Overview
- Federal proposals would cut costs by permitting parent-accompanied practice, expanding driving-simulator use, digitising theory lessons and trimming required lessons or questions.
- Draft details reported by local outlets include six hours with a professional instructor after the theory pass, followed by roughly 1,000 kilometres driven with a private accompanying person.
- Driving instructors argue training quality and road safety would suffer, deriding simulators as “toy” and noting that parents lack dual controls to intervene in emergencies.
- Saxony-Anhalt’s transport minister supports private accompaniment but says a schedule will be clearer after the March ministers’ conference and cautions the legislative process will take time even as passage this year is the goal.
- Driving schools report fewer new enrollments tied to the reform talk and warn simulators cost about €30,000 and still require supervision, while typical licence costs now run about €3,000–€3,500.