Posted on Tuesday 8 April 2008
German autobahns are famed for their lack of speed limits and ability to get you from one side of the country to the other in incredibly quick times, but now the German city-state of Bremen is imposing a general speed limit on its stretch of the autobahn and will be limiting drivers to just 120km/h (75mph) as of tomorrow.
Speaking with the Associated Press, state environment minister Rainer Loske explained that the changes were taking place for environmental reasons - namely to curb emissions from people driving uneconomically fast.
This is the first time a German city-state has imposed a general speed limit on the autobahn, although there are often speed limits in place during road work or in congested areas. The news comes as a direct contradiction to the German Chancellor’s claims several months ago that Germany would not gain any autobahn speed limits under her government.
The city of Bremen is run by a centre-left government of Democrats and Greens, and as we previously reported, an autobahn limit would immediately cut emissions by 5% and up to 15% in the long term.
The good news for German drivers, though, is that Bremen’s stretch of autobahn is just 60km long - meaning you should be out of there in around half an hour.
When I was driving there it was common to have speed limits through city areas, and no limits in between the cities, which kind of makes sense.
But maybe I’m not understanding this correctly…
Freedom……..you are witnessing the end of it.
Autobahn works. Been there…… done that. Loved it.
American drivers are terrible in general compared to the Germans.
I love broad, meaningless statements that have nothing whatsoever to do with the topic at hand.
I loved driving on the Autobahn!!..but ya when you get into city areas there are usually speed limiits..
think freeways and suburban streets like any other country and city…the only difference is that on the Autobahns there was an unlimited speed limit althought he poilice did request that you did not exceed 150kmhr unless overtaking…so in effect there was and always has been a speed limit….it was more of a gentlemans agreement….
Hey guys this has nothing to do with the environment. The city just discovered a very “legal” way to further tax the already bleeding german automobile driver. Bet you they are going to place almost as many radars as there are kilometers on the stretch hiway. Anyway geramny is like this: They say they are against something for I don’t know how long, but look out the moment they change their mind. they go from one extreme to the next.
Unfortunately this is just the beginning
After all, it is only 60Km but hopefully no other cities jump to copy this.
I’ve lived in four countries around the world and I travel a lot and I agree with Renton, American drivers are the worst I’ve seen in general. Selfish, unaware and clueless!
Gus — If you think my statement was broad and meaningless you are missing something.
Whenever limits are proposed on anything and fines are levied, that is control and taxation. Tthis is definitely a loss of freedom.
This is not about a metropolitan area. This is a a region/area/state issue where the whole area has a limit. There is not aplace for unlimited speed in the entire region.
So maybe you were not reading it correctly.
Renton, it was the last line that made no sense in the context of the topic at hand. What do American drivers have to do with anything in this article?
ah yes… a topic such as this one is always good for allowing all the americans to identify themselves. yes, imagine that… a government that asks you to travel no faster than 75 mph. I think that texas is the only place in the whole damned union that you can go faster than 75mph, but when a german state says “75 is the limit”, every american freaks the hell out and says that this is the end of freedom as we know it and in a couple years, communism will almost certainly take over the entire world, and we’ll resurrect stalin and lennin.
its a friggen speed limit people. i know this is a car site and all, but do you REALLY have a problem with 75 mph? this will never effect the lives of 99% of the readership on this site but everyone cries bloody mary. why?
i’m nearly certain that a 60 km stretch of the autobahn getting a 75mph speed limit will have no effect what so ever on the american interest rate (which is at a nauseatingly low 2.25% by the way), or the amount of taxes that you have to pay those “bastard commie pigs in government”.
if you want to live free of a government, take a vacation some where in africa, and see what it’s like living near a weak government. otherwise, sit down, calm down, and deal with the fact that no one is free to do as they please.
if i hear anyone go on about freedom any more… i’m apt to throw up. freedom comes at the cost of blood or taxes. you chose which one you’ll give up.
Gus — you’re right, the last sentence does not belong. Still is true.
Chris — nice long winded comment on how Americans feel about protecting any freedoms. It is serious stuff, and it starts with little things. It is a big deal that one of the worlds most famous highway networks that is known worldwide for its lack of speed restrictions is getting restricted. Won’t be long before the whole country has a speed limit.
I’m not going to get into it any more, but wherever you live, your quality of life has most likely benefited from the USA somehow.
I really enjoyed driving on the autobahn for many, many years, but recently the traffic there has gotten so bad it’s almost moot anyhow.
Yes, I agree that Americans, on average, are bad drivers, but the Dutch on German autobahns have got to be the most dangerous.
And it’s not that the Americans are bad drivers, it’s just that our driver training system is totally inadequate…
I’m not going to get into it any more, but wherever you live, your quality of life has most likely benefited from the USA somehow.
Dont pull your shoulder out giving yourself a pat on the back there Renton…jeez
And it’s not that the Americans are bad drivers, it’s just that our driver training system is totally inadequate…
An honest assesment.
I have driven on every continent for an extended amount of time in each place, spedning the most time in Australia and UK/Europe, and i can say without a shadow of a doubt no matter how crazy the Italians are with their speeds and hanbrake turns, the dutch with their deffo need to outlow the car and stick with bikes, the Germans with their Teutonic way of organising things, the poms with their boy racers, the yobbos from Oz and NZ, the unbelievable caos of eurasia, mainland asia and the outer countries. None compare to the good ol USA, in that they seem to believe that they own the road as opposed to having to share it.
I believe that the majority of americans are fair to good drivers, but per capita i think there a more nutjobs behind the wheels of death machines than anywhere else in the world !
I really enjoyed driving on the autobahn for many, many years, but recently the traffic there has gotten so bad it’s almost moot anyhow.
as did i Gus…but its become one big traffic jam now with all the construction and repairs going on.
Yeah… I kind of dislocated my shoulder there.
As an American who has been to Europe I can honestly say that Americans, as a whole, suck at driving. They are rude, selfish and for the most part do not pay attention. Europeans are way better. Period.
It sucks to drive here in traffic with left lane hogs and soccer moms on their cell phones.
We have the space and highway system to allow autobahn level speeds in many places here. However poor driver training and worse, ticket revenue, will prevent that form happening. Plus many are piggish and abuse any privileges they get.
Sad.
Renton, I live about 30 minutes away from detroit and absolutely the USA effects me every day because my dad works for for ford, and if it wasnt for cars and whiskey, Windsor Ontario wouldnt exist. Needless to say with cars and whiskey being such a vital industry in this town, the american prohibition was a good time for us
My point here is that americans have this hysteric (literally, read: hysteria) view of strong governments, and particularily left wing governments (socialism and communism). It’s hilarious. I spent newyears in Florida this year and some one asked me if health care is actually free here. when I said ‘yes’, they called me a “commie”. There’s a lot of things wrong with this picture, mostly that they used commie as an insult, and secondly that they despised the idea of universal health care so much. It’s absolutely insane to me.
I live in a country where the roads are built by the government, the schools are funded by the government, colleges and universities are subsidized by the governments (read: not free but damned cheap. I payed $3k a semester at one of the best engineering schools in the world), and yes, if I walk into a clinic with ID and a cough, I see a doctor within 30 minutes on most days. The doctors arent making the kind of money they do in the USA, but still making damned good money. And yes, we have a very good employment insurance system.
Am I a “commie”? If so, rack one up for the reds cause communism rocks.
All of that being said, would you rather be free to drive what ever speed you want at the increased risk of DYING? is it actually worth that? if driving fast is your thing, go to the local drag strip, cause they’ve all got public days. If you need to get some where in a hurry, well what the hell is the rush?
And how in gods name do you expect your country to keep you ACTUALLY free (physically) if you wont let them wire tap your house? Personally I’d rather big brother know that I deal and smoke crack and have a safe country to deal and smoke crack in. God knows they wont actually use all those resources to track down domestic crime. They’re just going to try to keep you safe.
I’m not saying that I agree with wire taping or any of this stuff, it’s just for the purpose of making my point: americans have been told since birth that they have the right to every freedom in the world. They can burn their own flag, and defecate on any religious text they want. They can spit on quadriplegic soldiers for fighting some one else’s fight, and secure the freedom of those who spit on them. They can go on and on about how some road on the other side of the damned planet now has a (very fast) speed limit in one section. Guess what. This isnt the first part of the autobahn to get a speed limit and it certainly wont be the last.
Its not your highway, so take it easy.
Besides, there’s always the Isle of Mann.
Chris i can appreciate your views and yes you do paint a picture of a socety that you live in and experienced, but this is not about politics, but more about the people within it and their automobile industry and driving abilities. There is no point going on about the quality of a countries governement as that shoud be kept tto another forum, and goodness knows the USA Government needs a swift kick up the arse. Dont get me wrong our government (Australia) was just as bad and for a prime minister who was in power for 4 terms. Thank god now we have a strong leader.
So as for the driving skills…we have our fair share of idiots and my god the people who dont now what an indicator os or continously use a mobile phone shoudl be castrated…and please tell me why people text (SMS) while driving, they try and hide it by keeping the phone below the sill line but it means there eyes are no longer ont he road and instead focused on the phone.
Mobile phones shoudl be outlawed in all cars. that should be the law. Anyone noted as not indicating shoudlbe docked 2 points. Maybe that will stem the tide of idiot drivers who always seem to cause the most trouble on the road but in turn hurt the innocent as opposed ot themselves.
Rant over
oh and the Isle of Mann is no longer unlimited. too many people have gone there trying to recreate the TT and too many have died.
Even the outbalc of australia in Northern territory between Alice Springs and Darwin have now got a speed limit
Nowhere is safe to drive fast with the exception of track days