Approximately, around 12,993 kilometers of Germany is covered with the Autobahns. Not a bad stretch at all, right?
The autobahns of Germany happen to be one among its many marvels that the world has come to appreciate and the country has come to leverage in the best possible manner.
According to confirmed sources, the 2016 data suggested that the famous motorway system is spread over an area no less than 8,070-8080 miles. The freedom of stepping on the gas, the jive with the acceleration, wide roads that allow one to speed up to around 130 k/hr, what more could the German life bring to someone who’s fond of going behind the wheels?
It turns out that despite several attempts by the safety and environmental bodies that were trying to coax the government toward blanketing the 130 k/hr highest speed at its autobahns, Germany has decided against it.
So what does this mean and what are the implications?
Deutschland has very simply decided that the way its ‘unlimited autobahns’ have been functioning shall continue the way they have been and that no further changes would be brought into place. So, in a nutshell, the several attempts made by the various lobbies against the concept of unlimited autobahns have been pushed back by the German government.
But having said that, it must also be shared that not everybody back home in Germany has warmed up to the government’s decision. This move, therefore, of not restricting the speed limit to 130 k/hr and not beyond hasn’t found much reciprocation with the Germans.
The same lobbies that had been attempting to persuade the German government to carry for the above-stated changes (ones that have been rejected) had also previously helped initiate a ban on old-diesel (cars) in some of the busiest German cities owing obviously to their contribution toward upping pollution.
In the recent past cities like Stuttgart allowed to ‘forbid’ old diesel vehicles from entering the city limits in a systematic campaign to alleviate pollution.
A report published on noted Australian motoring website www.motoring.com.au stated in more detail about the developing story from the heart of West Europe and shared the following:
About 70 per cent of Germany’s extensive 25,767km of multi-lane, divided autobahn network has unlimited status, and many Germans – including car company executives – have put the government under pressure to retain the world’s fastest public roads.
However, the above context told, it is pertinent to note as to why had the lobbies suggested to restrict the speed limit on the German autobahns to 130 k/hr. Obviously, they had a case in point, one which didn’t sit well with the understanding of the existing Merkel administration(government).
The government had been reached out to by the said lobbies in their bid to improve road safety and also lower CO2 emissions. Interestingly, the bid that was turned down has produced a quote from none other than the Transport Minister of the country, Mr. Andreas Scheuer who stated the following, ”
“Whoever wants to drive 120 can drive 120, and those who want to go faster can do that too. Why this constant micromanagement?”