Many driver's license holders have a key number on the back of their credit card.
What this means in concrete terms is often unclear.
The number 174 gives a handy extra permit.
Kassel – On the back of driving licenses in credit card format, national and international key numbers are listed in addition to all existing vehicle classes and the date the respective driving license was issued.
They are on the far right in column number 12 and provide additional information, conditions and restrictions on the driving licence.
The code number 174, for example, gives road users an additional permit that younger drivers no longer have today.
But in addition to the meaning of each individual digit, the position of the key numbers is also of great importance.
If they only apply to individual driver's license classes, they are right next to them, explains the
ADAC
in a report.
However, some key numbers also apply to all classes and are then on the bottom line of the driver's license.
The number of digits is also relevant.
According to the ADAC,
a three-digit code is
only valid within Germany, while a two-digit code is valid throughout the EU.
The owner of the driver's license is usually informed about the meaning of the key numbers entered when his driver's license is issued.
It is also written down in Appendix 9 of the Driving License Ordinance (FeV).
Despite this, many are not aware of the importance of the key numbers.
+
A key number is often given in field 12 on the back of a driver's license.
The number 174 plays a major role, especially for older road users.
© Goodphotos/Imago
Key number 174 on the driving license only valid in Germany
The
ADAC
has listed a large number of the key figures and their meaning on its website.
For example, the key number 01.01 stands for glasses.
The number 78 means "vehicles with automatic transmission only".
In this case, both regulations apply throughout the EU.
The situation is different with the key number 174, which is only valid in Germany.
As the
ADAC
explains, the new driving license classes differ in part from the scope of previous authorizations.
Accordingly, an old class 3 car driver's license does not correspond to today's class B car.
Authorization to drive tractors and trailers with code number 174
But what additional authorization does the national key number 174 give?
This is described as follows in the Ordinance on the Admission of Persons to Road Traffic, or Driving License Ordinance (FeV) for short: “Class L, also valid for driving tractors with a maximum speed of no more than 40 km/h determined by the design, also with a single-axle trailer (where axles less than 1 m apart are considered as one axle) and combinations of these tractors and trailers if they are driven at a speed of not more than 25 km/h”.
Traffic law expert Martin Vaupel from the Lower Saxony Chamber of Agriculture explained what this means in concrete terms to the news portal for agriculture
agrarheute.
According to Vaupel's explanation, a class 3 driver's license used to be allowed to drive vehicles with a maximum permissible total weight of 7.5 tons.
The maximum speed of the tractor was over 30 km/h and it was also allowed to drive fast with single-axle trailers.
Only two-axle trailers were not allowed to be driven faster than 25 km/h.
In the past, classes 3, 4 and 5 were not tied to agricultural or forestry purposes - unlike the L and T driving license classes today.
The holders of such a driving license are still allowed to do all of this in road traffic today, the key number 174 officially ensures this. According to the report by
agrarheute
, the holders of an old driving license for classes 5, 4, 3 and 2 get this when they convert after class L key number entered.
This means that they are not tied to agricultural or forestry purposes if they drive vehicles or vehicle combinations in accordance with the L-category regulations - because this restriction did not exist at the time.
The meaning of the key number 70 is relevant for everyone who has their main residence in Germany and has a foreign EU driving license.
In addition, there will soon be new guidelines for all driving licenses across Europe.
(lea)
Rubric list image: © Goodphotos/Imago
