Last night (Wed evening)....off ARD (public German TV) prime news....the topic of costly driver's licenses came up. So presently, the average cost of the training, hours of practice-driving, and tests.....is 3,400 Euro. It's reached a crisis level.
Some rumor started up in late 2025....it's bad enough now...that the federal gov't may offer up a free-deal of sorts.....mostly the story revolves around the idea of 1,000 Euro. Oddly, no political folks have talked over a number.
I discussed this with the wife (German in nature). She wasn't exactly eager to get into this cash offering deal. No one paid her cost thirty-odd years ago.
What is actually being talked about? They noted one of the neighboring countries has a program where you get training/tests as a package, but your parents take you on drives in the family vehicle....this would carve out roughly one-third of the cost. Personally, I think a lot of German parents would say 'no'....not trusting the kid in the family vehicle.
My solution? Get countries like Greece, Czech or Poland to offer two week vacation packages....with driver's training as a 'wellness' option. At the end of two weeks....you test...pass, and get a certificate. You come back to Germany and offer them the papers. Total cost? For the trip, hotel, and training....probably 2,000 Euro.
4 comments:
When I first came to Germany, I was surprised to discover one had to pay big bucks to get a drivers license. I remember, growing up in Virginia, at 15 years 8 months and 1 day, I got a learners permit. I was able to drive with a licensed driver in the passenger seat (my father) until the age of 16 when I could apply for a regular license. In other words, I was taught by my parents.
I think this can't be done here because of the lack of proper parental supervision and consistent lack of today's youth to accept responsibility for their actions. The vast majority of German youth I have contact with I find to be narcissistic, quick tempered, spoiled brats. So of the adults as well.
That's a much better system, we do similar in Australia, or used to. You'd get your L plates, have to display them on the car, could only drive a max of 60kph I think from memory. Then you'd do a test after a year to get your Provisional license, which meant a top speed of 80kph but you could drive without a licensed driver next to you. After a year of that you had your full license.
The system in Germany is idiotic.
In the mid-80s....I brought this up with a German....at that point, it was around 600 DM ($300). At some point around December....someone brought up a highly urbanized area, and it was impossible (2025) to find any training-school offering less than 4,300 Euro. I'd agree with you on the provisional 60kph, but you'd probably have one-third of German youth 'cheating' with no tag on the car. Other factor coming up....in 3 years....auto-drive will arrive, and cars will drive themselves in some way. Maybe if you were 17/18 years old now....driving won't be a big deal.
Urbanized areas....yeah, I'd agree on the 14-to-18 year old group being 50-percent bratish. Rural areas....maybe 10-percent. If I were the gov't guys....I'd make a deal....you sign up for the military reserves, and we will give you free training/free testing. I will say this....my German wife...if we had a 17/18 year old kid right now.....would not allow the kid to drive our cars, nor would she give the kid more than 1,500 Euro.....forcing them to work for the rest.
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