Today, the german senate rejected speed limits on their motorways. As a former speed ambassador, I am hardly in the position to critisize that decision, but I still do. Many german cities are no go areas for old petrol and diesel cars, and that number will rise. As annoying as it is for the owners of those cars, there’s a good reason for those restrictions. But it is completely unexplainable that the motorways connecting those cities often have no speed limits whatsoever.
Whether Euro 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9-square, pedal to the metal any car will emit far more than the legal limits. Let alone the traffic safety issue. With some doing 200 km/h or beyond, others at 130 km/h and heavily loaded lorries considerably slower, the speed differences are huge, increasing the odds of accidents, and increasing the impact of those accidents. A crash at 130 km/h might end up with some broken legs and a concussion, at 200 km/h the same accident will leave the police to remove your remains from the wreckage of your car in bits, identifying you only by DNA.
But hey, that’s collateral damage. This hypocricy is simple enough to explain. German car manufacturers make good money by building fast and luxury cars. Cars that wouldn’t be of much use when Germany would adapt their speed limits to the rest of the world. No matter how strong the anti-speed lobby in Germany, the car manufacturers are stronger.
Money over human lives and the planet: business as usual. So don’t worry, no speed limits on german motorways for yet another many years. Fine, but please cut the bullshit of old cars in cities. That’s as hypocit as it gets. But wait, those old cars will need replacement. And who will make good money on that?
Right.