This article is an important and brief outline of some "rules of the road" that travelers who plan on driving through Germany must keep in mind.   

•  The autobahn is very organized and the far left lane is the FAST LANE.  Only use it to pass other slower vehicles who are KEEPING RIGHT.  Do not enter onto the autobahn and dive right into the fast lane and just cruise there as is done here in the states.
• And remember KEEP RIGHT!  If you are in the fast lane or one of the faster lane on multi-lane autobahns and a vehicle is approaching you from behind with his/her left turn signal on, move over to the right when safe and use your turn signals!
• Do NOT pass anyone on the RIGHT SIDE. If you do and a Polizei is around you will get a ticket.  Exceptions are made when in heavy stop-and-go traffic.
• Before using the far left FAST LANE to pass someone else, make sure that blurr of a vehicle that is way far away in your rear view mirror is not approaching at a very rapid pace.   Keep an eye on approcahing vehicles in the fast lane for several seconds to gauge how quickly it is approaching before merging in front of that vehicle.  Do not just make sure the lane to your left is clear, make sure your not merging in front of a guided missle!
• If you encounter a traffic jam on the autobahn and you are the last vehicle stopped at the back of the jam, turn on your hazards (4-way flashers) to warn approaching drivers that you are stopped.
• If you encounter very heavy rain/fog/snow or other conditions that severly limit your visibility, turn on your exterior lights and especially your rear fog light (Picture of a rear fog light switch to come shortly)