Rocci

+1, but good luck with that. But, it is not just about the time and cost of getting a drivers license and the laws in Germany, it is also about taking responsibility for your actions. In Germany there is still a strong sense of personal responsibility. Take the N-ring for example. You do not sign a release or waiver. You buy a RingCard, drive the ring and if something happens, well you knew and accepted the risks once you went through the gate. It is that simple.

Fahrer

I have a German driver's license and I have lived in Germany ( NRW) for a few years. The drivng experience is generally very good. The roads are good, there is no junk on the roads (I am referring to both debri and crappy cars), no potholes. Getting a license is not so easy ( 30% of new drivers fail the test) so the drivers are better. There are a lot of cars though ( NRW, in particular) and there is a lot of construction activity to maintain the roads. If you have ever driven in a construction area on the autobahn, you will know that it takes a lot of concentration with those very narrow construction lanes. One can not survive there without navigation which has an excellent warning system for traffic jams. Radios also have a sepaerate wanring system for traffic jams. The roads are excellent and it is paid for through road fuel taxes. That is why the fuel is expensive. They do not have people who do not own or operate cars subsidizing roads and driving like we have here in the US. Heavy trucks are banned on Sundays ( with few exceptions). I regularly drove my Passat 2.0 TDI at 125 mph on the weekends in good weather.

But, unlike Americans, there is a sense of personal responsibility ( it is not "all about me" it is "we are all in this together"). It is not just driving but with life in general. eg. do not ever cross the street ( by foot) on a red light while there is a child near by. You will get scolded for setting a bad example. I got back here in 2008 and could not believe how much the roads have deteriorated in the US and how many folks are talking and texting while driving, not using directionals, etc. Oh well... at least we have cheap gas ( yeah, even at $4.00/gal., it is cheap).

racer

Being able to AFFORD a car and is not a requirement for knowing how to to DRIVE a car.

Lets hope no one sees the OP on the phone someday in his Pcar

in america, driving is NOT seen as a "privilege" but as a "right". Anyone old enough is allowed to try their luck.