You might remember how environmentalists petitioned for a speed limit to be imposed on the Autobahn some time back. Judging by your reactions, although most of you and me included would most likely never have the chance to ever drive on the Autobahn in the first place, we did not want a speed limit to be put up either. After all, how would we get to watch high speed Autobahn chase videos then?
ZDF television conducted a poll on the matter and the results showed 54% of Germans wanted a speed limit of 130km/h on the Autobahn, while 10% wanted a speed limit even lower than 130km/h. The remainder did not want things to change. That’s more than half who want a speed limit imposed!
German car firms like BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche fear that if a speed limit is imposed, the demand for some of their high powered models would go down. I personally think if a speed limit is to be put up, it should be at the 150km/h range or so. All continental cars I’ve driven feel really stable and controllable at those speeds, plus the Autobahn is made up of mostly straight roads. 130km/h would be acceptable, but anything lower than that would be silly. Try driving a BMW or an Audi, or even a Skoda at 130km/h. Feels boring.
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After dabbling for years in the IT industry, Paul Tan initially began this site as a general blog covering various topics of personal interest. With an increasing number of readers paying rapt attention to the motoring stories, one thing led to another and the rest, as they say, is history. An avid electronic gadget aficionado as well as big-time coffee lover, he's also the executive producer of the Driven motoring TV programme.
The poll result shows that more than half of the Germans still can't afford either one of this, BMW, Merz, Audi, or VW.
130kmh is really slow, especially on autobahn. If you drive 80 mph/128 kmh
on US highway, it is considered standard speed on fast lane, cannot compare US highway with autobahn, autobahn should have higher speed limit.
I don't believe in speed limits, but I dont believe one should have completely unrestricted speed limits all the time.
Do what most european countries do, use electronic signes to vary speed limits according to road and weather conditions.
Going 150kmh is fine on a clear day, with snow and ice, its suicide.
150kph should be acceptable for the cars running on Autobahn, after all, those are mostly well built and maintained continentals. 130 would be irritatingly slow on high performance machines, pity the owners.
speeding doesn't kill, it's how you drive that kills.
Maybe the environmentalist is the one that owns that TV station and made their own "polls"
then where else the rich want to speeding?…monaco?…haha
Speed doesn't kill. Idiots do.
well, in car speed doesn't kill. But in fighter jet, it does kill. (¤_¤!)
While we can't say that no accidents have every happened on the Autobahn but at least people in Germany drive more carefully and defensively than our Malaysian counterparts.
Imposing a speed limit does have its ups & downs but if the question was directed to me, I'd say LETS KEEP THINGS AS THEY ARE – well, at least for now.
And if anyone were to have watched Discovery Channel, the Autobahn is made and designed to tolerate these speeds. All that's left is the human factor when it comes to behind the wheel.
Cheers!