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FWIW, I've read that the traffic laws in Germany are much stricter, e.g. it's actually illegal to "cruise" in the left lane or pass on the right on the autobahn, and you get hit with a very hefty fine for doing so. Maybe if this stuff were against the law in the U.S. fewer people would do it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autobah...nd_enforcement
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I have lived in Germany, and the above quote is the definitive reason that the German drivers are "better" than in the U.S. Their rules are stricter, and more strictly enforced.
In addition to marked highway patrols, there are also frequent and diligent patrols by unmarked vehicles. Also, they have really cracked down on aggressive driving as well, so if you do try to pass and a car does not pull over, you cannot give the brights or honk, which was the traditional way to say gtf out of the way or die on the Autobahn.