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A good half of all road deaths were recently on country roads.
The Verkehrsclub Deutschland (VCD) is therefore calling for a lower speed limit
Photo: Jürgen Ritter / imago images
The subject of speed limits has been stirring up tempers in Germany for at least 50 years.
And it divides society: Just recently the automobile club ADAC announced that 45 percent of its members reject a general speed limit, but 50 percent of the members are in favor.
As is so often the case, it was about the maximum speed on motorways.
Another limitation might be much more useful, at least for security reasons.
"What is completely ignored by many is the importance of a lower speed limit on country roads," says Michael Müller-Görnert, transport policy spokesman for the Verkehrsclub Deutschland (VCD).
In Germany, there is currently a speed limit of 100 km / h on all country roads outside built-up areas without any further signs, as well as on federal and district roads.
At the same time, data from the Federal Statistical Office show that country roads are the most dangerous roads.
Around 58 percent of all accident fatalities in Germany lost their lives there last year, 1592 people.
317 people died on motorways.
A total of every tenth accident with personal injury could again be traced back to an unsuitable speed.
In the first half of 2021, the number of road deaths fell to a record low.
However, experts attribute this to less driving in view of the corona crisis.
Whether a car is traveling at 80 or 100 km / h has a major impact on the safety of the vehicle occupants.
A car traveling at 100 km / h covers a good five meters more per second than a car traveling at 80 km / h.
If you drive more slowly, this not only means more reaction time, but also shorter overtaking distances.
This reduces the risk of colliding with an oncoming vehicle.
An emergency stop at 100 km / h brings the car to a standstill after 50 meters at the earliest, at 80 km / h this can be done after 32 meters.
It can be crucial meters.
In addition, an impact at a higher speed is naturally often more dangerous.
There was a Tempo 80 under SPD Chancellor Willy Brandt
Associations like the VCD have therefore been calling for a lower upper speed limit on country roads for years.
The German Road Traffic Court recommended a speed limit of 80 six years ago. Also because many country roads are in poor condition.
"By far the largest part of the country road network is not suitable for 100 km / h," said Arnold Plickert, the deputy head of the police union as early as 2016. Little or nothing has happened since then.
There was even an upper limit of 80 km / h under Federal Chancellor Willy Brandt and his Transport Minister Lauritz Lauritzen (both SPD).
In order to reduce oil consumption in the first oil price crisis following the Yom Kippur War in 1973, a speed limit of 100 km / h on motorways and 80 km / h on country roads was imposed.
It was initially planned for six months.
However, the outcry was great, especially about the motorway regulation.
The ADAC soon got rid of more than a million "Free citizens demand free travel" stickers.
This gave rise to the slogan »Free travel for free citizens«, which is still used today.
The speed limit, however, was collected after 111 days in mid-March 1974.
Since then, the speed limit has been 100 outside the city.
Different countries, different limits
With this regulation, Germany belongs to a minority in Europe.
Only in Portugal and Austria also have a maximum speed of 100 km / h outside of built-up areas.
In Spain, Italy, Romania and Bulgaria a maximum of 90 km / h is allowed, in Denmark, the Netherlands, Ireland and Switzerland a maximum of 80 km / h.
The effect that reducing the maximum speed on country roads can have was recently shown in France.
There, the permissible top speed was reduced from 90 to 80 km / h in 2018.
The number of those killed fell significantly.
In 2018 and 2019, 349 fewer road deaths were counted than in the previous two years, a decrease of twelve percent.
Figures from the Federal Environment Agency also show that speed limits also help the environment.
A speed limit of 130 km / h on motorways alone would save 1.9 million tons of CO₂ emissions annually.
At the request of SPIEGEL, however, the Federal Environment Agency was unable to quantify how a reduced speed limit of 80 km / h on country roads would affect the climate.
Scrubbing Ministry is against Tempo 80
At least under Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer (CSU), the chances of a speed limit of 80 are still bad.
This is "not the appropriate instrument to improve traffic safety on these roads," said a spokeswoman for the Federal Ministry of Transport at the request of SPIEGEL.
"On inconspicuous and not accident-prone routes, a general speed limit would be excessive."
The Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure favors a “case-by-case check to determine whether it is a hotspot of accidents”.
Recently, however, the ministry has been promoting a new campaign by the German Road Safety Council, which advertises on posters and on the Internet for more consideration and serenity on extra-urban roads.
Campaign theme speed limit
The debate about maximum speeds also resonates in the federal election campaign.
Most of the time, however, the autobahn is in the center.
"The argument for a general speed limit is a political instrument of combat, for some even a fetish," Scheuer recently said.
In addition to the Union, the AfD and FDP also reject stricter speed limits.
"Instead of lowering the maximum speed allowed on country roads across the board, the aim is to reduce risks at dangerous spots," said Oliver Luksic, transport policy spokesman for the FDP parliamentary group in the Bundestag, the SPIEGEL.
Lowering the speed limits on country roads would "drastically increase non-compliance and disrupt the flow of traffic," Luksic continues.
The SPD limits itself to the requirement of a maximum of 130 km / h on motorways.
Only the left explicitly demands a lower maximum speed on country roads.
"In order to protect people and the climate, we finally need speed limits: 120 km / h on motorways, 80 km / h on country roads and a regular speed of 30 km / h in urban areas," says the election program.
And what about the greens?
The pleaded in 2020 in the Bundestag for a speed limit of 80 outside of the city.
It depends on the situation, says Green Party member Daniela Wagner.
"Tempo 80 should apply on two-lane country roads so that fewer people are finally killed in traffic."
The demand did not make it into the party's election manifesto.
In any case, it is unlikely to be enforceable in coalition negotiations with the Union or the FDP.