Hazards When Driving
free online instruction for business trips under German law — in English, with certificate
- 45–65 min
- 18 modules
- Free certificate
- No account needed
- Updated November 2026
This course is also available in: Deutsch Türkçe Русский العربية Українська Polski
👥 Target group: Employees in Germany with a company car, pool vehicle or occasional business trips who prefer to learn in English, Field service, service, care, trades, sales
Which legal duty or standard requirement does this training cover?
About this training
Anyone who drives on business is working — and the same instruction duty applies to this workplace as to any other. Section 12 of the German Occupational Safety and Health Act (ArbSchG) and Section 4 of DGUV Vorschrift 1 require it at least once a year, documented. Section 35 of DGUV Vorschrift 70 makes clear who may drive a vehicle at all: only someone who is suitable, instructed, reliable and expressly authorised.
This online instruction is the English-language edition of our German course, written for employees who work in Germany but do not read German. The law that applies is German law, explained in plain English; the German edition is the authoritative version. It covers the general part: keeper's liability, fitness to drive, tiredness, time pressure, distraction, weather, breakdown and behaviour at the scene of an accident. At the end there is a certificate of participation with a certificate number that any auditor can verify.
What this course covers — and what it does not: It provides the general part of the annual driver instruction, with a record of contents and date. It does not provide the company-specific part: Section 12 ArbSchG requires an instruction tailored to the specific workplace — vehicle, pool car rules, reporting paths, contact persons and the company alcohol rule are known only to your company. Also not: a driver safety training and the professional driver training under the BKrFQG. The course explains German law in English; it does not cover the road traffic law of other countries. This is a translation of the German course — in case of doubt the German edition applies.
Contents at a glance
- What this is about — and what this course is notScope: general part of the annual driver instruction — replaces neither the company-specific part nor a driver safety training
- The legal framework in one placeLegal framework: Section 12 ArbSchG, Section 4 DGUV Vorschrift 1, Section 35 DGUV Vorschrift 70, StVO, StVZO, Section 21 StVG
- Who bears the responsibilityResponsibility in the company: keeper's liability, written driving authorisation, suitability and reliability of the driver
- Documents and requirementsDocuments and requirements: valid driving licence, registration certificate, driving licence check, Working Hours Act
- Vehicle condition and mandatory equipmentVehicle condition: pre-departure check, recurring UVV inspection, reporting of defects, mandatory equipment warning triangle, high-visibility vest, first-aid kit
- Insured or notInsurance cover: business trip, commuting accident, interruption for private errands
- Fitness to drive: alcohol, cannabis, medicationFitness to drive: alcohol, cannabis and medication — statutory limits and company rules
- Tiredness and microsleepTiredness and microsleep: warning signs, breaks, abandoning the journey
- Time pressure and stressTime pressure and stress: cancel appointments instead of driving at risk
- Ill on the roadIllness and feeling unwell on the road — also the passenger
- Distraction at the wheelDistraction at the wheel: mobile phone, displays, operating devices while driving — legal situation and fines
- Speed, distance and driver assistance systemsSpeed, distance and driver assistance systems: stopping distance, limits of technology, mandatory systems under Regulation (EU) 2019/2144
- Weather and visibilityWeather and visibility: wet roads, aquaplaning, fog, black ice, situational winter tyre requirement
- Collision with wildlife and wrong-way driversSpecial hazard situations: collision with wildlife and wrong-way drivers
- Breakdown and technical defectBreakdown and technical defect: securing the scene, assistance, continuing or abandoning the journey
- Case study: behaviour at the scene of an accidentBehaviour at the scene of an accident: securing the scene, high-visibility vest, emergency call 112 with the W questions, emergency lane under Section 11(2) StVO, first aid
- Procedure in our companyProcedure in our company: reporting paths, contact persons, company rules
- Keeping recordsRecords: annual repetition, who must take part, documentation and retention
Frequently asked questions
Is the course really free?
Yes. No registration, no payment details, no trial period. You only enter your e-mail address so that the certificate can be delivered.
Does the course fulfil the annual instruction duty?
It fulfils the general part. The company-specific part — vehicle, reporting paths, internal rules — must be added by the company; Section 12 ArbSchG requires a workplace-related instruction.
Which law does the course explain?
German law — the Arbeitsschutzgesetz, DGUV Vorschrift 1 and 70 and German road traffic law (StVO, StVZO, StVG). The course is for employees who work in Germany but do not read German. It is a translation of our German course "Gefahren bei der Autofahrt" with the same content and the same certificate; in case of doubt the German edition applies.
How often must the instruction be repeated?
At least once a year, and in addition for new vehicles, new activities, after an accident and when regulations change.
What is on the certificate?
Name, course, date, result, the complete list of topics and a certificate number that can be verified on the Academy's verification page — without displaying the e-mail address.
Is the course suitable for professional drivers?
The contents apply to everyone who drives on business. It does not replace the professional driver training under the BKrFQG.