What must you be aware of when joining the motorway?

When joining a German motorway (Autobahn), you normally enter via an acceleration lane. The key rule is that the traffic already on the motorway has priority. That means you must adapt your speed and find a suitable gap, and you are not allowed to force your way in.

It is allowed to drive faster on the acceleration lane than the traffic on the main carriageway, because the whole purpose of the acceleration lane is to let you reach motorway speed and match the flow. Passing on the acceleration lane in order to merge is permitted as long as you stay in your lane and merge safely.

Drivers on the right-hand lane do not have a duty to “make room” for you. They may choose to help (for example by changing to the left lane if it’s safe), but they are not obliged to brake hard or change lanes just to let you in. Your responsibility is to accelerate, check mirrors and blind spot, indicate, and merge only when you can do so without endangering anyone. If you can’t merge by the end of the lane, you must slow down if necessary and merge behind, not push in at the last moment.