Germany Gets First Ever Autobahn Speed Limit

[Boogahz]

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,214 ... 27,00.html

For the first time in the country's highway history, a German state has set a speed limit on its Autobahn, rekindling a long-running debate on curbing speed to boost road safety and combat pollution.

On Wednesday, April 9, Germany’s smallest state put speed limit signs on the last six of its 60 kilometers (37 miles) of highway, limiting car traffic to 120 km per hour (75 miles per hour).

“Our goal is to achieve an overall speed limit in Germany, together with other German states,” said Bremen’s top environment politician, Reinhard Loske. “This is a great day for traffic safety and sends a signal for environmental protection,” he added.

The Green Party politician also said he would start talks with his counterparts in other states about introducing a national highway speed limit.

Activists cite environment, safety

“The danger of serious accidents involving personal injury is reduced wherever there is a speed limit,” Loske said.

Speed limits are not only good for the environment -- at lower speeds, cars burn less fuel, expelling fewer greenhouse gas emissions -- but they protect people, statistics show.

German highways often have speed limits for noise reduction, where traffic is heavy, or at junctions. Currently, a little over half of German highways have no speed limits around Germany.

But the debate over a general speed limit on the German Autobahn (the word simply means “highway” in German) is an ongoing one.

Proponents demand an overall limit of 120 or 130 kilometers per hour, citing environmental and safety reasons. This past autumn, German environmental organizations and an alliance of police experts called “Pro-Tempolimit” got together to demand a speed limit.

Public opinion is divided

But German automobile clubs as well as the German automobile industry -- known for its heavy, fast and well-engineered vehicles, and the motor of a chunky segment of the German economy -- oppose speed limits. Chancellor Angela Merkel also came out on the side of the auto industry, in opposition to speed limits.

Public opinion is nearly evenly divided on the issue.

[Spang]

ok

[Aslanna]

Fuckin nazis!

[Aardor]

HOOKERWHORESLUT HOOKERWHORESLUT HOOKERWHORESLUT

[Funkmasterr]

HOOKERWHORESLUT HOOKERWHORESLUT HOOKERWHORESLUT

man i know aslanna is a dirty snatch but is that a little harsh ?

[Fash]

aslannas mangina gets first ever speed limit

[Funkmasterr]

haha this just in, aslannas asshole is now a two way street tourists welcome!

[Aardor]

Wasn't directed at Aslanna, I just happen to love that VV does that for s p r i n k l e. The best is when I send someone a recipe from VV, and a few days later i get a text msg that says "wtf does HOOKERWHORESLUT mean in this recipe?"

Back on topic: I don't really understand the argument for the lack of a speed limit on the Autobahn, though I would like to see statistics on crashes and such before i would solidified in my lack of understanding (some might call it disagreement). Also, I was under the impression that fuel was burned a great deal more accelerating than maintaining speeding, and thus once you reach a high speed, as long as you didn't deviate much, it wouldn't burn that much fuel and wouldn't be bad for the environment.

[Midnyte_Ragebringer]

Is double parking allowed in Aslannas vagina?

[Funkmasterr]

Is double parking allowed in Aslannas vagina?

THE MORE THE MAARRYER

[Boogahz]

Back on topic: I don't really understand the argument for the lack of a speed limit on the Autobahn, though I would like to see statistics on crashes and such before i would solidified in my lack of understanding (some might call it disagreement).

Regarding the accident rates from Wikipedia:

The overall safety record of German autobahns is generally better than other European motorways. German autobahn fatality rates are lower than Austria's and higher than Switzerland's rates. Motorways are safer than other road types, as documented below.

A 2005 study by the German Federal Interior Ministry (Bundesministerium des Innern) indicated that motorway sections with unrestricted speed have the same accident record as sections with speed limits. The only identifiable source of traffic risks in connection with speeding have been high-powered, light trucks that came up within the last 15 years and as they are used by courier services (e.g. Mercedes-Benz Sprinter and trucks alike). Over the years they were only capable of speeds comparable to heavy duty trucks, but since manufacturers began to build in significantly more powerful engines they attain speeds of up to 180 km/h. This led to a significant portion of fatal accidents being caused by such vehicles due to the driver overestimating his or the cars ability to cope with sudden and heavy braking, side-winds, etc.

[Winnow]

lol @ Germans:

[Noysyrump]

In an Absolut World

[Fash]

[Xouqoa]

In an Absolut World

What game is that?

[Bagar-]

In an Absolut World

OFFENDED.

[Noysyrump]

In an Absolut World

What game is that?

Europa Universalis

The kind of game you can spend a year on, and still not figure out all of it.

[Zaelath]

Wasn't directed at Aslanna, I just happen to love that VV does that for s p r i n k l e. The best is when I send someone a recipe from VV, and a few days later i get a text msg that says "wtf does HOOKERWHORESLUT mean in this recipe?"

Back on topic: I don't really understand the argument for the lack of a speed limit on the Autobahn, though I would like to see statistics on crashes and such before i would solidified in my lack of understanding (some might call it disagreement). Also, I was under the impression that fuel was burned a great deal more accelerating than maintaining speeding, and thus once you reach a high speed, as long as you didn't deviate much, it wouldn't burn that much fuel and wouldn't be bad for the environment.

Nah, wind resistance is a square product, and the power to overcome it is a cube product, that's why 55 was 'popular' in that it's about the tipping point for wind reisistance. It's also why my Mazda only needs 57 horsepower to get to 160+ KPH, but the Veyron needs 1001 horsepower to get to 408.

[Chidoro]

Yep. It's also why gas mileage really starts to drop (depending on the engine displacement, etc) once you hit certain speed thresholds. Sure speedy acceleration will burn a lot of fuel but just maintaining high speeds can be an enormous drain on the engine. It's why you don't see small engined cars getting over-the-top highway gas mileage ratings now that they changed the test to be a lot more realistic.