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Full veiling for religious reasons is prohibited at the wheel of a vehicle.
Religious freedom does not require a Muslim woman to be granted a special permit so that she can drive a car fully veiled, the Düsseldorf administrative court ruled on Thursday in an urgent procedure (Az .: 6 L 2150/20).
An appeal against the decision can still be lodged with the Higher Administrative Court of North Rhine-Westphalia in Münster.
The plaintiff had asked the Düsseldorf district government to allow her to use the niqab at the wheel of a car.
The head and shoulder scarf covers the entire head and neck area and only leaves a slit for the eyes.
The district government rightly rejected the application, the court found, according to the notification.
The road traffic regulations stipulate that the driver's face must remain recognizable.
This is compatible with the fundamental right to freedom of belief.
The protection that the niqab is supposed to offer the wearer from indecent looks is already largely guaranteed by a closed car because it acts as a kind of private shelter in public.
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As far as the naked face of the driver remains visible from the outside through the windows of the car, she has to accept this to protect traffic safety.
A veiled face increases the likelihood that traffic violations cannot be prosecuted.
That endangers traffic safety.
The covering head and shoulder scarf could also restrict the driver's all-round view in a safety-threatening manner if it slipped.
It also affects non-verbal communication through facial expressions and lip movements, which is necessary in road traffic.