Tag Archives: law

Just asking… #8 – Conflicting German laws

As you might or might not know, in Germany it is illegal to stretch your arm into a certain forward and slightly upward position (for those who have no idea what I am talking about: Google the terms “Germany” and “1930s”). Another set of laws regulate the way you need to behave when taking part in traffic on public roads. One of those rules makes it mandatory for cyclists, for example at crossroads, to indicate which direction they want to go by stretching out their arm in the direction they are heading. No problem so far.

But please take a close look at the crossroad in this picture.

When cycling back from the office I have to go straight ahead (where the pedestrian is crossing the road), but as you can see from the traffic sign, that is not a simple continuation of the direction I am travelling, but rather a change of direction. So I need to indicate this by stretching my arm in that direction. But would that then not be a violation of the other law? Just asking…