Transport secretary to announce proposed increase in speed limit from 70mph to 80mph at Tory conference.

Chances of being caught speeding in Belgium are three times higher in Flanders than in Wallonia. That's according to the State Secretary for Mobility, Etienne Schouppe, who says that Flanders adopts a more stringent approach.

My SUV needed the 105k kilometre inspection (65k miles). Yesterday, Dec. 1st, the snow situaton was quite normal, no reconsidering about canceling the appointment. In the afternoon und evening, I had some personal events, a pre-Xmas cake and coffee afternoon with former colleagues of mine, and a 'grammar and conversation' lesson at the local Kennedy Info Ctr in Kiel. Because of these appointments, I didn't pick up the car in the afternoon at the car's garage. After having had the evening session in Kiel-Brunswik, I took a taxi cab to the parking lot where I normally park my car for 'park and ride'. The parking situation in the Brunswik is quite awful. No problems whatsoever to get home.

This morning, the things have gotten worse. In the night to Dec. 2nd, 'Ms. Holle' (from the fairy-tale of the Grimms' brothers) poured heavy snow upon us. My wife and I were now rather fast in getting our SUV 4WD back. The snowfall was getting worse and heavy winds brought additional problems. The sight was partly below 50 metres (55 yards) - fog like. OK, the counter traffic heading to Kiel inner city was nearly on snails' pace. With our small vehicle, a Hyundai, we were able to ride with 30-40 kph (18-25 mph) toward our 'destination' about 6 kms (4 mls) away.

I got my car back and then I ploughed the furrows through the snow, my wife behind me in the small car. With 4WD, it was no problem to get home, and after some 20 to 30 mins, we happily arrived.

Snow shoveling in the morning, at noon and in the afternoon was now my job, and Ms. Holle (Holda) didn't react with mercy. Instead, she was pouring relentlessly additional snow on our northernmost German federal state, Schleswig-Holstein.

Radio NDR 1-Welle Nord, switched-on, you have only been getting news about the chaotic weather and the horrifying traffic situation. Parents can choose now whether or not they send their kids to school. Hmm, without school bus traffic, it's more than crystal-clear that the classes are empty now.

Luxembourg motorists spend more time stuck in traffic than their French counterparts.

Lausanne, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - Drivers who follow other cars too closely on highways are committing a "serious" and not a "moderately serious" crime and should have their drivers licenses lifted for three months, the Swiss high court in Lausanne has ruled.

Well, the short course on German traffic regulations and signs is over.

The system for German traffic signs and rules is quite simple:

#1 The round, red-framed ones are 'prohibition signs'. They mean: You are not supposed to .... / You mustn't ....

#2 The round, blue ones are 'mandated commandments'. They mean: You are only supposed to ....

#3 The triangular, red-framed ones (inversed yields) are 'danger and warning signs'.

#4 The order for your right of way: First - a police officer trumps all regulations, second - traffic lights, third - positive/negative signs for the right of way, fourth - (no signs) right ahead of left

#5 The blue rectangular ones are 'reference or info signs'.

#6 Blinking for changing lanes or directions (pls - at least 3 times)

#7 Recommended: head lights switched on at daylight

#8 Recommended max speed on autobahns 130 kph (beware of liability claims)

#9 Give way to public transportation buses.

#10 Stay cool, attentive, cautious, alert at any time.

If a public transportation bus shows its emergency flashers you are recommended not to pass, else you may pass but only with walking speed - 6 kph.

If a public transportation bus leaves the bus stop (booth) it shows a flash signal. You are supposed to let the bus enter the road.

If you wanna change directions or lanes you have to show a signal. Blink at least three times in any instance. Some may call it 'blinkeritis' but it's necessary for your and the other's safety. Nowadays, you may often encounter the bad habit of traffic participants that they don't bother to give any signs when changing lanes or directions.

Don't tailgate, and don't flash your lights additionally to chase off your traffic partner ahead of you. This coercive behavior could be punished under criminal code. The same applies to honking in order to chase someone off.

On autobahns, you're supposed to stay on the fast lane as short as possible. There is no choice of lanes, the rule is that you normally drive on the right (slow) lane. Only for passing, you are allowed to drive on the fast lane. You also may encounter the other bad habit of drivers staying on the fast lane as long as possible. OK, if you see a bunch of trucks ahead of you you can pass them all, and stay calm if a tailgater wants to chase you off. If you wanna return to the slow lane give sign, and the idiot behind you can pass.

Nowadays, a lot of German drivers copy the general rule for Scandinavians and put the lights on at daylight. You are supposed to switch the lights on when the circumstances require this safety measure (downpour of rain, heavy snow, fog, smoke, dim daylight).

Entering a city, town, village, hamlet means 'general speed limit of 50 kph (30mph)' else another round 'speed limit sign' indicating the mandated speed applies.

It's a big yellow rectangular sign with the name of the municipality. If you leave a red diagonal stripe from bottom left to top right is added on this yellow sign.

A relatively new blue rectangular sign indicates a residential zone where you have to reduce your speed to walking speed of pedestrians (6 kph or 3.6 mph) - the end of that zone is shown by the red diagonal stripe added to the original sign.

Other references or traffic relevant items of information are shown on blue rectangular signs.

If you see a reversed yield sign - a triangular sign whose base line is parallel to the floor with a red frame and a white triangular inner field - you shall be attentive, cautious and alert. These signs indicate possibly dangerous traffic situations that require a special warning to the drivers.

The basic sign includes an exclamation mark (!) - meaning 'be aware of some sort of dangerous situation coming up'. Those general warnings are often accompanied with an extra white plate with a small black frame and a mostly written warning, for example 'Straßenschäden = road damages'.

Beware of cattle, deer, bikers, children, landing or starting planes are the most common warning signs.

In residential areas where you can often expect speed limits of 30 kph or lower, they often give you the warning 'attention- dangerous intersection with the rule right ahead of left' (- the lying cross in the warning sign X ).

Other signs warn you of dangerous curves, steep ascent or decent, falling rocks, uneven or slippery roads or icy road conditions.

Unlike some other countries inside or outside Europe, mandated directions are shown on round and blue signs. It's a different approach; in the U.S., for example, you have a round, red-framed with a red 'diagonal' stripe meaning 'you are not supposed to ...'; in Germany the blue signs mean 'you are only supposed to go in the designed mandated direction'. They call those signs here 'commandment signs'.

Other blue signs show the same approach, example: Pedestrians - only pedestrians are supposed to use this lane, for all the others, it's forbidden!

Having learned the true 'blue' meaning of mandatory commandments, let's see the bunch of those regulations.

And now something really special and odd concerning 'One Way = Einbahnstraße (Germany) = Einbahn (Austria)'.

Some cities are allowing bicycle riders to go counter-traffic in 'one way' roads. Then an extra white sign with a black bike below the 'no entry' sign indicates that bikers may enter.

Taxi cab and other car drivers denounce this stupid regulation that is espcially dangerous for the bikers themselves. Riding a bike without light in dark clothes at night makes them almost invisible, then you have an encounter of the third kind. I personally avoid those roads, located mostly in residential areas.

We should abandon the fairy tale about 'non-existent' speed limits on German autobahns. There are a lot of such speed limits. Some autobahns with only two lanes in both directions without emergency lanes but emergency 'booths', sometimes labeled as 'autobahns for the poor', have always speed limits between 100 to 120 kph (60-72 mph). In oder to use autobahns and fast traffic roads, your vehicle must be able to go faster than 60 kph (36 mph). The respective federal states have the authority to set the limits.

For example, the A 24 Hamburg to Berlin does have more speed restrictions than parts where you can drive as fast as you want.

But, beware of liability claims - the recommended max speed is 130 kph (almost 80 mph). If there is evidence in an accident in which you may have gotten involved, and the police or the insurance company can prove that you surpassed the speed of 130 kpm you'll be held liable with at least 20 %, even if you are 'innocent'. Be fully insured is my advice!

The traffic signs for speed limits are uniform in Europe. Round, red framed and with a black number in a white field.

Drive like the Swiss pensioners wearing hats while riding who 'always' obey(#) their domestic limits, and not like many 'Ferrari, Porsche, Mercedes, BMW' drivers who like to exceed the speed limits. Btw, this can be very, very expensive - especially in Scandinavia.

- city* limits 50 kph (30 mph)

* residential areas mostly 30 kph (18 mph)

- off city limits up to 100 kph (60 mph)

- autobahns, fast traffic roads mostly up to 130* kph (80 mph) (* recommended max speed)

(#) exceptions may confirm the rule (see comments)

In Germany, the traffic regulators seems to have built up a real 'forest of traffic signs'. The abundance of those is sometimes scary, even for experienced drivers. Imagine a first stay in a relatively big city, let's say Frankfurt, Berlin, Munich, Hamburg - cities with many direct flight links to the U.S. and Canada:

Being a bit tired after a long-haul flight in cattle class, your driving experience and alertness is limited, additionally, you are in a foreign country with a lot of unknown and odd traffic signs.

Well, some traffic signs are known - yield, stop.

#1 There are a lot of 'yield signs' on German roads. For example, entering an autobahn by using the accelerating lane is ruled by 'yield'. It's quite the same in North America. If you can't enter the autobahn from the entering lane due to heavy traffic you have to stop at the end. If you overshoot the entering lane it's being tolerated by police but don't exaggerate this common habit of German autobahn users. The emergency lane is only for emergencies.

#2 Stop - usage is clear to you. You see a big block line ahead of an intersection - mostly because bike lanes cross your way. Make a full stop at the line, and, again, you are advised to make a full stop at the 'sight line' due to probable other crossing traffic.

#3 A right of way road is ruled by yellow with black and white framed square standing on edge - meaning, you are on road with continuous right of way. Sometimes you get the info by a similiar sign that this regulation ends soon but at the end of such a road you'll always have a 'yield' or 'stop' sign - this typ of road will never ever end with the odd rule 'right goes ahead of left'.

#4 Traffic lights - quite the same, except it's forbidden to turn right on red signal!

Green - amber - red, that's the series from go to stop - Red - red&amber - green, that's the series from stop to go. Amber chasing is possible in two directions. A red light violation is very expensive for foreigners because German residents would get a fine plus one month suspension, therefore, your ticket gets a surcharge.

If you see a metal plate at the traffic sign with a green arrow showing to the right, then you may go right on red signal but only after a full stop at the intersection.

#5 Two priority signs are ruling at construction sites: the blue rectangular one gives you priority - the red framed round one gives priority to the counter-traffic. But don't always count on adequate traffic behavior in this case.

Well, having been arrived at Frankfurt International Airport - the main hub for American travelers to Germany, you may rent a car there.

#1 Be aware that most rental cars don't have automatic transmission. If you were accustomed to driving with automatic, well, you should book this special feature in advance in order not to get your first surprise in Germany.

#2 Make sure that your rented car is fully insured. If you wanna leave German soil with the car make sure that you are covered else things can get nasty. Some rental car companies restict your lease to Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, ... but not to Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Slovenia etc.

#3 A good idea would be if you rented the car with a guidance system.

#4 Having gotten your car keys things can get going. Frankfurt Int'l Airport has a connection to the German autobahn sytem.

Now, the first specialty with German traffic rules:

In residential areas you often see no traffic signs at intersections. The rule is then 'right goes ahead of left', meaning the guy/gal in the car coming from your right hand side has the right of way.

Sometimes they show a 'reversed yield sign with a lying cross' meaning 'beware of dangerous intersection with right ahead of left'. In cases without any signs or this odd sign at an intersection, you should be very careful, indeed.

If it is a full cross intersection without any 'right of way signs', and, out of a sudden 4 vehicles arrive, one driver has to give up his/her right of way. Eye contact to the participants is essential then. In Germany, there are no 4-way-stops!