Life in Germany. Street parking in Germany. When parking near a street light pole, watch out for the red stripe on it. It is one of the oldest road signs in Germany. These stickers are official road signs, and drivers should know what they mean to avoid problems.
Germany has many road signs that are often unknown not only to foreigners, but even the locals. These include, for example, a road sign with a red dot or a highway sign with an orange arrow. We wrote about them here: Orange arrow on the German highway and what it means
Sign with a red dot on the German highway and what it means
Unfortunately, ignoring some signs has unfortunate consequences. For example, a red stripe with a white border painted on street lamp posts in Germany is an important warning sign. If you ignore it, you could be in trouble. It was included in the Road Traffic Regulations as early as 1937 at numbers 35 and 36 and is called “light pole ring”. The red band is usually painted on poles 1.5 to 1.8 meters high.
The “red band” means that the street lamp is turned off overnight. So parking your vehicle there during the day, you have to assume it will be dark afterwards. It is however recommended that if you park your car overnight next to a marked lantern, you should light your car. In urban areas, the parking light must mark the side of the vehicle facing the road. Alternatively, you can light up the parking lights on both sides and the rear license plate.
Ignoring these steps may lead to another vehicle driving into your unlit car, be prepared for a lot of trouble. In addition to the fine, you can be found complicit in the collision. Be sure to check the pole to see if it is marked, to avoid any fines and trouble.
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Drivers who violate this road sign face a penalty of 100 euros
Source: 24auto.de