Driving safely / the German Autobahn
Dec 15, 2006, 7:50 am
#1
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Posts: n/a
Driving safely / the German Autobahn
Title says it all.
Last time drove a car on the autobahn was summer of 96' so it had been a decade. This time I spent only about 24hours (total 2000km+) on the road but have not encountered any major problem, especially traffic accidents.
Wonder... The German Autobahn has become safer? Or am I missing something?
Come to think of it... In fact, there is neither broken guardrails nor black tyre marks. The road surface doesn't show its age and the μ appears pretty high. Believe it or not, at least I've had no problem with doing 230km/h+ on a wet surface(special thanks to Michelin).
As for local driver's behavior, everyone seems to have fun with accelerating to at 210km/h+@ rather than crusing at 220~260Km/h+. (For the record: I'm used to seeing in the past is the latter). So, exceeding 220Km/h have been rare. The only time I got smoked is, a silver AUDI RS-4 driven by a man(mid 50's) comes up from my behind and no sooner he floors the gas pedal than figured out that I am playing with the governor. Although he is gone without saying 'See Ya, it's good to know that 'they' still exist. Maybe I'm feeing a bit nostalgic.
An interesting thing is that Dollar shuttle bus hit 180Km/h on the motorway. We were not in a hurry though, seems that this is one of their courtesy services.
:Edit to add (Here's 2 unsolved mysteries. Any information would be appreciated)
-As I'm heading East on A4, all of a sudden everyone started to slow down at around Rothschönberg. IIRC, it was a slightly inclined area. At first, thought it is just a traffic jam. I however had no guts to ignore it so synchronized my speed with the other's to see what happens. I saw a police officer wearing a yellow jacket wandering the roadside but not sure he's been doing a job or looking for an Euro coin. Anyway.. What was that, actually?
-As I'm about to approach an intersection, all of a sudden a taxi in front of me hit the brake and pulled over to drop off the passenger. A train is running the next lane so I'm forced to stop my car in the intersection. 3-5 seconds later, the taxi started to move and I followed it. So what? Well... the very next moment, a traffic camera on the roadside gave us a yellow flash, respectively. Looks like I got caught on the camera(yellow light running?). My mistake!
Last time drove a car on the autobahn was summer of 96' so it had been a decade. This time I spent only about 24hours (total 2000km+) on the road but have not encountered any major problem, especially traffic accidents.
Wonder... The German Autobahn has become safer? Or am I missing something?
Come to think of it... In fact, there is neither broken guardrails nor black tyre marks. The road surface doesn't show its age and the μ appears pretty high. Believe it or not, at least I've had no problem with doing 230km/h+ on a wet surface(special thanks to Michelin).
As for local driver's behavior, everyone seems to have fun with accelerating to at 210km/h+@ rather than crusing at 220~260Km/h+. (For the record: I'm used to seeing in the past is the latter). So, exceeding 220Km/h have been rare. The only time I got smoked is, a silver AUDI RS-4 driven by a man(mid 50's) comes up from my behind and no sooner he floors the gas pedal than figured out that I am playing with the governor. Although he is gone without saying 'See Ya, it's good to know that 'they' still exist. Maybe I'm feeing a bit nostalgic.
An interesting thing is that Dollar shuttle bus hit 180Km/h on the motorway. We were not in a hurry though, seems that this is one of their courtesy services.
:Edit to add (Here's 2 unsolved mysteries. Any information would be appreciated)
-As I'm heading East on A4, all of a sudden everyone started to slow down at around Rothschönberg. IIRC, it was a slightly inclined area. At first, thought it is just a traffic jam. I however had no guts to ignore it so synchronized my speed with the other's to see what happens. I saw a police officer wearing a yellow jacket wandering the roadside but not sure he's been doing a job or looking for an Euro coin. Anyway.. What was that, actually?
-As I'm about to approach an intersection, all of a sudden a taxi in front of me hit the brake and pulled over to drop off the passenger. A train is running the next lane so I'm forced to stop my car in the intersection. 3-5 seconds later, the taxi started to move and I followed it. So what? Well... the very next moment, a traffic camera on the roadside gave us a yellow flash, respectively. Looks like I got caught on the camera(yellow light running?). My mistake!
Dec 15, 2006, 8:25 am
#2
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Naples, Florida
Posts: 7,419
1. Gas prices are high and many people drive a little slower.
2. If you "got blitzed" running a yellow/red light, you'll get a ticket ... even if you give them your "taxi story".... and even if they have both, you and the taxi on the photo. Sorry about this.
2. If you "got blitzed" running a yellow/red light, you'll get a ticket ... even if you give them your "taxi story".... and even if they have both, you and the taxi on the photo. Sorry about this.
Dec 15, 2006, 8:26 am
#3
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: London
Programs: 1MM
Posts: 119
achtung!
-As I'm about to approach an intersection, all of a sudden a taxi in front of me hit the brake and pulled over to drop off the passenger. A train is running the next lane so I'm forced to stop my car in the intersection. 3-5 seconds later, the taxi started to move and I followed it. So what? Well... the very next moment, a traffic camera on the roadside gave us a yellow flash, respectively. Looks like I got caught on the camera(yellow light running?). My mistake!
here's the deal; if this was a rental, the car rental company will pass the fine on to you, the fine is determined by the elapsed time when the light turnied red and when the camera flashed plus your speed. since your speed will be slow, it would be obvious you were stuck in the intersection. regardless you'll get hit with a fine, i'm guessing about 55 euros (or about $70 in "real money"
) that's a fact. 
but consider had you ran the light 14 seconds after turning red and speeding thru it, you'd lose your license in Germany, only can guess what they would have done with a rental.
here's the deal; if this was a rental, the car rental company will pass the fine on to you, the fine is determined by the elapsed time when the light turnied red and when the camera flashed plus your speed. since your speed will be slow, it would be obvious you were stuck in the intersection. regardless you'll get hit with a fine, i'm guessing about 55 euros (or about $70 in "real money"
) that's a fact. but consider had you ran the light 14 seconds after turning red and speeding thru it, you'd lose your license in Germany, only can guess what they would have done with a rental.
Dec 15, 2006, 3:04 pm
#4
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Naples, Florida
Posts: 7,419
...here's the deal; if this was a rental, the car rental company will pass the fine on to you, the fine is determined by the elapsed time when the light turnied red and when the camera flashed plus your speed. since your speed will be slow, it would be obvious you were stuck in the intersection. regardless you'll get hit with a fine, i'm guessing about 55 euros (or about $70 in "real money" ) that's a fact.
but consider had you ran the light 14 seconds after turning red and speeding thru it, you'd lose your license in Germany, only can guess what they would have done with a rental.
) that's a fact. but consider had you ran the light 14 seconds after turning red and speeding thru it, you'd lose your license in Germany, only can guess what they would have done with a rental.
"...ran the light 14 seconds after turning red..." I guess it should read "...after turning yellow..."
I would recommend to bring some old license plates for the rental car and wear a mask ...
Dec 15, 2006, 5:02 pm
#5
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Posts: n/a
I should've been more specific.
1: "Pace down" was temporary, cruising speed on the left lane is 130Km/h or so and then decelerated to 60km/h as approaching the area and then resumed the original speed. "Temporary creeping" might be suitable. My first impression was speed trap.
2: The velocity should be 10-15km/h when I got flashed, right after that I glanced the signal in the rear view mirror shows yellow.
1: "Pace down" was temporary, cruising speed on the left lane is 130Km/h or so and then decelerated to 60km/h as approaching the area and then resumed the original speed. "Temporary creeping" might be suitable. My first impression was speed trap.
2: The velocity should be 10-15km/h when I got flashed, right after that I glanced the signal in the rear view mirror shows yellow.
Dec 16, 2006, 6:15 am
#7
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: ICN / 평택
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A note on the cameras:
Some of them don't have film in them (due to budgetary constraints). Not every flash equals a ticket. Sometimes the polizei put them out for a deterrent factor. But, more have film in them than don't.
Some of them don't have film in them (due to budgetary constraints). Not every flash equals a ticket. Sometimes the polizei put them out for a deterrent factor. But, more have film in them than don't.
Dec 16, 2006, 6:35 am
#8
Join Date: Feb 2006
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Dec 16, 2006, 6:58 am
#9
Join Date: Aug 2006
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Posts: 464
BS... they're all digital and linked to a central monitoring station.
Dec 16, 2006, 7:28 am
#10
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Eurozone
Programs: LH SEN, HH Gold
Posts: 3,002
BS. Not all are linked. Some use CF-memory cards or other storage and are not network linked, and most mobile cams are set up and the data is taken for evaluation after breaking down the cam trap.
It's a big industry involving lots of states and companies, so it's not as cut-and-dried as any of us might think.
Dec 16, 2006, 8:14 am
#11
Join Date: Jul 2003
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Dec 17, 2006, 12:42 am
#12
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Originally Posted by etch5895
Some of them don't have film in them (due to budgetary constraints). Not every flash equals a ticket. Sometimes the polizei put them out for a deterrent factor. But, more have film in them than don't.
Honestly though, I don't want to spend my luck with not paying just a 55 Euros. Besides, this is completely my mistake.(Should've stopped before enter the intersection) Thanks anyway!
Dec 28, 2006, 12:44 pm
#14
Join Date: Aug 2004
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This is what black electrical tape is for. !!! Make an 8 out of a 3, or an E out of an F. Works great on a rental car, especially if you only have it for less than a week. They'll never trace it back to you
Not that I would ever do that, but it has been done before....
Dec 28, 2006, 1:06 pm
#15
Join Date: Sep 2005
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Posts: 6,856
This is what black electrical tape is for. !!! Make an 8 out of a 3, or an E out of an F. Works great on a rental car, especially if you only have it for less than a week. They'll never trace it back to you
Not that I would ever do that, but it has been done before....
Not that I would ever do that, but it has been done before....
SmilingBoy.