Speed limits

The German autobahns are famous for being some of the few public roads in the world without blanket speed limits for cars and motorcycles. Lack of blanket speed limits does not appear to negatively impact the road safety of autobahns compared with motorways in other countries; motorways are safer than other road types. Certainly, speed limits do apply at junctions and other danger points, like sections under construction or in need of repair. Certain stretches have separate, and lower, speed limits used in cases of wet lanes.

Some limits were imposed to reduce pollution and noise. Limits can also be put into place temporarily through dynamic traffic guidance systems that display the according traffic signs. If there is no speed limit, the recommended speed limit is 130 km/h (81 mph); this speed is not a binding limit, but being involved in an accident at higher speeds can lead to being deemed at least partially responsible due to “increased operating danger”. The average rate of speed traveled on the autobahn in unregulated areas by automobiles not regulated by other laws is about 150 Km/h (93 mph). On average, about half of the total length of the German autobahn network has no speed limit, about one third has a permanent limit, and the remaining parts have a temporary limit for a number of reasons.

In places without a general limit, there are mostly also no restrictions on overtaking. Therefore, those traveling at high speeds may regularily encounter trucks running side-by-side at only about 80 km/h (50 mph). In theory, trucks are not allowed to overtake others unless they drive 20 km/h (12 mph) faster than whomever they are overtaking, but truck drivers are generally under pressure to arrive in time, and such laws are rarely enforced for economic and political reasons, as many trucks are from foreign countries. The right lane of a typical autobahn is often crowded with trucks, and too often, trucks pull out to overtake. Due to size and speed this is often referred to as “Elephant Race”. In some zones with only two lanes in both directions there is no speed limit, but a special overtaking restriction for trucks and/or cars pulling trailers.

Modern cars easily reach well over 200 km/h (124 mph), and most large car manufacturers follow a gentlemen’s agreement by artificially limiting the top speed of their cars to 250 km/h (155 mph) for safety reasons (inexperienced drivers and risk of tires failing, especially when underinflated). Yet, these limiters can easily be defeated, so speeds exceeding 300 km/h (186 mph) are not unheard of, although due to common speed limits and other traffic, such speeds are rarely attainable.

Vehicles unable to attain speeds in excess of 60 km/h (37 mph) are not allowed to use the autobahn. Though this limit is not high for most modern vehicles, it prevents very small cars (e.g. Quads) and motor-scooters (e.g. Mofas) from using autobahns. To comply with this limit, several heavy-duty trucks in Germany (e.g. for carrying tanks or cranes) have a design speed of 62 km/h (usually denoted by a round black-on-white sign with “62” on it).

Since the mid-1980s, when environmental issues gained importance and recognition among lawmakers, interest groups and the general public, there has been an ongoing debate on whether or not a nationwide general speed limit should be imposed for Autobahns. Obviously, a car’s fuel consumption increases with speed, and fuel conservation is a key factor in reducing pollution. Safety issues have been cited as well with regards to speed-related fatalities. Opposers of a general speed limit maintain that such regulation is unnecessary because only two percent of all German roads would be affected and because better fuel economy even at high speeds has been achieved in most modern cars. Moreover, recent accident statistics supposedly don't lend proof that traveling at high speeds is that much more dangerous.

Twenty years after the beginning of this debate, there are still no definite plans by the federal government concerning such a speed limit.