Rivalry in the Offenbach district: communities demand their own license plates!

Rivalry in the Offenbach district: communities demand their own license plates!

In the last few days there has been heated discussion about new license plates in the Offenbach district. The communities in the surrounding area, including Obertshausen, Mühlheim, Rödermark, Seligenstadt and Rodgau, are showing more and more interest in having their own license plates, reports op online. The previous license plate OF, which has been used since 1956 for both the independent city of Offenbach and the district of the same name, could soon be a thing of the past.

A clear favorite among drivers in the area seems to be the desire for individuality. Many people prefer their own license plates, which have also been theoretically possible since the introduction of the so-called old license plates in Hesse in 2013. There are already corresponding proposals in Rödermark, but the path to real change could be complicated. The necessary applications must be submitted to the Federal Ministry of Transport and approval from the Federal Council is still pending.

Negative perception of the Offenbach license plate

The mood towards the Offenbach license plate couldn't be more different. Sayings like “OF stands for without a driver’s license” are circulating on social networks like Reddit, which ridicule the driving behavior of Offenbach drivers. Drivers from Frankfurt in particular are critical and emphasize the rivalry between the cities. This perception can also be found in recently published accident statistics from the South Hesse Police Headquarters, which reveal that Offenbach drivers caused the most accidents in Germany in 2024. However, with 13,859 accidents, a slight decrease compared to the previous year, the city is in the highest regional class 12 for vehicle insurance.

Two sides of the same coin: While the number of accidents in Offenbach is below the Frankfurt area with over 23,000 accidents per year, the accident statistics show Federal Statistical Office that the accidents in Offenbach are influenced by numerous factors. By evaluating these statistics, a detailed picture of road safety and driving habits can be obtained, which could be of significant relevance for local transport policy.

Driving behavior and insurance premiums

The driving behavior of the Offenbachers shows some interesting facets: At Driverrating.de Offenbach drivers were rated an average of 2.5 out of 5 stars, which corresponds to an average school grade of 4. It's also nice to hear that at least 6% of drivers are considered courteous and pleasant. On the other hand, it should be noted that 14% of drivers like to jostle or cut off other cars. Despite these negative aspects, Offenbach is certainly attractive as a place to live for drivers, despite the higher insurance premiums.

The differences in vehicle insurance premiums between the city of Offenbach and the neighboring district are clear: While the city has liability insurance of 130.43 euros, the district has liability insurance of 107.22 euros. These differences are partly due to the different accident statistics in the two regions.

Whatever happens next: The discussion about the new license plates remains exciting. Whether the communities in the Offenbach district can assert themselves and whether the negative perception of the OF license plate will soon be history will become clear in the coming months.