A drive shaft for motor vehicles, comprising shaft portions arranged one after the other in the longitudinal direction of the drive shaft, one shaft portion of which being a tubular shaft portion having a larger cross section and another shaft portion being a shaft portion having a smaller cross section, • the shaft portion having the larger cross section being arranged, when the drive shaft is in an initial state, on one side of an annular transition region of the drive shaft and the shaft portion having the smaller cross section being arranged on the other side, and the transition region comprising a region wall that interconnects the shaft portion having the larger cross section and the shaft portion having the smaller cross section, • the shaft portion having the larger cross section and the shaft portion having the smaller cross section being able to move relative to one another, under the action of a longitudinal force which acts on the shaft portion having the larger cross section and/or on the shaft portion having the smaller cross section in the longitudinal direction of the drive shaft and compresses the drive shaft starting from the initial state, in the longitudinal direction of the drive shaft, and the region wall of the transition region between the shaft portion having the larger cross section and the shaft portion having the smaller cross section forming a predetermined deformation point and/or a predetermined breaking point, • the shaft portion having the smaller cross section comprising an insertion length which is arranged outside the shaft portion having the larger cross section when the drive shaft is in the initial state and extends in the longitudinal direction of the drive shaft and by which the shaft portion having the smaller cross section can be pushed into the shaft portion having the larger cross section when the drive shaft is compressed, thus deforming and/or breaking the region wall of the transition region arranged between the shaft portion having the larger cross section and the shaft portion having the smaller cross section, and characterized in that the insertion length of the shaft portion having the smaller cross section is provided with a cross-section widening which is molded into the shaft portion having the smaller cross section over a partial length of the insertion length and the cross section of which is larger than the cross section of a remaining length of the insertion length of the shaft portion having the smaller cross section, which remaining length extends in the longitudinal direction of the drive shaft on the side of the cross-sectional widening remote from the shaft portion having the larger cross section when the drive shaft is in the initial state, the shaft portion having the smaller cross section being guided inside the shaft portion having the larger cross section in the direction of movement by means of the cross-sectional widening molded over the partial length of the insertion length into the shaft portion having the smaller cross section when the shaft portion having the larger cross section and the shaft portion having the smaller cross section move relative to one another when the drive shaft is compressed. • the shaft portion having the larger cross section being arranged, when the drive shaft is in an initial state, on one side of an annular transition region of the drive shaft and the shaft portion having the smaller cross section being arranged on the other side, and the transition region comprising a region wall that interconnects the shaft portion having the larger cross section and the shaft portion having the smaller cross section, • the shaft portion having the larger cross section and the shaft portion having the smaller cross section being able to move relative to one another, under the action of a longitudinal force which acts on the shaft portion having the larger cross section and/or on the shaft portion having the smaller cross section in the longitudinal direction of the drive shaft and compresses the drive shaft starting from the initial state, in the longitudinal direction of the drive shaft, and the region wall of the transition region between the shaft portion having the larger cross section and the shaft portion having the smaller cross section forming a predetermined deformation point and/or a predetermined breaking point, • the shaft portion having the smaller cross section comprising an insertion length which is arranged outside the shaft portion having the larger cross section when the drive shaft is in the initial state and extends in the longitudinal direction of the drive shaft and by which the shaft portion having the smaller cross section can be pushed into the shaft portion having the larger cross section when the drive shaft is compressed, thus deforming and/or breaking the region wall of the transition region arranged between the shaft portion having the larger cross section and the shaft portion having the smaller cross section, and