Comments on: Fear on the American Interstate; or The Autobahn is my Homeland

By: Sharon D. Smith

Sharon D. Smith — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 17:58:04 +0000

Don’t think the autobahn in Germany is 81 mph, they’re are at mach 185 plus an hour and ya better stay out of the left lane, wing-wangs!!

AK-47 MASERTI DOWN!!

By: Kurt

Kurt — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 14:24:05 +0000

Amen, German born driver, amen. In ninety percent of the cases, you’ll find a cell phone glued to the offending driver’s ear, but we do nothing to enforce cell phone bans.

Try driving in Florida, where residents equate wet roads with the same traction you’d have on snow over black ice. If you can’t take a corner faster than 10 miles per hour when the road is wet, perhaps you shouldn’t be driving.

By: German born Driver

German born Driver — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 14:01:01 +0000

Yes, what the h… is wrong with people in the US? Driving on the Interstate here is driving me to drink. People do not seem to either know or understand driving laws. Who in their right mind would go 40 or 45 mph on the far left lane on the Interstate? You cause more accidents this way! Where is the police when you need them? The scary thing is that the people doing this are not teenagers or retired folks. They are people between 30-50. Good Lord!! Who gave your your driver’s license? Someone should do something about this officially!!!

By: midwest_scott

midwest_scott — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 23:24:00 +0000

i have lived in kentucky for the last 15 years and since being here i have seen some of the worst driving habits a community can teach…no one uses turn signals, no one flashes the brake lamps, no one is considerate of the other driver. yet, the police tell me that i am a hazard riding my race-replica motorcycle (ie, sport bike), which is built for high speeds, while doing 45mph in a 35mph zone. well, what about the ass that just slammed on his brakes and turned left in front of me? did he brake the law? not if your an idiot from kentucky!! they dont even have driver’s education here!! none of the adults i work with were ever educated on HOW to drive, they get their experience on one lane backroads and watch Nascar on sundays. these officers are just part of the problem along with the rest of our government. i pay my taxes (or at least most of them) and they need to leave me alone.

By: Joe Shmoe

Joe Shmoe — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 22:24:45 +0000

You all are silly. You should take others into account too. The author hasn’t even had experience on the autobahn either! Not everyone drives the way you do! And just because you don’t like the highways does not mean you should be insulting Americans. Just be thankful that you’re one of the 8% of people in the world who owns a car and has the option to drive to work everyday instead of having to walk through bad weather!

By: bill

bill — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 20:07:20 +0000

i certainly agree with the author. in greece our speed limits in the highways are currently 130km/h and yet they are considered too low in the new highways. i mean we are talking about excellent, 2×2 separated highways. most people drive at 140+km/h and still we have practically no accidents in these highways. accidents do occur however in non-separated roads.
so what do i think? you guys in america have excellent highways. and huge engines. and you are a big country with long distances. ridiculous speed limits will simply drive you mad, not make the streets any safer.

By: Joseph Medina

Joseph Medina — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 06:24:52 +0000

I recently moved to Florida from Boston and boy do Floridians not know how to drive, most pass on the right which is wicked weird because where im from everyone passes on the left and stays clear of the exit lanes. In Miami ive seen people speed by others in the exit lane than cut back to the middle. They should learn to drive, oh and they need to use their blinkers ” turn signals”… Florida Drivers suck!!

By: Michael Tinsley

Michael Tinsley — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 12:07:19 +0000

Germany has more limited access (interstate) highway than any other European country and this in a country the size of Montana.
In Germany you’re either on the autobahn or on a city street.
Also not mentioned, Germans drive the same way whether its a clear sunny day or fogged in with zero visibility which leads to _spectacular multiple-car crashes with multiple fatalities.
I was a medic in the US Army stationed in Germany for three years and went to _many 30-plus car accidents.
I will say that passing on the left works well there because if you don’t merge right when you see flashing lights in your rearview mirror you _will be run over.

By: RAK

RAK — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 04:35:54 +0000

I totally agree with the original post that speed-limit enforcement in America is a money-making scheme and has nothing to do with safety. If the police were concerned about safety on the road, they would ticket people who drive aggressively, tailgate, block the left lane, do not use turn signals or pass on the right.

Interestingly, the traffic rules in Germany and in most U.S. states are very similar: no talking on cell phones, left lane for passing only, no tailgating, no passing on the right. The problem is that, unlike in Germany, nobody in America is enforcing this.

The Autobahn is a living example that fast driving can be perfectly safe, as long as it is done by well trained, polite, defensive drivers, driving decent cars. As someone who has had a German driver’s license since my college days, I can say this with full confidence. 20 years later, I am in Germany a lot and I drive there a lot. From experience, I feel safer at 130 mph on an Autobahn than at 70 mph on an American interstate highway, because I am surrounded by polite, defensive, well-trained drivers.

For those who have not driven in Germany, here are a few clarifications:
1.- A great deal of the Autobahn system does have a speed limit (usually 80 mph), around large cities and near large interchanges.
2.- On just about every segment of the Autobahn, speed limits can be turned on and off during the day, depending on traffic and weather conditions.
3.- Much of the Autobahn system can be very overcrowded during the work week. It is not uncommon to experience the thrill of driving a 160-mph BMW at 40 mph most of the day, simply because of traffic.
4.- Trucks and busses have a 80 kmh speed limit (~55 mph). This limits them to the right-hand lane and greatly improves traffic flow. You will never have a tractor-trailer stuck in the left lane for miles and miles, while passing another tractor-trailer who is only going 2 mph slower.
5.- The road itself is usually very good, much better than the majority of American interstates. There is no debris (no sofas, stoves or beer cans fallen off pickup trucks). Very seldom does one see tire fragments. If there are, it is usually broadcasted on the next traffic report.
6.- Traffic reports are frequent and broadcasted on all radio stations. European car radios have for decades had a feature that will switch to a station broadcasting a traffic report, even if you are listening to another station or to a CD. Locations of speed cameras (speed traps) are typically broadcasted along with traffic.
7.- Services along Autobahns are a class above American interstates. Every service station will have a bistro or a sit-down restaurant, good selection of hot food and gourmet sandwiches, gift shop, and above all very clean toilets. Go to a restroom on I-10 between Baton Rouge and Houston and you are risking you will catch some infectious disease!

Traveling on the Autobahn is a joy, a pleasant and relaxing experience. Driving on American interstates is a dreadful experience.

By: D

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 14:54:02 +0000

I’m in the military and I lived in Germany for 5 years. I love the way there system works. I hardly ever see anyone on the side the road for breakdown. When I came back to the US, I was culture shocked when as far as driving. The people on the roads are terrible hazard. One guy had an OLD buick driving onto I295, just jump right out to the fast lane. I was almost sitting on my hood (or in his passenger seat) I had break so hard. American drivers have no discipline. Driving in America is like boxing in heavyweight match. First chance I get I’m back in Deutschland.