The German traffic signs are standard for all countries who are part of Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals. Unfortunately US, Canada and Australia are not part of it. Once you drive in a country who is part of the Vienna convention you can pretty much drive in any other of the other countries who are using the same stop signs. It is very easy and straight forward. I am surprised that the lady in this clip did not know the two right of way signs after driving for so many years in Germany. This is quite dangerous, those are major signs she should know.
Exactly. You have to do a theory and practice test for a lot of countries that have Vienna Convention rules and road signs in place, but US and Canada - no, just replace a plastic card. Circus.
@@deacbeugene I agree. I come from Brazil and the signs are pretty much the same as in Germany, I even drove for a month in Germany without any problem. But when I moved here I had to pay a driving school to do the test and get a German driver´s license (I did not need to attend classes though). I am glad I went to driving school, as there are some rules that differ from Brazil, for example, the Schulterblick. But I feel it´s not fair that citizens from countries with totally different traffic signs simply exchange their license to the German one without any test.
Exactly, and she was driving way too fast in the city, I think she didn’t even see the 30 km sign, as the instructor said to her. I hope she will be more careful and attentive without any camera.
Lived in Australia now in US, the rules and signs and the drivers overall are A LOT developed and better in Australia, and in many cases America simply just cram all the words into a relatively small sign and place it alone with other plates which bomb the driver with a lot of information. So when coming to a traffic you’re not familiar with, you are just confusing. It takes time to process those info while driving and it’s not a good thing. But north Europe for me who haven’t been, seems to have the best standards.
My oldest paid €2500 in 2022 and my youngest paid €2900 this year. His friend needed more driving hours and paid €3900. They all passed on the first try. Many friends did not pass the first try. My driving test back in 1990 in the US ( Massachusetts) was a joke and nearly free in comparison. 😂 when I moved to Germany, my Massachusetts license was transferable -meaning no written or practical test was needed. My German husband however, made me learn all the rules and street signs.
Old US dude here. I am stunned by those costs! If there was any doubt that Germany is a very wealthy country, those numbers put them to rest. I just wonder how in the world the people there with modest incomes can ever acquire a license, much less the very expensive cars..
@@superk321For buses it would be about additional 4000 - 5000 €, but sometimes your employer pays it, for example if you start working for public transport. For trucks it’s about 3000€. For both licenses you have to own a normal driving licence.
Making a mistake or not knowing what to do (which happens... to everyone) is not a fun little oopsie. A lapse in attention or judgement could be the difference between getting home safe or being dead. Or ending up a killer. I feel like many people don't take driving seriously enough. You're operating a deadly machine. Which is fine. But just be keenly aware of the fact.
The driving school owner was bulshitting about students not paying attention. The reality is that everyone is just behind making cash. I have also heard that examiners fail you deliberately especially in non-metro cities due to less students taking the exam.
@@mnaktechtips7125 I had this exact experience just a few weeks ago. Gladly I got my license but I ended up with 12 classes instead of the 4 classes they first suggested because I don't drive German enough for THEIR standards but I still drive with safety because I have a child and I don't like speeding, incredibly enough I would get comments like you stare too much, don't wait too much etc etc, but the thing is, if you trust others you'll end up in an accident and with babies in your vehicle that is not an option. I had to suck up hours and hours of continuous grunting, yells, he even torn the inside mirror in a rage attack during one of the lessons. And of course, the typical why are you doing this if you don't speak German, go and learn the language first. Oh man, I'm so happy I won't be seeing them ever again. It was almost traumatic.
Agree with the first part, but can’t agree with the second part, because positions like these (of importance to society) are inspected on a regular basis in Germany There might be some that do fail you on purpose, however there are some that are just more strict than others. If you don’t make a single mistake in your drivers test (which honestly should be possible in a 45min ride), you will not fail
I came to the U.S. as a high school exchange student. I took driver's education in school and subsequently got my NC driving license, driving my host family's car. All of that was with an automatic transmission, of course. I learned to drive with a manual transmission in my dad's car when I went back to Germany the following summer. I've lived in the U.S. the majority of my life by now. My car has a manual transmission. It's one of the German things I've refused to change. Along with my continued insistence to have a wallet with a coin compartment.
The traffic signs make it much easier, not harder, as the most important signs are the same in many countries. and therefore understands a lot, even if you don't speak the local language. In the USA, many stories are told on the road signs that only US citizens understand.
and in the US a lot of signs will have the instructions written on them along with the symbols (yield, speed limit, do not enter, etc.). In europe the color, shape and symbol on a sign will say everything about it
I've driven for many years in my country, when i came to Germany i failed in the practical driving exam, i studied well in the theory exam i got a perfect score, i was confident but still failed, but for me driving here in Germany taught me how to be disciplined, i am amazed how well behaved and disciplined German drivers are. i was so happy when i had my German driving license it feels so good
What buggers me is what she explains in 0:18 and somewhere further in the video: That many international people can just exchange their national drivers license for a German (or in my case Dutch) one. American drivers license is not on par with the German, as clearly shows in this video. Automatic vs stick shift, less and different traffic rules, traffic without much bicycles, pedestrians and other traffic types: just look up a video about American drivers exam and you know. It is just unsafe to have American drivers on European roads. And America is just the example of this video. Same goes with Indian, Chinese, South African or Brasilian: The traffic situation is just not comparable, the level (cost) of training is not on a similar tier. It really should be mandatory to redo (most of) your traffic education. For your safety and that of the locals.
@@Samialessi Same here: easy licenses are granted to high-skilled workers (AMSL) or academics (and probably diplomats and other groops as well). And they do crash a lot...
for those complaining that the rules suck or making it difficult, imagine a country with no speed limit on highways but ranked as one of the less vehicular accidents country, i think this kind of method will discipline drivers and it is good for us who wants to avoid accidents here in germany.
People die in accidents because someone thought of himself as a good driver yet they made a mistake. I know that there are worse people on the road like reckless drivers etc. But if you know that you don't know the rules then learn them. And don't laugh at others when they tell you that you need more practice. Because you wouldn't laugh if someone died of your silly mistake. So do something and don't let it come that far.
Pretty much the same in most European countries. It’s just another world or planet for most Americans, who basically have no idea what driving actually is about. The US driving standards are appallingly low.
Yeah well while the USA is the "Land der unbegrenzten Möglichkeiten", the country of the unlimited possibilities, Germany stands more for "VERBOTEN!!!!", the land of the endless forbidden, you have to learn probably about 20 times more petty little traffic laws than in the USA.
@@yagi3925 Yes, but it is overkill, because there are still a lot of traffic deaths in Europe and that won't change until we have self driving cars, human beings are flawed and can't operate machinery safely without killing others, the improvements on how many traffic fatalities there are is not because they drive better, but because of automation / security systems that the car brings with it, like ABS, TCS and airbags. Germans especially are overcautious (German Angst) and don't reduce traffic fatalities more even after this insane effort and cost in training.
No, that is not correct at all: Americans drive many multiples of hours than Europeans: American car culture is much more developed, there is hardly any good public transportation, so Americans drive A LOT MORE and therefore have a lot more driving experience, plus distances are massive, probably double as far as in Europe. I can see that this was written by somebody that has never lived in the USA and was just a clueless tourist.
On my last trip to Germany, I rented a car. I would definitely agree that the most difficult part of driving in Europe is right of way. I spent a couple hours studying before arriving and was still confused at some times.
There is a general order of priority when giving way: 1. light signals like traffic lights 2. traffic signs (if the traffic lights fail, the traffic signs apply) 3. right before left (if there are neither traffic lights nor traffic signs) But there are a few additions/deviations: - Vehicles on a roundabout have right of way (you can recognise a roundabout by the blue sign with three arrows forming a circle). - Right before left does not apply to vehicles coming from a private property or private road onto a public road. The public road has right of way. - In addition, you do not have right of way if you drive from a traffic-calmed area onto a normal road. (unless it is signposted otherwise - which is almost never the case) - The vehicle changing lanes or entering a road via a slip road must give way That's what I can think of off the top of my head.
@@hansmayer7652 Police Officers overrule traffic lights, they're always number 1. For roundabouts, they are usually signposted with the blue circle and the yield sign. There might be roundabouts not having these signs, it is right before left in that situation. (Just to confuse everyone, I guess. ;))
@@birgerr.2506 Right, I forgot that. That's probably because I've never seen a policeman controlling traffic himself as a substitute for a traffic light.
@@hansmayer7652"Vehicles on a roundabout have right of way" is not a deviation - it is following the priority 2 rule (traffic signs), because normally the drivers entering the roundabout see a (triangle-shaped) "yield" sign which tells them that they don't have right-of-way
1. Trains always have the right of way at railroad crossings 2. Police officers 3. Traffic Lights 4. Traffic signs (that includes Traffic lights that are out of service, because they have traffic signs on them on intersections in case the lights fail) 5. Right before left if there are no signs and traffic lights at all. 6. The street you enter has the right of way from all directions if you enter the street from private property and there are no Traffic lights or traffic signs installed
Old US dude here. I have driven extensively in Europe starting way back in the 1980's. I never experienced a major problem with the road signage, I never got in an accident and never got stopped by the police. However, after watching this video, it's clear to me that I must have missed a road sign or two along the way. That said, driving in Europe outside of the major cities can be great fun, especially if you can handle a car with a manual transmission!
one thing I would like to change is that the light is green for bikes, pedestrians and cars at the same time and that cars driving on the right side of the road have to watch out for pedestrians or bikes coming. Often bikes come from any direction swiftly and that is not safe. This can be fool proofed by giving right side green separately.
If I understand you correctly, this is how it's done in the Netherlands. There, everyone gets "exclusive" access to an intersection. Cars turning right have separate traffic lights with arrows and they get their green only when there is nobody else in the way with a green light. Indeed safer, but it increases waiting times of course.
@@martinweizenacker7129this is true in some cases in the Netherlands. If the traffic light is in the shape of an arrow, it's guaranteed. Otherwise there's the possibility that cars that turn right at an intersection have to wait for bicycles continuing straight, because both lights can turn green at the same time. I normally look at both the car and bike light.
I passed my test in Cologne in January, total cost roughly €2800 with two practical tests (drove 40 in a 30 🙃). Getting the B197 license probably made it a lot cheaper because we could take the test in an automatic but still learned to drive manual.
as a german who got my license 2 months ago im still flabbergasted when i see american streets and how people drive on them. the price and difficulty definitely takes out a lot of troublesome people, but its not perfect and i still encounter weird/dangerous behavior almost daily
A German car magazine just reported that some German driving schools have added 1980s and 1990s cars to their all-new fleets. They use them to give their customers more feel for a car's mechanics - with less steeting assistance, manual gearbox, no reversing cameras and parking assistance. It's a sensible idea as a driver's licence entitles you to drive them - and since cheap rental cars are usually still manuals in most of Europe, driver training needs to cover those. Student feedback is mostly positive - they enjoy the variety, though they sweat a lot as these okd cars have no A/C...
Absolutely positive thing, I think students mustn't train on modern cars but on "mechanical" non-computerized ones, otherwise they don't get the feel for controlling the car...and the license legally entitles them to drive an old one. Alternatively, more limitations/endorsements (like 78) could be introduced, for people who say they'll only drive ultra-modern and non-manual gearbox vehicles. And, don't learn to drive in the summer, learn to drive in the autumn or winter instead. Then summer's gonna be a breeze, and you wouldn't need an A/C during the learning.
@@NikolaiUA Yep - I remember we had snow one night before I had a driving lesson. The streets were all snow free already but the driving instructor took me to an empty parking lot and showed me on the snow how the car reacted differently due to it and how to drive on snow. Most fun lesson ever - and I learnt a lot!
Archaic, totally anachronistic and hopelessly oldfashioned and out of touch, yup, technologically once a Hightech country is now boldly proud of being backwards ("we still use Fax, it is a current relevant technology in 2024") that it definitely goes into the category lowtech now.
I am from Germany and I got my driver's license for around €1900, which was the average back then (2019). The fact that it has become so much more expensive now is crazy. But yeah, the difficulty depends on which city you live in. Tests in a big city are harder than outside, where you don't have as many 'right before left' situations or as much traffic.
Ein neues Parallelparkwarnsystem ist eine fantastische Idee! Wenn meine Enkelin parallel einparken möchte, aktiviert sie ein violettes Blinklicht auf dem Dach des Autos, begleitet von einer aufgezeichneten, sich wiederholenden mündlichen Ansage (Sicherheit, Sicherheit, Sicherheit, dieses Fahrzeug beabsichtigt, die Position zu ändern, bitte bleiben Sie frei) und das Durch das kombinierte Blinken und Rotieren der violetten Lampe und die wiederholte verbale Ansage über ein Lautsprechersystem können andere Verkehrsteilnehmer erkennen, dass ihr Fahrzeug eine eingeschränkte Halte- und Parkübung durchführt.
I think that the driving instructor is wrong at 6:18 when he says that she should be in 6th gear *whilst accelerating*. That doesn't make sense. If she's still pulling onto the highway or into the passing lane and trying to accelerate, then she should, in fact, not be in 6th gear but either in 5th or 4th (I don't know the gearratios of this car), and she should only shift into 6th after reaching cruisingspeed. I daily a 6-speed manual Nissan Versa, and I can't accelerate on the highway in 6th gear. I keep it in 5th until fully merging at 110 km/h and only then shift up into 6th.
I don't understand at all why the instructor makes that a requirement, or like a right or wrong thing. It is the drivers decision which gear to use as long as they keep the engine within its operating limits.
Really depends on the car. But generally, if you want to drive economically, you switch gears as soon as possible and at 2000 RPM at the latest. I drive a VW Touran and usually switch to 6th gear between 50 and 60 km/h. If I need to accelerate very much I might stay in 5th until 70 to 80 km/h, but usually it's not necessary on flat terrain (live in North Germany)
@@MedEwok Yeah, just feel the car. When I was driving on the Autobahn I noticed that whether in the 6th nor in the 5th gear the car accelerated when I wanted to overtake another car. Therefore, I learned that in order to overtake I have to down shift to the 4th gear. And, in order to accelerate more faster, which is necessary in the "Einfädelungsstreife" I must do it in the 3th gear.
Got my Graue Lappen in 1982. I drove with stick, and put many kilometers till leaving in 98. The pink ones were new around that time and from what I hear both were replaced.
only for those born before 1953 .. theres charts online which charges are due in what year the ones after that - from 53-71 either had to or have to replace their licence by 2022-2025 and the card ones will follow in 2026-2033.
OK, I think this is a really interesting topic, and I'm speaking from experience because I've gone through it myself. It's super frustrating trying to get a driver's license in Germany. Driving schools here just seem to be after your money, and they don't care if you're an excellent driver, if you already have experience, or even if you have a license from another country and you're just trying to get it recognized in Germany. They'll keep knocking you down again and again so you're forced to take more and more practice hours. It's true that people who learn to drive from scratch in Germany usually have to spend around €3,000 or more, because both the theoretical and practical lessons are expensive. And it takes a lot of practice hours to get skilled enough to drive. But for those who already have that skill, and shouldn't have any major issues driving, they still get denied the chance because apparently, they think you need endless hours of practice to get your license. Yes, you do need to get familiar with German rules, which can be complicated, but it's not rocket science. There’s no reason to push foreigners trying to get their licenses recognized here to the brink of insanity, making them feel like they don't know how to drive. If that were the case, they shouldn’t even be allowed to rent a car in Germany, considering that most, if not all, foreigners renting cars for tourism have no previous experience or knowledge of European traffic rules. Yet, you don’t hear about many accidents caused by these drivers.
I might be lucky. I had 2 years driving experience in my country but my driver license was expired for a long time already and I hadn't driven a car for almost 7 years. So, I decided to do everything from scratch. From the 8 planned practical lessons I only did 4 because the inspector noticed that I could handle a manual car pretty well. Now I'm almost done with the 12 obligatory lessons (5 on land, 4 on the autobahn and 3 at night). In total I'm gonna do 16 lessons and everything will cost around 2000 Euros.
Interestingly, when I was going throught the official document by the Govt, it says that if I have a driving license(DL) from a country that is not recognised as equivalent, I can simply prove my ability to drive and then I can directly appear for an exam without the need to do the mandatory hours. But unfortunately, the Fahrschule will not approve this, and try to play dumb, even though I showed them the law. I am asked to do the complete training with full fees. :(
The problem is, most people think they are good drivers, but are not. Most non German driver I can normally see very easy on the street due to their lack of driving properly. Still they tend to be arrogant enough to think otherwise.
My brother passed his German driver's license and it cost him 2000. When he moved to the states they just made a copy of his German license and gave him an American license. 😅
I spent a little fortune to get my German driving license. Had Failed multiple times for the ridiculous reasons. When I see other people driving on the road, I wonder how they got their license. Driving on the wrong side, crossing the stop lines, red lights, loud music, reversing on one way streets. These are some of the easy ones to spot.
parking everywhere, cutting off everyone, even so much more vulnerable cyclists, honking at and then overtaking people driving at or below speed limits, going 65kph instead of 50, going 135 instead of 120, going 110 instead of 100, going 40 instead of 30 - because "that little overspeed does not matter anyway". i had to explain my brother-in-law that at 30kph, 20% of pedestrians die in collisions, but at 40kph, EIGHTY percent die and he stared at me in shock ABOUT WHAT HE WAS ONCE TAUGHT IN DRIVING SCHOOL. too many car drivers in germany are like too many gun owners in the USA: completely insane.
As a German, all I can say is that it is part of the quintessential driving experience in Germany to wonder how other people got their licence. This is not at all limited to foreigners.
It's actually easy. It depends on how you learn and your driving teacher. If the teacher is cool then you will get it done at first shot with lesser driving hours. But some driving schools and teachers are just behind money making so you need to realise it quickly. On the whole it's not so difficult to get german license.
I had my Dutch driving license in 36 lessons. Fl 40,- ( Guilders) per hour and then the examination costs. Don't know anymore. I paased the theory with one fault out of 70 questions. And i passed at once during the practical examination 💪 That was in the early 90's. When the drive instructor did not say anything you had to drive on. Ofcourse he uses this to see if you pay attention. It is all about watching, he said.
I'm sure those stick shifts are going to be very handy once Germany transitions to EVs. Maybe they'll even install fake shifters to force people to use them!
I've driven and travelled across the world and everywhere there are good drivers and bad drivers. It seems like the bad drivers just don't care. PS I believe you were trying to write "can't drive well".
Compare this to California where I got my DL in 1985. It was soooooo easy No driving on highway or high speeds; no driving at night etc. It really was a joke. Of course all automatics.
and then they let you loose on the environment in a kind of 'murder tool'. Most people underestimate the power of a car and prefer to eat, drink and text at the wheel. Irresponsible...
I failed two times. The second time, I felt like I did fairly well, but the examiner failed me because of hectic driving :-/ Now that'd a cryptic word and I don't even know how to improve from here
Their traffic light seemed odd having them on your side of the street so if you are the first car, you can't see the bloody thing. But how else would they do this?
You can see it clear enough. Either you dont drive all the way up to the stop line, or you look up. Mostly there are traffic lights on the left or right of the street so that you can see them easily.
I feel like the problem that guy has with the youth is kind of unfounded, a lot of kids still watch out the window and stuff but it really doesn't help until you get on the road yourself. I know that I sure didn't have the best grapple on it even though I always watching where we were going, it just accentuates how differently everyone learns.
Ich hab meinen Führerschein seit 20 Jahren und hab damals auch nicht geguckt wie meine Eltern gefahren sind, ganz ohne Smartphone oder Gameboy. Trotzdem hab ich den Führerschein mit ner adäquaten Menge Fahrstunden gemacht und beide Prüfungen im ersten Versuch bestanden.
I remember as a kid i tried to turn on my dads car because i didnt see that he manipulated that with a pedal . the car did jump a little bit and i was afraid...
From a viewpoint of a Finn, in Germany things are less foolproof and the driver is expected to have basic knowledge use common sense. Too much to ask? No: driving in Germany is pleasant and smooth, save for the Staus of course.
Huh? I thought you would also do a comparison with learning to drive in the USA, because there we would see that it is WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY less expensive and easier, thanks to the USA not being so crowded and crazy full with people, more space, easier nicer driving (cruising)
What was unfortunately not addressed in the video are accusations of sexism, which are repeatedly made against driving schools and especially male driving instructors. Driving schools are usually very relaxed and the driving instructors want to be “the best buddies” of the mostly young learner drivers. So there is sometimes an interpersonal interaction that can be perceived as “unprofessional”. As a German, I have heard from my international colleagues that some (or in this case one particular) driving schools unfortunately only offer poor or no English for driving lessons, even if they advertise this. The invoicing of driving lessons can also sometimes be complicated to understand and difficult to follow, so take a close look! But I don't want to badmouth the 90% of driving schools that do a great job, but unfortunately there are also these negative sides...
As a male, I had a female driving instructor (in Europe though not in Germany) and she was really great: she had a fantastic sense of pedagogy and actually made me love driving responsibly and respectfully. What she taught was way more than just rules: rules are of course important but some of them can change. What she taught me was an attitude. That will stay with me all my life. It’s priceless. In my case and experience, there was no sexism, no gender rivalry. The best instructor of the driving academy happened to be a woman and I’ll always be grateful to her.
That's just proof, that a stringent driving test, doesn't always produce good drivers 😂 The Dutch aren't known for being particularly good drivers, even in their home country it's horrible. I'd rather drive in Croatia, before I drive through the Netherlands again.
@@karinwenzel6361 The German people seem to not accept the fact that English is a universal language, lingua franca. They treat it only like the native language of the UK (I speak about Europe) and in their eyes it is no different from any other national language, be it Finnish or Slovenian, or any other. And because of this they always say with surpise something like "Of course I don't speak English, I am from/we are in Germany!". That is my impression.
@@dweuromaxx It's not about the levels, it's about the attitude. There are countries in Europe with similar or lower English levels, yet they do not look with contempt at the language, quite the opposite: they'd like to learn it and be more competent in it as a society.
i tookit 6 months ago in munich it costed 4000 and no i didnt take extra unnesseray classes only the standard hours. when you say the average is around 3000, it feels like wrong information
They both refer to the rule "right before left." The yellow diamond on a main/principle street means you have the right of way, all the way through. The other one means you only have the right of way at that street, which is coming from the right... all very complicated!
I got my German driver's license in 2008 and paid ~1300€ (which was cheap even at the time). I had to save up for it myself and couldn't afford to fail the test. The lessons haven't gotten much more expensive but I guess students don't take it seriously. You can still get away with way less than 3000€.
At the moment I’m in the process of replacing my driving license to German one in Berlin and I have to say that unfortunately, Germany is not adapting to growing vehicle number on streets. I mean, lanes direction are marked on lanes. And if there is a traffic jam on a four lane road? You right, driver from different city or different country will find out direction when he is not allowed to change lane. And a lot of signs of priority or speed limit are hidden behind trees or parked cars because nobody respect 5 meter parking rule from junction. And here you go, if you want to pass driving exam you really need to memorize the junctions around the test center. Otherwise- the truck just hide the priority or speed sign from you? It’s your fault, not the truck’s. So there is a place to invent and invest on the roads to ensure that driver will see the signs.
The right before left rule in Germany (called hoger regel in Sweden) are the most stupid rules because it creates confusion unnecessarily and that too in city roads where the traffic is dense and the roads are many and confusing. You have to constantly be aware of who has the right of way because in some cross sections the roads are marked with give way signs making it easy and in some cross sections there are no give way signs meaning right before left rule or the hoger regel applies here. Having two different possible rules at any junction creates a lot of problem. I see a lot of people applying right before left rule when there is actually a give way sign right before their eyes telling them that they have to give way instead. The reason for this is that the right before left rule is a well established very old rule while give way signs are comparatively new in these countries historically. So what is the solution. Do like the British, mark every junction with give way signs whether in the city or out side city limits. The moment you approach a junction look for the give way sign, no guess work. It costs more but eliminates confusion and accidents.
In Germany usually you find this in residential areas (often limited to 30kmh) or places where people shouldn’t speed so it makes sense to do it like this to slow down traffic in these areas. Bigger streets usually have traffic signs and other speed limits (50kmh)
It's really notable how prices increased in the last years. I, a native German, got my B class license in 2004 for 900€, which admittedly was cheap even then. Soon, a driving license will be nearly the same as a pilot's license. My EASA PPL (A) cost me about 9.000 € in 2017.
Right now i am doing my driving licences here in Germany. Ich lebe in Deutschland seit 7 Jahren. And this is my first time doing driving licences. Only registration cost me €600 for the first aid, eye test and for the App from driving school Costs €150. In two weeks I will have my theory test in german language. German is not my first language so it is not easy but I try my best preparing for the Prüfung. One of my friend she have to do it again and again the theory and also the practical exam even though she paid around € 5000 but she didn't make it in one year to pass the test so now she have to do it again from beginning.
@@dweuromaxx Yes! Considering the fact that a seventeen year old in the USA or Canada can fly solo and operate in the pattern of category II airports without any issues.
@@abrahamlevi3556 U.S. is no benchmark for other nations in issuing licenses. The German better look at the Finnish. I think they put less emphasis on minor rules that are checked closely on exams, but instead concentrate on a wider set of practical skills, including some "extreme driving" ones.
@@NikolaiUAIssuing licenses in the USA and Canada is like issuing high school diplomas. An Abitur in Germany is worth more than a high school diploma in the USA. Therefore a bachelor degree in the USA takes four years. In both the USA and Canada, there is no real alternative to driving cars. except in large cities. In other words a driver's license is a necessity. In reality, drivers become more proficient the more they drive. Moreover, the infustructure in North America is more forgiving, especially in urban areas where the streets are wider. One can see it when one compares the sizes of trucks and semi-trailers in the USA and Canada to those in continental Europe.
I like how the school owner offers up his hypothesis and then she just points out it's nonsense before they decide to move on. When I was little did I watch what my dad was doing with the gearstick? No I was too busy reading...
My sister got her drivers license in the US and then came back to Germany and was allowed to drive here… she had three accidents within the first year of driving and told us that she only had two hours of „practical driving“ and a very simple theoretical test. She was completely overwhelmed by driving in Germany. Then she made her german drivers license. No accidents since then… So please: if you are new to driving, don’t just rent an car here and start driving, you might actually have no idea how to savely drive a car. ESPECIALLY on the Autobahn.
Interesting to watch one hand on the wheel at one point doesnt like to parallel park? Doesnt know sign rules and STILL passes? Wow. Myself live in Canada lived in UK have 'G' & 'M' class (car and motorcycle license) oh yeah born blind in one eye too! All I'll say to many people csrless not paying attention, dont know how to adjust seat correctly let along hold streering wheel correctly or wear seatbelt correctly.
Yes! Let's burn more fossil fuel! I have ridden bicycle and used public transport in Germany in the last couple of years, but finally I have decided to get a driving license since the country has really good cars, good infrastructure and life would be more convenient 💪 Take note DW Planet A!
What if you have a (cargo) van or a Caddy-like cat. B vehicle without a rear window, how do you look through that absent window when you reverse then? Is there another license category for that? If not, then how can you have a double standard for a given category? Those cat. B drivers are supposed to be able to drive *any* cat. B vehicle (save for any limitations like "78"), yet they are trained and *required* to act in a very particular way unapplicable for all of the vehicleds of the category they are being trained for. Logically then, you can't reverse in a cat. B vehicle without a rear window, cuz that's a requirement you can't circumvent. This is just to show how stupidly non-universal some of the German driving test requirements are.
Driving school vehicles are "normal" cars because that's what most people drive. For trucks, you need a different certificate, go to aspecial driving school and practice on such vehicles. And with cars without rear windows, of course you look into both side mirrors - if they had such a vehicle during the test you'd have to make that looking perhaps a bit more "visible" to the tester. (Sorry if I didn't understand parts of your comment - have no idea what a cat. B is or "78")
@@QuentinPlant 78 is a limitation printed on your driving license meaning you are entitled to driving only automatic transmissions. It was mentioned in the video. Cat. B (category B) is one of the vehicle categories you're endorsed to drive, also printed on your license. Category "B" vehicles are passenger cars and vehicles like the VW Caddy, VW Transporter family - all up to 9 seats and 3500 kilos maximum weight. Trucks are normally another category. Far from all category "B" vehicles have a rear window, therefore it is strange to train students (i.e. develop a habit in them) to look through it, and even test them on that which puts a special emphasis on it. It is this special emphasis during the exam which is odd.
Germany likes to "show" the following of the rules, instead of thinking about the substance and objective of those rules, which would make make them out of date already, practically. Very short logic. They have difficulties to make a leap to form an organic chain of logics that can form a really comprehensive and beautiful picture of life. This mentality makes the land be able to stand still, but not evolve into a better, happier, richer, vibrant land.
Driving in Germany is so stupid! too many rules you loose your attention on the important things while focusing on the details. I don't mind trying to be a country with citizens who can drive well. But the prizes are just insane, this is straight stealing (130 euros per lesson)
In California you pay around *30 dollars* for a quite easier test. Some ignorant complain that it could be dangerous because the car could be used "as a weapon". Wrong, USA isn't like Germany, not everybody is thinking about mass murd3r (ask the jews for instance).
true, because American government has the "Einstellung" that people need to use the car as a tool to work, be productive, make money and then is possible tax them. In Germany, the authorities just want the taxpayers' money to save some refugees from a distant war (Ukraine, Afghanistan, Syria, etc), and additionally money that comes into the driving schools (a percentage of those 3000 euros) will end up in the local economy. They don't try to fix the rotten system because every year hundreds of thousands new foreigners maintain the system working while pursuing the "German dream", something similar happens with the housing system. German authorities know the economy depends on such perverse systems
In the US the car is considered an everyday essential like the fridge, moreover it is needed indeed in a lot of locations due to poor public transportation, I think that is why US authorities don't make it a hard test for something soo needed for most americans. There is no aim to deny licenses to mediocre drivers/most people, only to filter out the few truly unable at driving.
@@santostv.I would have low standards if you were my son, bless your heart, little brained creature. The car is a tool and for the rest there is the american law, insurance, responsibility and a great common sense.
The German traffic signs are standard for all countries who are part of Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals. Unfortunately US, Canada and Australia are not part of it. Once you drive in a country who is part of the Vienna convention you can pretty much drive in any other of the other countries who are using the same stop signs. It is very easy and straight forward. I am surprised that the lady in this clip did not know the two right of way signs after driving for so many years in Germany. This is quite dangerous, those are major signs she should know.
Exactly. You have to do a theory and practice test for a lot of countries that have Vienna Convention rules and road signs in place, but US and Canada - no, just replace a plastic card. Circus.
@@deacbeugene I agree. I come from Brazil and the signs are pretty much the same as in Germany, I even drove for a month in Germany without any problem. But when I moved here I had to pay a driving school to do the test and get a German driver´s license (I did not need to attend classes though). I am glad I went to driving school, as there are some rules that differ from Brazil, for example, the Schulterblick. But I feel it´s not fair that citizens from countries with totally different traffic signs simply exchange their license to the German one without any test.
Exactly, and she was driving way too fast in the city, I think she didn’t even see the 30 km sign, as the instructor said to her.
I hope she will be more careful and attentive without any camera.
Lived in Australia now in US, the rules and signs and the drivers overall are A LOT developed and better in Australia, and in many cases America simply just cram all the words into a relatively small sign and place it alone with other plates which bomb the driver with a lot of information. So when coming to a traffic you’re not familiar with, you are just confusing. It takes time to process those info while driving and it’s not a good thing.
But north Europe for me who haven’t been, seems to have the best standards.
I think less than 10% of Americans would be able to get a German license.
Possibly true..!
Especially without the 78 limitation 😄
10%? Too much. Not more than 1%. Even in germany there would only 10% pass the test.
Cut that down to 1% if is a manual transmission
And as always first comment is from insecure euro about Americans
My oldest paid €2500 in 2022 and my youngest paid €2900 this year. His friend needed more driving hours and paid €3900. They all passed on the first try. Many friends did not pass the first try. My driving test back in 1990 in the US ( Massachusetts) was a joke and nearly free in comparison. 😂 when I moved to Germany, my Massachusetts license was transferable -meaning no written or practical test was needed. My German husband however, made me learn all the rules and street signs.
Old US dude here. I am stunned by those costs! If there was any doubt that Germany is a very wealthy country, those numbers put them to rest. I just wonder how in the world the people there with modest incomes can ever acquire a license, much less the very expensive cars..
What about a proffesional license like for Buses. How much would that be?
@@superk321For buses it would be about additional 4000 - 5000 €, but sometimes your employer pays it, for example if you start working for public transport. For trucks it’s about 3000€.
For both licenses you have to own a normal driving licence.
@@claudiakarl7888 thanks!
@@claudiakarl7888 Nowadays it can be well in excess of 5000€
Making a mistake or not knowing what to do (which happens... to everyone) is not a fun little oopsie.
A lapse in attention or judgement could be the difference between getting home safe or being dead. Or ending up a killer.
I feel like many people don't take driving seriously enough. You're operating a deadly machine. Which is fine. But just be keenly aware of the fact.
The driving school owner was bulshitting about students not paying attention. The reality is that everyone is just behind making cash. I have also heard that examiners fail you deliberately especially in non-metro cities due to less students taking the exam.
@@mnaktechtips7125 If your instructor doesn't give you tips and shouts at you, change the driving school.
@@mnaktechtips7125 I had this exact experience just a few weeks ago. Gladly I got my license but I ended up with 12 classes instead of the 4 classes they first suggested because I don't drive German enough for THEIR standards but I still drive with safety because I have a child and I don't like speeding, incredibly enough I would get comments like you stare too much, don't wait too much etc etc, but the thing is, if you trust others you'll end up in an accident and with babies in your vehicle that is not an option. I had to suck up hours and hours of continuous grunting, yells, he even torn the inside mirror in a rage attack during one of the lessons. And of course, the typical why are you doing this if you don't speak German, go and learn the language first. Oh man, I'm so happy I won't be seeing them ever again. It was almost traumatic.
You are 100% right!!
Ikr 😂😂i was like are u bullshitting me
Agree with the first part, but can’t agree with the second part, because positions like these (of importance to society) are inspected on a regular basis in Germany
There might be some that do fail you on purpose, however there are some that are just more strict than others.
If you don’t make a single mistake in your drivers test (which honestly should be possible in a 45min ride), you will not fail
It’s so funny to watch one person talking in German and one person only replying in English! 😂
The guy doesn't know English. He only knows to say "one hundred"
@@mehrdadk.6816it’s uncommon for Germans not to speak English, don’t know why they picked driving school that don’t speak English…
I came to the U.S. as a high school exchange student. I took driver's education in school and subsequently got my NC driving license, driving my host family's car. All of that was with an automatic transmission, of course. I learned to drive with a manual transmission in my dad's car when I went back to Germany the following summer. I've lived in the U.S. the majority of my life by now. My car has a manual transmission. It's one of the German things I've refused to change. Along with my continued insistence to have a wallet with a coin compartment.
I find it hilarious that many US states' licenses are just accepted, because there's no comparison to the typical European driving license hurdles.
The traffic signs make it much easier, not harder, as the most important signs are the same in many countries. and therefore understands a lot, even if you don't speak the local language. In the USA, many stories are told on the road signs that only US citizens understand.
and in the US a lot of signs will have the instructions written on them along with the symbols (yield, speed limit, do not enter, etc.). In europe the color, shape and symbol on a sign will say everything about it
I've driven for many years in my country, when i came to Germany i failed in the practical driving exam, i studied well in the theory exam i got a perfect score, i was confident but still failed, but for me driving here in Germany taught me how to be disciplined, i am amazed how well behaved and disciplined German drivers are. i was so happy when i had my German driving license it feels so good
What buggers me is what she explains in 0:18 and somewhere further in the video: That many international people can just exchange their national drivers license for a German (or in my case Dutch) one.
American drivers license is not on par with the German, as clearly shows in this video. Automatic vs stick shift, less and different traffic rules, traffic without much bicycles, pedestrians and other traffic types: just look up a video about American drivers exam and you know. It is just unsafe to have American drivers on European roads.
And America is just the example of this video. Same goes with Indian, Chinese, South African or Brasilian: The traffic situation is just not comparable, the level (cost) of training is not on a similar tier. It really should be mandatory to redo (most of) your traffic education. For your safety and that of the locals.
You are absolutely right! But there is no “one size fits all” policy in Germany regarding getting a driver’s license here.
@@Samialessi Same here: easy licenses are granted to high-skilled workers (AMSL) or academics (and probably diplomats and other groops as well). And they do crash a lot...
for those complaining that the rules suck or making it difficult, imagine a country with no speed limit on highways but ranked as one of the less vehicular accidents country, i think this kind of method will discipline drivers and it is good for us who wants to avoid accidents here in germany.
People die in accidents because someone thought of himself as a good driver yet they made a mistake. I know that there are worse people on the road like reckless drivers etc. But if you know that you don't know the rules then learn them. And don't laugh at others when they tell you that you need more practice. Because you wouldn't laugh if someone died of your silly mistake. So do something and don't let it come that far.
Pretty much the same in most European countries. It’s just another world or planet for most Americans, who basically have no idea what driving actually is about. The US driving standards are appallingly low.
Here in Romania, the drivers are much worse than the USA though. . .
Yeah well while the USA is the "Land der unbegrenzten Möglichkeiten", the country of the unlimited possibilities, Germany stands more for "VERBOTEN!!!!", the land of the endless forbidden, you have to learn probably about 20 times more petty little traffic laws than in the USA.
@@nigratruo As a result, the average German (and European) drives much more safely than the average US American.
@@yagi3925 Yes, but it is overkill, because there are still a lot of traffic deaths in Europe and that won't change until we have self driving cars, human beings are flawed and can't operate machinery safely without killing others, the improvements on how many traffic fatalities there are is not because they drive better, but because of automation / security systems that the car brings with it, like ABS, TCS and airbags. Germans especially are overcautious (German Angst) and don't reduce traffic fatalities more even after this insane effort and cost in training.
No, that is not correct at all: Americans drive many multiples of hours than Europeans: American car culture is much more developed, there is hardly any good public transportation, so Americans drive A LOT MORE and therefore have a lot more driving experience, plus distances are massive, probably double as far as in Europe. I can see that this was written by somebody that has never lived in the USA and was just a clueless tourist.
On my last trip to Germany, I rented a car. I would definitely agree that the most difficult part of driving in Europe is right of way. I spent a couple hours studying before arriving and was still confused at some times.
There is a general order of priority when giving way:
1. light signals like traffic lights
2. traffic signs (if the traffic lights fail, the traffic signs apply)
3. right before left (if there are neither traffic lights nor traffic signs)
But there are a few additions/deviations:
- Vehicles on a roundabout have right of way (you can recognise a roundabout by the blue sign with three arrows forming a circle).
- Right before left does not apply to vehicles coming from a private property or private road onto a public road. The public road has right of way.
- In addition, you do not have right of way if you drive from a traffic-calmed area onto a normal road. (unless it is signposted otherwise - which is almost never the case)
- The vehicle changing lanes or entering a road via a slip road must give way
That's what I can think of off the top of my head.
@@hansmayer7652 Police Officers overrule traffic lights, they're always number 1.
For roundabouts, they are usually signposted with the blue circle and the yield sign. There might be roundabouts not having these signs, it is right before left in that situation. (Just to confuse everyone, I guess. ;))
@@birgerr.2506 Right, I forgot that. That's probably because I've never seen a policeman controlling traffic himself as a substitute for a traffic light.
@@hansmayer7652"Vehicles on a roundabout have right of way" is not a deviation - it is following the priority 2 rule (traffic signs), because normally the drivers entering the roundabout see a (triangle-shaped) "yield" sign which tells them that they don't have right-of-way
1. Trains always have the right of way at railroad crossings
2. Police officers
3. Traffic Lights
4. Traffic signs (that includes Traffic lights that are out of service, because they have traffic signs on them on intersections in case the lights fail)
5. Right before left if there are no signs and traffic lights at all.
6. The street you enter has the right of way from all directions if you enter the street from private property and there are no Traffic lights or traffic signs installed
Old US dude here. I have driven extensively in Europe starting way back in the 1980's. I never experienced a major problem with the road signage, I never got in an accident and never got stopped by the police. However, after watching this video, it's clear to me that I must have missed a road sign or two along the way. That said, driving in Europe outside of the major cities can be great fun, especially if you can handle a car with a manual transmission!
A Driving license is so expensive many young people couldnt afford it.
a lot of people have their parents pay for it, my dad and grandpa funded my license
one thing I would like to change is that the light is green for bikes, pedestrians and cars at the same time and that cars driving on the right side of the road have to watch out for pedestrians or bikes coming. Often bikes come from any direction swiftly and that is not safe. This can be fool proofed by giving right side green separately.
If I understand you correctly, this is how it's done in the Netherlands. There, everyone gets "exclusive" access to an intersection. Cars turning right have separate traffic lights with arrows and they get their green only when there is nobody else in the way with a green light. Indeed safer, but it increases waiting times of course.
@@martinweizenacker7129this is true in some cases in the Netherlands. If the traffic light is in the shape of an arrow, it's guaranteed. Otherwise there's the possibility that cars that turn right at an intersection have to wait for bicycles continuing straight, because both lights can turn green at the same time. I normally look at both the car and bike light.
I passed my test in Cologne in January, total cost roughly €2800 with two practical tests (drove 40 in a 30 🙃). Getting the B197 license probably made it a lot cheaper because we could take the test in an automatic but still learned to drive manual.
as a german who got my license 2 months ago im still flabbergasted when i see american streets and how people drive on them. the price and difficulty definitely takes out a lot of troublesome people, but its not perfect and i still encounter weird/dangerous behavior almost daily
A German car magazine just reported that some German driving schools have added 1980s and 1990s cars to their all-new fleets.
They use them to give their customers more feel for a car's mechanics - with less steeting assistance, manual gearbox, no reversing cameras and parking assistance.
It's a sensible idea as a driver's licence entitles you to drive them - and since cheap rental cars are usually still manuals in most of Europe, driver training needs to cover those.
Student feedback is mostly positive - they enjoy the variety, though they sweat a lot as these okd cars have no A/C...
Absolutely positive thing, I think students mustn't train on modern cars but on "mechanical" non-computerized ones, otherwise they don't get the feel for controlling the car...and the license legally entitles them to drive an old one. Alternatively, more limitations/endorsements (like 78) could be introduced, for people who say they'll only drive ultra-modern and non-manual gearbox vehicles.
And, don't learn to drive in the summer, learn to drive in the autumn or winter instead. Then summer's gonna be a breeze, and you wouldn't need an A/C during the learning.
@@NikolaiUA Yep - I remember we had snow one night before I had a driving lesson. The streets were all snow free already but the driving instructor took me to an empty parking lot and showed me on the snow how the car reacted differently due to it and how to drive on snow. Most fun lesson ever - and I learnt a lot!
@@QuentinPlant That's great!
Archaic, totally anachronistic and hopelessly oldfashioned and out of touch, yup, technologically once a Hightech country is now boldly proud of being backwards ("we still use Fax, it is a current relevant technology in 2024") that it definitely goes into the category lowtech now.
I am from Germany and I got my driver's license for around €1900, which was the average back then (2019). The fact that it has become so much more expensive now is crazy. But yeah, the difficulty depends on which city you live in. Tests in a big city are harder than outside, where you don't have as many 'right before left' situations or as much traffic.
fascinating experience. I'd love to take on the challenge 😁😁
Hi @suspiciousafternoon! Try it :)
The most excited german car instructor
Haha, I literally drove through the same streets during my driving test in Wiesbaden and only just passed 😅 This video brought back the memories
Ein neues Parallelparkwarnsystem ist eine fantastische Idee! Wenn meine Enkelin parallel einparken möchte, aktiviert sie ein violettes Blinklicht auf dem Dach des Autos, begleitet von einer aufgezeichneten, sich wiederholenden mündlichen Ansage (Sicherheit, Sicherheit, Sicherheit, dieses Fahrzeug beabsichtigt, die Position zu ändern, bitte bleiben Sie frei) und das Durch das kombinierte Blinken und Rotieren der violetten Lampe und die wiederholte verbale Ansage über ein Lautsprechersystem können andere Verkehrsteilnehmer erkennen, dass ihr Fahrzeug eine eingeschränkte Halte- und Parkübung durchführt.
I think that the driving instructor is wrong at 6:18 when he says that she should be in 6th gear *whilst accelerating*. That doesn't make sense. If she's still pulling onto the highway or into the passing lane and trying to accelerate, then she should, in fact, not be in 6th gear but either in 5th or 4th (I don't know the gearratios of this car), and she should only shift into 6th after reaching cruisingspeed. I daily a 6-speed manual Nissan Versa, and I can't accelerate on the highway in 6th gear. I keep it in 5th until fully merging at 110 km/h and only then shift up into 6th.
I think its cut a bit weird and she is already at max velocity when he says '6th gear'.
I totally agree with you on this
I don't understand at all why the instructor makes that a requirement, or like a right or wrong thing. It is the drivers decision which gear to use as long as they keep the engine within its operating limits.
Really depends on the car. But generally, if you want to drive economically, you switch gears as soon as possible and at 2000 RPM at the latest.
I drive a VW Touran and usually switch to 6th gear between 50 and 60 km/h. If I need to accelerate very much I might stay in 5th until 70 to 80 km/h, but usually it's not necessary on flat terrain (live in North Germany)
@@MedEwok Yeah, just feel the car. When I was driving on the Autobahn I noticed that whether in the 6th nor in the 5th gear the car accelerated when I wanted to overtake another car. Therefore, I learned that in order to overtake I have to down shift to the 4th gear. And, in order to accelerate more faster, which is necessary in the "Einfädelungsstreife" I must do it in the 3th gear.
5:18 and the one below means that the sign is angry at you „)
Fun Fact, 80% of drivers think they are above average drivers
So yeah...
In november 2023, I got my license in Automatic here in Germany with the cost of 3900 euros and one of my friends spent 10k to get the license.
Got my Graue Lappen in 1982. I drove with stick, and put many kilometers till leaving in 98. The pink ones were new around that time and from what I hear both were replaced.
Correct, both got replayed by now but the good old "Lappen" ist still valid until 2033 😊
only for those born before 1953 .. theres charts online which charges are due in what year
the ones after that - from 53-71 either had to or have to replace their licence by 2022-2025 and the card ones will follow in 2026-2033.
OK, I think this is a really interesting topic, and I'm speaking from experience because I've gone through it myself. It's super frustrating trying to get a driver's license in Germany. Driving schools here just seem to be after your money, and they don't care if you're an excellent driver, if you already have experience, or even if you have a license from another country and you're just trying to get it recognized in Germany. They'll keep knocking you down again and again so you're forced to take more and more practice hours.
It's true that people who learn to drive from scratch in Germany usually have to spend around €3,000 or more, because both the theoretical and practical lessons are expensive. And it takes a lot of practice hours to get skilled enough to drive. But for those who already have that skill, and shouldn't have any major issues driving, they still get denied the chance because apparently, they think you need endless hours of practice to get your license.
Yes, you do need to get familiar with German rules, which can be complicated, but it's not rocket science. There’s no reason to push foreigners trying to get their licenses recognized here to the brink of insanity, making them feel like they don't know how to drive. If that were the case, they shouldn’t even be allowed to rent a car in Germany, considering that most, if not all, foreigners renting cars for tourism have no previous experience or knowledge of European traffic rules. Yet, you don’t hear about many accidents caused by these drivers.
It also drives Germans insane when they take their test 😂
I might be lucky. I had 2 years driving experience in my country but my driver license was expired for a long time already and I hadn't driven a car for almost 7 years. So, I decided to do everything from scratch. From the 8 planned practical lessons I only did 4 because the inspector noticed that I could handle a manual car pretty well. Now I'm almost done with the 12 obligatory lessons (5 on land, 4 on the autobahn and 3 at night). In total I'm gonna do 16 lessons and everything will cost around 2000 Euros.
Interestingly, when I was going throught the official document by the Govt, it says that if I have a driving license(DL) from a country that is not recognised as equivalent, I can simply prove my ability to drive and then I can directly appear for an exam without the need to do the mandatory hours. But unfortunately, the Fahrschule will not approve this, and try to play dumb, even though I showed them the law. I am asked to do the complete training with full fees. :(
@@jeet_patel then go to another Fahrschule
The problem is, most people think they are good drivers, but are not. Most non German driver I can normally see very easy on the street due to their lack of driving properly. Still they tend to be arrogant enough to think otherwise.
The profit is much greater that is the big difference.. 5000€ for a test is just going to mean so many young people will never have a licence...
It's a huge difference, if you learn driving by mummy and daddy or if you learn driving with a teacher!
My brother passed his German driver's license and it cost him 2000. When he moved to the states they just made a copy of his German license and gave him an American license. 😅
As it should be, but please not the other way around.
I spent a little fortune to get my German driving license. Had Failed multiple times for the ridiculous reasons.
When I see other people driving on the road, I wonder how they got their license.
Driving on the wrong side, crossing the stop lines, red lights, loud music, reversing on one way streets. These are some of the easy ones to spot.
parking everywhere, cutting off everyone, even so much more vulnerable cyclists, honking at and then overtaking people driving at or below speed limits, going 65kph instead of 50, going 135 instead of 120, going 110 instead of 100, going 40 instead of 30 - because "that little overspeed does not matter anyway". i had to explain my brother-in-law that at 30kph, 20% of pedestrians die in collisions, but at 40kph, EIGHTY percent die and he stared at me in shock ABOUT WHAT HE WAS ONCE TAUGHT IN DRIVING SCHOOL. too many car drivers in germany are like too many gun owners in the USA: completely insane.
As a German, all I can say is that it is part of the quintessential driving experience in Germany to wonder how other people got their licence. This is not at all limited to foreigners.
Got a reverse camera and does not use it?
I'll do this test in 2 weeks. Wish me luck.
learn and do not forget. no luck required.
@@kiwi_kirsch I need luck to not forget things
🤞
@@kiwi_kirsch luck is always needed my guy
It's actually easy. It depends on how you learn and your driving teacher. If the teacher is cool then you will get it done at first shot with lesser driving hours. But some driving schools and teachers are just behind money making so you need to realise it quickly. On the whole it's not so difficult to get german license.
I had my Dutch driving license in 36 lessons. Fl 40,- ( Guilders) per hour and then the examination costs. Don't know anymore. I paased the theory with one fault out of 70 questions. And i passed at once during the practical examination 💪 That was in the early 90's. When the drive instructor did not say anything you had to drive on. Ofcourse he uses this to see if you pay attention. It is all about watching, he said.
I'm sure those stick shifts are going to be very handy once Germany transitions to EVs. Maybe they'll even install fake shifters to force people to use them!
5:39 …take me home to the place i belong😂
thanks for yr vd
Even after this (Fahrschule) most people in germany cant drive proper/good 😢 (Cant imagine how bad it is in the US😮)
I've driven and travelled across the world and everywhere there are good drivers and bad drivers. It seems like the bad drivers just don't care.
PS I believe you were trying to write "can't drive well".
Compare this to California where I got my DL in 1985. It was soooooo easy No driving on highway or high speeds; no driving at night etc. It really was a joke. Of course all automatics.
Exactly and that’s exactly why most Americans constitute a public hazard when they decide to drive in civilized countries.
And I guess you paid like 20 dollars tops. Germany is the bad joke, I am glad the rest of the world isn't like the land of Krauts
and then they let you loose on the environment in a kind of 'murder tool'. Most people underestimate the power of a car and prefer to eat, drink and text at the wheel. Irresponsible...
2:20 german humor hahaha
Why suddenly the klezmer music in 3:10?
I failed two times. The second time, I felt like I did fairly well, but the examiner failed me because of hectic driving :-/
Now that'd a cryptic word and I don't even know how to improve from here
if you are just visiting Germany can you drive there with an international driver's license?
Their traffic light seemed odd having them on your side of the street so if you are the first car, you can't see the bloody thing. But how else would they do this?
You can see it clear enough. Either you dont drive all the way up to the stop line, or you look up. Mostly there are traffic lights on the left or right of the street so that you can see them easily.
Obtaining license is a win-win for everyone. Big money making business for the Fahrschule, Government and the student learns good traffic rules.
You turned in your DL? Naw, I didn't do that. I kept my German license and took the US test, haha!
US & CDN ARMY driving in germany since 1960 - SOMETIMES ++ & -
I feel like the problem that guy has with the youth is kind of unfounded, a lot of kids still watch out the window and stuff but it really doesn't help until you get on the road yourself. I know that I sure didn't have the best grapple on it even though I always watching where we were going, it just accentuates how differently everyone learns.
Ich hab meinen Führerschein seit 20 Jahren und hab damals auch nicht geguckt wie meine Eltern gefahren sind, ganz ohne Smartphone oder Gameboy.
Trotzdem hab ich den Führerschein mit ner adäquaten Menge Fahrstunden gemacht und beide Prüfungen im ersten Versuch bestanden.
I remember as a kid i tried to turn on my dads car because i didnt see that he manipulated that with a pedal . the car did jump a little bit and i was afraid...
determination
It will cost atleast 3500€ in City like Munich or Stuttgart
Im Sorry, licence since 2000, but hardly any German? I’m sorry am I missing something?
From a viewpoint of a Finn, in Germany things are less foolproof and the driver is expected to have basic knowledge use common sense. Too much to ask? No: driving in Germany is pleasant and smooth, save for the Staus of course.
Huh? I thought you would also do a comparison with learning to drive in the USA, because there we would see that it is WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY less expensive and easier, thanks to the USA not being so crowded and crazy full with people, more space, easier nicer driving (cruising)
Indians laughing in the corner😅
What was unfortunately not addressed in the video are accusations of sexism, which are repeatedly made against driving schools and especially male driving instructors. Driving schools are usually very relaxed and the driving instructors want to be “the best buddies” of the mostly young learner drivers. So there is sometimes an interpersonal interaction that can be perceived as “unprofessional”. As a German, I have heard from my international colleagues that some (or in this case one particular) driving schools unfortunately only offer poor or no English for driving lessons, even if they advertise this. The invoicing of driving lessons can also sometimes be complicated to understand and difficult to follow, so take a close look! But I don't want to badmouth the 90% of driving schools that do a great job, but unfortunately there are also these negative sides...
As a male, I had a female driving instructor (in Europe though not in Germany) and she was really great: she had a fantastic sense of pedagogy and actually made me love driving responsibly and respectfully. What she taught was way more than just rules: rules are of course important but some of them can change. What she taught me was an attitude. That will stay with me all my life. It’s priceless. In my case and experience, there was no sexism, no gender rivalry. The best instructor of the driving academy happened to be a woman and I’ll always be grateful to her.
Now the Dutch its the most stringent ever!
Hi @RogierYou! Oh yeah, how so?
@@dweuromaxx if you are Dutch you know
That's just proof, that a stringent driving test, doesn't always produce good drivers 😂
The Dutch aren't known for being particularly good drivers, even in their home country it's horrible. I'd rather drive in Croatia, before I drive through the Netherlands again.
Then, why on earth, is it always the dutch that can't keep the distance behind me?
Dutch are some if the mist irresponsible drivers. I frequently report their licences when they make issues in my town. Sorry not sorry
I got my drivers license in april and paid 3.400€. insane
Why can we not do the final practical in other languages? I need to drive again for sanity sake.
@@isaachatilima the road signs are in German. You should probably have a functional grasp of German in order to drive there.
@@funnyfarm299 the signs are universal in europe, the only ones in German are specific ones which are not common
@@karinwenzel6361 The German people seem to not accept the fact that English is a universal language, lingua franca. They treat it only like the native language of the UK (I speak about Europe) and in their eyes it is no different from any other national language, be it Finnish or Slovenian, or any other. And because of this they always say with surpise something like "Of course I don't speak English, I am from/we are in Germany!".
That is my impression.
Hi @NikolaiUA! There's some truth there. Germany has slightly lower English levels than, say, the Nordic countries.
@@dweuromaxx It's not about the levels, it's about the attitude. There are countries in Europe with similar or lower English levels, yet they do not look with contempt at the language, quite the opposite: they'd like to learn it and be more competent in it as a society.
only when you learn to complaining all the time......to be rude....selfish.....and ignorant......😮
i tookit 6 months ago in munich it costed 4000 and no i didnt take extra unnesseray classes only the standard hours. when you say the average is around 3000, it feels like wrong information
She was close to getting her licence taken away 😅
Nice to see a country that doesn't *give out driver's licenses like CANDY* (like in the US)
But what do the 2 signs mean???
They both refer to the rule "right before left." The yellow diamond on a main/principle street means you have the right of way, all the way through. The other one means you only have the right of way at that street, which is coming from the right... all very complicated!
I got my German driver's license in 2008 and paid ~1300€ (which was cheap even at the time). I had to save up for it myself and couldn't afford to fail the test. The lessons haven't gotten much more expensive but I guess students don't take it seriously. You can still get away with way less than 3000€.
It sometimes costs a few hundred Euros to even sign up to a driving school. 1300€ would be verrrry difficult to swing these days!
@@dweuromaxx my pflichtstunden alone already costs me more than 1300€
any benefits if you holding saudia Arabia and pakistan driving license? anyone knows?
If your performance get you 80% in Germany mine I’m sure it’s gonna go 50%
At the moment I’m in the process of replacing my driving license to German one in Berlin and I have to say that unfortunately, Germany is not adapting to growing vehicle number on streets. I mean, lanes direction are marked on lanes. And if there is a traffic jam on a four lane road? You right, driver from different city or different country will find out direction when he is not allowed to change lane. And a lot of signs of priority or speed limit are hidden behind trees or parked cars because nobody respect 5 meter parking rule from junction. And here you go, if you want to pass driving exam you really need to memorize the junctions around the test center. Otherwise- the truck just hide the priority or speed sign from you? It’s your fault, not the truck’s. So there is a place to invent and invest on the roads to ensure that driver will see the signs.
The right before left rule in Germany (called hoger regel in Sweden) are the most stupid rules because it creates confusion unnecessarily and that too in city roads where the traffic is dense and the roads are many and confusing. You have to constantly be aware of who has the right of way because in some cross sections the roads are marked with give way signs making it easy and in some cross sections there are no give way signs meaning right before left rule or the hoger regel applies here. Having two different possible rules at any junction creates a lot of problem. I see a lot of people applying right before left rule when there is actually a give way sign right before their eyes telling them that they have to give way instead. The reason for this is that the right before left rule is a well established very old rule while give way signs are comparatively new in these countries historically. So what is the solution. Do like the British, mark every junction with give way signs whether in the city or out side city limits. The moment you approach a junction look for the give way sign, no guess work. It costs more but eliminates confusion and accidents.
In Germany usually you find this in residential areas (often limited to 30kmh) or places where people shouldn’t speed so it makes sense to do it like this to slow down traffic in these areas. Bigger streets usually have traffic signs and other speed limits (50kmh)
It's really notable how prices increased in the last years. I, a native German, got my B class license in 2004 for 900€, which admittedly was cheap even then.
Soon, a driving license will be nearly the same as a pilot's license. My EASA PPL (A) cost me about 9.000 € in 2017.
Right now i am doing my driving licences here in Germany. Ich lebe in Deutschland seit 7 Jahren. And this is my first time doing driving licences. Only registration cost me €600 for the first aid, eye test and for the App from driving school Costs €150. In two weeks I will have my theory test in german language. German is not my first language so it is not easy but I try my best preparing for the Prüfung. One of my friend she have to do it again and again the theory and also the practical exam even though she paid around € 5000 but she didn't make it in one year to pass the test so now she have to do it again from beginning.
Great mommy energy
The woman is driving a car, but she doesn't know what the license plate means, how do you drive a car?
Still I paid almost 5000 Euro.... it disaster
Clearly you can pass otherwise no one would have the German license in the first place :)
Getting a driver's license in Germany seems to be a big production for nothing.
Do you think it's too elaborate?
@@dweuromaxx Yes! Considering the fact that a seventeen year old in the USA or Canada can fly solo and operate in the pattern of category II airports without any issues.
@@abrahamlevi3556 U.S. is no benchmark for other nations in issuing licenses. The German better look at the Finnish. I think they put less emphasis on minor rules that are checked closely on exams, but instead concentrate on a wider set of practical skills, including some "extreme driving" ones.
@@NikolaiUAIssuing licenses in the USA and Canada is like issuing high school diplomas. An Abitur in Germany is worth more than a high school diploma in the USA. Therefore a bachelor degree in the USA takes four years. In both the USA and Canada, there is no real alternative to driving cars. except in large cities. In other words a driver's license is a necessity. In reality, drivers become more proficient the more they drive. Moreover, the infustructure in North America is more forgiving, especially in urban areas where the streets are wider. One can see it when one compares the sizes of trucks and semi-trailers in the USA and Canada to those in continental Europe.
@@abrahamlevi3556 Exactly
The price 3000 euro is absurd. xd
I like how the school owner offers up his hypothesis and then she just points out it's nonsense before they decide to move on.
When I was little did I watch what my dad was doing with the gearstick? No I was too busy reading...
No, until you give them enough money...
My sister got her drivers license in the US and then came back to Germany and was allowed to drive here… she had three accidents within the first year of driving and told us that she only had two hours of „practical driving“ and a very simple theoretical test. She was completely overwhelmed by driving in Germany.
Then she made her german drivers license. No accidents since then…
So please: if you are new to driving, don’t just rent an car here and start driving, you might actually have no idea how to savely drive a car. ESPECIALLY on the Autobahn.
Or at very least learn how to use round about the correct way 😂.
Her steering wheel control was terrible..
India has most easy driving test but driving is most difficult😅
Interesting to watch one hand on the wheel at one point doesnt like to parallel park? Doesnt know sign rules and STILL passes? Wow. Myself live in Canada lived in UK have 'G' & 'M' class (car and motorcycle license) oh yeah born blind in one eye too! All I'll say to many people csrless not paying attention, dont know how to adjust seat correctly let along hold streering wheel correctly or wear seatbelt correctly.
Yes! Let's burn more fossil fuel! I have ridden bicycle and used public transport in Germany in the last couple of years, but finally I have decided to get a driving license since the country has really good cars, good infrastructure and life would be more convenient 💪 Take note DW Planet A!
Do you need a license to drive a tesla as it has fully auto pilot and safty systems to detect collision before it happened?
attract
In India I can get driving licence without taking a test
😂
Yep. And then you can get a tech-job in Europe, and as a bonus receive a driving license there as well.
Not a reassuring idea for road safety...
I received my UK Driver's License in 2020 after paying thousands of Euros, and 3 tests.
What if you have a (cargo) van or a Caddy-like cat. B vehicle without a rear window, how do you look through that absent window when you reverse then? Is there another license category for that? If not, then how can you have a double standard for a given category? Those cat. B drivers are supposed to be able to drive *any* cat. B vehicle (save for any limitations like "78"), yet they are trained and *required* to act in a very particular way unapplicable for all of the vehicleds of the category they are being trained for. Logically then, you can't reverse in a cat. B vehicle without a rear window, cuz that's a requirement you can't circumvent.
This is just to show how stupidly non-universal some of the German driving test requirements are.
Driving school vehicles are "normal" cars because that's what most people drive. For trucks, you need a different certificate, go to aspecial driving school and practice on such vehicles.
And with cars without rear windows, of course you look into both side mirrors - if they had such a vehicle during the test you'd have to make that looking perhaps a bit more "visible" to the tester.
(Sorry if I didn't understand parts of your comment - have no idea what a cat. B is or "78")
@@QuentinPlant 78 is a limitation printed on your driving license meaning you are entitled to driving only automatic transmissions. It was mentioned in the video.
Cat. B (category B) is one of the vehicle categories you're endorsed to drive, also printed on your license. Category "B" vehicles are passenger cars and vehicles like the VW Caddy, VW Transporter family - all up to 9 seats and 3500 kilos maximum weight. Trucks are normally another category. Far from all category "B" vehicles have a rear window, therefore it is strange to train students (i.e. develop a habit in them) to look through it, and even test them on that which puts a special emphasis on it. It is this special emphasis during the exam which is odd.
To answer your questions: Very much and no. That’s 8 minutes of ur time saved.
Germany likes to "show" the following of the rules, instead of thinking about the substance and objective of those rules, which would make make them out of date already, practically. Very short logic. They have difficulties to make a leap to form an organic chain of logics that can form a really comprehensive and beautiful picture of life. This mentality makes the land be able to stand still, but not evolve into a better, happier, richer, vibrant land.
Driving in Germany is so stupid! too many rules you loose your attention on the important things while focusing on the details. I don't mind trying to be a country with citizens who can drive well. But the prizes are just insane, this is straight stealing (130 euros per lesson)
Germany sucks in this one. I mean they take it too complicated and over-engineered.
In California you pay around *30 dollars* for a quite easier test. Some ignorant complain that it could be dangerous because the car could be used "as a weapon". Wrong, USA isn't like Germany, not everybody is thinking about mass murd3r (ask the jews for instance).
true, because American government has the "Einstellung" that people need to use the car as a tool to work, be productive, make money and then is possible tax them. In Germany, the authorities just want the taxpayers' money to save some refugees from a distant war (Ukraine, Afghanistan, Syria, etc), and additionally money that comes into the driving schools (a percentage of those 3000 euros) will end up in the local economy. They don't try to fix the rotten system because every year hundreds of thousands new foreigners maintain the system working while pursuing the "German dream", something similar happens with the housing system. German authorities know the economy depends on such perverse systems
In the US the car is considered an everyday essential like the fridge, moreover it is needed indeed in a lot of locations due to poor public transportation, I think that is why US authorities don't make it a hard test for something soo needed for most americans. There is no aim to deny licenses to mediocre drivers/most people, only to filter out the few truly unable at driving.
@@santostv.I would have low standards if you were my son, bless your heart, little brained creature. The car is a tool and for the rest there is the american law, insurance, responsibility and a great common sense.
lol instructor probably can't drive that good, they're just so nitpicky. typical german.
no the rules are actually strict here because we dont drive on 5 meter wide lanes
they wanna be sure that you will drive good, cause someones life depends on it. Its called responsibility. usa know nothing about it.