New road sign 277.1: Hefty fines for overtaking two‑wheelers in Germany
A new road sign, 277.1, features a red car symbol next to black symbols of a bicycle and a motorcycle. Its introduction aims to enhance road users' safety. Ignorance of regulations in this area can be very costly, with fines reaching up to €281.
Drivers who frequently travel abroad must be well-versed in regulations, particularly paying attention to road signs.
Recently, in Germany, a new road sign, 277.1, was introduced, extending signs 276 and 277, which indicate a no-overtaking zone for cars and a no-overtaking zone for trucks, respectively.
It was introduced to protect the safety of road users who are not as well-shielded as those driving cars.
Unfamiliar with this road sign? You could pay a fine of up to €281
Sign 277.1, a round prohibition sign with a red border, has a red car symbol in the middle, flanked by black symbols of a bicycle and a motorcycle. This means that there should be no overtaking of two-wheeled vehicles by multi-tracked vehicles. In practice, this implies that cars and motorcycles with sidecars cannot overtake bicycles and motorcycles, but bicycles and motorcycles can overtake each other.
The sign is placed on relatively narrow sections of roads, where car drivers might decide to overtake two-wheeled vehicles, creating a traffic hazard.
In Germany, fines for breaking the rule of not overtaking bicycles and motorcycles range from €70 to €304, which is approximately €281. The amount of the fine depends on several factors. The highest penalties apply to multi-tracked vehicle drivers who endanger another road user or cause a collision while overtaking.
