Originally Posted by fastball

I have a question for you all....... who here would love to drive a BMW on the Autobahn in Germany? Thought so. Now, here are the rules for the Autobahn which have been in effect since the early 1970's:

Fineable offenses: (based on driver's income, some fines have been known to approach DM10,000, or about $7,800)

Hand gestures
Ignoring lane discipline
Failure to maintain a consistant speed (pending traffic conditions)
Impeding the flow of traffic (this includes driving too slow)

Arrestable offenses: (in Germany, they use video for everything, so there's usually no pleas of "not guilty")

Tailgating
Cutting off
Talking on Cell phones, eating, (whatever would fall under distracted driving)
Running out of gas (don't!)

The reason the Autobahn is so renouned for its pace and grace is the strict enforcement of driver behavior. It's a proven fact that people who drive fast but pay attention and keep consistant and cautious are safer than people driving slow but distracted or ignorant. There are of course alot of other infrastructure related issues the Autobahn has which will never make it to American Interstates, but the bottom line is you need concentrate on driving the car and nothing else. I wish everyone here could see how people in Germany drive. It's an art, a business, and taken very serious. Not just a mode of transportation, but a passion. I've done some research into the Autobahn, I've never been to Germany. But I've learned alot, and what I've come to realize is the fact that America will never truly do what it takes to make real Autobahns.