Investigators probing motorway speed regulations, set at 140 km/h
In the ongoing debate about traffic safety and climate protection in Germany, the proposal for a speed limit on highways has become a hot topic. Accident researcher Siegfried Brockmann has proposed a general speed limit of 140 kilometers per hour on motorways, citing the need for a more homogeneous speed level to reduce accidents and emissions.
Many support this idea, including a significant portion of the population. According to studies, around 90% of people would be in favour of a speed limit of 140 kilometers per hour. A recent ADAC survey also found that 55% of its members support a speed limit on highways, while 41% oppose it.
The Federal Environment Agency states that a speed limit of 130 km/h on highways would be a quick, cost-effective, and effective way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from traffic. The Federal Highway Research Institute estimates that such a limit would save 1.3 to 2 million tons of climate-damaging carbon dioxide (CO2) per year. A UBA study suggests that a limitation to 130 km/h on highways and 100 km/h on country roads would increase traffic safety, reduce noise and pollutant emissions, and result in savings of 2.2% on the total 144 million tons of CO2 emitted annually in road traffic.
However, not everyone is in favour of this proposal. The CDU (Christian Democratic Union) and FDP (Free Democratic Party) have publicly opposed a general speed limit on German autobahns in recent years. The FDP, in particular, has repeatedly voiced resistance to such a restriction. The CDU, on the other hand, wants to "balance safety, climate protection, and individual freedom - with intelligent solutions."
Federal Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder (CDU) considers a general speed limit on motorways unnecessary. The black-red federal government has only discussed the SPD proposal for a speed limit of 130, not 140. The CDU BW (a political party) is against a speed limit of 140 kilometers per hour, stating that individual freedom is also important.
Despite the opposition, the issue has been raised by Transport Minister Winfried Hermann (Greens), who calls for a speed limit on highways, citing the lack of action from decision-makers in the federal government and Bundestag. The controversy surrounding the speed limit proposal has even led Brockmann to comment that it has become a "culture war" rather than being about traffic safety or climate protection.
Interestingly, trucks typically drive around 80 kilometers per hour on the right lane, between 120 and 140 kilometers per hour in the middle lane, and faster on the left lane. Many accidents on motorways occur due to varying speeds across lanes, suggesting a potential benefit from a speed limit.
Germany is the only country in Europe without a general speed limit on motorways. With the ongoing debate, it remains to be seen whether this will change in the near future.
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