Speed limits in Germany (German: ) are set by the federal government. All limits are multiples of 10 km/h. There are two default speed limits which are 50 km/h (31 mph) inside built-up areas and 100 km/h (62 mph) outside built-up areas.
While parts of the autobahns and many other freeway-style highways have posted limits up to 130 km/h (81 mph) based on accident experience, congestion and other factors, many rural sections have no general speed limit for some classes of vehicles.German driving laws – fines for speeding, drunk driving, parking etc. The Road Traffic Regulations (StVO) (German: ) section on speed begins with the requirement which may be rendered in English: Any person driving a vehicle may only drive so fast that the car is under control. Speeds must be adapted to the road, traffic, visibility and weather conditions as well as the personal skills and characteristics of the vehicle and load. This requirement applies to all roads, and is similar to the "reasonable speed" legal obligation levied in other nations.
Speed limits are enforced with a small tolerance. In urban areas, driving merely 3 km/h (2 mph) or faster above the posted or implied speed limit is considered a punishable infraction in Germany. If the speed limit is 100 km/h (62 mph) or more, the tolerance is 3%. Other tolerances may apply for mobile speed cameras and undercover police cars. The speeding fines are set by federal law (German: , schedule of fines).
History The Nazi-era Road Traffic Act of 28 May 1934 imposed the first nationwide speed limit: maximum in urban areas, but no limit on rural highways or autobahns. In October 1939, the Nazis further throttled speeds in order to conserve fuel: in urban areas, elsewhere. After the war, the four Allied occupation zones established their own speed limits until the divided East German and West German republics were constituted in 1949; initially, the Nazi speed limits were restored in both East and West Germany.
In December 1952 the West German legislature voted to abolish all speed limits, reverting to State-level decisions. However, rising traffic fatalities led to a partial reversal: an urban speed limit of became effective 1 September 1957, despite resistance by the German Auto Club. By 1970, fatalities had climbed to over 19,000; in 1972 a general rural speed limit of went into effect—except on motorways. At 14 November 1983 the Hamburg suburb of Buxtehude had the first implementation of limits in residential areas, a concept that became popular.
East Germany's safety efforts primarily focused on restrictive traffic regulation; for example, zero alcohol tolerance, on autobahns and outside cities. Within two years after German reunification in 1990, the availability of high-powered vehicles and a 54% increase in motorized traffic led to a doubling of annual traffic deaths, despite interim continuation of prior speed restrictions. An extensive program of the four Es (enforcement, education, engineering, and emergency response) brought the number of traffic deaths back to pre-unification levels after ten years while traffic regulations were conformed to western standards (e.g. 130 km/h (81 mph) Autobahn advisory limit, 100 km/h (62 mph) on other rural roads, and 0.5 milligrams BAC).
Autobahns
German autobahns are famous for having no speed limit, although there are about 30% of them which the temporary or permanent limit is valid. Roughly 21% of German motorways have static limits (temporary or permanent) indicated by traditional traffic signs. An additional 9% are equipped with motorway control systems that can show variable speed limits depending on time, weather or traffic. Most of these are switched off (= no limit) under good conditions. In sections of the motorway system without speed limit it is possible to be overtaken by cars or motorcycles travelling over 200 km/h (125 mph). However, a recommended speed limit (Richtgeschwindigkeit) of 130 km/h (81 mph) applies. While driving at higher speeds is not punishable, the increased risk induced by higher speeds (erhöhte Betriebsgefahr) may result in partial liability for damages. Moreover, the law forbids travel at speeds that would extend the vehicle's minimum halting distance beyond the driver's line of sight (Sicherheitsabstand). On all German roads, there are speed limits for trucks, buses, cars towing trailers, and small motorised vehicles (mopeds, etc.).
"Free travel for free citizens! (Freie Fahrt für freie Bürger!)" is a popular phrase in Germany, coined by the ADAC in its resistance to a general speed limit on the Autobahn.
Public opinion
Surveys and associations
Because of the lack of a continuous speed limit and low fines, Germany has sometimes been called a "speeders' paradise" by the press and media.
The introduction of a national speed limit for motorways and similar roads has been on the agenda of various political and environmentalist groups for decades, but at present, there are no plans on behalf of the federal government regarding the matter. However, most Germans are in favour of a general speed limit.
In May 2020, the made a tight decision in favor of a general speed limit of 130 kilometers per hour on autobahns.
The annual general meeting of the (ACE) also voted for a speed limit of 130 km/h on the autobahn in November 2019. The ACE chairman Stefan Heimlich welcomed the decision of the DVR and described it as "richtig und wichtig" ("right and important").
The (VCD) advocates the introduction of a generally applicable maximum speed of 120 kilometers per hour on autobahns and expects this measure to provide more climate protection, higher traffic safety, fewer traffic jams due to lower speed differences and better efficiency for new vehicles, since a speed limit would end "das [...] Wettrüsten um immer schnellere Autos [...]" ("the [ ...] arms race for ever faster cars [...]").
Greenpeace calls for a general speed limit on German highways, arguing that it would prevent traffic fatalities and protect the environment, that the majority of Germans are in favor of it, and that it would spur the construction of fuel-efficient cars. A general speed limit is "the fastest and cheapest measure to reduce greenhouse gases in the transport sector."
The nature conservation association WWF calls for a speed limit of 120 kilometers per hour on motorways.
In 2005, the (SRU) proposed a speed limit of 120 kilometers per hour on the autobahn.
The Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy also advocates the introduction of a speed limit on German highways.
The Deutsche Umwelthilfe is calling for a general speed limit of 100 km/h during the day and 120 km/h at night on autobahns, hoping that this will lead to greater climate protection and traffic safety, a better flow of traffic, a more relaxed driving situation and a redirection from building faster cars to more efficient ones.
The Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz Deutschland is in favour of a general speed limit, claiming it "would solve several problems at the same time" and "all rational reasons speak for it".
The Gewerkschaft der Polizei also advocates a general speed limit of 130 kilometers per hour on German motorways and argued: "Wir könnten [damit] Menschenleben retten und schwer Verletzte verhindern" ("We could save lives and prevent seriously injured people [with that]").
In 2021, the Umweltbundesamt advocated the introduction of a speed limit on freeways of 120 kilometers per hour.
The called for a maximum speed limit of 130 km/h on highways in 2021.
The Evangelical Church in Central Germany (EKM) submitted a petition to the Bundestag in 2019 for the introduction of a general speed limit of 130 kilometers per hour on motorways in Germany. With this measure, the EKM expects, among other things, more environmental protection and traffic safety.
The calls for the introduction of a speed limit to save energy and reduce direct and indirect health hazards of road traffic.
In 2023, the (DVW) called for the introduction of a speed limit on German highways of 130 km/h. According to the DVW president, this could effectively prevent serious accidents.
According to a club-internal survey, 39% of ADAC members were against a general speed limit in 2026, while 56% were in favor of it.
In a representative survey conducted by the German online statistics portal Statista in 2020, 64% of the 2,115 respondents said that a 130 km/h speed limit should either "definitely" or "rather" be introduced on German highways.
According to a 2021 survey conducted by the Versicherung Allianz Direct, around 71% of Germans are in favour of a speed limit on the autobahn.
According to a representative poll conducted by YouGov in April 2022, 57% of the 2054 German respondents were in favor of a general speed limit of 130 km/h on autobahns, while 33% were against it and 10% were unsure.
As part of its "TÜV Mobility Study 2022", the German Technical Inspection Agency (TÜV) asked various questions about the topic of automobiles in Germany. According to the study, 56% of Germans are in favor of a 130 km/h speed limit on the autobahn, while 37% are opposed to the measure.
Politics A majority of the CDU/CSU, SPD, AfD and FDP parliamentary groups rejected a general speed limit of 130 km/h on the autobahn in the 2019 Bundestag, the parliamentary groups from Bündnis 90/Die Grünen and the Left Party voted in favor of it. Overall, 70% of MPs voted against the speed limit, 18% in favor, 1% abstained and 11% did not take part in the vote. The SPD parliamentary group declared that it only voted against the speed limit because it did not succeed in convincing its coalition partner CDU/CSU parliamentary group of this.
In 2020, the Bundesrat rejected a speed limit on autobahns, which was requested by its environmental committee.
Arguments The news website Business Insider believes the lack of a general speed limit on autobahns is holding back the development of autonomous vehicles in Germany. For example, the massive differences in speed among road users on autobahns pose a problem for self-driving cars.
The Federal Managing Director of the Deutsche Umwelthilfe sees this as a threat to the future of the German automotive industry with regard to autonomous driving: "Man kann moderne, digitale, autonome Fahrzeuge nicht testen, solange man befürchten muss, dass links ein Wagen mit 250 Stundenkilometern vorbeischießt." ("You cannot test modern, digital, autonomous vehicles as long as you have to fear that a car will shoot past at 250 kilometers per hour on the left.")
In terms of range and energy efficiency, drivers of electric cars need a stable flow of traffic that rarely requires braking and then accelerating, which is beneficial or even necessary to ensure a long-term return on investment. Such a traffic flow could be achieved with the help of a speed limit through more even speeds.
A study from Brandenburg came to the conclusion that a speed limit on autobahns could harmonize the flow of traffic and increase the road capacity. Furthermore, if a speed limit of 130 km/h were introduced on previously unrestricted sections of the Brandenburg autobahns, the reduction in accident costs (€22.5 million) would be higher than the increase in time costs (€17.2 million) that occur at lower speeds due to longer travel times.
Many congestion and traffic researchers believe that with a speed limit, traffic flow would improve due to smaller speed differentials and accompanying more consistent travel speeds, which would increase road capacity and reduce the risk of accidents and congestion. Some experts therefore even assume that with a speed limit, the average speed on autobahns could increase.
Michael Müller-Görnert, transport policy spokesman for the VCD, assumes that travel times could be shorter in the long term if a speed limit is introduced.