If you want to enroll in a driving course in Germany, you should know that it can be quite expensive. According to the German Automobile Club ADAC, a driving license today usually costs between 2,500 and 3,500 euros, and in some cases even over 4,000 euros. This depends mainly on the number of practical hours taken. That is why for young people who are studying a profession or studying at university, a driving license is increasingly becoming a luxury.
In Germany, driving school training is extensive and regulated by law. A learner driver must complete at least 14 double hours of theory and at least 12 practical driving lessons. In most cases, however, much more hours of practice are needed. For comparison: in neighboring Poland, driver training is significantly more compact, and a driver's license costs between 600 and 900 euros.
The CDU's spokesman for transport policy, Florian Müller, from his outgoing government, insists that the training of future drivers should be made more accessible and adapted to the changed traffic conditions. After all, the car "is still the number one means of transport" in Germany and many people are dependent on a driver's license, he argued in an interview with DW.
"Driving in Germany is a privilege"
Varsha Iyer arrived in Germany from India in 2018 to study at university. For her, getting a driver's license was a huge financial and emotional ordeal, she admitted in an interview with DW. At the same time, the license was a necessity for her, as getting from Kronenberg, where she lives, to Wuppertal, where she studies, without a car would have been extremely difficult.
To be able to afford the driving lessons, she worked in a bakery while studying. Although she passed the theory test on the first try, Iyer took the practical test a total of five times. "The main problem was the strict conditions of the test", she told DW. "I understand the importance of strict tests, but in my opinion they don't really reflect the way people actually drive in everyday life", she added. Her driving license cost a total of more than 5,000 euros and swallowed up all of the Indian woman's savings.
This is especially difficult for migrants like Iyer, who have language barriers and come from countries with different transport systems. "Driving in Germany is clearly a privilege. "Very few people have unlimited funds to pay for such driving lessons," she says.
That's why more and more people in Germany are considering taking their driving lessons in neighboring countries like Poland instead. But it's not that simple, says ADAC spokeswoman Katharina Luka. "Many people forget that they have to have lived in the country for more than half a year. At least 185 days, to be precise. On top of that, there are also accommodation and travel costs," she explains in an interview with DW.
How many students pass the test the first time?
According to data from the TÜV Technical Inspection Association, the failure rate for the theory test is at a record high: almost every second candidate fails. And more than a third of the students fail the practical test.
That's why the transport ministers of the individual German states are calling, among other things, for the theoretical part of the training for obtaining a driving license to be optimized. Kurt Bartels, chairman of the North Rhine Association of Driving Instructors, however, doubts that this will make the driving license cheaper. After all, registering for the theoretical test costs only 25 euros. "What makes the driving license really expensive is the large number of driving hours", he explains in an interview with DW.
"Our customers have changed. Young people no longer pay attention to the road, but look at their smartphones. "They come to us without any idea of traffic," says Bartels, adding that the road situation has also become much more complex in recent years.
Dealing with new road users, such as electric scooters or driver assistance systems - all this has to be taken into account in today's training. And that costs money. In addition, driving schools are faced with increased rental and vehicle costs, as well as a growing shortage of driving instructors, says Bartels.
Is simulator training the solution?
Another suggestion for more effective and cheaper training is the use of driving simulators. This would allow basic techniques such as shifting gears or looking over your shoulder to be practiced virtually.
Especially in view of the shortage of driving instructors, the simulator offers help for driving schools, says Florian Müller. One could consider which things "only a driving instructor can do - and which should be taken over by the machine", he says.
In other European countries, such as France, simulators are already an integral part of driver training. In Germany, they are not yet recognized.
However, Kurt Bartels remains skeptical: "If a simulator is used, it must be supervised by the driving instructor. Moreover, simulators can never replace driving schools in real traffic, especially when driving on the motorway or at night."
Between desire and reality
Florian Müller's proposal for a more accessible driving license was recently rejected in the Bundestag. However, the pressure remains high: since 2020, the cost of driving courses and exams has increased by 38% - significantly more than inflation.
"Our training may be expensive, but it is also particularly thorough", says ADAC spokeswoman Katharina Luka. "At the same time, we see that in other countries with cheaper driving courses, the number of accidents is not automatically higher."
In Austria, for example, students are allowed to practice outside the course they are enrolled in. For example, with their parents who have experience as drivers - and a special form is submitted for this purpose. The condition is that the student has passed the theoretical exam and completed the basic practical driving training. This can save a lot of money - because the practical hours will be fewer.
In Germany, however, a driver's license remains "a privilege that brings with it other privileges", as Varsha Iyer says. Whoever can afford it has an advantage over the others.
Author: Eno Hinz