https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Germany in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed Driving on German roads can be fun, or terrifying, depending on your level of experience. But it is important to be aware that there are some subtle differences here to the rules in other countries. Here’s what you need to know. https://www.thelocal.de/20201101/the-german-rules-of-the-road-that-are-hard-to-get-your-head-around Sun, 01 Nov 2020 18:14:04 +0100 the-german-rules-of-the-road-that-are-hard-to-get-your-head-around Who are the most aggressive drivers in Europe? What about the most likely to speed or beep their horns? A new survey claims to have the answers. https://www.thelocal.de/20200701/driving-in-europe-who-are-the-worst-drivers-in-europe Wed, 01 Jul 2020 16:40:45 +0200 driving-in-europe-who-are-the-worst-drivers-in-europe With temperatures up to 40C forecast, officials have placed speed limits on sections of Germany's famous Autobahn network over concerns the road could buckle in the heat. https://www.thelocal.de/20190625/speed-limits-imposed-on-autobahn-sections-over-fears-road-will-blow-up-in-heat Tue, 25 Jun 2019 13:47:32 +0200 speed-limits-imposed-on-autobahn-sections-over-fears-road-will-blow-up-in-heat The Local asked its readers to share their views on the proposal to impose a speed limit on Germany's Autobahns and the verdict was crystal clear. https://www.thelocal.de/20190510/more-than-two-thirds-of-readers-dont-want-speed-limit-on-germanys-autobahn Fri, 10 May 2019 17:44:18 +0200 more-than-two-thirds-of-readers-dont-want-speed-limit-on-germanys-autobahn At least 11 motorcyclists died in accidents on Germany’s roads over the Easter break. https://www.thelocal.de/20190423/ten-motorcyclists-killed-on-german-roads-over-long-weekend Tue, 23 Apr 2019 13:12:12 +0200 ten-motorcyclists-killed-on-german-roads-over-long-weekend German roads are ‘the safest in the world’, according to Federal Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer. But new figures looking at accidents and fatalities on Germany’s world-famous autobahns have cast significant doubt on that claim. https://www.thelocal.de/20190201/are-germanys-autobahns-really-the-safest-highways-in-the-world Fri, 01 Feb 2019 12:23:30 +0100 are-germanys-autobahns-really-the-safest-highways-in-the-world Germany's Autobahns are the envy of the world, and are associated with one thing above all - speed. But here are eight things you never knew about the iconic German tarmac. https://www.thelocal.de/20160406/eight-things-you-never-knew-about-the-german-autobahn Wed, 06 Apr 2016 17:58:08 +0200 eight-things-you-never-knew-about-the-german-autobahn After associations earlier this week initiated a nationwide campaign to highlight the underestimated danger of falsely parked vehicles, people across the country have been taking action. https://www.thelocal.de/20180529/balloons-and-spray-cream-nationwide-campaign-launched-against-parking-offenders Tue, 29 May 2018 14:15:14 +0200 balloons-and-spray-cream-nationwide-campaign-launched-against-parking-offenders As the mercury rose into the twenties over the weekend bikers across Germany decided to make the most of the weather. On several occasions though the consequences were deadly. https://www.thelocal.de/20180409/two-deadly-accidents-mark-start-of-motorbike-season Mon, 09 Apr 2018 12:16:33 +0200 two-deadly-accidents-mark-start-of-motorbike-season Unexpectedly heavy snowfall has it commuters in Hamburg hard, with the city autobahn closed in one section and S-Bahn and U-Bahn lines also affected. https://www.thelocal.de/20180329/thick-snowfall-brings-severe-travel-restrictions-to-hamburg Thu, 29 Mar 2018 12:17:52 +0200 thick-snowfall-brings-severe-travel-restrictions-to-hamburg The Local has already been hit by the icy conditions on Monday morning. Reporter Shelley Pascual fell off her bike on an icy patch of road on her way to work in Berlin. She wasn’t the only one. https://www.thelocal.de/20180305/emergency-services-warn-of-danger-of-slippery-roads-and-pavements-in-berlin Mon, 05 Mar 2018 12:34:11 +0100 emergency-services-warn-of-danger-of-slippery-roads-and-pavements-in-berlin Police in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) have warned that heavy snowfall has led to precarious conditions on the roads, as morning commuters struggled to get to work on Thursday. https://www.thelocal.de/20180215/thick-snowfall-causes-travel-chaos-in-western-germany Thu, 15 Feb 2018 10:45:40 +0100 thick-snowfall-causes-travel-chaos-in-western-germany A major motorway in northeast Germany collapsed in September leading to it being completely shut down. With repairs set to last until 2021, the area's thriving tourist industry is getting nervous. https://www.thelocal.de/20180208/worries-for-tourism-as-huge-hole-in-north-german-autobahn-doubles-in-size Thu, 08 Feb 2018 11:52:56 +0100 worries-for-tourism-as-huge-hole-in-north-german-autobahn-doubles-in-size In an increasing number of large German cities, parking offenders are being punished by more than just the towing services. Residents in Stuttgart for instance have been taking matters into their own hands. https://www.thelocal.de/20180105/heres-how-stuttgart-has-been-dealing-with-wrongly-parked-cars Fri, 05 Jan 2018 13:28:16 +0100 heres-how-stuttgart-has-been-dealing-with-wrongly-parked-cars The Bundesrat (German upper house of parliament) signed off on laws on Friday which impose far harsher punishments on reckless driving. The government has cited road racing and impeding emergency services as causes for the tougher laws. https://www.thelocal.de/20170922/germany-tightens-driving-laws-in-response-to-reckless-and-selfish-driving Fri, 22 Sep 2017 18:51:28 +0200 germany-tightens-driving-laws-in-response-to-reckless-and-selfish-driving Three men have been arrested in Mönchengladbach on murder charges after they took part in an illegal street race over the weekend that cost an innocent man his life. https://www.thelocal.de/20170619/street-racers-arrested-for-murder-after-pedestrian-killed-crossing-road Mon, 19 Jun 2017 18:42:16 +0200 street-racers-arrested-for-murder-after-pedestrian-killed-crossing-road The number of people who died on German roads in 2016 was the lowest in six decades. https://www.thelocal.de/20170224/road-deaths-fall-to-lowest-level-in-60-years-but-thousands-still-dying Fri, 24 Feb 2017 11:09:19 +0100 road-deaths-fall-to-lowest-level-in-60-years-but-thousands-still-dying An €11 million bridge, which is nearing completion in northern Bavaria, is set to include technology never seen before on the German Autobahn. https://www.thelocal.de/20160824/first-german-intelligent-bridge-to-open-in-october-nuremberg Wed, 24 Aug 2016 14:07:29 +0200 first-german-intelligent-bridge-to-open-in-october-nuremberg A German town has come up with an innovative way of saving the skin of slumbering ‘smombies’, by embedding traffic lights in the pavement. https://www.thelocal.de/20160422/german-city-creates-floor-traffic-lights-for-smartphone-addicts Fri, 22 Apr 2016 16:51:20 +0200 german-city-creates-floor-traffic-lights-for-smartphone-addicts A small town in Bavaria was blighted by a spate of deadly car accidents. But, after hiring a healer to counteract dangerous 'invisible rays' in the area, the town reports that accidents have stopped. https://www.thelocal.de/20151201/bavarian-town-hires-miracle-worker-to-stop-traffic-deaths Tue, 01 Dec 2015 16:52:43 +0100 bavarian-town-hires-miracle-worker-to-stop-traffic-deaths