Fines for speeding in Trucks, Buses and Coaches in Germany

Penalty Catalog for Speed Violations in Trucks

Speed Violations in Trucks

One rarely thinks about it, but if you look around, you’ll notice that almost all the items in our possession have seen the inside of a truck at some point. Whether it’s the hole puncher on your desk, the shoes on your feet, or the yogurt in your refrigerator. Nowadays, almost everything is transported on Germany’s roads and the Autobahn, typically in a truck.

Driven by the increasingly busy e-commerce, overnight express deliveries, and impatient customers, many truck drivers naturally step on the gas a bit harder. Someone who completes a not uncommon 500km route at an average speed of 90km/h instead of 80km/h gets off work almost three-quarters of an hour earlier. For comparison, someone driving the same route with a car at 140 km/h instead of 130 km/h saves only about fifteen minutes. So, minor speeding violations pay off much faster for slower trucks.

However, the tempting time savings come with a significantly higher risk of accidents. When a truck is involved in an accident, it rarely results in just property damage. Likewise, accidents involving coaches often result in a larger number of injuries.

To keep such incidents as rare as possible, the legislator has tightened fines, penalty points, and driving bans compared to driving with cars and other vehicles under 3.5 tons. Compared to cars, speed violations with trucks lead to penalty points and driving bans at lower excess speeds.

What Is the Speed Limit for Trucks?

In addition to the adjusted fines, different speed limits apply to vehicles of a certain size. Within city limits, the situation is quite simple. The maximum speed limit for all vehicles is 50 km/h, whether it’s a car, motorcycle, truck, or bus.

Outside city limits, it gets a bit more complicated. While cars and small trucks are limited to a maximum of 100 km/h on single-lane federal and state roads, coaches and trucks with a permissible total mass between 3.5 and 7.5 tons are limited to a maximum speed of 80 km/h. Coaches that transport passengers without fixed seats are excluded. They’re allowed a maximum speed of 60 km/h. Trucks with a permissible total mass over 7.5 tons are also limited to a maximum speed of 60 km/h.

On the Autobahn, the heavyweights are almost all the same. While there is no general speed limit for cars and other “regular-sized” vehicles on the German Autobahn, coaches and trucks of all weight classes can only go a maximum of 80 km/h.

There is an exception for coaches that meet all the criteria of §18 Abs. 5 Nr.3 StVO. If all requirements are met, a suitably qualified coach can drive up to 100 km/h on the Autobahn. Criteria include the installation of a speed limiter. Vehicles designed for a maximum speed of 100 km/h are usually marked with a white sticker featuring a circle with the number 100.

The allowed speed for trucks and coaches is not always the same; it also depends heavily on weather conditions. If the weather, road conditions, or lane width do not allow safe driving at a higher speed, the actual speed must be adjusted accordingly. For example, if visibility is less than 50 meters due to fog or rain, trucks are not allowed to exceed 50 km/h. On wet or slippery roads it must always be ensured that the vehicle remains under control and can be brought to a safe stop.

What Penalties Are Imposed?

Penalties for speeding violations with trucks are generally similar to those for cars. However, penalty points and driving bans are imposed much earlier. Violations within city limits are treated more strictly than those outside city limits or on the Autobahn. Additionally, fines are significantly increased if the driver is transporting hazardous materials in the truck or passengers in a coach. These violations are more severely punished to effectively deter them due to the higher risks to life, health, and the environment.

It is also important to note that trucks and coaches are typically driven by professional drivers. Accumulated penalty points or an immediate driving ban can quickly cost one or more months’ worth of salary or even their entire job in this profession.