SPD criticizes Scheuer for blocking a speed limit on highways

In the grand coalition, new disputes about a general speed limit on motorways are emerging. The Schleswig-Holstein SPD faction leader Ralf Stegner appealed to the CSU and to the Federal Minister of Transport Andreas Scheuer to give up "their stubborn blockade".

The former party vice told the "Handelsblatt" that a speed limit would be a "small but very easy contribution to climate protection". It also significantly increases traffic safety and improves traffic flow. "All of Europe and almost all civilized countries have a speed limit."

Federal Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer had previously warned of a new debate in the grand coalition about a speed limit. "We have far more outstanding tasks than putting this highly emotional topic over and over again in the shop window - for which there are no majorities at all," said the CSU politician. There is a working system of the target speed. Around a third of the motorways already have speed limits. Most of the accidents happened on country roads.

Ministry of Transport embarrassed itself with tweet

The Ministry of Transport intervened on Twitter with a scouring quote that traffic in Germany should "flow as best as possible". This caused a lot of ridicule among readers - the attached photo showed the motorway exit in Thalwil, Switzerland. A speed limit of 120 kilometers per hour applies on Swiss motorways.

"The Bundestag has rejected a #tempo limit with 498: 126 votes. The traffic in should flow in the best possible way - at night during free travel and at peak times, e.g. on #Christmas. We therefore want to control traffic intelligently, digitally and flexibly - without bans. " BM @AndiScheuer pic.twitter.com/Te0tDQ70ZA

The SPD had named a general speed limit of 130 kilometers per hour as one of the topics for additional projects that it wanted to talk to the Union about. Already on Wednesday the SPD chairwoman Saskia Esken went on a confrontational course to scrub: "A speed limit on our highways is good for climate protection, is good for safety and is easy on the nerves of drivers. And that's why we will talk about it again in the new year . "

Scheuer, on the other hand, received support from FDP chief Christian Lindner: "I am against a general speed limit on motorways. Bans should only be pronounced where they are actually needed." Where traffic safety is required in Germany, speed limits would already be imposed today. "The contribution of a general speed limit to global CO2 savings would also be marginal," said Lindner. "Instead of a speed limit, we need a CO2 limit for Germany. This would mean that hydrogen or other climate-friendly fuels can replace gasoline and diesel in the future."

70 percent of highways without speed limits

The coalition had already discussed a speed limit as part of the climate change talks, but the Union refused to do so. It was not until October that the Greens failed in the Bundestag with an initiative to introduce 130 km / h. 126 MPs took positions, 498 against, seven abstained. Most SPD MPs also voted against it, as is customary in coalitions for opposition proposals. Back then, SPD politicians made it clear that the topic should be back on the agenda in the new year.

The majority of motorways are still free to drive. Without speed limit, 70 percent of the network. There are permanent or intermittent restrictions with signs on 20.8 percent of the network, as current data from the Federal Highway Research Institute shows for 2015 - the most common are Tempo 120 (7.8 percent) and Tempo 100 (5.6 percent). There are also variable traffic control displays.

Regardless of this, a recommended guideline speed of 130 has been in place for more than 40 years. If you look at an EU map, Germany is a "blank spot" - everywhere else, according to an overview from the ADAC motorist club, there are speed restrictions.

Demand for registration stop for cars with high consumption

In addition to the speed limit, the SPD faction deputy Matthias Miersch also called for a registration stop for cars with high consumption. "We will not be able to avoid regulatory interference," Miersch told the editorial network in Germany. He does not believe "that the world will go under if we do not have new gas guzzlers, such as large American pick-up trucks with gasoline engines, in Germany and Europe." Society had to think very carefully about "which vehicles we want in our traffic".

The FDP traffic politician Oliver Luksic then criticized that "it is probably not about the environment, but above all about leveling out".