Germany’s Autobahn’s Slow Down For Global Warming
“BLITZKREIG!” And with that lusty yell the beleaguered British motorist presses their foot hard on the accelerator.
With average speeds on the UK’s motorways stuck around the 23mph mark, it’s hearting to know that on a German autobahn you can go as fast you like.
Look out Poland, here we come. See you in a moment, Czech Republic. Belgium – blink and you run it over.
But, as the Guardian reports, plans are afoot to temper the speed. The Social Democrats, partners in the German government’s grand coalition, say reducing the speed will lower carbon dioxide emissions.
Says SPD chairman Kurt Beck: “A blanket limit of 130kph would be a quick and unbureaucratic way in which to increase climate protection.”
You can’t beat bit of top-down un-bureaucracy in Germany. But Bernd Osterloh, of Volkswagen, says “It’s a dream-like idea”.
“For one thing speed limits hardly reduce a car’s already very low C02 emissions, so it’s silly for politicians to keep clubbing the automobile industry between the legs like this.”
Whether he illustrated the clubbing motion is unsaid. But green campaigners have been warned…
October 30th, 2007 at 10:59 am
Quite true.
Cars put out most CO2 when in “stop-start” mode.
Cruising at a constant speed reduces CO2 emission.
October 30th, 2007 at 11:06 am
no-one ever died from going too fast - just stopping too suddenly
October 30th, 2007 at 12:45 pm
I was on a trip out west recently, I was driving across South Dakota with my cruise control set to 85mph. Large trucks were passing me!
I love America
October 30th, 2007 at 2:35 pm
The issue is off the table again for the time being here in Germany. Although polls have suggested for a long time that a slight majority in the country is in favor of a 130 kph/80 mph speed limit, the public outrcy over Friday’s move by SPD delegates at the party conference in Hamburg has drowned out all self-proclaimed voices of reason.
It is true that the lack of a blanket speed limit on Autobahns is cherished by many as one of the last true freedoms Germans have left to enjoy. But as questionable as that may seem, fact is, German Autobahns are among the safest in all of the European Union, if not the developed world. People drive fast, but roads as well as cars are more often than not in excellent condition. Because Autobahn culture has become deeply engrained in the German motorist’s psyche, they know that once they are on the on-ramp, they need to pay extremely close attention to surrounding traffic. In a way, they become pilots controlling refined pieces of machinery, rather than mom and pop on their sunday afternoon jaunt in their hoop-dee.
For decades now, emission control and fuel efficiency have been cited as key reasons why there is a need for a general speed limit. In reality, however, only about 2 percent of all German roads have no speed limit; more than half of all stretches of the nation’s Autobahn grid of over 48,000 kms (29,600 mls) either have a fixed speed limit already or computer controlled traffic guiding systems with variable speed limits depending on current traffic, road and weather conditions. The remaining 5000-odd kilometers of unregulated Autobahn are typically so crowded during most of the day that speeds in excess of 150 kph (92 mph) cannot be reached anyway. And in all likelyhood, a 130 kph speed limit would have most people driving 150 wherever possible anyway. With all that in mind, it becomes very obvious that as far as CO2 emission and the environment, litte would actually be accomplished.
So what would be accomplished by a blanket speed limit of 130 kph? The SPD has recently had big trouble getting back scores of voters flocking to the Green party and the newly-formed left-wing socialists, for a variety of reasons. Although the bang of the backfire could be heard all over Germany this past weekend, it was hoped that an ideology-laden hot-button issue like the speed limit would bring them back and boost the SPD’s record-low poll ratings. Given the stiff, outspoken opposition the proposal has faced from many sides within just the last few days, it is very likely that the idea will not only be shelved, but because of that become yet another symbol of the SPD’s inability to tackle and follow through controversial political issues.