Special features and behaviour towards
public transport
Buses/school buses
Taxis
Cars and motorbikes
Cyclists
Large and heavy vehicles
Pedestrians
Children and elderly people
Disabled people
Overview of all road users
There are many different road users!
CARS
Trucks/ large and heavy vehicles
Motorcyclists
Bus/ school bus
Taxis
Tram
Cyclists
Pedestrians
Children
elderly people
Disabled people

Special features of other road users!

Only those who know the perspective of others can anticipate behaviour, show understanding and defuse possible dangers.

 

 

Public transport
Bus stops!

When school buses, public transport buses or trams stop at bus stops, caution and consideration determine the driver’s behaviour, because it happens again and again that:
People run across the road to reach buses or trams that are ready to leave.
Passengers, especially schoolchildren, carelessly walk in front of or behind buses and trams after getting off.
Pass stopped school buses, trams and buses carefully, at a moderate speed and with sufficient distance between them.

Do not overtake when school buses and trams are approaching bus stops with their warning lights on.

Keep to walking speed (max. 7 km/ h) and keep your distance when:
Passengers are boarding or alighting on the carriageway and you want to pass (even in oncoming traffic), wait if necessary.
School buses and regular service buses stop there with their hazard warning lights on.

School and public service buses have priority when leaving!

No parking up to 15 m in front of and behind stop signs!

 

 

 

Buses/school buses
No parking area with bus stop!

A zigzag line
lengthens
shortens
clarifies

the existing no-parking zone.
School and public buses with hazard warning lights on!

No overtaking:
When a bus with hazard warning lights is approaching the bus stop, do not overtake.

Walking speed:
If the bus stops with its hazard warning lights on, passing is only permitted at 4 to 7 km/h. Keep a sufficient distance from the bus and, if necessary, drive at a walking pace.

Keep a sufficient distance and stop if necessary.

Attention:
This also applies to oncoming traffic.

Structurally separated lanes:
On roads with structurally separated lanes, oncoming traffic may pass more quickly if no pedestrians wish to cross the lane here.

 

 

 

Taxis
What you should know about taxis!
Taxis have a duty to carry passengers
Taxis are allowed to stop in the second row to allow passengers to get on or off the vehicle.
Passengers often run into the street to hail a taxi
Taxis often drive under time pressure and often change lanes abruptly
Different types of drivers in dense traffic!
Sunday drivers and professional drivers
sick and healthy drivers
old hands and new drivers
fast and slow drivers
drivers with expensive cars and drivers with cheap cars

As different as the types of drivers are, you should always drive with foresight and show consideration for other road users.
A vehicle with foreign licence plates is driving in front of you. What should you expect?

There is a vehicle with a foreign licence plate in front of you. What should you expect?

– is not familiar with the traffic rules
– Brakes unexpectedly
– Blinks late or not at all
– Is not familiar with the area
Motorbike
Motorcyclists are particularly at risk in road traffic because:
they have a relatively narrow silhouette and are therefore often only recognised late or even overlooked
their speed is often estimated too low and their distance too great
they can quickly be hidden by other vehicles

 

cyclists

Cars, motorbikes, lorries, etc. are not allowed on these special paths!

Cyclists are particularly vulnerable in traffic due to their low speed and narrow silhouette.

They lose their balance quickly and sway easily, so they need a lot of space.
Keep a safe distance of 1.5 to 2 m to the side. If this is not possible, drive more slowly and do not overtake.
When opening the car door to the cycle path side, take care not to endanger any cyclists.
when turning and entering the lane, watch out for cyclists (go straight ahead, let moving cyclists pass)

Cycle lane!

This road is reserved for cyclists. Other vehicle traffic is only permitted with an additional sign.

If other vehicle traffic is also permitted, only moderate speed is allowed. Cyclists are also allowed to ride side by side here.
Caution towards cyclists
Cyclists require our special attention because:
bicycles are subject to fluctuations because of their low stability, especially when carrying luggage or children
when turning, but also when passing obstacles, they often do not pay attention to the traffic behind them and carelessly change lanes

Agricultural vehicles
Countryside vehicles turning into or entering the carriageway from a farm track usually require more space due to attached equipment or overhanging loads.

Therefore you must:
stay ready to brake
Keep your distance
Anticipate falling loads

In rural areas, be prepared for slow vehicles and vehicles with excess width.
Pedestrians
Pedestrians are the weakest road users, so you must be especially careful and considerate towards them.

The protected space for pedestrians is the pavement, which they have the right to use.

The pavement!
Be careful when opening the car door, getting in or out of the car on the pavement.
Do not stop or park on pavements without authorisation.
Choose your speed and safety distance so that road users are not endangered or impaired.
When crossing the pavements, you must watch out for pedestrians and children playing or cycling there. If necessary, you must wait

 

 

 

Children
Children are particularly at risk in road traffic because they:
act rashly and imprudently
cannot judge the speed and distance of vehicles correctly
react unpredictably, quickly and spontaneously
do not pay attention to other traffic while playing or thinking about things
misinterpret traffic lights or become impatient and run when the light is red
have a limited field of vision
usually do not behave in a way that is appropriate for traffic
do not have an overview of the traffic situation due to their short stature
Be careful with children, because where:
a ball rolls onto the road, a child often follows.
Schoolchildren leaving school often rush onto the road without thinking.
Children playing near the road are often unaware of approaching vehicles.

When children are playing at the side of the road, drive slowly and be ready to brake!
Older people
Older people are more at risk in road traffic than younger people because they often:
have poorer vision and hearing
cannot judge speeds and distances as reliably as before
react more slowly than usual and need more time to cross the road or the pedestrian path due to their age, e.g. by using walking aids.
As a driver, you must expect older people to cross the roadway
not always paying attention to traffic
often simply stop or turn around in the roadway because they become unsafe, e.g. when the pedestrian lights change from green to red when crossing the road.

Disabled people
Disabled people are often dependent on your consideration and help as drivers of motor vehicles because of hearing, sight or walking impairments, regardless of whether:
wheelchair users share the carriageway because there is no space on the pavement or no lowered kerb is available
people with severe walking difficulties are looking for a parking space
blind pedestrians with a white cane (or yellow armband with three black dots) and/or a guide dog in a white harness wish to cross the carriageway.
If a wheelchair user
is driving in front of you on the road, you may only overtake if this is possible without danger and with a large distance to the side.
If a wheelchair user is unable to negotiate the kerb on his or her own to reach the pavement, you should stop and, after switching on the hazard warning lights, get out of the vehicle to provide assistance and avoid further danger.
HGV
HGVs obscure the view ahead!

For this reason:
expect sudden braking
Look left and right
Always keep a sufficient distance

A truck with a fully loaded trailer has a braking distance about 1/ 3 longer than a car.

HGVs need more space when manoeuvring or turning.
Therefore:
During difficult driving manoeuvres, expect the truck to back up temporarily.
Act in partnership and give the lorry enough space.
Wait until the road can be seen again and the lorry can be passed without danger.

Remember:
Incorrect parking not only blocks the truck of the haulage company, but also the fire brigade’s fire engine and the ambulance.
Tram
Trams always require special caution and consideration, as they are tied to the rails and
are tied to rails and therefore cannot avoid obstacles
carry many passengers
have a long braking distance
have to keep to their timetable

Overtaking trams!
Trams are always overtaken on the right.

Overtaking on the left is only permitted in one-way streets or when the tracks are laid to the right.
The following applies on roads with oncoming traffic:
If there are vehicles stopped or parked at the edge of the carriageway that make overtaking on the right impossible, you must stay behind the tram and may not overtake it on the left.

Turning from trams!
You may only move into the left-hand lane on the tracks if no tram is obstructed.

If you had already lined up there before the approaching tram came into view, you must clear the tracks if there is no oncoming traffic and a diversion is reasonable.

Drivers must always allow the tram travelling in the longitudinal direction to pass as freely as possible. This is the case, for example, if the rails run from the middle to the right-hand side or in a narrow section.

Remember:
At tram stops, the rule is: as long as you can expect passengers, keep behind the tram.

Passengers, especially children, often walk carelessly on the carriageway after getting off the tram.

 

Behaviour at pedestrian crossings
approach at moderate speed
wait if necessary
do not overtake
Do not stop on the pedestrian crossing (even when traffic is slowing down).

Pedestrian crossings may only be used by pedestrians. Bicycles must be pushed. If a cyclist does cross a zebra crossing without dismounting, show consideration and give way.
Caution at pedestrian crossings
Approach at moderate speed, slow down in good time and wait if necessary if pedestrians want to cross or are already on the zebra crossing.
Pedestrians often enter the crossing without looking left or right.
Older pedestrians sometimes become unsteady when crossing and suddenly turn back.
Children can spontaneously run onto the crossing and then back again for no apparent reason.
No overtaking in front of pedestrian crossings
Applies even if there is no one on the pedestrian crossing.
Do not block the pedestrian crossing
If there is a traffic jam, wait in front of the zebra crossing so that pedestrians can continue to cross the carriageway.
No stopping on and 5 m in front of pedestrian crossings
The pedestrian crossing must remain visible to following traffic.

 

 

Pedestrian ford
A pedestrian ford is an area on the road marked by markings almost exclusively at traffic lights.

The ford serves as an indication to pedestrians and other participants where pedestrians are to be expected and is marked by a thin, broken line.

Pedestrian fords shall be provided at traffic lights for pedestrian crossing traffic.

Furthermore, zebra crossings secured by crossing guards, school crossing guards or other traffic assistants may be demarcated by broken lines. Beyond that, such markings are not permitted on the roads.
Traffic Calmed Area
In a traffic-calmed area the following applies:
walking speed (max. 7 km/ h)
Only passable in 1st gear
Parking, except for loading or unloading, getting in or out – only in marked areas
Consideration for playing children and pedestrians who must not be hindered or endangered, wait if necessary
When leaving traffic-calmed areas, the priority of all other traffic must be respected.
Pedestrian zone
A pedestrian zone is a traffic area where pedestrians have priority over other road users.

It can consist of several pedestrian streets and is usually located in the inner area of a city. Other road users are generally not allowed to enter. However, their access can be (temporarily) permitted by appropriate signage.
Additional signs indicate that vehicle traffic (e.g. residents) must drive at walking speed and pedestrians must not be obstructed. Wait if necessary.

Notice:
When leaving, the priority of all other traffic must be observed.

Zone 30
Zone 30 is an area of public road traffic within which all vehicles are allowed to travel at a maximum speed of 30 km/h. Zones of this type serve to calm traffic.

Zones of this type serve to calm traffic. They are particularly common in residential areas:
the posted speed limit may be less than 30 km/ h
the speed limit applies to all roads in the area until it is lifted.
Construction measures
In these zones, traffic is calmed at locations with a potential hazard, for example at schools, hospitals or at station forecourts by means of constructional measures.

For example by:
Obstacles to the roadway
pavements
Cologne plates

The roadway can also be narrowed by flower pots and islands. This means that road users can only drive on these roads at low speeds.