The ADAC is no longer opposed to the principle of a speed limit on German motorways. Because the coming soon, says the mobility researchers Andreas Knie.

Will also be in Germany as in all countries of the world: a speed limit on motorways photo: Jens Büttner/dpa

taz: Mr knee, one of the last bastions against a General speed limit on German highways are crumbling: is not The General German automobile Club (ADAC), in principle, against a speed limit. How do you explain this turn-in?

Andreas Knie: Because of the ADAC noted that the population in question, speed limit is already more than the policy. Of around 20 million ADAC members in the year of 2018 have expressed in a survey in 2019 is 45 percent for a speed limit; that's nine million people. We estimate that nationwide, up to 60 percent of the population are in favour of a speed limit, particularly women and people under 45 years of age. The public pressure is getting stronger. The young people can no longer continue to stall, we also see in the case of climate policy. And also the ADAC white. The speed limit is to come.

what time is it?

this year, probably in the next five months. The legislature will decide, probably on the Initiative of the SPD. And then the need to implement a Mr Scheuer from the Federal Ministry of transport.

The ADAC calls for new comprehensive studies to explore the impacts of a speed limit. All the neighbouring countries already have tracks speed limits on the car, and studies abound. What's the point?

As a researcher, I always say Yes, new studies are wonderful, of science lives. This is simply an attempt to gain time. In fact, we know everything we need. All of our neighbors have a speed limit and are very happy with that. Because a speed limit on motorways, offers several advantages.

What is it?

is the lower the speed, the less congestion there is and the more cars can travel on the highways. In addition, there are significantly fewer accidents with fatalities. Also the CO2 emissions, we proceed by simulations, would be reduced. A single measure would help to immediately and significantly. If there is something that costs nothing and easy to enforce, then it is the speed limit.

photo: D. Ausserhofer

Andreas knee mobility is a researcher at the science centre Berlin for social research and head of the research group on Digital mobility and social differentiation.

in addition to Germany, only a few other countries, such as North Korea or Afghanistan have no speed limit...

... is that I read often – and the nonsense. Afghanistan is not technically a highly regulated country, especially since the infrastructure has to offer a very quick To even. Germany is the only country in the world that have no speed limit, has.

Why is the in this country, by the way?

The dates from the 50s. At the time, the people of the Nazi wanted to get rid past. And the car was the vehicle of freedom and unbridled progress. And so there were no regulations. In West Germany between 1954 and 1957 by the way, also urban no speed limit. This was then changed due to the many deaths again.

Now about a third of the German car are already cars with the speed limit. There, the Driving according to accident statistics to be safer than on country roads. We should not enforce the pace limits?

That's right. A hundred miles an hour are too much, the discussions will see a limit at 80 or 90 kilometres an hour. The accident reasons on country roads are excessive speed and alcohol. Therefore, the highway speed limit is also in Germany.

And what is with the automobile manufacturers? The benefit, however, from selling fast cars.

All of our neighbors to the speed limit have tracks on your car, and the export rate of the German car manufacturers is still at around 70 percent. The theme, therefore, for ever and ever. The Argument that the manufacturers would sell fewer cars, that's not true. You look in the USA, there are much bigger cars than here with much more HP and it works well.

How to do that all the keep an upper limit on the motorways?

Since there is a Lot of electronic Monitoring. Then we need to adjust, of course, the catalog of fines, the penalties in the case of speed limits are high enough.

the Extent to which masculinity and privilege play a role in the speed limit?

This desire to distinguish themselves, and liberate a purely male thing. There are currently, in fact, almost exclusively older men who are against a speed limit. And since many of them sit in senior positions at Newspapers and opinion-forming force, one has the impression that half of Germany was for “free travel for free citizens“. The reason has to get in the middle of the society a long time ago.