In short: At "Traffic-calmed area (home zone)" the examiner mainly wants to see: Walking speed only; Pedestrians and playing children may use the whole street; you must neither endanger nor hinder them; Do not hinder or endanger them: wait if necessary; Expect children with the ball, ready to brake. A severe mistake that can end the test: drive through at 20 km/h, that is already slow.
You enter a traffic-calmed area (blue sign with children playing). The street has no pavement, children are playing with a ball, a pedestrian is walking in the middle of the street. At the end of the area the street joins a main road.
The examiner says„Fahren Sie bitte durch den Bereich und am Ende nach rechts.“
"Please drive through the area and turn right at the end."
What you have to show
- Walking speed only
- Pedestrians and playing children may use the whole street; you must neither endanger nor hinder them
- Do not hinder or endanger them: wait if necessary
- Expect children with the ball, ready to brake
- When leaving: give way as when leaving a driveway, indicate right
- Park only in marked spaces
The right order
- See the sign: walking speed
- Pedestrians and children use the whole street, you must neither endanger nor hinder them
- Ball and children: ready to brake, stop if necessary
- At the end indicate right, shoulder check right, exit as from a driveway
- Give way to everyone on the main road
Typical mistakes
What the examiner records in the protocol
The examiner files every situation under five competence areas in the electronic test protocol. This is how the points of this situation are spread:
- Pedestrians and playing children may use the whole street; you must neither endanger nor hinder them severe mistake
- Expect children with the ball, ready to brake
- When leaving: give way as when leaving a driveway, indicate right severe mistake
- Park only in marked spaces
- Walking speed only severe mistake
- Do not hinder or endanger them: wait if necessary
How the examiner grades: the electronic test protocol explained →
A strong answer
The sign shows a traffic-calmed area, so I drive at walking speed only. Pedestrians and playing children may use the whole street here. I do not hinder or endanger them and wait if necessary. With the ball I expect children and stay ready to brake. I could only park in marked spaces. When leaving the area I indicate right, do a shoulder check to the right and have to give way to everyone on the main road, as when exiting a driveway.
What the law says
Sign 325.1 (§ 42 StVO, annex 3): walking speed, pedestrians may use the full width of the street, children may play anywhere, vehicles must neither endanger nor hinder pedestrians and must wait if necessary; parking only in marked spaces. § 10 StVO: whoever enters the road from a traffic-calmed area must rule out endangering others, if necessary with someone guiding them; in practice that means giving way to everyone.
Legal text: § 42 StVO · § 10 StVO · Anlage 3 StVO · Anlage 2 StVO (Verkehrszeichen) (gesetze-im-internet.de)
Quick check
At the end of the traffic-calmed area a car comes from the left on the main road. Who goes first?
- You, because you come from the right
- The car on the main road, you have to wait
- Whoever is faster
Show the answer
Tap the steps in the right order or explain in your own words what you would do. The app checks your answer instantly, free and without registration.
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