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Road Rage, Insults, Rude Gestures Can Lead to Fines, Prison in Germany

By Robert Szostek

USAREUR Office of the Provost Marshal PAO

MANNHEIM, Germany -- Inconsiderate or even dangerous moves made by other drivers really gets on your nerves. But on the road in Germany it’s best to keep your cool, as the German legal system frowns on road rage, insults and rude gestures in traffic.

German courts can issue fines and even prison sentences of up to one year to drivers who shout insults or make offensive gestures while driving, the German automobile association ADAC reported in its latest magazine.

The maximum prison term goes up to two years if the dispute gets physical, the ADAC article said.

“German authorities take a particularly hard line on motorists who insult police officers or traffic wardens,” said Lt. Col. Shawn J. Kelley, chief of law enforcement at the U.S. Army Europe Office of the Provost Marshal. This is because the motorist is not only insulting the person as such; he is also offending a representative of the state.

ADAC printed a list of fines issued for various insults directed at German traffic cops. The fines ranged from €250 to €2,500.

Rude gestures towards a police officer are also a bad idea. ADAC reported that sticking your tongue out at a German police officer has resulted in fines between €150 and €300. More obscene gestures were punished with fines ranging from €600 to €4,000.

ADAC reported that one driver made a rude hand gesture to a video camera measuring the distance between vehicles. A German court judged that he was showing disrespect to the officers monitoring traffic -- even though they were not present -- and fined him €1,200.

The wide range of penalties reported is due to the German fine system, which takes into account both the offender’s degree of guilt and income. ADAC reports a German court normally assesses 10 to 30 “daily units” for slander, depending on the circumstances. A daily unit is one 30th of monthly salary after taxes.

More information on the German system of fines is located on page 32 of the German Federal Ministry of Justice pamphlet, “Criminal Justice in Germany.”  An English version of the pamphlet is available online by clicking here.