For the time being, Germany will remain a paradise for riders. On Friday, a proposal to set a maximum speed of 130 km/h on the motorway fell again. The Bundesrat (senate) voted against, traffic minister Schreuer is satisfied.
Not only the Bundesrat is against a limitation of the speed limit on Germany’s motorbikes. Last year, a bill from the Grünen in the Bundestag (parliament) was dismissed by a large majority. That is why the outcome of today’s vote is no surprise to our eastern neighbors.
Traffic minister Andreas Schreuer (CSU) does not want to know anything about a speed limitation, but unintentionally joins the right-wing populist AfD. Moreover, within his ministry the call for an investigation into the effects thereof is getting louder. Also from the population the support for unlimited speeding seems to be crumbling, writes Der Spiegel; at least half of Germans think it’s time for a speed limit, the newspaper says to know. Coalition partner SPD also wants to put up with speed.
A speed limit should not only reduce emissions and accidents in Germany, it is also important to enable the introduction of autonomous cars. The large differences in speeds on German motorways make it too difficult for self-driving cars to be able to adequately anticipate.
It is a public secret that the sensitivity of speed limits is a result of the traditionally intense embrace between industry and politics in that country. The German brands in particular are strong in relatively fast cars and those are the models that deserve the most.
So for the time being it is still possible to legally try the top of your car at our eastern neighbors. Although the free zones between the restrictions are due baustellen, lärmschutz and spurrill increasingly rare on the German autobahn.