Incorrect meandering: Motorcyclists ignore the emergency lane!

Incorrect meandering: Motorcyclists ignore the emergency lane!

A hot Sunday, temperatures over 30 degrees and many travelers on the A7 motorway between Ulm and Memmingen - these are the ingredients for a classic traffic jam that robs not only drivers but also motorcyclists of their patience. On June 16, 2025, the time had come again: traffic came to an almost complete standstill, and the need to form an emergency lane posed a challenge for the waiting drivers. In such situations, drivers, in full compliance with the law, form the necessary emergency lane to make room for the emergency vehicles. But motorcyclists repeatedly use this alley, which is strictly forbidden in Germany, as Schwäbische.de reports.

For motorcyclists the situation is even more complicated. They often weave their way through the waiting cars in order to get out of the mess more quickly. Weaving through traffic jams is expressly prohibited, and overtaking on the right side is also not permitted. In principle, only overtaking on the left is permitted, but not without risk - there is often not enough space for the necessary safety distance, as the ADAC states in its guidelines.

The rules for the emergency lane

The formation of an emergency lane is strictly regulated by law in Germany. In traffic jams or slowdowns outside built-up areas, vehicles in the left lane must turn left and everyone else must turn right. This creates an alley in the middle of the road that can be used by emergency vehicles. Failure to comply with this regulation can result in hefty fines of up to 320 euros and a one-month driving ban. In addition, there are two points in Flensburg, which represents a serious problem for many drivers, as Busgeldbescheid-Einstimm.com shows.

Despite several petitions calling for the emergency lane to be opened up for motorcyclists, these requests were always rejected. The reason is obvious: motorcyclists could pile up at the end of the emergency lane and thus hinder emergency vehicles. In addition, the increased risk of accidents, especially when drivers change lanes in traffic jams, is highlighted as a key reason against such a change. Experience from France, where motorcycles were allowed to drive through the emergency lane from 2016 to 2021, shows that accidents increased by a whopping 12% during this period.

Alternative considerations

In the discussion about improved procedures for motorcyclists in traffic jams, opening the hard shoulder could be one possibility. This concept stipulated that motorcyclists were allowed to drive on the hard shoulder until the next exit. But this idea is also considered impractical because a traffic jam in front of accident scenes could hinder rescue workers.

Motorcyclists can only hope that their concerns will be taken seriously in the future without creating undesirable risks for all road users. The debate is ongoing, but safety is paramount and should never be neglected.