Slowing Down the Autobahn
Don’t look now, but Bremen town is back in the news.
And this time it isn’t about four runaway farm animals and the adventures they have on the road to getting a gig as musicians in the German city-state of Bremen.
This time it’s about politicians who have imposed a 120-kilometer-per-hour (about 75 mph) speed limit on 37 or so miles of autobahn that run through their part of the world.
The speed limit may not be as well-known as the fairy tale written by the Brothers Grimm nearly 200 years ago. Nor is it the first section of the autobahn with a speed limit. But when freedom-loving Porsche and BMW drivers get wind of it, you can bet the fur will fly. Traditionally, the only things that limit your speed are how much money you have to spend on a powerful car — and your nerve.
NOT everybody drives flat-out on the autobahn. Sometimes, especially around cities, there is just too much traffic to get up a head of steam. But my experience has been that even when conditions are good, most drivers seem to keep it under 100 mph. Or maybe just a little over.
Heck, that’s how fast some folks drive in the wide open spaces of the western United States, where the speed limit may be only 70 mph.
Bremen’s environment minister was quoted as touting the speed limit by saying it will be good for highway safety and send a signal about the need to protect the environment and reduce CO2 emissions to protect the climate.
That figures. According to Reuters, he’s a member of the ultraleft Green Party. I don’t think party rules permit Greens to own a vehicle with more than one cylinder, which means he probably can’t even imagine going fast.
The Greens would jump for joy if they could impose their will — and a restrictive speed limit — on all German roads. That idea seems stalled because German Chancellor Angela Merkel won’t go along for the ride.
But here’s a tip: The next time you’re driving though northern Germany and see a donkey, a dog, a cat and a rooster walking along the side of the autobahn, slow down. It might be a speed trap.
Via: Automotive News - Subscription Required