this post was submitted on 31 May 2025
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[–] [email protected] 7 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

Well it's nice not to have a speed limit, but every time I see one, it's such a sigh of relief.

Story time:

Not so long ago, I was on that 4 or 5 lane autobahn before arriving to Munich. I was already dark, overtaking some car, leaving the most left line empty. Then these laser high beams basically illuminating the nearby Alps. I was thinking geez I'm doing 160, relax dude, you have a free lane here. I moved to the right, 2 lanes to my left are now free. Car flies by me, doing probably like 50-70 more than I, AND, AND this guy gets overtaken by another one with about the same speed difference relative to the guy doing 210-230.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 7 hours ago

Which is probably why they were freaking out trying to get you to move. Don't get me wrong it's been fun when I drove the autobahns as a tourist trying my best to respect the unwritten (and written) rules, and pushing my car like I can't do elsewhere, but god damn was it bad for my blood pressure!

[–] [email protected] 32 points 1 day ago (1 children)

The US drivers could not handle the German traffic rules, punishments and technical checks for their vehicles. Over half of the vehicles in the USA would fail the Dekra and TÜV inspections.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 day ago

Absolutely! So many incredibly bad drivers and so many garbage cars. Never seen so many broken down cars along a highway. And all the shredded tires. Makes me glad to have something like the TÜV, even though it can be annoying at times.

[–] [email protected] 69 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)
[–] [email protected] 48 points 1 day ago (1 children)

regarding the legality of breaking the sound barrier:

if i remember correctly there’s is an indirect general speedlimit, because any vehicle moving below a certain height is not allowed to go beyond 400 something kph. now this is intended for planes and helicopters and such, but afaik also applies to cars. therefore breaking the sound barrier, sadly, would be illegal. besides, i think breaking the sound barrier is limited to certain zones anyways.

i’m not trying to nitpick on the joke, but rather give supplementary information that may be interesting.

[–] Tja 11 points 1 day ago (4 children)

Plus there's noise limits.

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[–] [email protected] 57 points 1 day ago (4 children)

It's more like if you drive too fast you're not insured. Oh, by the way, road works, 80km/h. Aaaand you're free again! Have f- oh no, roadworks again, 80 pls. Ok done. Now you can really hit the gas! Joke, roadworks again haha, 80! Finally done, now we promise we don't have roadworks anymore, enjoy! Aaaand welcome to the Netherlands, 100 please.

[–] [email protected] 21 points 1 day ago

Oh, by the way, road works, 80km/h. Aaaand you’re free again! Have f- oh no, roadworks again, 80 pls. Ok done. Now you can really hit the gas! Joke, roadworks again haha, 80! Finally done, now we promise we don’t have roadworks anymore, enjoy! Aaaand welcome to the Netherlands, 100 please.

If that isn't the most accurate description of driving through Germany, I don't know what is :D

[–] [email protected] 18 points 1 day ago (3 children)

Ironically, Germany is the only country where I’ve gotten speeding tickets on the highway when driving through Europe east to west or vice versa. I’m still not entirely sure whether it was because of road works, the fact that I had a (small) trailer, or something else.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

For trailers, there is a general speed limit of 80km/h, unless the trailer is suitably equipped and officially approved for 100km/h and is towed by a suitable vehicle. (Here, the specifics get complicated, because Germany) Trailers capable of driving at 100km/h must be marked at the rear with a sticker.

sticker for100km/h trailer

[–] [email protected] 14 points 1 day ago

With a trailer you're limited to 80kph (or 100kph im some cases)

And police is setting also setting up "distance traps" on the Autobahn, you can get a ticket (or even lose your license) for tailgating.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 day ago (1 children)

At least their fines aren't as ludicrously high as other EU countries. It's only high when you speed next to roadworks I think.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Which is wrong. Fines have to be linked to income and they must hurt or they are just a tax.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 day ago

Yeah, in Norway they are income based AFAIK. In the Netherlands it's just insanely expensive for normal people and a premium subscription for rich people to drive faster

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 day ago (5 children)

if you drive too fast you’re not insured

I explicitly asked my insurance company (verbally, not a chatbot) about this last time I went to Germany. They said as long as I'm not breaking any laws, my insurance is valid. No speed limit means there is no "too fast to be insured".

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[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 day ago (6 children)

It's more like if you drive too fast you're not insured.

First time I ever heard this. You lose insurance? What?

[–] [email protected] 16 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Yeah, you are allowed to drive as fast as you like on some Autobahns, but if you have an accident and your speed is deemed to be faster than safe, the insurance companies are like "nah bro, you brought this on yourself"

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Also, if you are faster than 130 kph and have an accident, you’re always deemed to be partially at fault, no matter what happened

[–] [email protected] 2 points 7 hours ago

also, car assistance software is generally only tested to 160 kph, everything above that the car maker can no longer assure no problems in the software, thus leading to more guilt by the speeder

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[–] [email protected] 19 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Just make sure you respect the Rechtsfahrgebot

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Yeah. The left lane is not intended for people going below 250 kph. Source: The Mercedes/BMW/Porsche that has been tailgating me and honking at me for going 200 kph only.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 hours ago

Got nothing to do with Rechtsfahrgebot. Just means you gotta drive on the right most lane unless there is a proper reason. If someone behind you is going 200 they gotta break

[–] [email protected] 16 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

So it's a good time to say it once more, a lot of this is based on myths, not knowledge.

Having no speed limit is a really bad thing for both the environnement AND for public safety.

https://www.datawrapper.de/blog/the-case-for-speed-limits and so many more examples.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 day ago

You're preaching to the choir.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 day ago

But what about my freedom?

[–] [email protected] 107 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (16 children)

I moved to Germany 2 years ago, and was afraid of highways being like Mad Max, but I was positively surprised.

Most drivers are very attentive and skilled, keeping the rules, driving safe. I like it much better, than Eastern EU, where people are also going 150+, and are being assholes in the meantime. The upper limit of 130 just puts stress on me, because I obey the laws, but the giant SUV in my ass flashing their highbeams does not. In Germany this barely happens to me, most drivers are polite and safe, even in expensive sports cars.

I really came to enjoy the liberating feeling of driving at my own (and the traffic’s) pace on the autobahn. Yesterday I was travelling between Dusseldorf and Berlin, long open stretches of 3-lane roads, with only a few cars around. I was going around 200, yet I saw a car far behind me coming up fast, some polite flashes of lights from the distance, I pull to the right, and let a Porsche pass me quickly.

I might sound like a carbrain, but I’m not. Everybody should try German highways once, so they can form their own opinion, and not judge based on internet memes. I feel 10x safer on the autobahn, than on some shitty Eastern EU highway with a bunch of apes around me, who don’t care about the rules.

[–] [email protected] 23 points 1 day ago (6 children)

because I obey the laws

flashes of lights from the distance, I pull to the right

Doesn't sound like you were obeying the Rechtsfahrgebot.

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[–] [email protected] 66 points 2 days ago (3 children)

200 kph is 9,500 mph, for us Americans.

[–] [email protected] 30 points 2 days ago (2 children)

What the hell is that figure, it's 125mph

[–] [email protected] 51 points 1 day ago

Either way it makes a whoosh sound as it goes by

[–] [email protected] 24 points 1 day ago (3 children)

It’s hyperbole. He’s saying you’re driving so fast it might as well be the speed of sound.

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[–] [email protected] 103 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Jokes aside you are only allowed to drive as fast as is safe for those around you

[–] [email protected] 75 points 2 days ago (1 children)

There is no one around me. They are all behind me.

Yes I am a BMW driver. How could you tell?

[–] [email protected] 54 points 2 days ago (3 children)

Because it's a 1-lane road, you're going 20 under the limit and refuse to use any turnouts.

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[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Germans any other time: obey the rule no matter how bad

[–] [email protected] 15 points 1 day ago

If there is no rule to obey there is no problem. But the majority of Germans (60 percent was the last number I heard) is actually for the introduction of a speed limit.

But this topic is kind of like discussions about gun laws in the US. So hardly any party picks it up. Especially not the current government parties.

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