in order for a driver to receive a ticket. Although you may be able to easily understand the questions, the content is actually quite difficult. This is the case for repeat offenders, and first offenders above 0.15% . Anyone who is driving in Germany is always subject to a blood test. [4] In Germany and the rest of Europe, alcohol consumption by adolescents is traditional and generally accepted.[5]. If a driver exceed the speed limit by more than 30 km, that driver may lose the right to drive for up to three months. [15] Operator of a licensed premises are not allowed to force their customers to buy a meal with a drink or change prices if a customer does not order a meal. However, be forewarned that there are some insurance providers in Germany that do not take this into consideration at all. Speed limits, shown below, are implemented rigorously. A few minutes later, I was escorted inside the local polizei station where I was processed for drunken driving. In 2009, about 3000 trap purchases were carried out in Lower Saxony, in 1327 cases (44%) alcohol was sold without age verification to underage persons. German laws also crackdown on people who are driving under the influence of alcohol from previous encounters. That is longer than six months. :-D You may even drink alcoholic beer! This sign should not be confused with the yield sign in Germany, which is an inverted triangle that has a white interior and a red border. However, reports have also shown that Germans are actually drinking less beer than ever. Blood Alcohol Content Drink Driving Limits By Country. Hello, I wonder if someone could offer a little advice please. The process to obtain the right to drive in Germany is not difficult, but it is precise, and there are some things that you definitely need to know about it. Figures. The German laws regulating alcohol use and sale are mostly focused on youth protection. drinking and driving in germany is not permitted Germany has a great reputation for its hospitality and is the home of a wide range of unique beers, wines and spirits. Drink drivers are clearly over-represented in road traffic crashes. The closing hours for licensed establishments was abolished in 2005. [9] Some cities have banned alcohol consumption in certain areas and at certain times, such as Göttingen in Nikolaistraße on Saturdays and Sundays between midnight and 8:00 am, or in Hannover Hauptbahnhof (outside the existing bars and restaurants) until 2011 when the ban was cancelled. The legal exchange of an outside license for a German license is always done at a local registration office, known as a “führerscheinstelle.” In order to exchange your license and have a German one issued to you, you must complete the application and provide a permit of residence, at least two photos that are passport sized and proof of completion of a first aid course. ;-) As a beginner you must not drink any alcoholics. The closing hours do not apply during the night of 1. Germany does have special six-month extensions that you can place on your existing license if you have a license that is issued from a country outside of the European Union. 0.00% for those under the age of 21 or with less than two years' experience, professional drivers, bus drivers, truck drivers, and drivers transporting passengers commercially; 0.03% in conjunction with an accident or traffic offense; 0.16% for cyclists, where not in conjunction with any other traffic offense or accident. If you run into one of these agents, keep going until you find a company that does take your good driving into consideration. However, protection from physical and mental harm is part of parents' general obligation to care for a child. Although there are different rules pertaining to each part of the car, in general, if an item is mounted on a car in Germany, that item must function thoroughly. The way to prove this is through an official document from your insurance agent in your home country. ), regardless of the amount by which the driver was over the limit. There are a series of different rules and penalties tied to various blood alcohol levels. When you go in to register your vehicle, it will be inspected quite thoroughly. For an average sized man, this is only two small beers. Legal drinking and purchasing age for Alcohol is age 16 in Germany. So for them different rules apply. Drinking and driving: e-scooters. Yes, drunk driving is a traffic violation and from a certain point onwards will be seen as a criminal offence. Blood test showed 1.4%. Canada and the United States have an expedited process with Germany for switching to a German driver’s license. Make sure that every aspect of your vehicle from your brakes and tires all the way to your windshield is as up-to-date and clean as it can be. Supermarkets and stores generally check minors for their identity card. If you enjoy a drink, you will be looking forward to sampling some of them. As in other countries, the price of German insurance is also influenced by the driving record of the individual who is seeking coverage. January. It seems that E-scooters, Germany's newest transport craze, are proving to be too much of a temptation for drunk Oktoberfest attendees. Drink driving restrictions are even tighter than in the UK with a maximum level of blood alcohol volume of 0.05%. From 0.16%, cyclists face the same penalties as driving a car at that limit. All cars driving in Germany must have a first aid kit as well as a portable red reflective triangle in the trunk of the car. In case of a single vehicle collision when nobody else has been injured, the alcohol test will not be done. Only alive suspected drivers are tested. Drinking Age. It’s illegal to leave the scene of an accident without getting help. Drinking and Driving. The standard rate for the illegal sale of one bottle of spirits is 1500 euros. This occurs at the local motor vehicle registry, which is also known as the “autozulassungsstelle.”. Other German states, especially Schleswig-Holstein, are considering implementing the Lower Saxony model, but states like Berlin, Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia and Baden-Württemberg object to it. Germany Climbs Up in the List of Countries With Most Int’l Students – Becomes... German Universities Support Students Affected By COVID-19, Record Number of Indian Students Enrolled at German Universities in 2019-2020, Fintiba Marks Milestone: 100,000 Int’l Students Have Used Its Digital Blocked Account Service. The law is less thoroughly enforced in many bars and restaurants, but this can vary by location. Violation of restraints will involve prosecution for vendors who sell alcohol to underage persons and also for bystanders who do not intervene in underage drinking. Residence from any other state inside of the United States will be required to take both the written and the driving tests for obtaining a German driver’s license. Currently, three out of every 10 people who take the German driving test they’ll it on the first try. The United States also has a high rate of road accident fatalities through alcohol at 31 percent while the rate in Germany is only 9 percent. These minimum penalties are usually exceeded by the German courts. (2) Sub-Clause 1, No. In most cases, drivers that are coming from the right have the right-of-way in Germany. There is some relief from all of the charges that an insurance company will pile on you: If you have a good driving record in your country of origin, you may be able to get credit for it in Germany. It definitely pays to invest in the maintenance of your vehicle in Germany. The first mistake people make is to assume their chances of getting caught breaking the law in Germany are slim. All German vehicles are also required to have seatbelts in the front and back seats of each vehicle. 1745 - § 11", "10. Changing prices if a customer does not buy an alcoholic drink is also against the law, and every licensee must ensure that there is at least one non alcoholic drink that is cheaper than the cheapest alcoholic drink.[15]. Drink-driving law in Germany. All cars that are purchased in Germany must be inspected at least once every two years. There may even be speed limit postings in wide open spaces around the German highways. All residents of Canada and certain residents of the United States do not have to go through the test portion of the license switching process – the license can simply be switched. You are, however, permitted to use a hands-free device to talk while driving. This page was last edited on 31 October 2020, at 11:31. It is never advisable to run a red light in Germany, even in the most rural areas. On-licence premises have to place a clearly legible notice with the restrictions of the Protection of Young Persons Act (Jugendschutzgesetz)[14] and the bartender must ensure that alcoholic beverages may not be sold or served to underage or visibly intoxicated persons. Enforcement: alcohol testing at collision site. Get tips and advice about driving in Germany to make sure your trip is a safe one. In rural areas it’s 100km/h. To increase your chances of getting admitted at a Germany university, learn more about the requirements for international students, and best prepare yourself for studying and living in Germany, check out our FREE guide for international students. Lower blood alcohol limits may apply in some countries for professional drivers, inexperienced drivers or operators of heavy vehicles. Even when there are no posted speed limits, the nature of German traffic is one that requires defensive driving at all times. If you happen to purchase your car in Germany, then you should have a document that is known as the “kraftfahrzeugbrief,” a proof of ownership that will follow your car throughout the entire process of purchase and into your vehicle registration process. Thus, alcohol trap purchases bring a return of around €2 million annually. From 0.11%, the courts usually also require the DUI offender to do unpaid community service. Alcohol and road traffic accidents in Europe 9 3. In 2008, the federal state of Lower Saxony started a series of trap purchases, conducted by specially trained police cadets, aged 16 or 17, who pose as customers. In many countries you’ll find yourself in prison, facing a huge financial penalty, being banned from driving and as a result, the prospect of losing your job and your family. Beer, wine, wine-like beverages or sparkling wine or mixtures of beer, wine, wine-like beverages or sparkling wine and soft drinks, must not be sold to Children and Adolescents below the age of 16 years. :-D You may even drink alcoholic beer! In 2009, the private railway company Metronom, which operates in parts of Northern Germany, introduced a much-discussed complete ban on alcohol in its trains. 0.5 standard. The country has some of the most beautiful scenery in the world, especially along its well kept road system. The closing hours for licensed establishments was abolished in 2015. Anyone who is driving in Germany is always subject to a blood test. Even items that are not necessarily essential to operation must in a serviceable condition. Driving in Germany - Autobahn, Speed Limits, Drinking & More. It is allowed to consume alcohol in the public – – the rule of thumb is that you cannot bother other people. In some cases, both of these tests will be required. Drinking and Driving. But like any other country it has its unique rules and conventions when it comes to driving. For drunk driving in Germany obviously fines are imposed rather than prison punishments. The permit is not required if alcohol-free beverages, free samples, prepared food is sold or administered or in connection with an accommodation establishment beverages and prepared food is delivered to residents. However, the driving test is not required in this situation. In most cases around these wide open spaces, a speeder will be caught by a camera rather than by an officer on the scene. This insurance must include proof of third-party liability coverage for any damage to another person, property or vehicle. The major resource that many people use to pass the German driving test is known as the “Lehrbuch Englisch” that is available for sale within the country for around €50. The police can ask a driver to undergo a breath test if there is a definite suspicion that they are under the influence of alcohol. Introduction 8 2. There are many reasons for that (like a healthier lifestyle), but it may also be due to the growing popularity of other alcoholic drinks Germany does not require any licenses for the production, wholesale, or retail sale of alcoholic beverages. Germany has a computerized point system that punishes drunk drivers especially hard. In contrast to many other countries, the legislation is not designed to keep young people away from alcohol completely, but rather to teach them an appropriate approach to alcohol consumption. There may also be a fine incorporated into the punishment. States have the right to set closing hours for licensed establishents (§ 18 GastG). Cities can permit exceptions to the general closing hours. For newly qualified drivers with less than two years' experience, and young drivers aged under 21, the limit is 0%. In Germany, the blood-alcohol limit is 0.5 mg of alcohol per mm of blood. There is a national organization that is known as the “technischer uberwachungsverein” that is responsible for all vehicle safety inspections around the country. Drink-Driving in Germany. The ticket may not appear for three months, and the driver will not find out about it until he or she opens his mail to receive the surprise.