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Speed limit on a highway
Photo:
Christoph Hardt / ddp
In view of the drastic increase in energy prices in Germany, the traffic light coalition is arguing about a speed limit.
The Greens are in favor, the FDP is against such a limit, and Chancellor Olaf Scholz has so far rejected a speed limit with reference to the coalition agreement (read more here).
But a majority of Germans are in favor of a temporary speed limit on the autobahns: According to a survey by the opinion research institute Civey for SPIEGEL, 55 percent are in favor of it, 39 percent are against it.
According to the survey, the approval or rejection of a speed limit also depends on where you live.
The more densely populated a region is, the greater the approval.
more on the subject
Background: The methodology behind the Civey surveys
In areas with a very high population density, 64 percent advocated a speed limit on the motorways.
In areas with very few residents, however, only 46 percent wanted to reduce the speed for a while.
The Federal Republic is the only industrialized country without speed limits on some autobahns.
CDU leader Friedrich Merz also rejected a speed limit on Sunday in the ZDF "summer interview" - and called the debate about it a "symbolic issue".
This would solve neither ecological nor traffic problems.
Recently, however, his party colleague Jens Spahn was still open to reducing the speed.
Because of the national energy emergency, a national compromise and no "ban on thinking" is needed, argued the deputy group leader.
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