Theory topic 2 · Düsseldorf
Topic 2: The human risk factor
Alcohol, drugs, tiredness and distraction all change what you notice on the road and how quickly you react. Topic 2 deals with the idea that only other people drive dangerously, and shows how alcohol, drugs, stress and your phone can throw your judgement off.
- In class
- 90 minutes, as often as you like
- This is topic 2 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 2 covers
This is what's on the plan in the lesson, and it's what the theory test (Theorieprüfung) will ask you about.
- Which drink-drive limits apply to new drivers, to BF17 and to professional drivers
- How alcohol affects your reactions and your eyesight from as little as 0.2 ‰
- Which drugs show up in a blood test and what the penalties are
- How tiredness leads to microsleep, and why people underestimate it
- How much your phone distracts you, even with a hands-free kit
- How feelings like anger, being in a hurry or frustration change the way you drive
- Why aggression, tailgating and using the horn make the roads less safe
The key rules
What you need to know for sure
A lot of the test questions on this topic come back to these points.
0.0 ‰ in your probationary period, 0.5 ‰ after that
If you're a new driver in your two-year probationary period (Probezeit), or under 21, you're not allowed any alcohol at all, so the limit is 0.0 ‰. Once you're over 21 and out of your probationary period, the limit is 0.5 ‰. From 1.1 ‰ it's a criminal offence, because the law then treats you as completely unfit to drive.
Drugs: zero tolerance in your probationary period
Since 22.08.2024 the limit for cannabis has been 3.5 ng/ml THC in blood serum (§ 24a StVG). If you're in your probationary period or under 21, there's a separate ban on cannabis at the wheel, so for you it stays at zero tolerance. For cocaine, MDMA, amphetamines and heroin, § 24a StVG says any trace in your blood is enough. The first time, that costs €500, 2 points and a one-month driving ban, and if it happens again you'll be ordered to take an MPU, the German medical and psychological assessment.
Keep your phone out of your hand
If you pick up your phone while driving, even just to check something, it's a €100 fine and 1 point. If you put someone in danger, it's €150, 2 points and a one-month driving ban. The only things allowed are hands-free use through Bluetooth or a car kit, and quick voice commands.
The only cure for tiredness is a break
Early warning signs are yawning a lot, sore eyes and drifting out of your lane. Coffee doesn't replace sleep. The only thing that really helps is stopping for a break, ideally with a 10 to 20 minute nap.
Aggression at the wheel
Tailgating, flashing your lights at someone, driving right up behind them and insulting them are not minor things. Tailgating can count as coercion (Nötigung, § 240 StGB), which carries a fine or a prison sentence, and an insult is a separate criminal offence. Stay calm and keep your distance. If it gets serious, pull over and call 110.
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.
- Forgetting about alcohol from the night before
- If you drink in the evening, there can still be alcohol in your blood the next morning. On average your body only breaks down about 0.1 ‰ an hour, or up to 0.2 ‰ in men. So at 1.0 ‰ it takes around 10 hours before all the alcohol is gone.
- Thinking a hands-free kit makes calls safe
- A phone call over Bluetooth still takes your attention away from the road. In the test, the right answer is often that it's allowed but dangerous, although that depends on how the question is put.
- Believing microsleep won't happen to you
- Microsleep comes without warning. At 100 km/h you travel 83 m in 3 seconds without seeing anything, and that's enough for a fatal crash.
- Thinking cannabis is a 'soft' drug
- Since 22.08.2024 the limit has been 3.5 ng/ml THC in blood serum. A first offence costs €500, 2 points and a one-month driving ban, or €1,000 if you've also been drinking. If you're in your probationary period or under 21, cannabis at the wheel is banned whatever the reading.
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're in your probationary period. What is your drink-drive limit?
You're very tired. What is the only thing that really helps?
You hold your mobile phone in your hand while driving. What can happen?
In the driving lesson
Where you'll meet topic 2 again in the car
In your first lessons you'll quickly notice how much even a glance at the speedometer or the sat nav takes your eyes off the road. You can't avoid stress in traffic completely. What matters is that you learn to spot it in yourself before it causes problems, whether in your test or in everyday driving.
Questions and answers
Common questions about topic 2
Short answers to questions around this topic.
What happens if I'm at 0.3 ‰ and drive normally?
I used cannabis yesterday. Can I drive today?
What's the fine for using a phone while driving?
My passenger is drunk. Can I drive if I'm sober?
What should I do about someone tailgating me?
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 8: SpeedBraking and stopping distances, speed limits and why a little faster means a lot further.
- Topic 11: Dealing with special situationsAccidents, breakdowns, emergency vehicles, fog, ice and what to do in a tunnel.
- Class BThe car licence.
- Class BF17Start at 17 and drive with a companion.
- Refresher lessonGet your confidence back after a break.
