Are Speed Limit Signs Coming To The Autobahn?

One of the most cherished freedoms in the German psyche is under attack from politicians concerned about high gas prices and increasing accident rates.

1 minute read

July 8, 2004, 2:00 PM PDT

By Jeffrey Goodman


Since its construction in 1929, the world's oldest freeway system has lacked an official speed limit. Now, with gasoline prices soaring, many German politicians are seeking to tame the Autobahn with an 85mph top speed. But their pressure to integrate with a greater European system is finding stiff resistance in the land of the sports car. For many Germans, constraints on the highway are a personal attack on freedom; the head of Auto Club Europe compares the love of driving in Germany to the American passion for guns.

Thanks to Jeffrey Goodman

Wednesday, July 7, 2004 in Deutsche Welle

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