What do you mean? Every day traffic gets this low, we just have rush hours. Before 7 in the morning you can expect this kind of traffic volume, after 11 to 14 you can also expect this volume of traffic and after 21 it gets this low too. In weekend and on holidays it typically is this quiet too, unless it is a good summers day where traffic towards the beach exists.
Yep! Rural driving... The Benelux together with North Rhine Westphalia has 50 million inhabitants. The Paris and London agglomerations are next door, so 120 million people living in 1/4 of California. Let figures speak... You do not know what you're talking about.
Interesting how making driving more expensive while making it safer could be considered as "taking away our freedoms" by some us americans. And i am sure this are the same people that would considere free public healthcare or free education as socialist
11:03 The opposite is true: On the Autobahn, the "Oh shit" lane is always on the right! Cars on your right are always slower than you, on the left is where the lightning speed surprises are. That's why it is strictly forbidden to pass someone on the right.
The lane nearest the central divide is where traffic going through the central barrier are going to do the most damage to anything they hit, best to avoid it if you can.
Having reasonable public transport doesn't mean driving isn't a necessity. Public transport takes 1,5 to 2x as long to get anywhere. I do my commute in 45 min. It would take 2,5 hours with public transport. I live in the Netherlands. Btw. learning the rules should ALWAYS be a necessity.
Sorry for the long text additional info: at the time i wrote the text the actual prices of gas are: Diesel: 1,54 € (1.6 $) per Liter Super E5: 1,66 € (1,72 $) per Liter (A gasoline with an octane rating of at least 95 and a maximum of 5% ethanol (E5)) Super E10: 1,60 € (1,66 $) per Liter (Super E10 is a gasoline fuel that has an octane rating of 95 like normal premium gasoline, but contains a higher proportion of bio-ethanol. In contrast to E5 (up to 5% bio-ethanol), Super E10 contains a maximum of 10% bio-ethanol). Now the drivers license thing: The time it takes to get a driver's license in Germany in comparison to USA varies depending on your individual situation and driving school. In general, you can expect the following steps and time periods: Theory lessons: 12-14 double lessons (90 minutes per lesson) are prescribed for conventional training for a class B (passenger car) driver's license. This corresponds to about 6-7 weeks of regular theory lessons. Practical lessons: The number of driving lessons required varies depending on the driving school and individual preparation. An average student needs around 30-40 driving lessons, which corresponds to around 3-5 months of regular practical lessons. Exam: After completing the theory and practical lessons, you can take the driving test. Total duration: In total, it takes about 6-9 months to obtain a driver's license if you attend theory and practical lessons regularly. Fast-track courses: Some driving schools offer fast-track courses that allow you to obtain your driving license within 1-2 weeks. However, these courses are only suitable for students who already have good prior knowledge and can prepare intensively for the test. How to (Long Text sorry) If you want to drive a car in Germany, you have to be able to pay for it: Depending on the region and driving school, obtaining a driver's license in Germany can cost between 2600 euros and 3500 euros. The cost of a driving license has risen in recent years; according to the Moving International Road Safety Association, the average price of a driving license in 2020 was still €2,182. According to the ADAC (biggest German car asociation), the main reason for the higher prices is the increase in fuel, vehicle and personnel costs. However, there is no all-inclusive price in this country. Depending on the federal state, region and driving school, there are different costs that need to be taken into account. However, one change affects all federal states this year: Theoretical and practical driving tests have become 11 percent more expensive since January 31, 2024 due to an adjustment to the scale of fees for road traffic measures (GebOSt). Read here what the minimum costs for a driving license are and how much the tests cost if they have to be repeated. An overview. Driving license costs 2024: This is how the price of a driving license is made up In principle, every driving school in Germany can set its own prices for theory and driving lessons, tests and retakes. Even if they are not obliged to set a scale of fees, driving schools must ensure that prices are clear. For every service offered, a driving school is therefore obliged to state a price it has set in a publicly visible manner and to adhere to this price. This allows prospective drivers to compare prices and find out about offers before registering and taking their first driving lessons. All driving license costs 2024 at a glance Basic amount: between 200 and 600 euros, depending on the region: This is where the costs for administration and theory lessons come together. Eye test: 6-7 euros: This is regulated by law and is offered at every optician. First aid course “Life-saving immediate measures at the scene of an accident”: Between 20 and 60 euros. Driving license application from the road traffic authority: Between 43.90 and 56.90 euros, depending on the authority. Passport photos: ten euros. Twelve special trips: Each learner driver must drive four times on the highway, three times at night and five times overland for 45 minutes. As a rule, these trips cost between 65 and 95 euros, depending on the federal state, region and driving school. Additional practice lessons: This is where you practice driving in everyday road traffic. The number of driving lessons required always depends on the learner driver and makes up a large part of the final amount to be paid. The practice lessons usually cost less than the special driving lessons. Depending on the federal state, region and driving school, the costs here are between 55 and 75 euros. Learning materials: 50 to 80 euros. To successfully complete the theory test, you need to register for driving license apps, online driving school portals and books. Exam costs: Fee for the presentation for the theory test (TÜV/Dekra) for the driver's license class B: 25 euros. Examination costs: Fee for the presentation for the practical examination (TÜV/Dekra) for driving license category B: 130 euros. Not only the costs of the testing organization are incurred for the tests, the driving schools themselves also charge for this service. The average cost for the theory test is between 50 and 100 euros and for the practical test between 150 and 250 euros. Overall, the cost of a class B driving license in Germany is around 2600 to 3500 euros. However, this is only a rough price range. The actual price may vary depending on the number of driving lessons, the region and the driving school. It can therefore be advantageous to compare the prices of driving schools in advance and allow for a certain buffer when calculating the number of driving lessons required. In Germany, there are different driving license categories depending on the type and weight of the vehicle. Here is the most important information about driving licenses in Germany: Driving license classes The class A driving license is the highest motorcycle driving license in Germany. With this license, you can drive all motorcycles and three-wheeled motor vehicles without a power limit. What does the class A license entitle you to? You can drive the following vehicles with a class A license: Motorcycles with an engine capacity of over 50 cc and a maximum design speed (bbH) of over 45 km/h Three-wheeled motor vehicles with a power output of over 15 kW Class A2: Motorcycles up to 35 kW and max. 80 km/h Class B: Passenger cars, trailers up to 750 kg and max. 3.5 t Category BE: Passenger cars, trailers up to 3.5 t and max. 10 t Class C: Trucks, trailers up to 7.5 t and max. 12 t Category C1: Trucks up to 3.5 t and max. 7.5 t Class C1E: Trucks up to 3.5 t and max. 12 t Class D: Buses and trailers up to 7.5 t and max. 12 t Category D1: Buses up to 3.5 t and max. 7.5 t Class D1E: Buses up to 3.5 t and max. 12 t Learning: How many questions are there for the driving test ? According to the search results, there are a total of 440 questions for the driving test, which are divided into the different classes. The list of questions is updated twice a year in order to adapt to changes in legislation and technical innovations. Basic material: The basic material contains questions that apply to all driving license categories. There are 522 questions in the basic material. Supplementary material: The supplementary material contains questions that apply specifically to certain driving license categories. There are 993 questions in the additional material. Number of questions per class: The number of questions per class varies depending on the class. Here are some examples: Class B: 916 questions Class A: 1740 questions (double questions) Class C: 1740 questions (double questions) It is important to note that the number of questions can vary depending on the learning program and learning method. It is advisable to follow the official question catalogs and the instructions of the driving school. and btw At the end of a year at the latest, we ask ourselves what it has brought us, what was good and which things didn't go quite so smoothly - we take stock. We often don't realize that a year is just a unit that we have created for ourselves. We forget that it's not just a new year that brings new opportunities, but every single day and even every hour. Let's try to look at life in this way and celebrate the many beautiful things and opportunities it offers us! Christmas is a wonderful time to do this - may we all succeed in internalizing this thought, being grateful and accepting every moment as a precious gift! Last year was a tough one! Many things have shifted, unfortunately not only in a positive direction. But everything has its good side: we are all moving closer together - as partners, as family or as friends. Values such as trust, connectedness and mindfulness are overtaking the principle of “higher, faster, further” and prompting us to pause and reflect on the essentials. Let's continue to do this - not just at Christmas time, but also in the coming year, whatever it may bring! With this in mind, i wish you happy holidays with your loved ones and a happy new year! greetings from Germany🎄🎄🎄
Ireland here. This clip made it sound like all Europeans by default don't have a car. Here, that may be a factor for some in Dublin, with alternatives in public transport. But there is roughly one car here between two people. That would mean significantly more than one car per household.
It’s the same in the Netherlands despite the overall good public transport and bike culture. We have about 9 million cars for 18 million people. Personally I don’t know any family that doesn’t have at least one, most of them have two. The only ones that really don’t need a car are living (and working) in big inner cities.
Sorry, but you can't talk badly educated drivers from America into behaving better when you know that training in Europe takes longer, is more theoretical and practical and has to be completed in a driving school. Especially in Europe, a driving license costs a lot of money and if you lose it because of an offence or wrongful driving, it's really expensive. That's why well educated drivers in Europe behave. OK, not all of them, but most of them, more than in the USA.Better training for a driver's license that applies to the whole of the USA would help! The same standards as in Europe would serve as a model!
The following is the best description of poor train system in USA, "While the US was a passenger train pioneer in the 19th century, after WWII, railways began to decline. The auto industry was booming, and Americans bought cars and houses in suburbs without rail connections. Highways (as well as aviation) became the focus of infrastructure spending, at the expense of rail." The auto and aviation industry and the oil industry got very very rich from this system and they don't want to give it up.
It's more important than just being "nice". Road accidents are one of the largest causes of death. Improving the driving situation is literally a matter of life and death. If people realised that, then maybe they would stop with the "well, that's just how it is" mentality and campaign for change, like the Dutch did in the 1970s with the "stop the child murder" protests. If you guys liked this video, I would highly recommend you do a reaction to pretty much any video by Not Just Bikes. He's a Canadian that moved to Amsterdam and built a million subscriber TH-cam channel on this topic. One thing I will say about this video though is he quite rightly points out that Europe isn't all the same, and driving further south in countries like Spain, Italy and Greece is a whole other experience. It's not for the feint of heart. The drivers are complete nutcases down there. LOL.
The Netherlands is the 4th most densely populated country in the world guys. And you can't really compare the density of cities to an entire country. But the population density of the general area this guy lives is more than twice the population density of Orlando. And that still includes rural areas between several cities in that area. If you look at cities only, Amsterdam has more than four times (yes 4) the density of Orlando. (edited to add, those numbers are very conservative guestimates of the conversion between m and km, the actual numbers for the Netherlands are higher but I couldn't be bothered to go and do more math than a "roughly twice this number")
I'd say part of the problem is, calling it the fast lane, it's not it's called the overtaking lane. Calling it the fast lane, implies that you can stay there if you are going fast. Whereas overtaking lane, say's it for overtaking slower traffic, then moving back. There is not a lot of people driving there, not because of lack of population, as a lot can drive, it's due to viable affordable alternatives. If you can get to where you want to go on the train/bus, which runs every 15-30 min's, which could work out cheaper, for the same amount of time (or quicker), and not have the stress of driving. Why would you drive? It gets to the point you don't need to own a car. If you realy need a car, then you hire one. And that is the advantage of viable affordable alternatives.
I agree when you say that driving is simply a necessity in America. But it's not such an absolute privilege here. There are professions that require the young person who wants to enter them to have a driver's license. In any case, you have a better chance of getting a good job if you can drive. And in rural areas it's not always the case that public transport connections are good. I, for example, couldn't even go shopping or reach a doctor or pharmacy without my car. There are 5 buses on weekdays and 3 at weekends. But they often don't appear when they should. So it's impossible to keep appointments. (And you both know how much Germans value punctuality...) In cities it's not really a problem, but in the countryside it often looks really bad. And if you need a car but don't have much money, that can definitely be a problem.
n.b., in Germany the rule is that you have to drive in the most right lane possible. Only exception, within city limits (even we have cities with streets having 4 or five lanes sometimes ;)) or on highways with more than two lanes for every direction (as long as the right lane is at least somewhat populated, then - and only then - you are allowed to use the middle lane continuously). Needless to say that not everyone sticks to these rules - but for the most part, we do ^^
Where I live in the Highlands of Scotland a driving license and a car is needed if you want to go out as public transport is crap if you live outside of the main towns and villages
I think most people in the Netherlands realise that driving safety and minding each other will increase everyone’s chances of getting where they’re going the fastest, because keeping the traffic flowing is more important than overhauling or speeding and ending up at the same traffic light 5 minutes ahead. And getting in an accident will make you (and everyone around you) very late for sure!
Also, worth noting the cars are very different, a 'pick up' is reasonably rare. We have little to pick up, but the 'estate' or station wagon is common.
this traffic is not typical in the vicinity of large cities, where there can also be heavy traffic jams, especially in the morning on the way in and in the evening on the way out, and now during the Christmas period
Using your phone not hands-free while driving will get you a fine of € 420,-. On top of that from 1. december 2024 causing an accident while using your phone might result in your insurance not paying, or reclaiming the damages on the driver.
Nice video as always. I really appreciate your openness and sincerity. Let's get one thing straight: outside of densely populated areas, Germany is a car country, just like the US. I grew up in the countryside north of Frankfurt. I lived with my mother, brother and sister. It was not unusual for us to have four cars (Renault R 5, Citroen 2CV, VW Golf and VW Scirocco Type I - how I loved that car...). Anyway. Back then, we commuted to high school (7 km), university (30 km) and our barracks when we were in the army. We drove the car to go shopping, not to mention our club nights (30 km or 50 km or more) three times a week. I couldn't imagine that a carrot would be big and sweet enough to make me leave my hometown. Well, I knew little about carrots. Three words in a handwritten letter ("We want you!") signed by a well-known professor from Berlin made me change my mind. But that's a story for another day. I don't have my own car, but use car sharing. But most people still have a car, despite the good public transport system. And while I'm at it, one last truth that no one says out loud: public transport sucks during rush hour, but that's a story for another day.
Car insurance costs are lower when your car passes different safety standards. Also, take a look at vehicle registration. A cop can issue a speeding ticket WITHOUT a face to face confrontation. Just think of the aggression that happens as soon as a cop pulls someone over in the States.
The netherlands is arround 3X times smaller then Florida, but its got a similar population... its amaizing to think they have so much better traffic even though the country is so tiny packed with cars and people...
He might have good experiences in western Europe, and I can confirm most of his statements, but keep in mind that not everywhere in Europe it's as relaxed and easygoing as in north/western Europe, driving in Spain and Italy for instance can be mental and indeed more like GTA at times.
"Driving licenses" double as "ID" for most of americans ... but here in Germany we have a mandatory ID to carry around (which makes "identifying voters" pretty easy too).
In Sweden Driving licenses double as ID aswell. I dont know whats different really, they all say the same thing. My passport says the same thing as a drivers license. You can get a Banking ID aswell that says the same things and are pretty cheap.
Fair play bud, it's cool to hear you appreciate why we see the racing differently. Though 90s British Touring Cars was perhaps a fair European version of "rubbing is racing". And we bloody loved that - so NASCAR will eventually change enough in format for the Euro audience to show more love.
The highway this guy is driving on is the A2, which is the most important highway here, and the part he is filming is from North Holland to Utrecht which is the most densely populated area in the Netherlands. Living without a car is in many places almost undoable here, due to the high costs of public transport and it takes about twice or thrice as long to get to your destination compared to using a car. Living without a car is only possibly if you live in a city and your whole life takes place in urban areas. Taxi's are pretty much unaffordable. The costs of getting a driver's license is on average € 3.125,-. This is mostly because of the costs of the driving lessons, because the actual exams and license together are only about €200 - €250. The speed limit during the day went down in 2022 from 130 to 100 km/h to reduce pollution. Car insurance is one of the two insurances that are legally obligated, the other one is healthcare insurance.
Am I the only one noticing he constantly drives in the second lane for no reason. He only switched back to the right lane after he was overtaken on the right.
Woah seriously guys!? $200 is the benchmark for lesrning and passing your test in the usa!? Holy hell. Here in rhe UK its about £30-40 per HOUR of tuition... And you need about 40-45 hours before you can book your test! To save you the maths thats £1800 (circa $2300 at the time of posting). Jesus. It IS SO CHEAP state side!
Honestly I think it just stems from the safety culture we have in Europe. I mean look at the Cyber Truck. Not allowed in Europe because it's too fast for it's weight and insanely poorly designed when it comes to safety.
So you think he's driving in a less densely populated environment? Have you been to the Netherlands? It's one of the most densely populated regions on the planet...I don't know the equivalent of the Netherlands to any US State, but Germany is roughly the size of Montana. There's over 80 million people in Germany...how many are there in Montana? Twenty...maybe twenty five😂🤦♂️
Maryland is about the same size as the Netherlands and has a population of about 6.2 million. The Netherlands has about 18.2 million
Believe me, the traffic is rarely as low as in the video!
I'm pretty sure it was filmed in the weekend.
@@Hadewijch_ Yes, probably on Sundays, so few trucks too!
What do you mean? Every day traffic gets this low, we just have rush hours. Before 7 in the morning you can expect this kind of traffic volume, after 11 to 14 you can also expect this volume of traffic and after 21 it gets this low too. In weekend and on holidays it typically is this quiet too, unless it is a good summers day where traffic towards the beach exists.
@@TrustInTheShepherd Das ist wohl fast überall so, aber hast du ihm zugehört? Er dachte der Verkehr wäre immer so.
Yep! Rural driving... The Benelux together with North Rhine Westphalia has 50 million inhabitants.
The Paris and London agglomerations are next door, so 120 million people living in 1/4 of California.
Let figures speak... You do not know what you're talking about.
Here in Prague it is packed city driving. There are no suburbs here, so once out of the city it is rural farmland and villages.
The Netherlands is VERY densely populated. It definitely isn't rural driving 😂
Interesting how making driving more expensive while making it safer could be considered as "taking away our freedoms" by some us americans. And i am sure this are the same people that would considere free public healthcare or free education as socialist
Europe: "My freedom ends where yours begins ..."
USA: "My freedom ends ... when you come with a lawyer to sue me for anything ..."
11:03 The opposite is true: On the Autobahn, the "Oh shit" lane is always on the right!
Cars on your right are always slower than you, on the left is where the lightning speed surprises are. That's why it is strictly forbidden to pass someone on the right.
The lane nearest the central divide is where traffic going through the central barrier are going to do the most damage to anything they hit, best to avoid it if you can.
Having reasonable public transport doesn't mean driving isn't a necessity.
Public transport takes 1,5 to 2x as long to get anywhere.
I do my commute in 45 min. It would take 2,5 hours with public transport.
I live in the Netherlands.
Btw. learning the rules should ALWAYS be a necessity.
Sorry for the long text
additional info: at the time i wrote the text the actual prices of gas are:
Diesel: 1,54 € (1.6 $) per Liter
Super E5: 1,66 € (1,72 $) per Liter (A gasoline with an octane rating of at least 95 and a maximum of 5% ethanol (E5))
Super E10: 1,60 € (1,66 $) per Liter (Super E10 is a gasoline fuel that has an octane rating of 95 like normal premium gasoline, but contains a higher proportion of bio-ethanol. In contrast to E5 (up to 5% bio-ethanol), Super E10 contains a maximum of 10% bio-ethanol).
Now the drivers license thing:
The time it takes to get a driver's license in Germany in comparison to USA varies depending on your individual situation and driving school.
In general, you can expect the following steps and time periods:
Theory lessons: 12-14 double lessons (90 minutes per lesson) are prescribed for conventional training for a class B (passenger car) driver's license. This corresponds to about 6-7 weeks of regular theory lessons. Practical lessons: The number of driving lessons required varies depending on the driving school and individual preparation.
An average student needs around 30-40 driving lessons, which corresponds to around 3-5 months of regular practical lessons.
Exam: After completing the theory and practical lessons, you can take the driving test.
Total duration: In total, it takes about 6-9 months to obtain a driver's license if you attend theory and practical lessons regularly.
Fast-track courses: Some driving schools offer fast-track courses that allow you to obtain your driving license within 1-2 weeks. However, these courses are only suitable for students who already have good prior knowledge and can prepare intensively for the test.
How to (Long Text sorry)
If you want to drive a car in Germany, you have to be able to pay for it:
Depending on the region and driving school, obtaining a driver's license in Germany can cost between 2600 euros and 3500 euros. The cost of a driving license has risen in recent years; according to the Moving International Road Safety Association, the average price of a driving license in 2020 was still €2,182. According to the ADAC (biggest German car asociation), the main reason for the higher prices is the increase in fuel, vehicle and personnel costs. However, there is no all-inclusive price in this country. Depending on the federal state, region and driving school, there are different costs that need to be taken into account. However, one change affects all federal states this year: Theoretical and practical driving tests have become 11 percent more expensive since January 31, 2024 due to an adjustment to the scale of fees for road traffic measures (GebOSt). Read here what the minimum costs for a driving license are and how much the tests cost if they have to be repeated.
An overview.
Driving license costs 2024: This is how the price of a driving license is made up In principle, every driving school in Germany can set its own prices for theory and driving lessons, tests and retakes. Even if they are not obliged to set a scale of fees, driving schools must ensure that prices are clear. For every service offered, a driving school is therefore obliged to state a price it has set in a publicly visible manner and to adhere to this price. This allows prospective drivers to compare prices and find out about offers before registering and taking their first driving lessons.
All driving license costs 2024 at a glance Basic amount: between 200 and 600 euros, depending on the region:
This is where the costs for administration and theory lessons come together.
Eye test: 6-7 euros: This is regulated by law and is offered at every optician.
First aid course “Life-saving immediate measures at the scene of an accident”: Between 20 and 60 euros.
Driving license application from the road traffic authority: Between 43.90 and 56.90 euros, depending on the authority.
Passport photos: ten euros.
Twelve special trips: Each learner driver must drive four times on the highway, three times at night and five times overland for 45 minutes. As a rule, these trips cost between 65 and 95 euros, depending on the federal state, region and driving school.
Additional practice lessons: This is where you practice driving in everyday road traffic. The number of driving lessons required always depends on the learner driver and makes up a large part of the final amount to be paid. The practice lessons usually cost less than the special driving lessons. Depending on the federal state, region and driving school, the costs here are between 55 and 75 euros.
Learning materials: 50 to 80 euros. To successfully complete the theory test, you need to register for driving license apps, online driving school portals and books.
Exam costs: Fee for the presentation for the theory test (TÜV/Dekra) for the driver's license class B: 25 euros.
Examination costs: Fee for the presentation for the practical examination (TÜV/Dekra) for driving license category B: 130 euros.
Not only the costs of the testing organization are incurred for the tests, the driving schools themselves also charge for this service. The average cost for the theory test is between 50 and 100 euros and for the practical test between 150 and 250 euros.
Overall, the cost of a class B driving license in Germany is around 2600 to 3500 euros. However, this is only a rough price range. The actual price may vary depending on the number of driving lessons, the region and the driving school. It can therefore be advantageous to compare the prices of driving schools in advance and allow for a certain buffer when calculating the number of driving lessons required.
In Germany, there are different driving license categories depending on the type and weight of the vehicle. Here is the most important information about driving licenses in Germany:
Driving license classes
The class A driving license is the highest motorcycle driving license in Germany. With this license, you can drive all motorcycles and three-wheeled motor vehicles without a power limit.
What does the class A license entitle you to? You can drive the following vehicles with a class A license:
Motorcycles with an engine capacity of over 50 cc and a maximum design speed (bbH) of over 45 km/h Three-wheeled motor vehicles with a power output of over 15 kW
Class A2: Motorcycles up to 35 kW and max. 80 km/h
Class B: Passenger cars, trailers up to 750 kg and max. 3.5 t Category
BE: Passenger cars, trailers up to 3.5 t and max. 10 t
Class C: Trucks, trailers up to 7.5 t and max. 12 t
Category C1: Trucks up to 3.5 t and max. 7.5 t
Class C1E: Trucks up to 3.5 t and max. 12 t
Class D: Buses and trailers up to 7.5 t and max. 12 t
Category D1: Buses up to 3.5 t and max. 7.5 t
Class D1E: Buses up to 3.5 t and max. 12 t
Learning:
How many questions are there for the driving test ?
According to the search results, there are a total of 440 questions for the driving test, which are divided into the different classes. The list of questions is updated twice a year in order to adapt to changes in legislation and technical innovations.
Basic material:
The basic material contains questions that apply to all driving license categories. There are 522 questions in the basic material.
Supplementary material: The supplementary material contains questions that apply specifically to certain driving license categories. There are 993 questions in the additional material.
Number of questions per class:
The number of questions per class varies depending on the class. Here are some examples:
Class B: 916 questions
Class A: 1740 questions (double questions)
Class C: 1740 questions (double questions)
It is important to note that the number of questions can vary depending on the learning program and learning method. It is advisable to follow the official question catalogs and the instructions of the driving school.
and btw
At the end of a year at the latest, we ask ourselves what it has brought us, what was good and which things didn't go quite so smoothly - we take stock. We often don't realize that a year is just a unit that we have created for ourselves. We forget that it's not just a new year that brings new opportunities, but every single day and even every hour. Let's try to look at life in this way and celebrate the many beautiful things and opportunities it offers us! Christmas is a wonderful time to do this - may we all succeed in internalizing this thought, being grateful and accepting every moment as a precious gift! Last year was a tough one! Many things have shifted, unfortunately not only in a positive direction. But everything has its good side: we are all moving closer together - as partners, as family or as friends. Values such as trust, connectedness and mindfulness are overtaking the principle of “higher, faster, further” and prompting us to pause and reflect on the essentials. Let's continue to do this - not just at Christmas time, but also in the coming year, whatever it may bring! With this in mind, i wish you happy holidays with your loved ones and a happy new year!
greetings from Germany🎄🎄🎄
Ireland here. This clip made it sound like all Europeans by default don't have a car. Here, that may be a factor for some in Dublin, with alternatives in public transport.
But there is roughly one car here between two people. That would mean significantly more than one car per household.
It’s the same in the Netherlands despite the overall good public transport and bike culture. We have about 9 million cars for 18 million people. Personally I don’t know any family that doesn’t have at least one, most of them have two. The only ones that really don’t need a car are living (and working) in big inner cities.
The view on taxis, you should watch a video about how hard it is in London to get the licence and pass rate
Sorry, but you can't talk badly educated drivers from America into behaving better when you know that training in Europe takes longer, is more theoretical and practical and has to be completed in a driving school. Especially in Europe, a driving license costs a lot of money and if you lose it because of an offence or wrongful driving, it's really expensive. That's why well educated drivers in Europe behave. OK, not all of them, but most of them, more than in the USA.Better training for a driver's license that applies to the whole of the USA would help! The same standards as in Europe would serve as a model!
The following is the best description of poor train system in USA, "While the US was a passenger train pioneer in the 19th century, after WWII, railways began to decline. The auto industry was booming, and Americans bought cars and houses in suburbs without rail connections. Highways (as well as aviation) became the focus of infrastructure spending, at the expense of rail." The auto and aviation industry and the oil industry got very very rich from this system and they don't want to give it up.
There are about 1200 rail stations in USA- including commuter rail. Here in tiny Czech Republic there are 2800 stations.
It's more important than just being "nice". Road accidents are one of the largest causes of death. Improving the driving situation is literally a matter of life and death. If people realised that, then maybe they would stop with the "well, that's just how it is" mentality and campaign for change, like the Dutch did in the 1970s with the "stop the child murder" protests. If you guys liked this video, I would highly recommend you do a reaction to pretty much any video by Not Just Bikes. He's a Canadian that moved to Amsterdam and built a million subscriber TH-cam channel on this topic. One thing I will say about this video though is he quite rightly points out that Europe isn't all the same, and driving further south in countries like Spain, Italy and Greece is a whole other experience. It's not for the feint of heart. The drivers are complete nutcases down there. LOL.
The Netherlands is the 4th most densely populated country in the world guys. And you can't really compare the density of cities to an entire country.
But the population density of the general area this guy lives is more than twice the population density of Orlando. And that still includes rural areas between several cities in that area. If you look at cities only, Amsterdam has more than four times (yes 4) the density of Orlando. (edited to add, those numbers are very conservative guestimates of the conversion between m and km, the actual numbers for the Netherlands are higher but I couldn't be bothered to go and do more math than a "roughly twice this number")
I'd say part of the problem is, calling it the fast lane, it's not it's called the overtaking lane. Calling it the fast lane, implies that you can stay there if you are going fast. Whereas overtaking lane, say's it for overtaking slower traffic, then moving back.
There is not a lot of people driving there, not because of lack of population, as a lot can drive, it's due to viable affordable alternatives. If you can get to where you want to go on the train/bus, which runs every 15-30 min's, which could work out cheaper, for the same amount of time (or quicker), and not have the stress of driving. Why would you drive?
It gets to the point you don't need to own a car. If you realy need a car, then you hire one. And that is the advantage of viable affordable alternatives.
I agree when you say that driving is simply a necessity in America. But it's not such an absolute privilege here. There are professions that require the young person who wants to enter them to have a driver's license. In any case, you have a better chance of getting a good job if you can drive. And in rural areas it's not always the case that public transport connections are good.
I, for example, couldn't even go shopping or reach a doctor or pharmacy without my car. There are 5 buses on weekdays and 3 at weekends. But they often don't appear when they should. So it's impossible to keep appointments.
(And you both know how much Germans value punctuality...)
In cities it's not really a problem, but in the countryside it often looks really bad. And if you need a car but don't have much money, that can definitely be a problem.
"You americans" never ever learned to drive in the first place ... because "making the car move" is not enough!
I once saw a US TH-camr doing a reaction Music video to Rammstein "Deutschland" while driving himself! Nuts
n.b., in Germany the rule is that you have to drive in the most right lane possible. Only exception, within city limits (even we have cities with streets having 4 or five lanes sometimes ;)) or on highways with more than two lanes for every direction (as long as the right lane is at least somewhat populated, then - and only then - you are allowed to use the middle lane continuously).
Needless to say that not everyone sticks to these rules - but for the most part, we do ^^
Where I live in the Highlands of Scotland a driving license and a car is needed if you want to go out as public transport is crap if you live outside of the main towns and villages
I think most people in the Netherlands realise that driving safety and minding each other will increase everyone’s chances of getting where they’re going the fastest, because keeping the traffic flowing is more important than overhauling or speeding and ending up at the same traffic light 5 minutes ahead. And getting in an accident will make you (and everyone around you) very late for sure!
Also, worth noting the cars are very different, a 'pick up' is reasonably rare. We have little to pick up, but the 'estate' or station wagon is common.
this traffic is not typical in the vicinity of large cities, where there can also be heavy traffic jams, especially in the morning on the way in and in the evening on the way out, and now during the Christmas period
Using your phone not hands-free while driving will get you a fine of € 420,-. On top of that from 1. december 2024 causing an accident while using your phone might result in your insurance not paying, or reclaiming the damages on the driver.
In the UK it will get you 6 points on your license too
You are right about the driver licenses. I paid around 1500 Dollars for my license 😅
Nice video as always. I really appreciate your openness and sincerity. Let's get one thing straight: outside of densely populated areas, Germany is a car country, just like the US. I grew up in the countryside north of Frankfurt. I lived with my mother, brother and sister. It was not unusual for us to have four cars (Renault R 5, Citroen 2CV, VW Golf and VW Scirocco Type I - how I loved that car...). Anyway. Back then, we commuted to high school (7 km), university (30 km) and our barracks when we were in the army. We drove the car to go shopping, not to mention our club nights (30 km or 50 km or more) three times a week. I couldn't imagine that a carrot would be big and sweet enough to make me leave my hometown. Well, I knew little about carrots. Three words in a handwritten letter ("We want you!") signed by a well-known professor from Berlin made me change my mind. But that's a story for another day. I don't have my own car, but use car sharing. But most people still have a car, despite the good public transport system. And while I'm at it, one last truth that no one says out loud: public transport sucks during rush hour, but that's a story for another day.
Czechs here walk 6 miles to school, uphill each way, in the snow.
Car insurance costs are lower when your car passes different safety standards.
Also, take a look at vehicle registration. A cop can issue a speeding ticket WITHOUT a face to face confrontation. Just think of the aggression that happens as soon as a cop pulls someone over in the States.
The netherlands is arround 3X times smaller then Florida, but its got a similar population... its amaizing to think they have so much better traffic even though the country is so tiny packed with cars and people...
He might have good experiences in western Europe, and I can confirm most of his statements, but keep in mind that not everywhere in Europe it's as relaxed and easygoing as in north/western Europe, driving in Spain and Italy for instance can be mental and indeed more like GTA at times.
I love US reactors to *actual* Americans who have knowledge & experiences of both locations, making excuses about why the OG creator is wrong
"Driving licenses" double as "ID" for most of americans ... but here in Germany we have a mandatory ID to carry around (which makes "identifying voters" pretty easy too).
In Sweden Driving licenses double as ID aswell. I dont know whats different really, they all say the same thing. My passport says the same thing as a drivers license. You can get a Banking ID aswell that says the same things and are pretty cheap.
Fair play bud, it's cool to hear you appreciate why we see the racing differently. Though 90s British Touring Cars was perhaps a fair European version of "rubbing is racing". And we bloody loved that - so NASCAR will eventually change enough in format for the Euro audience to show more love.
Guy Martin has a new 2 part show training with the Royal Marines in Norway
The highway this guy is driving on is the A2, which is the most important highway here, and the part he is filming is from North Holland to Utrecht which is the most densely populated area in the Netherlands.
Living without a car is in many places almost undoable here, due to the high costs of public transport and it takes about twice or thrice as long to get to your destination compared to using a car. Living without a car is only possibly if you live in a city and your whole life takes place in urban areas. Taxi's are pretty much unaffordable.
The costs of getting a driver's license is on average € 3.125,-. This is mostly because of the costs of the driving lessons, because the actual exams and license together are only about €200 - €250.
The speed limit during the day went down in 2022 from 130 to 100 km/h to reduce pollution.
Car insurance is one of the two insurances that are legally obligated, the other one is healthcare insurance.
Am I the only one noticing he constantly drives in the second lane for no reason.
He only switched back to the right lane after he was overtaken on the right.
Woah seriously guys!? $200 is the benchmark for lesrning and passing your test in the usa!?
Holy hell.
Here in rhe UK its about £30-40 per HOUR of tuition... And you need about 40-45 hours before you can book your test! To save you the maths thats £1800 (circa $2300 at the time of posting).
Jesus. It IS SO CHEAP state side!
Not many US Americans where I live can even get a Czech driver license. The test is in Czech. Good luck with that. Took me a year of study ...
Honestly I think it just stems from the safety culture we have in Europe. I mean look at the Cyber Truck. Not allowed in Europe because it's too fast for it's weight and insanely poorly designed when it comes to safety.
No, we don't retake driving tests. We do have to renew the license every ten years though.
So you think he's driving in a less densely populated environment? Have you been to the Netherlands? It's one of the most densely populated regions on the planet...I don't know the equivalent of the Netherlands to any US State, but Germany is roughly the size of Montana. There's over 80 million people in Germany...how many are there in Montana? Twenty...maybe twenty five😂🤦♂️
Does the US have a practical driving test
Yes, five minutes around the block, that's it.
No billboards.
Your parents learn kids how to drive a car?😂😂😂😂, no wonder there is so much agresion on drivers in the US.
Review some eighties uk music guys this is poor 👍
sad..
Right lane is for parking your car on the highway.
That sucks in the Usa.
Left lane is for people in a hurry.