Theory topic 12 · Düsseldorf
Topic 12: Safety through further learning
Passing your test doesn't mean you've stopped learning. Topic 12 shows why driving safely is something you keep working on for life, from your probationary period to refresher lessons and, later on, the question of whether you're still safe at the wheel as you get older. If you keep learning, you'll drive more safely and for longer.
- In class
- 90 minutes, as often as you like
- This is topic 12 of 14. You can come to this double lesson as many times as you like.
- Flexible times
- 8 theory classes a week
- Lessons run on six days a week. The 14 topics follow on from each other in a loop, so you simply join at the next lesson.
- Four languages
- German, English, Arabic, Berber
- Lessons are taught in German. If something isn't clear, you can ask in English, Arabic or Berber.
What you learn
What topic 12 covers
This is what's on the plan in the lesson, and it's what the theory test (Theorieprüfung) will ask you about.
- Why safe driving needs practice over decades, not just until the test
- What defensive driving means: looking ahead, keeping a safety buffer, expecting what might happen
- When a refresher lesson makes sense, for example after a long break, in a new car or when you feel unsure
- Which seminars exist (the ASF during the probationary period, the FES if you have points) and what the MPU is
- Which new driving techniques are worth checking regularly
- How fitness to drive changes with age: eyesight, reactions, medication
- What driver safety training, such as the ADAC courses, can do for you
The key rules
What you need to know for sure
A lot of the test questions on this topic come back to these points.
Defensive driving means looking ahead
Driving defensively means you see what could happen next. You expect the car that's about to change lanes, the door opening on a parked car, or the child running out after a ball. To have time to react, you keep a buffer around you, both in space and in time.
Take a refresher lesson after a long break
If you haven't driven for a long time, it's a good idea to take a few refresher lessons. They can also help after an accident, after an illness or when you switch to a very different car, for example from petrol or diesel to electric. You don't have to take them, but they give you back your confidence at the wheel.
The seminar for new drivers (ASF)
If you commit one serious offence (an A-Verstoß) or two less serious ones (B-Verstöße) during your Probezeit (probationary period), you must attend the Aufbauseminar für Fahranfänger (ASF). It runs in a group of six to twelve people, with four sessions of 135 minutes each and a practical drive in which everyone drives for at least 30 minutes. You can only do it one-to-one if you apply for that. If you don't take part, your licence is taken away.
Driver improvement seminar (Fahreignungsseminar)
You don't have to do it. But if you're on one to five points and send the certificate to the licensing authority within two weeks, one point comes off your record. You can only do that once every five years. The seminar runs over a few weeks: two 90-minute sessions on road safety and two 75-minute one-to-one sessions with a traffic psychologist.
Fitness to drive as you get older
Your eyesight, your reaction speed and the medicines you take all change over the years. For class B there is no legal age limit and no compulsory medical check. But if a physical or mental condition means you can't drive safely, it's up to you to do something about it (§ 2 FeV).
Common mistakes
Where the test often trips people up
In these places a question often means something different from what it seems to say when you read it quickly.
- Thinking you've learnt it all once you have your licence
- The practical test only checks a minimum standard. Really safe driving comes with experience, and even then only if you keep questioning the way you drive.
- Seeing the ASF as a punishment
- The seminar is there to help you work out your own driving mistakes and do something about them. If you take it seriously, you have a better chance of getting through the probation procedure with as little trouble as possible.
- Expecting too much from the driver improvement seminar
- Taking the seminar voluntarily takes off one point at most, and only if you're on one to five points, and only once every five years. All your other points are only deleted once the time limits set by law have passed.
- Treating routine as safety
- Routine can make you overconfident. If you've driven the same route for ten years, it's easy to miss changes such as new signs, a different priority rule or a new cycle lane.
Sample questions
What the questions in the theory test look like
Click on a question to see the answer. You can practise the full set of official questions with our learning app.
You haven't driven a car for a long time. What should you do?
What does defensive driving mean?
When do you have to attend the seminar for new drivers (ASF)?
In the driving lesson
Where you'll meet topic 12 again in the car
Even after you've passed your test, you can book single refresher lessons with us.
Questions and answers
Common questions about topic 12
Short answers to questions around this topic.
When do I need a refresher lesson?
How much does the ASF seminar cost?
Can I get rid of points voluntarily?
Do older drivers need a health check?
Where can I find driver safety training?
Registration
Come along to the theory lessons
Pre-register online, with no obligation. Once your registration has gone through, you join at the next lesson, whichever topic is on that day.
Or just drop by
- Phone
- 0211 21098911
- Mon–Fri
- 10:30–19:00
- Sat
- 10:00–15:00
- Sun
- Closed
Read on
Related topics and pages
- Topic 1: Personal requirementsAge, the eye test (Sehtest), first aid and what being fit to drive really means.
- Topic 11: Dealing with special situationsAccidents, breakdowns, emergency vehicles, fog, ice and what to do in a tunnel.
- Topic 13: Vehicle technology, passengers & the environmentTyres, lights, loads, child seats and economical driving. Extra material for class B.
- Refresher lessonGet your confidence back after a break.
- RenewalWhen your licence card runs out.
- Class BThe car licence.
