Driving in the wrong direction on one-way streets is not allowed – as far as we know. A recent ruling by the Federal Court of Justice (BGH) shows how strictly this regulation should be interpreted. Accordingly, it is also forbidden to briefly reverse against the prescribed direction of travel in order to let another car drive out of a parking space.
What is permitted according to the Federal Court of Justice: reversing briefly in order to park backwards (so-called “maneuvering”). The judges have also decided that reversing from a property onto the street is permitted.
In this specific case, a driver wanted to make way for a car that was pulling out of a parking space. She then wanted to park herself in the gap. The driver drove backwards a few meters – and collided with a man’s vehicle who was turning out of a property entrance onto the street. He then sued the woman.
The driver was largely proven right at the Düsseldorf district court. The Düsseldorf Regional Court rejected the lawsuit on appeal. Now the BGH in Karlsruhe has overturned the verdict due to legal errors. The result: the regional court has to hear the matter again.