Becoming a driver in Germany is a very big deal. First you must pay out of pocket for Fahrschule, or driving school. You need anywhere from 25 - 40 hours of drivers education. This includes night driving, high traffic driving, autobahn training, etc. You also have to take 12 hours of theory classes. Then you take the test, which also includes information on how to do mechanical maintenance on the car as well as aspects such as changing a tire. Once you have done all of that, you pay around $2000 dollars to get your license!! This is a license for life, however. Care and upkeep of the car are required. You will not see a dented and smoking car due to the inspections that can render your car illegal to drive if it doesn't pass.
Speed limit signs look very different as does just about every other road sign. And on the roads, they aren't posted very often. Drivers here, due to training, are to know all the speed rules. In cities and towns, it is 50 km/h unless otherwise posted (around 31 mph). In neighborhoods, it is 30 km/h (about 18 mph). On two lane highways, it is 100 km/h (60 mph). The Autobahn, itself, has a suggested, but not required speed of 130 km/h (80 mph). Many people do drive this, but I will admit to seeing the occasional sports car going so fast, I could hardly make out the car, but that is not the rule, rather the exception. And in some cases, the type of car is the limiting factor on the speed of the car. Tomorrow, I'll have a bit about the differences in cars and gas here. Below I have some pictures of some of the more common but unfamiliar to us traffic signs. Some do look familiar, but many do not. Interestingly, we have been hard pressed to find stop signs, but they do have them, and they look just like ours even down to the word STOP. It is important to note that the roads have no yellow lines, so it is very important to pay attention since it can be difficult to tell if the lane you are in is going your direction or is oncoming traffic!!!
The speed for 60 km/h is first. The gray 60 with lines over it is the End of 60 km/h speed sign. The one with lines and no number is end of all previous restrictions, but again the Germans are to know if there is something else that takes over at this time. This is the common sign indicating the end of speed restrictions that you will see on the Autobahn. And if you do see a sign for a specified speed, DON'T exceed it, because there are cameras that will snap a photo of your tag, whereupon you will receive a lovely little ticket in the mail in just a few days time. And no, we have not gotten one of these yet. The sign with the blue speed numbers indicates a minimum speed for that lane. The two cars, one red and one black indicate a no passing zone (usually seen on a two lane highway.) Again, there are no yellow dashed or two solid yellow lines, so looking for these signs is important. And the last one is the lovely Autobahn sign indicating that this is an official Autobahn with all the rules that apply for driving on it. But I think for some drivers who live dangerously, it also means "Yippeee!"
Today's question of the day will help with tomorrow's car segment: What is the most common car driven in Germany?
For the word(s) of the day, I took a picture of a tree outside the boys' and our kitchen window. It is really turning lovely shades of orange and red. Fall has indeed arrived here. The words for today are the colors: Die Farben (pronounced just as we would.) Blue = blau (blou as in out), Brown = braun (just as we say it), Yellow = gelb (ghelb), Green = grün (groon as in tune, but trumpet out your lips even more than usual), Gray = grau (grou as in out), Red = rot (rote), Black = schwarz (shvahrts), and White = weiß (like we say vice).
Auf Wiedersehen,
Frau Spitzer
