Tempo Limit

General Speed Limit on German Highways

Before the invention of the car in the late 19th century and even more afterwards, humanity has ever since been fascinated by speed. There is no general speed limit on German highways yet, but it is an actual topic in politics.

Today's high-tech sports cars reach speeds of over 300 km/h. There are also passenger cars that almost reach this speed range. It is not only about fun, but also about time pressure in today's society. Next to the Northern Territory in Australia, the Isle of Man and India, Germany is the only place where there is partly no speed limit by law on the highways. According to several traffic experts, a general speed limit on highways decreases pollution, the frequency of traffic jams and accidents.

There are also contrary opinions: Statistics that show relatively low numbers of accidents on German highways compared to highways in other European countries, where they have speed limits of 100 to 130 km/h. Furthermore, it has been calculated that a tempo limit of 120 km/h and the observation of the correct car to car distances regulated by law would cause many more traffic jams on the busy highways than there already are.

In contrast to the common belief, about 90% of Germany's roads do have a tempo limit. I think there should not be any general speed limit. It is everybody's personal responsibility to drive just as fast as weather, street, view, personal skills and car itself allow it without bringing anybody else in danger. Drive carefully!