Approximately 25 accidents per year.

Approximately 550 accidents per year.

The risk conditions on the highway are mainly related to its special construction features, such as large road width, soft curves and hills, no buildings along the road, good visibility and high speed.

The typical risk factors here are underestimating your own and others' speed - and thus poor orientation, overestimating distances, too short safety distances, underestimating crosswinds, fatigue and reduced alertness after prolonged driving, speed blindness and overestimating the car's maneuverability.

These risky conditions lead to many accidents. The most common accidents are single-vehicle accidents involving drivers on highways or on and off ramps.

Another typical type of accident is rear-end collisions or rear-end collisions. These accidents happen because the distance to the car in front is too close or because cars in line catch up faster than you expect.

Only motor vehicles that are legal and capable of driving at least 50 km/h are allowed on highways and on access and exit roads. The maximum speed limit on the highway and on access roads is 130 km/h. Cars with trailers maximum 80 km/h. (can be 100 km/h according to special rules).
You may only enter the highway via an access lane or at the beginning of the highway. Similarly, you may only exit via exit lanes or at the end of the highway. In the event of unexpected congestion or other immediate danger on the highway, you must use hazard flashers to draw the attention of drivers behind you to the danger. The same can be done outside of built-up areas. Driving over the median, turning, reversing, stopping and parking are not permitted on highways, on access and exit lanes or on grass verges and other areas adjacent to the highway. Stopping at an emergency phone is only allowed if you need to call for help. In that case, you must try to stop outside the lane. Repairing the vehicle on a highway or expressway may only be done if it is necessary to remove the vehicle from the highway or expressway as soon as possible. If a vehicle needs to be repaired on the highway or expressway and it is necessary to use part of the roadway to do so, the police must first be contacted for permission. The police can be contacted on telephone number 114. This is not necessary if the entire vehicle is in the emergency lane.
When carrying out on-site repairs or removing a broken-down vehicle in cases that require the use of the part of the roadway on a highway or expressway, the lane to be used must be marked by a barrier vehicle. On a highway with three or more lanes in the same direction, vehicles
with trailers longer than 7 meters in total may only drive in one of the two rightmost lanes, unless they are preparing to make a left turn at the end of the motorway. Towing is prohibited on the highway.

Orientation and maneuvering

You need to learn how to notice and handle the following hazards when driving on the highway:
- Tailgaters on the on-ramp who are too close.
- Anchoring drivers on the slip road who do not use the opportunity to enter the highway, but stop.
- Tailgaters on the slip road who may enter before you have entered the highway.
- Drivers on the highway coming from behind who may be hidden in blind spots.
- Drivers on the highway who show signs that they don't want to help make your driveway easier.
- Signs of unexpected reactions from drivers ahead at exits, splitting or merging highways.
- The potential hazards of maneuvering on regular roads, to the extent that they can now occur on highways.
- Rear-end drivers on a combined entry and exit lane that may be hidden in blind spots.

Approaching with merging - how to do it

- Check the visibility and access conditions.
- Are there vehicles in front and behind?
- Adapt your speed to the length, rise or fall of the approach and merge lane and to the speed of drivers in the nearest lane on the highway.

Approaching with lane changes - how to do it

- Already at the beginning of the approach lane, signal that you want to change lanes.
- Check the visibility and access conditions.
- Are there traffic coming from behind in the lane you want to change to?
- Adapt your speed to the length, incline or decline of the approach lane and to other traffic.
- Leave enough room for those in front to change lanes before you do.
- If it is not possible to enter the lane, you must reduce your speed and possibly stop with as long a clear access lane ahead as possible, and then wait for the opportunity to enter the lane after informing the traffic behind and warning them with stop lights.
- Otherwise, change lanes according to the rules and conditions.
- In combined entry and exit lanes, keep an eye out for other road users signaling to exit.

Access with right of way - here's how

- Find out about visibility and access conditions well in advance.
- Are there traffic coming from behind? How fast are they driving - and how long is the distance?
- Adjust your speed accordingly.
- Show other drivers that you will respect your right of way.
- Pull in when there is room.

Driving on the highway - here's how

- Stay in the center of the right lane for a short time after entering to get used to the road and traffic conditions before overtaking.
- Signal a lane change or other not insignificant change in vehicle position to the side.
- Only use the left lane for overtaking.
- Always keep an eye on the approach and departure conditions as far ahead as possible.
- Regularly check the speed on the speedometer and find the highest safe and legal speed on the route.
- Help drivers in oncoming lanes to merge by adjusting speed or changing lanes.
- If there are multiple lanes, only change one at a time.
- Pay attention to lane striping and traffic signs, especially about designated lanes, lane progression, merging and exiting the highway.
- In general, maneuver with a large safety margin on the highway and orient yourself earlier and more thoroughly than on a regular road.

Exiting - this is how you do it

- Get your bearings, signal and change lanes well before the exit lane begins.
- Can I exit safely?
- Avoid slowing down on the highway itself - especially if you have tailgaters close by.
- Exit the highway as soon as the exit lane begins.
- Reduce speed according to the changing conditions and speed limits.

Exit via combined access and exit lane

Speed limit for large cars and cars with trailers.

On all highways, the speed limit is 80 km/h. For:
- Trucks and tractor-trailers
- Buses over 3500 kg (with special permission but 100 km/h)
- Cars with trailers such as caravans or trailers (with special permission but 100 km/h)
- The speed limit applies on highways unless otherwise indicated by signs.

Lane striping

- Unbroken border followed by a dotted border. Here you merge after the broken line. On a combined entry and exit lane, you can merge if the broken edge line stops. If the punctured edge line is continuous, the lane change rule applies.

- Give way line/shark teeth show that there is exceptionally an unconditional right of way when entering a highway.

Traffic signs

- Recommended speed. Indicates that the road is not suitable for driving at a higher speed than the specified speed.

- Freeway intersection. Indicates the highway junction symbol and the name of the highway junction.

- Highway shows the beginning of the highway.

- Freeway ends. Usually only set up at the end of the highway (not at exits).

- Unconditional right of way shows that there is exceptionally an unconditional right of way when entering the highway.

- Merging shows that you must drive according to the merge rule.

- Lane merging shows where there will be fewer lanes that the merge rule applies.

- Lane sequences with lane changes show where there will be fewer lanes that the lane change rule applies.

- Dangerous intersection indicates that traffic from the side road must hold back for you, but also poor visibility conditions. Therefore, you need to pay extra attention at the T-junction.

- Indicated lanes (possibly with downward pointing arrows) show which lanes are intended for driving towards the targets you see on the board.

- Lane Departure Warning shows the lane departure and direction of traffic. The bottom of the board shows the distance from the board to the exit or junction.

- The highway diagram orientation board shows the route number and guidance target for each of the branch directions. The bottom of the board shows the distance from the board to the exit or junction.

- Turn-by-turn directions show that the exit lane leads to the destinations you see on the board.

- 500 m. Exit sign advance warning signs Exit signposts.

- The 1500 m exit sign shows the exit number and is followed by the exit name. The board usually also shows the next exit number and name, as well as the distance to it.

- Exit speed indication shows the speed that you can drive through the turn with the red turn arrow under normal conditions.

Overtaking prohibited

- for trucks and truck tractor-trailer combinations hours: 6-9am and 3-6pm, Monday-Friday

§ - The maximum permitted speed on the expressway and the access and exit roads is 80 km/h.

Where the limit is locally raised up to 100 km/h, it is shown on traffic signs.

Towing is prohibited on an expressway.

Traffic signs

- Expressway shows the beginning of the expressway.

Approximately 85 accidents per year.

Approximately 50 accidents per year.

Dangerous situations can arise if the distance to cyclists and moped riders is misjudged. This can easily happen because they tend to swerve. The driver
can also swerve themselves due to slippery or greasy conditions. If a driver in heavy traffic has poor orientation and maneuverability because there are cars on both sides
sides, there is a dangerous tendency to just go with the flow. Finally, it's dangerous to look too long at drivers on the sides because you may pull out and
lose sight of the road ahead and behind you. Accidents often happen when a driver, moped rider or cyclist pulls in front of the car at an intersection. Other times, it's a driver who cuts in front of or "squeezes" another road user.

Approximately 35 accidents per year.

Approximately 35 accidents per year.

Orientation and maneuvering

You need to learn how to recognize and manage the following hazards when driving alongside others:
- Tailgating that may be hidden in blind spots.
- Signs that a motorcyclist will move forward between rows of cars in heavy and slow traffic.
- Vehicles in the adjacent lane that tend to swerve or are particularly sensitive to crosswinds.
- Vehicles in the front right lane that need more than one lane to maneuver, for example trucks with trailers or semi-trailers that need to turn right but pull slightly to the left before turning.
- Signs of steerable vehicles in heavy and slow traffic suddenly changing lanes or turning left in front at intersections.
- Blind spots in general.
- The difference between crosswind and lee when passing large vehicles.

Driving next to others - here's how

- Regularly and briefly check your distance to those driving next to you.
- Especially in heavy traffic, look as far ahead in your own lane as possible. This will stabilize your steering and positioning - and you can prepare for a lane change well in advance.
- Look out for drivers legally passing on your right in heavy traffic. Be aware of cyclists and moped riders on your right who are overtaking on the inside or drivers slightly ahead in the lane next to you who want to change lanes or turn left in front of you at intersections.
- Only change lanes if it's necessary to make a turn, overtake, or pull to the right to park.
- End up in the column ahead. This may mean that you have to pass another vehicle on your right. In this context, it is legal because it is not overtaking, but passing.
- Avoid placing yourself in other road users' blind spots by driving slightly ahead or behind them.
- Keep a safe distance from road users and vehicles that tend to swerve.

Approximately 25 accidents per year.

Lane stripes etc.

- Bicycle symbol indicates that cyclists and drivers of small mopeds must use that part of the road. A bicycle symbol in a lane delineated with a continuous edge line indicates that the lane is a bicycle path.

Traffic signs

- Cyclists are warned that there may be cyclists and riders of small mopeds on the roadway.

- Narrowing road warns that the road is narrowing, so you can expect lane changes or merging ahead.

- Crosswind warns that it can be difficult to keep your lane.

- Merging shows that the merge rule applies.

- Roadway course with merging.

- Lane guidance with lane changes.

Bus and Taxi symbols

Bus.

Bus symbol (V 42). The text BUS in a lane delimited by a continuous edge line (Q 46) or double barrier line (Q 44) indicates that the lane may only be used by scheduled buses.

Taxi.

Taxi symbol (Q 44). The TAXI symbol in a lane delimited by a continuous edge line (Q 46) or double barrier line (Q 44) indicates that the lane may only be used by taxis. The symbol can be used together with the bus symbol (V 42) and indicates that taxis can choose to use the lane.

V 42 Bus symbol.

V 44 Taxi symbol.