When you see this sign on the German Autobahn... put the pedal to the metal!
Contrary to popular thinking the Autobahn now has speed restrictions on about half the highway system. But once outside urban areas and other congested spots this sign will appear and that means "speed restrictions are lifted". If you have the opportunity you can see what that BMW rental will do. You won't get a ticket for speeding but if you don't keep to the right for faster traffic it will cost you.
There is some discussion about imposing an 80 miles per hour (128.7 km per hour) speed limit but it has less to do with speed and more to do with new concerns over carbon emissions. Proponents of lower limits argue the current speeds are polluting the environment around the country. After all, a vehicle's fuel consumption increases with speed. More fuel consumption increases exhaust, which equals more pollution.
While the debate still rages over the environmental cost, only few of the citizenry or government officials have proposed lowering the limit for safety reasons.
In 2007, German Chancellor Angela Merkel was reported as saying she would not support any measure to limit speeds on the nation's highway system saying a traffic jam was at least as environmentally damaging as high-speed driving. Instead, she called on automakers to increase fuel efficiency and reduce emissions.
Merkel's opposition serves to illustrate the German love affair with cars. The country has been characterized as a "nation of drivers," and one that seems loathe to relinquishing its right to speed.
Yet the tide is shifting. Autobahns in Austria and Switzerland have implemented speed limits where once they were free from restrictions. Germany may, in time, be one of the last of the developed countries without speed restrictions, even if those restrictions are lifted only on a portion of the road.