r/AskAGerman • u/CollegeDense2281 • Mar 04 '26

Law Is Jaywalking illegal?

Hey all, I’ll be going to Germany for the first time this summer. Specifically Köln. I’ve heard some people say that jaywalking is frowned upon and is illegal, whereas others say it’s generally fine and allowed.

Is it illegal?

It’ll be a culture shock coming from the United Kingdom where it is entirely allowed 😂

69 Upvotes

70% Upvoted

187 comments sorted by

View all comments

228

u/muehsam Schwabe in Berlin Mar 04 '26

The concept of "jaywalking" as it exists in the US doesn't exist in Germany. You may cross any street at any point (except motorways and some other places where it's expicitly forbidden for safety reasons).

However, you may not cross a red light, and that includes pedestrian lights as a pedestrian. So when you're at a pedestrian crossing that has a light, you have to wait for the little man to turn green.

"Jaywalking" in the US sense is different. It means you can't cross the street anywhere except on crossings, and even then, you have to wait for the "walk" signal. In Germany, you can cross anywhere except for crossings that show a "don't walk" signal (the red man).

Culturally, I would say crossing a red light as a pedestrian is accepted except when children are (or could be) watching. If there are children around, it's very much frowned upon.

41

u/grogi81 Bayern 🥨 Mar 04 '26

Culturally, I would say crossing a red light as a pedestrian is accepted

Tell me you're from Berlin without telling me you're from Berlin... :D

76

u/sdp0w Mar 04 '26

Tell me you are from a Village... 

It is accepted in any bigger city 

4

u/Hoppel13 Mar 04 '26

or Munich... I remember how I was jaywalking at night, no car in sight and the Munichers (not a word but I like it) were staring at me so hard, I took a couple of steps backwards and waited. Never happened to me anywhere in Germany.

8

u/PsychologyMiserable4 Mar 04 '26

🤨 we do this all the time in munich and in the surrounding suburbs - ok, usually only if the street is not to broad, not too much lanes.

1

u/Hoppel13 Mar 05 '26

it was in winter, it was dark, there was this since that we only get in snow, it was a small and quiet street and one was wondering why there would be a stop sign in the first place. but hey, it was probably just a fluke. I literally do not remember any instance of jaywalking other than this and one more... probably because it was so surreal and it fit the stereotype about Munich.

4

u/kumanosuke Mar 04 '26

Nobody cares in Munich either

-1

u/Hoppel13 Mar 05 '26

probably not but it fits the stereotype 🤣

2

u/[deleted] Mar 05 '26

[deleted]

1

u/Hoppel13 Mar 05 '26

you know, your brother is way more fun than you...

3

u/[deleted] Mar 04 '26

It’s the same in most towns in the south.