Just thought I'd respond to some of Andy's comments regarding drivers and driving in Germany.

German drivers can be overly aggressive and prone to tailgating. This prompted the government to put up large billboards along the sides of the autobahn to remind drivers not to do it. Quite a few times I had cars come roaring up behind me, signalling to pass, and sit on my bumper. Of course, they seemed to have not noticed the 2 or 3 semi's in the right lane and the 5 or 6 cars in front of me passing them. Many's the time I accelerated back up to my cruising speed when the traffic cleared to find that the person who had been so anxious to pass was now rapidly receding in my mirrors.

On a related note, if you ever got involved in a (low speed) multi-car accident and you hit the person in front of you, you hoped like hell that the person behind you bumped in to you. The Polizei would ticket the people who weren't hit in the rear for following too close and this would affect your insurance.

The only places I can remember speed limits on the autobahns were in construction zones and in areas of (potential) traffic congestion, ie major interchanges.

I think that one of the major reasons for the almost automatic convictions for photo radar was the fact that they took the picture from the front with sufficient resolution to be able to easily identify the driver. I still remember the shot they ran in the "Stars and Stripes" of a man leaning over to kiss a woman while he was speeding. He apparently was nailed for undue care and attention as well. His wife wasn't too impressed as she wasn't the woman in the picture.

I seem to remember that the law regarding passing on the right was changed around 1990. It went from being absolutely forbidden to being allowed as long as the speed differential was very low.

Ed Walker CFB Baden-Soelingen '88-'92 '80 323i
'72 tii

PS Don't "flash to pass" in Germany as it is illegal