Speed limit in Germany: This is the status in 2024

Why is there no general speed limit in Germany?

Germany is considered a country of rules and order in the world. Many things are regulated and restricted. Only on the motorway is there freedom. Freedom from speed limits – at least on 70 percent of the motorway network. On the remaining 30 percent, there is a permanent or temporary speed limit, sometimes marked by additional signs that give an indication of time restrictions. But why is there a lack of a nationwide speed limit on motorways of all places?

There is no general answer to this question. When the first motorways were built in Germany in the 1930s, the question of a speed limit did not arise – most cars at the time drove at a maximum speed of between 80 and 100 km/h. After the end of the Second World War, nothing was changed in terms of free travel on motorways, and attempts to introduce a speed limit repeatedly failed due to a lack of a majority in the Bundesrat. Only during the oil crisis in 1973 and 1974 was a speed limit of 100 km/h in force on German motorways for some time.

Nowadays, there are still efforts to introduce a speed limit. This is demanded by the Greens, the German Environmental Aid (DUH), the North Rhine-Westphalia Police Union, the ecological traffic club VCD, the Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz Deutschland (BUND) and the Traffic Accident Victim Support Germany (VOD), among others. But there is a lack of political consensus. There are no majorities in the Bundestag to introduce a speed limit. Parties such as the CDU/CSU or the FDP see a restriction as an encroachment on the freedom of motorists and refuse to give their consent.

Speed limits worldwide and in other countries

Germany is not the only country in the world without a speed limit on motorways – but it is the only major industrial nation. The other nations with no limit on highways are:

• Afghanistan
• Bhutan
• Burundi
• Haiti
• Mauritania

In most European countries, a maximum speed of 130 km/h applies. Below is a table with the valid, general speed limits on motorways in Europe:

How safe are German motorways without a speed limit?

Of course, the question arises as to how safe motorways are without a speed limit. A note on this: In Germany, motorways are the safest roads. Around eleven percent of traffic fatalities occur there, although a third of all vehicle kilometers driven each year occur on highways. In 2022, an average of 1.3 people died per billion vehicle kilometers - on federal highways outside built-up areas, the figure is 5.2 people.

But how does it compare with countries that have a general speed limit? There seems to be no connection between speed limits and traffic fatalities. A comparison with selected countries shows:

• Germany: no speed limit, 1.48 deaths* per 1 billion vehicle kilometres
• France: 130 km/h, 1.56 deaths per 1 billion vehicle kilometers
• Netherlands: 100 km/h (at night: 130 km/h), 0.9 deaths per 1 billion vehicle kilometres
• Austria: 130 km/h, 1.28 deaths per 1 billion vehicle kilometers
• Switzerland: 120 km/h, 0.85 deaths per 1 billion vehicle kilometers
• Italy: 130 km/h, 3.18 deaths per 1 billion vehicle kilometers
• USA: 88 to 136 km/h, 4.33 deaths per 1 billion vehicle kilometers

*The higher number of traffic fatalities is due to the fact that figures from the Federal Highway Research Institute (BASt) from 2020 were used for comparison, as there is currently no data from the BASt for the other states.

When comparing German motorways with and without speed limits, there can be some major differences. A 2022 state of affairs by the German Bundestag shows that in 2021, a total of 3,847 accidents with personal injury occurred in places without a speed limit and 1,922 on motorway sections with a speed limit. 78 people died in accidents that occurred on motorways without limits. With restrictions on 120 or 130 km/h, 14 people died. Unfortunately, there are no separate statistics from the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) that categorize accidents according to whether they occurred on sections with or without a speed limit.

What are the arguments in favor of a speed limit?

Associations such as the German Environmental Aid (DUH) or the German Federation for the Environment and Nature Conservation (BUND) as well as the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) primarily cite environmental protection as a reason for a speed limit. For example, 4.7 million tonnes of CO2 less are to be emitted per year if the speed limit on motorways is set at 120 km/h - according to a 2023 report by UBA. However, this refers to the total emissions from road transport of 157.7 million tonnes of CO₂ in 2018. In fact, emissions were reduced by over 12 million tonnes in 2023 – which is probably due to the fact that there were more electric cars on the road.

But there are other points in favor of a speed limit:

• Falling fuel costs: Those who drive slower consume less fuel.
• Less particulate matter and noise emissions: Cars emit fewer emissions and cause less noise from engine or rolling noise.
• Less significant speed differences between vehicles: According to experts, this reduces the risk of rear-end collisions.
• Lower impact force: Lower speeds reduce braking distances and thus speed in the event of accidents.
• More even traffic density: This reduces the risk of traffic jams.
• More relaxed and safe driving: Less pressure and not always the feeling of having to be overtaken all the time.
• If necessary, better traffic flow: Fewer sudden braking and acceleration maneuvers are necessary (but there are also dissenting voices).

However, a comparison with other countries shows that a speed limit is no guarantee for fewer traffic fatalities and accidents – it also depends on the condition of the roads and vehicles.

How does a speed limit affect CO₂ emissions?

The issue of CO₂ is central to climate protection, and cars with combustion engines emit a lot of it – especially when they are traveling fast. Gasoline and diesel engines work most efficiently at medium speeds. As soon as the speed increases above about 100 to 130 km/h, the air resistance increases significantly, which requires more energy and thus more fuel. The faster a car goes, the more fuel it consumes per kilometer.