Here’s What to Know Before Driving on the Autobahn
Planning to drive Germany’s famous “no-speed-limit” highway? You’d be wise to read this first before going full Vin Diesel on it.
1. Get your equipment checked
You do not want anything to go wrong at 200-plus km/h. Make sure your tires are rated to handle high speed, and that the pressures are good.
2. Watch your rear-view
That little speck in the rearview might be a supercar doing 300 km/h. Glance again and it’s on your bumper. Look out for fast movers before pulling out to pass slower traffic.
3. Move over
The Autobahn only works if everyone stays to the right. Move left to pass only as you approach a slower car, then quickly move back to the right. And signal early.
4. Don’t tailgate
Since the German police aren’t checking for speeders, they’re looking for other bad behaviour. Tailgating is always dangerous, but it’s exponentially more so the higher the speed.
5. Brake early
When you do get a clear piece of road, put pedal to the metal. But when traffic appears ahead, brake earlier than you think you need to — it takes a long time to slow down.
