Distance saves lives
Distance saves lives
When you’re a truck driver, distance isn’t just important — it’s a matter of life and death. And not only for you as a driver, but for all road users around you at that moment.
Forty tons moving at speed can’t stop without a braking distance. It’s the space between you and the vehicle in front that determines whether you can stop in time — or whether a terrible accident occurs, potentially destroying lives.
Let’s take a look at the required safe distance in Germany and the penalties for violating this crucial traffic rule.
Safe Distance for Trucks
According to German traffic regulations: “Trucks with a permitted total weight of more than 3.5 tons must keep a distance of at least 50 meters from the vehicle in front when driving on highways at speeds over 50 km/h.” This also applies to buses and vans.
How to measure that? On German motorways, white roadside posts with a black strip and a vertical white line are placed along the right side of the road (those on the left side usually have two dots). On straight sections, these posts are typically spaced 50 meters apart.
Some posts have a small black arrow — it points to the nearest emergency call point, which is always within 1 km.
Another useful rule: “The distance between a truck and the vehicle in front must be enough so that if the vehicle ahead brakes suddenly, the truck driver has enough time and space to brake and come to a full stop.”
Of course, the driver of the vehicle in front is not allowed to brake hard without a valid reason.
Hit a roadside post – what now?
Hitting a roadside marker in Germany is treated as a standard road traffic accident. You must act accordingly: place the warning triangle and call the police.
Important: If you simply drive away, it will be considered a hit-and-run, which can lead to a heavy fine or even imprisonment.
Who’s to Blame for Tailgating?
ACE statistics analyzed accidents in Germany caused by insufficient distance to the vehicle ahead. The results were surprising — trucks were far ahead of other vehicles in this category.
Though trucks make up only 5% of vehicles, 1 in 10 accidents caused by tailgating involves a truck driver.
Just imagine: 5% of vehicles cause 10% of distance-related accidents! And these are professional long-haul drivers…
On a 100 km road stretch, about one-third of all fatal accidents involve trucks — 94% happen outside urban areas.
These are alarming numbers. KEEP YOUR DISTANCE — IT SAVES LIVES!
Fines for Not Keeping Distance in Germany
In Germany, fines depend on speed and the distance to the vehicle in front. You must keep at least half the speedometer reading in meters.
For example, if you are driving at a speed of 90 km/h, the item in the table below (“… distance less than 5/10 of half the speedometer reading”) should be understood as follows: 90 × 0.5 = 45 metres, and the next one (“less than 4/10”) as: 90 × 0.4 = 36 metres. This means your distance to the vehicle in front must be at least 45 metres. When the distance is less than 45 m — the fine is €103.50, and if it is less than 36 m — €128.50 and 1 point.
IMPORTANT! For trucks, buses, and vans according to § 4 StVO, the rule applies — DISTANCE OF AT LEAST 50 METERS if you are driving at a speed greater than 50 km/h. For violation — €80 fine and 1 penalty point.
If there are dangerous goods or passengers on board — the fine increases to €120 + 1 point.
General table of fines for failure to maintain distance:
| Violation | Fine | Points | Driving ban |
|---|---|---|---|
| Distance violation at speed less than 80 km/h | €53.50 | ||
| … with danger | €58.50 | ||
| … with property damage | €63.50 | ||
| Distance violation at speed over 80 km/h | — | — | — |
| … distance less than 5/10 of half the speedometer reading | €103.50 | 1 | |
| … distance less than 4/10 of half the speedometer reading | €128.50 | 1 | |
| … distance less than 3/10 of half the speedometer reading | €188.50 | 1 | |
| … distance less than 2/10 of half the speedometer reading | €268.50 | 1 | |
| … distance less than 1/10 of half the speedometer reading | €348.50 | 1 | |
| Distance violation at speed over 100 km/h | — | — | — |
| … distance less than 5/10 of half the speedometer reading | €103.50 | 1 | |
| … distance less than 4/10 of half the speedometer reading | €128.50 | 1 | |
| … distance less than 3/10 of half the speedometer reading | €188.50 | 1 | 1 month |
| … distance less than 2/10 of half the speedometer reading | €268.50 | 1 | 2 months |
| … distance less than 1/10 of half the speedometer reading | €348.50 | 1 | 3 months |
| Distance violation at speed over 130 km/h | — | — | — |
| … distance less than 5/10 of half the speedometer reading | €128.50 | 1 | |
| … distance less than 4/10 of half the speedometer reading | €208.50 | 1 | |
| … distance less than 3/10 of half the speedometer reading | €268.50 | 2 | 1 month |
| … distance less than 2/10 of half the speedometer reading | €348.50 | 2 | 2 months |
| … distance less than 1/10 of half the speedometer reading | €428.50 | 2 | 3 months |
Lateral distance
Lateral distance is the space between your vehicle and another vehicle or a cyclist when overtaking. In the German Road Traffic Regulations (paragraph 5, section 4 StVO), it is stated that when overtaking cyclists and small vehicles, the lateral distance must be at least 1.5 metres in built-up areas and at least 2 metres outside built-up areas.
When overtaking public transport vehicles and school buses, the lateral distance must be 2 m.
Fines for violating the lateral distance rule
In cases where the lateral distance during overtaking is insufficient, the following fines may apply:
- Ordinary violation — fine of €30 or a warning
- If there was a safety hazard — fine: €80 + 1 point
- If an accident occurred — fine: €100 + 1 point
Keep your distance and stay safe…
Read the article “Fell asleep at the wheel”
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