After being in Germany for 8 months, here are some of the little driving differences I've noticed since being back in the states. Stay tuned. More videos to come. Outro Musi: The Betrayal - Andrew Applepie
Main difference between usa and germany, is, that when you receive your driving license in usa, it means that you have the permission to drive. When you receive the license in germany it means that you have acutally the skill to drive.
@@fabiansaerve a theoretical and practical skillset that allows you to be safe on the road for your sake and for other people's. Traffic is serious business in Germany, and the process of getting a license contains multiple professional driving lessons with a teacher and a ton of theory. And we have very strict traffic-laws here so everybody always knows what to do on the road and how to avoid most troubles. But its a completely different mentality, we are focused on driving, it is a task on its own, no place for cupholders and smartphones. "Dont talk with the Driver"
@@fabiansaerve It means that in Germany driving is taken seriously! You can literally kill someone if not paying attention! It's a more prudent and responsible approach to obtaining a driver's license! Something stupid yanks fail to understand, sending 16 year old kids on the road...
Yup. Was in Germany last month. I was driving 240-250 km/h and suddenly I had a Lambo up my arse flashing his headlights. Think he was doing around 300.
Last week I rode 400 km (A3,A4, A44,A61 and some others many constructions sides, detours at one time the A44? was completely shut down due to a construction side, and the Navi had sent me on the A61). At some times I was driving with 80 (as ordered) and the surface of the street made me believe something is not ok with my car, overall the fastest was 180/90 and even if my car can drive faster, I wouldn't risked considering the poor conditions. Many times you had speed limits due to the damaged surface (Straßenschäden). Merkel is truly destroying this country. Maybe you had better roads, or maybe you will sooner or later see your car in a car shop...
@@bluerisk this year is really bad with the construction sites. but also a lot of traffic because of the vacation time in summer. However, how is this Merkels fault? the ones at fault are all the stupid Trucks, especially the huge amount of polish trucks. This is mainly VW's fault for getting rid of their storages and just doing just-in-time orders. Research your stuff before writing dumb conspiracy shit
warum? wäre viel geiler. Der Standstreifen ist ~1,5m vor der Ampel. Wenn du am Standstreifen stehst und durch die Sonne versuchst die Ampel zu erkennen ist schon scheisse. da wäre mir das Amerikanische System lieber. Würde auch weniger kosten wenn z.b 1 Ampel die ganze Kreuzung leitet. Aber dann brauchst du halt auch dieses "bei rot DARF (!) man rechts fahren wenn nix kommt Einstellung.
Das ist tatsächlich viel besser. Bin in Florida gefahren und dafür muss man sich nicht umgewöhnen, man genießt es von der ersten Kreuzung an. Bin allerdings auch sehr groß und muß mich hier ständig krümmen, um die Anpel zu sehen.
depends on the state actually, there is no federal drivers license. Does Germany have a license issued by their federal government? maybe that's a difference too.
+franwex, the issue is americans don't have to take driving lessons from a professional, and tests at the DMV are to put it mildly, a joke. A lot of experienced US motorists would never be able to pass a test in Germany, or a lot of other european countries. This is because in the US driving is seen as a right, where most other places considers it a privilege.
Germany only has one traffic code, which is why traffic rules, speed limits, traffic fines, and also the criteria to obtain a driver's licence are identical in all of Germany, although administrative details may vary by state. However, I dare say that the requirements before you obtain your licence are much stricter in Germany than ANYWHERE in the States. Before you can even apply for the test, you must have had a set number of driving lessons, some of which must take place at night, and some others on the Autobahn, and you must also have attended a first aid course. Then, after passing the theory test, the practice test involves driving 45 minutes in real traffic, where every mistake will result in immediate failure. After failing, you must wait two weeks before trying again, after failing twice, you need to wait 3 months before your 3rd attempt. Needless to say, this also makes the licence a little expensive to obtain. Many young Germans living in big cities don't even bother obtaining a licence (public transport is usually good in big cities, so you don't necessarily need a car if you live there) until they move into some more rural areas.
Tobias Schneider We can't have that here because you need a car to get anywhere here due to how spread out everything is and the results of our urban design means we need to have a easier driving test.
Hey, the driver License cost $ 2000 in Germany, its Not Cheap. In Germany, it takes about two months to pass the driving license. According to accident statistics, the risk of accidents in the USA is also higher per billion kilometers driven. Sorry for Bad English
In Europe, the traffic lights are positioned before the crossing so you stop before getting to the crossing limit where you were supposed to stop initially. You're supposed to stop in a position where you don't have to crank you neck to look up. If you can see the traffic lights on your right and above you without cranking your neck, that's a good spot.
Not all of Europe. E.g. Denmark has the lights on both positions: at the stop line and on the other side of the crossing. It's the best of two worlds. But there are some more complicated crossings where it gets a bit difficult to choose the right light.
You forgot to mention US road signs has a LOT more text, whereas Germany (and most of the rest of the world) uses a set of international symbols, and very little in the way of text.
Not true... If it's a language you understand then your brain is recognising the picture. By that I mean all the letters in a group in a way is just a picture made of symbols.. your brain can read text that is spelt wrong because your brain recognises whats there
I think the main reason for not having the lights on the other side of the intersection is just that there aren't as many of these perfect 90 degree intersections that go straight from north to south or from west to east in Germany. Having them only on half of the intersections would probably not be worth it and possibly confuse some people as well.
Raymus Good point. In addition very often you have different lights for turning left, going straight ahead and turning right, partially with divided turn lanes and different green phases for pedestrians going from one refuge Island to the next... so it could get quiet confusing with lights behind the intersection.
We have plenty of intersections in Denmark with turn lanes with separate lights, and we always have lights on the far side of the intersection, most intersections will have lights on the near side, high and low, and far side high. It is a real problem when driving in Germany that you have to bend over forward to see the lights many places, it is uncomfortable, and stressful.
I'm a Dane too - the signals are placed so in Germany so that you stay further back - if you have troubles seeing it you are probably positioned wrong on the road my brother
UK is 70mph but not uncommon for people to do more than that. But we've got smart motorways now where they can change the speed limits if there's an incident and they have cameras that become active when the limit is reduced.
@Why Why Why Why Joe 'Groper' Biden I mean, maybe that would've been true like 20 years ago, but there are lots of Eastern countries that have well-developed highway systems now. The main issue with abolishing hard limits would be the massive amounts of people that wouldn't know how to handle high speeds.
There is a reason for that traffic light beeing so near to the driver in germany. First of all beginners always know where to hold when the lights are red. There is also a light on your right so you dont have to crack your neck. The upper light is for the drivers behind like when there is a big ass truck infront of them they still can see when it turns green by watching the upper light.
Yes you're right, but if you know in advance the lights are turning green your reaction will be a little faster. The difference seems very little but I think it makes still a difference.
25 km/h zu schnell. Gerade noch so im Bereich. Ab 26 km/h würde es unangenehm, denn zweimal innerhalb von 12 Monaten mit >25km/h zu viel gibt einen Monat Fahrverbot.
RamBoZamBo123 Die Bearbeitungsgebühren und so nicht vergessen. Wurde anfang des Jahres außerorts mit 25 zu viel geblitzt und durfte satte 100 € abdrücken.
What amazes/shockes me every time is that you can use your credit card without a PIN or signature. And not just for 20$ bills. Doesn't make sense for me.
6 лет назад
The US has a pretty primitive banking system. You can't just make bank transfers on the spot like in Germany, which is part of the SEPA banking system that's in most of the EU. As a result, Americans use really archaic and old-fashioned ways of paying, like creditcards, or even cheques.
There are lots of videos explaining the signature thing is more for show than for real. So you Feel safe not to be safe. A bit different with the pin though. And sometimes you can pay without in Germany, I believe usually when it's below 20€.
Every time I come back to the US from Germany I first feel like I’m driving in slow-motion. Then, I get annoyed with the left-lane greediness! Welcome back!
The american system is better on this point. But in germany the red light also counts as a limit where you have to stop if there is no white bar on the street.
Honestly, as a big guy in a small car (Alfa Romeo Mito), it is really hard to see any traffic lights properly, in special when the light at the site is blocked off by the frame of the car.
That really depends on the situations. In many situations you dont have clear view from a greater distance to the other side of the crossing (when the street is a curve for example). This would mean that you would basicly see the red light in the moment you are almost on the crossing.
Here in Australia we have them everywhere, near and far and left and right. Each pole has lights facing multiple directions. No excuse for not being able to see it.
Why aren't you allowed to pump your own gas? I mean i guess for safety reasons, but this isn't a problem in other parts of the world or even the US? And it just makes the gas more expensive since you also have to pay the person that pumps your gas.
BlopsRusher Apparently Oregon thinks their citizens are too dumb :P In many states fireworks are illegal, putting candles on your Christmas tree is often illegal etc...
I have been to Oregon and as far as I know it is to give more people jobs. In other States in the USA you have to do it yourself like you do in Germany.
I was on an exchange in the US a year ago, and when my host mom picked me up from the airport she turned right on a red light and i was FREAKING OUT screaming IT'S RED not knowing that its okay to do that
I was driving in the USA for three weeks when visting for the first time . Very few signs, sometimes I wondered what the speed limit was. And most of the the signs were written stuff which you had to read to get the information. But what I really hated was the fact that the US has very harsh fines for speeding and no one seems to give a shit. As a German that is very annoying to drive at 68 in a 65 zone and get overtaken by a 10000 ton truck with 80 on the right while a bus is sitting in your neck
way better system, Red is mostly just for crossing the streed not for entering so why not drive when nobody is coming anyway did it a lot of times in Germany even with no green arrows. Imagine a Road enters another road, you come from the road that is a straight line and want to drive on the road that is entering your road, but you have red cause they want to enter the main street, so you turn right cause no stupid car can come. but in Germany its not allowed. Cause idk.
Funny thing is, this is a thing in germany too, just not universal. There is a sign (the green arrow on black background) that marks crossings where you're allowed to do this. However, it's not very common.
well don't try this in europe you get a ticket driving through red , the only time your allowed to drive red is when there is an blue siren and to make room you have to pass the red light. (but you still have to pull over at the first opportunity you cannot simply cross roads because there is for example an ambulance behind you.
Or you look at the opposing lanes to see when they start (when not in first row and view blocked) or put in the gear and watch the car in front, or watch the light for bicycles.
its not about being too stupid, but you always have to think the other driver does something wrong, maybe he thinks he was first, but you were, you drive, he drives -> crash. Rules have to be clear without any interpretation. A 4-Way simply is just retarded
Right before left sucks on very busy intersections, because they can get jammed (cars from all four sides) or one road just has the right of way constantly while someone from another road desperately tries to get in. But still, as a German I find 4-way-stop signs very irritating. Never knew what to do, that's why I hesitated and others then took advantage of it. I was recently in the UK and they pretty much only had roundabouts, almost no traffic lights at all. It sucked at first because it seemed complicated (multi-lane roundabouts, driving on the wrong side), but I liked it after a really short time, really smooth traffic flow. Didn't like the average speed cams in the UK, though... I also think NALF is right about traffic lights on the other side being better. But Germany has very narrow and chaotic intersections, unlike the US where it's very open and wide (and mostly with a perfect 90° angle). So in a lot of places this could lead to unclear situations if they put the lights like in the US.
As a German who has been to the US several times and of course has been driving there, I totally agree to the differences you mention. Many things you point out are better in the US than in Germany. (I know many things are state laws so they may be different in different parts of the US) - Lights on the far side of the intersection: WAY better. As a tall prson I tend to have the seat waaaaay back (yeah, think Hightower in "Police Academy" here), so I always have to make fancy moves in Germany to see the light. (Guess why my car has a glass roof) - 4-way stops: Nice concept, would not work in Germany. Everybody is first. - Right turn on red: Nice concept, the green arrow in Germany is used way too seldom - Roundabouts: If people were able to use them correctly they would be nice. (What's so hard about just indicating when you LEAVE it? Not when you enter, and especially not when you stay in the roundabout? ^rant^) - General speed limit and being able to overtake on both sides: I LOVE IT! Due to the speed limit less need to overtake and due to the lane of choice there's no idiot in te left lane blocking all other traffic. We need this in Germany. NOW! - Don't pump your own gas: Specific to two states. What's more important is that in Germany you just fill up, then go to the cashier and pay. No credit card swipe (thank god this is possible nowadays) no prepay (what a hassle that was if you needed to fill the tank of your rental car and had no clue how much gas -GALLONS, EEEEK! Why not liters as in any civilized country on this planet?- you need). But in Germany people have to register where they live, so once you get a fas theft's license plate, you can find them. Not that simple in the US. Overall, I find driving in the US more relaxing that in Germany. If only one could get a rental car with stick shift.... In cities that have a grid pattern, orientation is also more easy. Two blocks east, one north, GO!
Haha i had no idea its illegal to pump gas yourself. When I was there and these people came up to me at the gas station I was like "fuck off, I can pump my own Gas!" :D
Peter August Only in two states it's illegal: New Jersey Oregon Its an archaic law that was there for older pumps that weren't as easy to operate and when the modern pump came out most states got rid of their laws except for these two.
4 way stops dont make sense in my eyes. When there are no witnesses, or the other site has "better witnesses", you cant tell who had to right of way. In german intersections you can clearly say who is at fault after a crash.
We have the right for left rule,on streets like this ,we need no sign at all. I accept that driving is a bit different than in Germany,but nomaly driving is international by rules.Then i can not accept States in one Country, with differrent rules.If you move from Florida to Nebraska, must you take new driving Lessons?Which this in Mind,makes it joy to drive streets like Route 66,when the People had learned other Rules of driving?
1:44 Turning right on the red light, true. However you must do a COMPLETE stop before turning, not a ROLLING stop. 4:44: Whatever the law say, I'd NEVER leave my payment card unattended. Easy way to get your card cloned or scammed. What's about in Germany is true but is also true for most of European countries. What I like in Europe v. USA In Europe: - We use the left lane to pass only and solely for that matter, we don't camp on it or or cruising in the left lane and sipping drinks, texting, or eating. If we want to do that, we wait to be at home. - We use the turn signal more often to indicate where we're going. Also the turn signal, aka "blinker" is simply the basic "Courtesy 101" with other motorists. - We don't tailgate - We don't intimidate as much as American motorists do (creating road rage at the end) - We don't leave the left lanes to take an exit at the split second and cutting traffic on the right lane. If you're caught doing this in Europe, you get a high fine and you can say bye-bye to your driver's licence. - Indeed the speed is monitored by camera and you're flashed, then getting your ticket by the mail. In France you can get a ticket and flashed for only 2 km/h over the speed limit on secondary highways - When we enter a multi-lane highway, on the ramp to take the speed. We don't enter slow-mo like lots of folks in the States do. Also the right lane of traffic has the right of way over those on the merge ramp - Speed limits are higher. However on the German Autobahn, don't pretend it's as fast as you can on every kilometre of the entire German Autobahn network. Lots of portions has a speed limit which is generally 130 km/h. But when it's not posted, yes you can go fast (as long as you're safe) - Rest areas and gas stops on expressways, divided highways every 10-15 km. In the USA you have to leave the freeway to get gas, and some rest areas can be distant 50-100 km apart. In the USA: - Traffic lanes are larger - Road signs - Scenic highways - Free coffee or tea in some rest areas (Oregon or Vermont to name these two I know well)
The person who fill the tank´s did not work for free, so they charge you their labour expenses extra with every gallon you take. The most business on German fuel stations is not the fuel itself, but the sales in the fuel station shop. So with the mixed business calculation, the self service fuel station can offer cheaper fuel. Btw. German traffic lights have lights not only on the top as there are also lights on the side and on a other high. So you don't have to look up, you chose the light which is most comfortable to you.
I personally think the US system of being able to always turn right on red lights is much more efficient. There's just no reason not to allow it. If cars approach from the left you just stop like at a regular stop sign. Besides that, I do like the German system of priority to the right. It's just easier when you don't need do argue about who was first at a crossroad. A compromise of both systems would be perfect.
Turning right on red lights works as long as it is a normal 4 way intersection with good visibility. But not every traffic light has that, more complicated intersections can create confussion and some intersections might just be to dangerous for that. Thats why we have a little green arrow in Germany (it actually inherits from the communist block) next to red lights that allow you to turn right if traffic allows it. But don't know of a single place where there is no green arrow but it's usually perfectly safe to turn, because most right turns don't even have traffic lights here, they are just for straight and left traffic while the right get an extra lane that does not go over the main crossing, so this is really not an issue in Germany..
There is a reason to not allow it: Outside of the US we have these strange walking slim creatures called pedestrians. They are using crossroads as well. ;)
There is one reason not to allow right turn on red: Safety. Especially if there are lots of pedestrians or cyclists. That's why they reverted the rule in the city of New York, I guess - over there, like in Germany, right turn on red is prohibited except where explicitly allowed.
Let's see, on a normal German 4-way intersection you'd have 5-10 sources of traffic you have to yield to and one that has to yield to you when you'd be allowed to turn on red. That may be a bit much to safely handle... (There are 8 points where pedestrians enter the intersection, 8 points for bike lanes, 4 points for straight traffic, 4 points for left-turn traffic, 4 points for u-turn traffic.)
Been in the states several times and must say, when it comes to driving on the highway, I prefer to drive in the states. Due to the speed limit others are not so aggressive and push you to drive faster. It's such a relaxed driving.
Highways are ok, however the freeways in L.A. were a nightmare back in the 90s (I bet they still are) - everybody was changing lanes from the left and from the right, it was a complete mess! Oh, how I love the "Rechtsfahrgebot" (The bid to drive as right as possible)!
@@TheAxel65 LA freeways are still a nightmare.. people going suddenly from the most left lane to the most right lane (with 5 lanes in between) and cutting you off while you drive in lane 3 to overtake a truck in lane 2....
@@keigezellig sounds exactly like what I experienced. But even on Highways, where they can only mess with 2 lanes it can escalate quite quickly. Typical example: You stick exactly to the speed limit and after a short time you have a truck in your rear-view mirror, which pushes at a distance of about one yard and eventually starts to overtake. A nightmare in heavy traffic plus bad sight (night/rain).
Most of those rules make it safer to travel, but the biggest one is when you’re on the highway and only overtake people on the left, that’s helping safety so much
In the UK we have LOADS of mini-roundabouts at junctions. They're basically a white circle painted on the road at a junction and it means you have to give way to any traffic coming from your right (remember we drive on the left). They actually work quite well in reducing queues at junctions but when you get three cars all coming from different directions everyone is supposed to let the car on the right go first so everyone is waiting for everyone else! Of course, being polite we Brits just sit there for three weeks saying 'after you', 'no, no, after you. I insist!'
double the gas price and you will see how fast the trucks and SUV will be gone - except the real tough farmers who need it as a tool. But currently the complete US car industry has not a single offer if that will happen except CHRYSLER. They can easily offer an americaniced FIAT, a CINQUECENTO ... just 500 ccm engine ... in former days, the average italian car in the 60 / 70ies, also often produced in Poland even during the cold war. Roundabouts are nothing typical german. They were introduced in the very late 90ies due to the superior efficiency regarding flow, emissions, costs, lower accident rate. The most likely replaced lights / crossings which are pretty expensive per unit based on yearly cost. The roundabouts came from the South like spain to Germany and people first did not like them but now they appreciate the advantages and it makes more fun . When will you be back in Germany ? Next season ?
Despite its name, the smallest engine for a new Cinquecento is the 0.9l TwinAir 2-cyl. with 875 ccm and 85 to 105 hp , the weakest engine ist the 1.2 n/a with 69 hp...
typxxilps Gas prices dont really affect truck sales. Gas prices were close to double a few years back and trucks still sold. Theyre just America, a large part of the population buys them as an all in one convenience. Hence the full size truck trend
1. It was a japanese Truck (Toyota) 2. Almost everybody in the US who drives a Truck doesn't need a big cargo space. Its so funny to see people with trucks in front of wal mart putting their grocerys behind the seats. 3. It's really better when the traffic light is on the far side of the road. 4. Hope you had a good time in Germany. Grüße aus Deutschland
Owning those huge trucks is like the Pennsylvania Dutch would say: "It's for nice". It's not about getting the optimal car with the optimal space, the optimal amounts of seats and the optimal amount of power. It's just having a good ol' truck, for the sake for having a good ol' truck.
Would like to know how is it in Germany and other countries. In Greece you can buy a semi truck or van only if you intend to use it for commercial purposes. Only electricians, plumbers, farmers even shop owners who need to transport goods and such other professionals can buy these type of vehicles. It is also illegal to be used for a purpose other than that of the owners profession. Of course traffic control is almost non existent but if a plumber is caught moving his house furniture with his work car they will get a ticket.
Everybody can buy whatever and is allowed to drive it if he has the driving license for it, there are different ones. A driving license is expensive in germany, because of the mandatory hours in a driving school. But the majority buys the car that has the most benefits for them, the high price tag on gas and the limited parking space in cities etc. are the reason why people rather buy a smaller car if they have not to transport a lot of stuff or people. Streets are also more narrow compared to the US, especially in old parts of towns and cities. In several cities your car needs a certificate that it fullfills certain criteria, regarding emissions otherwise yo are not allowed to drive in them and your get a fine if they catch you. After the Diesel scandal some car owners might now have problems.
its because any privat company gets a taxdeduction om the suv-...even the dentist..but the hole car industri really got a big help with that deduction law. They s hould rather give deduktion for green energy- haha..that´l be the day..
as I remember, about 15 years ago, they started to change crossroads into roundabouts everywhere. Because it is better for trafic conjestion and they have a lower accident ratio.
Paul Hojda Reason: Europe has smaller cars that are too small to fit an automatic transmission. However this is changing with the advent of CVT transmission.
That's a very dumb argument. You realize that even very small city cars can be had with automatic transmissions. People just don't chose them. And most people in Europe despise CVTs, so I doubt that will change things.
@@AdamSmith-gs2dv Where do you get your Information from? That is some adhog excuse nothing else every single car even the smallest gets build with Automatic just not as much because very few will buy them. Let me tell you this and this is a fact a 100hp automatic is never as powerful as a 100hp stick. Even when you switch to Sport you will never be quicker than a stick with th same HP. A stick Driver has way more Control over his car and a stickdriver can easily drive an automatic but the other way around…...lost cause, learn to drive.
Roundabouts weren't very common twenty to thirty years ago in Germany. Before, they were already very popular in the UK, Ireland and France and gradually introduced to Germany as they help to reduce accidents at crossings.
I lived for about 10 months in Unity, Oregon, if that rings a bell for you (probably not, cause its just 100 people and a lot more cows), as an exchange student, but I did not know you're not allowed to pump your gas by yourself. It creates some jobs and gives you some kinda luxury but WHY? :D
I don't have any idea of why, but probably because it creates easy, low-income jobs, likely intended for high schoolers, and to make gas stations safer. I mean, if you think about it, gas stations trust random people to drive up and safely handle a volatile and dangerous liquid. If you have employees do everything, it reduces the opportunity for an accident.
Sorry but either you have watched to many action movies, or your gas is burning easier. Here everbody does it himself and I have not heard of exploding gas stations caused by customers. The only thing I can think about, is doing the wrong liquid in the tank, diesel instead of Benzin and maybe someone can sue in the US against the gas station for your own stupidity. I think the reason is there because like you sayed, they want to keep easy low income jobs.
That's a really nice Video! That with the Police car, you only don't see them. They are most unmarked Police. Mostly driving a BMW in black ;) They Called ProVida Cars in Germany. And I love the Autobahn on the parts where there isn't a speed limit. But from time to time this is Dangerous, too. When the Trucks drive with 80km/h (not allowed to go faster) and a car behind the Truck want's to overtake the Truck, he has to speed up very fast sometimes. Sometimes they come with 210km/h from behind and then driving over the complete right Lane called "Standstreifen" and then they breaking the law. The traffic lights in Germany should be placed in the same position as the Traffic lights in the USA. Sometimes I have to wait a long amount of time and it feels like a stiff neck after that ;)
In France, there are smaller traffic lights at eye level on the same pole than the big ones. That's good, too. Personally, I find that lights on the near side are also a good mark to find the edge of the crossing. Especially at night or rainy weather, you have to see clearly, where to stop.
If you want to overtake, you have to drive on the left line. Trucks should not drive on the left line (because of the speed limit). Nobody is allowed to drive on the left line, if he does not overtake And who in Germany has a car that can drive over 200 km/h?
nice video :) and it is so true :D I loved driving in the US, everyone is super chill and there was almost no traffic, except for the big cities. Housten, Texas was a pain in the ass, cause there are so many roads and bridges going over and under that our navigation system was just lost :'D
Wait...so you give the gas lady your card, she pumps your gas and after goes in with your card to pay? Or does she have a machine on her? I would nobody just give my card. Is this common in the US?
The machine would be on or right next to the pump. Even in places you pump yourself they have them so you don't have to go inside unless you are paying cash.
Roundabouts are a quite new concept to Germany. They started to show up during the last 10 years. But I agree, they are more efficient and cheaper then traffic lights. But it requires that people use the direction indicator, which in turn is somehow forgotten how to do.
So many people don't know how to use turn signal in them, im 18 and trying to get my licence but when i saw my mom drive in a roundabout i had to teach her how to do it
They are putting in alot of them where I live and I love them, even with people not knowing how to use them they are still way more efficient than a traffic light.
Nice, so you too waited too long to start with your licence. You´ll learn soon enough that the turning signal is absolutely irrelevant in most cases, for instance when passing parked cars standing on the side of the road (although in roundabout it is absolutely infuriating and just shows that the driver can´t handle turning, shifting and activating his signal at the same time)
Well we have a lot of roundabouts here in Denmark. Forget to use your turning signal and It will cost you 200 euro. But you know what. Most drivers can actually turn, shift and activate signal at the same time. That's why you have fingers.
Around 13.000 miles in the USA for 90 days. I agree the Main differences. Also what we should in Germany adopt is the school bus rule. That no one on both lines is allowed to move when the stop sign is visually.
Traffic lights yeah. We should take that from the US. Common phenomena of being so near is that people start leaving a car lenght between the line and the front bumper to see better.
I'm from Germany and I hate where our traffic lights are standing. I visited the US back in 2015 and it was so easy to just look ahead and not to crack your neck. But I also noticed (in the US) that the people often rolled almost a full car length into the intersection, sometimes the whole pedestrian crosswalk was blocked by them as well. That won't happen here in Germany due to the traffic lights on the near side. Good pros and cons for each system I guess :D
We have a road called Ajo (ah-ho) Way here in Tucson, AZ. It's State Route 86 and it leads into South Tucson. I call it The Ajobahn because the speed limit signs are only for decoration to most people.
Born and grew up in Europe have been living in the US for 15 years! Most people don’t know how to drive in the US and part of it is the driving schools. They don’t even teach the basic hand and highbeam gestures. For example, if a car behind you is flashing his highbeams that doesn’t mean your highbeams are blinding oncoming traffic, it means get out of the way because you are slow blocking the left lane! They don’t use horns here in US either, and think its an insult! When taking a right turn especially, they had to come to an almost full stop with their brake lights flashing and block the traffic instead of rolling without the brakes and turning! When turning left, instead of taking the left turn lane, they merge onto the right lane and the car about to turn right on to that lane hits the car turning left! People don’t use their brain much here while driving. Ohh almost forgot, the signal is there to let other people know what you are about to do not what you are doing! They signal while turning instead of before, so the car waiting to merge doesn’t have time to go his way because he is confused waiting for the signal but its too late now!
The readon why traffic lights are on the near side of the intersection is that it marks the spot where you must stop. If they were on the far side, you could drive over the intersection and stop there.
And for those of you wondering about the gas thing. We just do that on our own and Shell tried to establish a service where some guy from the gas station would fill your car up for you and it was a total flop here.
Want to know the reason for the lights positioning?? It's to make sure that people don't enter the intersection unless they can clear it also. They introduced it a while back in Denmark as well and it's pretty useful actually... only they forgot to move the stop line further back in the process, resulting in a broken neck. But the theory behind it is quite sound. In general people are driving much better in Germany and even though they go fast, they always give you room to overtake slower traffic, if you just remember to use the turn signal indicating you want to do a lane change.
Is a Toyota Tacoma a good ol' American Truck? (@ 3:01) Oh, and what about the polite Germans moving out of the left lane when you want to overtake on the highway? Never in America. They will just sleep in the left lane and stay there: "I'm doing 75, what more do you want? I'm not moving over!" That drives me NUTS in America!
Stacy Lynn EVERYONE hates the left lane slowpokes. In Seattle, they are everywhere. Makes you so angry. I will pass them on the right then swerve back into their lane to send a message
So that's why your stop lights are so easy to see in the US, we have the same problem with stop lights in Eastern Europe too, I guess nobody thought of putting them on the other side, great idea. Also turning right on red makes lots of sense too.
Hey, I like your video, because I think everything you say is right and it is not the usual cliche thing :) One more important thing perhaps: On the Autobahn you are not allowed to overtake from the right. You have to be on the "Überholspur" (overtaking-lane), i.e., the lane that is left to the vehicle you are going to overtake. Exception is I guess very slow traffic due to jams or the like. I (as a German) liked driving in the US/Canada. Everything seems to be a little more calm and relaxed. And the cars are huuuuuge :)
Hey very nice Videos and good job for your team and you winning the german Bowl. But one question i have, why are there so many SUVs and Pick ups, are the roads so bad in oregon or want some people to compensate something ? No offense its just seems weird to me. Of course an SUV has the advantage of space and would be my first choice if i would drive around the world but just for shopping or bringing the kids to Shool ? Its just doesnt make Sense to me or is it because of the hard winters ? Greetings, Martin from germany.
Jake Yaboi ah ok but you ve got bigger parking lots? Yes I understand your point that's why I love it to steer a huge ship and want to drive a tank on my birthday but here in Germany we have allready problems finding a parking space for normal size cars for suvs it's a nightmare.
The cities are different in America. European cities are 1000 + years old and more compact with narrow roads and not much space. In the US and Canada space is not a problem.
driving in the US is chill, even L.A. was ok. People generally drive quite nice and defensive. I do prefere Rechts vor Links to the 'whoever comes to a stop first' rule though.
The difference is that I drove 2500 km in the US in three weeks and was totally relaxed even driving in LA, San Diego, San Francisco....it was all a piece of cake. While 100 km on a German Autobahn can be nerve wrecking even after 30 years of driving here.
@@marxistilluminati9529 You see this is funny every german learns to drive a stick after that you can drive what you like. The difference is once you can drive a stick you can easily drive automatic but the other way around you are a lost cause. Automatic is for lazy people not wanting to learn how to have more control over your own car, I don´t even think one second About shifting it is all within your muscle memorey and actually happens automatically.
I noticed a HUGE difference the last time I went over. It is very hard to find a rental car with an automatic transmission. And if you do order one ahead, it is more expensive. Far fewer people in Germany drive automatics. Also, you usually can't pay with your card at the pump. You must go inside after you pump.
Fun fact: The German police are only allowed to set up radar controls at accident hotspots. However, the counties can set up radars wherever they want.
JustusLM In the US they can be anywhere, the reason is because our legal system makes it so a person must be present to give you a ticket for speeding (otherwise it can easily be thrown out in a court.)
For people who speak German (English version below): Uli Krosse Nein, das ist tatsächlich die Rechtslage (geht auch an Andy Rothaar). Die grünen Tonnen und andere Blitzer sind in der Regel vom Landkreis aufgestellt (die grünen Tonnen immer, die hat die Polizei gar nicht). Die Polizei selber darf nur Blitzer aufstellen, wenn irgendwo tatsächlich mehrfach Unfälle passiert sind, und tatsächlich gewinnt sie auch nichts dabei, mehr Leute zu blitzen. Das Geld bekommt der Landkreis (der genau deswegen oft an fiesen Stellen blitzt). Daher spart sich die Polizei Arbeit, wenn sie keine Blitzer oder sogar bemannte Radarkontrollen aufstellen muss, ohne Verlust. Und es ist nicht Pflicht der Polizei, diese Kontrollen einzurichten (also eigentlich schon, aber sie bewertet halt auch das Risiko), und daher werden auch in Einzelfällen keine polizeilichen Blitzer aufgestellt, auch wenn Anwohner der Meinung sind, dass es an einem häufigen Unfallort wirklich helfen würde. For people who don't speak German: Uli Krosse No, it isn't.
That may be the case for the cops, but it does not take into account that there are other authorities who set up speed traps. But you probably want to go ahead and tell me that German cops do NOT have a certain ticket quota to fulfill, huh? Is' klar, Keule.
I live in Germany for some 12 years now. Driving here is so much better. I drove an Audi A5, as well as a Lexus and also less sporty cars. You can drive 250 kilometers per hour as long as no unexperienced people suddenly change lanes for no reason. Driving is still fun here.
When I was a little boy in Virginia , in middle of the last century , every gas station that I remember was full service . The attendant would come to the car to see how much gas you wanted . He would start to pump the gas , go under the hood to check your fluid levels and clean your windshield. Stations began to designate some pumps as self service , while some pumps remained full service. You were given a small price reduction of a few pennies on each gallon of gas at the self serve pumps. From that time , the full service pumps were slowly phased out. My dad never bought more than one dollars worth of gas at a time . I was 18yo the first time I saw a fuel gauge that indicated the tank was full. Until that time , I don't think that I thought the indicator needle could go all the way to the right . I do not think that I would make out too well driving on a road where there is no speed limit . If I was in Germany , probably the first thing I would learn is how someone gives you the finger in German. It probably needs no translation.
Hello from Germany... ;-) Never noticed that thing with the traffic lights, maybe i am just used to bend my neck, but you are right. Thx for the video!
German cars r smaller than usa, because in germany if u buy a big car, it has to drink lots of oils, causing. The smaller the car is, the cheaper the tanks are. So u'll find a lots of smarts here, but not that a lot. Some german from cities play the smart game, where u have to find one n punch your friend's arm/shoulder. Ppl living in european cities (downtown) cant find big space too. Well the tank in america is way cheaper. So its better to have a big car i guess haha
As for the traffic lights, I think there is a reason they are in front and it has to do with pedestrians. It forces you to step back from the intersection, so pedestrians can safely cross the road.
TikrasOgis you just say for example: "regular, full" and always when you give them your credit car you have to tell them your zip code (not your pin code) 😂
Went to the US last year and filling up was a pain in the arse because in 95% of places you had to prepay, so every time had to do some mental maths calculating how empty the tank was and how much it would cost at the displayed price to get close to full but not over. Also being illegal to pump your own petrol is only the case in 2 of the 50 states, its not common.
Arrgghh only if you use cash. If you use a card, you swipe it and usually enter a zip code. Pump till full. Put the pump back and it prints out your receipt.
I'm German and stayed in the US for about a year. I loved the far side traffic lights, all way stop system, right turns being always allowed on red lights and the way certain instructions are written on the road instead of using signs. Overall I find the US system uses way less signs and is easier to understand. However - raising speed limits would be great ;-) Enjoying your videos, keep it up.
In Germany many traffic rules from USA would be accepted and introduced only if 90 percent of German population was handicapped and disabled so you don't need to step out your car if you refuel or want something to eat..if you can't read,can't see,can 't use your brain..if you are fat and lazy..I was amazed how many people in USA are immobile,fat..slow,lazy.Now I know that all Hollywood movies are actually science fiction.I am not German,but they are disciplined,calm but think and act fast.
You dont have to do anything to the gun to make it work. Officers HAVE TO fill out paperwork saying the laser detector was calibrated properly before they take it out into the world. They can't do this later because the paperwork is time stamped If they can't prove they filled out the paper work your ticket is thrown out. This is the way it works in my county I can't speak for the rest of the counties in my state or the US in general.
1. The argument by the law maker made back then against "Turn Right On Red" was that there are way more pedestrians generally in Europe than in the US which creates an additional risk when turning on red. 2. "Self Service" Gas Stations became the majority I would say mid 80's. Until then "Full Service" Gas Stations were very popular with women since they did not wanna get gas smell on their hands or clothes on the way to the office or at night going out. The gentleman fueling your car would also clean your front and back window and expect to be tipped.
