A radical change is in the offing in Germany. In the land of big cars, and drivers who like to push the limits, it might soon be prohibited to drive’ as fast as you want’.
On German motorways, there is currently no speed limit, though authorities advise not exceeding 130 km/h. In fact, the notion of “driving as fast as you like on German motorways” clashes with reality: the average speed on German motorways is around 120 km/h, as roads are frequently under construction and numerous asphalt patches make driving at high speeds rather unpleasant.
The ministers for the environment of the 16 ‘Länder’, the country’s federal states, voted unanimously in favour of a speed limit on motorways at a two-day meeting in Wilhelmshaven on 12 and 13 May.
Around 60% of German motorways have no speed limits. The issue has been on the agenda in recent years, but the war in Ukraine, Germany’s energy dependence, and the IPCC’s latest alarming climate reports have pushed it forward this time.
Speed limits on motorways would significantly reduce CO2 emissions. The Federal Environment Agency has calculated the huge greenhouse gas savings that could be made by limiting speed on federal motorways.
At 120 km/h, the annual savings would be 2.6 million tonnes of CO2. Even a speed limit of 130 km/h would reduce emissions by a further 1.9 million tonnes. Finally, a 100 km/h speed limit would result in annual greenhouse gas reductions of 5.4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide.
The ministers did not manage to agree on a specific speed limit during their discussions. The Minister for the Environment of Lower Saxony, Olaf Lies, has declared that he is in favour of 130 km/h.
For the moment, the measure has not yet been ratified. By speaking out in favour of a speed limit on motorways, the federal ministers for the environment have decided to go against the official stance of Germany’s federal government. The latter continues to oppose the idea of a speed limit on motorways, mainly due to pressure from the liberal FDP.
It is now up to the Bundestag, the German parliament, to decide, but a majority of Germans would be in favour of a speed limit on motorways. In fact, many Germans are already driving slower. According to a recent study by the German Economic Institute (IW), 77% of Germans actually drive at a speed of less than 130 km/h, even on stretches where there is no speed limit.
