More speed limits for Germany's high-speed Autobahn?

<p>Germanyâ€™s Autobahn network is notorious for its long stretches of highway with no speed limits. But that de-restricted approach could soon change.</p>

Published April 4, 2011

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Germanyâ€™s extensive Autobahn network is notorious for its long stretches of highway with no speed limits. But that de-restricted approach could soon change.

Voters in Baden-WÃ¼rttemberg, the home state to performance automakers Porsche and Mercedes-Benz, have elected the Green Party to power, defeating Chancellor Angela Merkelâ€™s coalition in a regional vote. One of the Greensâ€™ campaign promises was to implement a speed cap of 120 km/h on stretches of the Autobahn that are currently unrestricted in the state in an effort to cut emissions, the Automotive News reports.

Some parts of the Autobahn already have speed restrictions ranging from 100 to 120 km/h. In 2008, the northern city of Bremen became Germanyâ€™s first state to introduce a speed limit on its motorways, breaking a taboo in a country proud of its fast cars.

But putting the brakes on in the home state of Porsche and Mercedes could potentially make way for blanket speed limits over the entire highway network. It could also mean the end of drivers routinely pushing the limits to sometimes insane levels, such as this motorist who filmed himself hitting 353 km/h in a Bugatti Veyron.

German automakers, however, argue speed restrictions are a bad idea. Mercedes-Benz CEO Dieter Zetsche says buyers from outside Germany view the Autobahn as a sort of last haven for speed-hungry vehicles. He says implementing a limit would be bad for business.

â€œThe fact that our cars are built for high speeds is an important argument in other countries for buying them,â€ Zetsche said in a March 2 interview with Stern magazine. â€œWeâ€™re well advised to maintain the Autobahn sections that donâ€™t have a speed limit.â€

But the Green party says the no-holds-barred Autobahn contributes 30 per cent of the emissions in Baden-WÃ¼rttemberg. Speed limits would help cut the negative environmental effects, the party says.

In a similar move, Spain implemented lower speed limits in March and forced drivers to slow down in an effort to reduce energy use amid skyrocketing oil prices.