GACO Corner – August 11, 2023

Welcome to our informational series on driving in Germany. Last week we discussed rules of driving behavior on the Autobahn. This week our driving topic is when and how to form an emergency vehicle lane on the Autobahn.

It’s not as complicated and messy as it looks in the picture, we promise.

As soon as a traffic jam forms and cars are going at walking speed or standing still, an emergency lane must be formed. The basic rule is that the emergency lane is formed between the left lane and the other lanes, as shown in the picture.

The fine for not forming an emergency lane could be at least €200 and could include a driving ban for a month. If you are driving in the emergency lane you will be fined at least €240 and are subject to a driving ban of one month.

The same applies for motorcycles, they are also not allowed to use the emergency vehicle lane.

Next week we will discuss the rules on merging in traffic, or Reiss-verschlussverfahren.