Kaiserslautern American
Page 18
March 27, 2020
Driving in Germany
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ADAC — “The Yellow Angels” The German equivalent of AAA (American Automobile Association) is ADAC (Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil Club). ADAC offers many services for drivers, the most visible of which are the yellow road patrols throughout Germany. More than 1,600 “Yellow Angels” are employed by ADAC, so help is usually nearby no matter where or when you run into trouble. By cooperative arrangement with the automobile clubs in other European countries, your ADAC membership covers many services. It gives you emergency ser-
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vice throughout Europe as well as return to Germany from anywhere in the world in case of illness. An ADAC subscription gives you the services of the road patrol, a monthly magazine, and tourist information. Your ADAC office can provide computer printouts of the best driving routes, names of hotels and emergency medical service when you’re on the road. They also sell the toll stickers for driving in Austria and Switzerland and toll cards for Italy. One further service is the loan of tire chains for your ski vacation. If you break down, mechanics provide free labor and towing services for ADAC members. You pay only for spare parts. For more information, call 0180510 11 12. For ADAC service call 22 22 22 from your cell phone or 0180-2 22 22 22 from a landline. Operators speak English as well as German.
Autobahn driving Before pulling into the left lane to pass, check the rear view mirror very carefully as far back as you can see. Cars travelling at 160-180 km per hour approach suddenly, so when passing, do so quickly and then quickly return to the right
lane. Some impatient drivers flash their headlights, use their blinker, and tailgate to pressure slower cars ahead into moving out of the way. These practices have been outlawed recently, and it is best to ignore this behavior if it is directed at you. (Within the city a driver may flash his lights at you as a signal that you may turn into the street or turn left across his lane of traffic, but do so with caution.) In case of a breakdown, look for arrows at the top of the white posts lining the road. They’ll lead you to the nearest emergency call box, located every 1.5 to 3 km along the Autobahns. Merely lift the handle and an operator will answer. Black Ice or “Glatteis” A particular hazard of driving in Europe in the winter time is the danger of “black ice” or “Glatteis.” The best way to recognize black ice is by surface reflection, but that dull patch just ahead might be ice also. Be especially wary in the early morning or late evening and near or on bridges. If you see the patch, take your foot off the gas quickly. Once on an icy section, do not accelerate, brake, gear down or make any sudden change in direc-