Climate change
Traffic club: “Ampel” should rethink the speed limit
A sign limits the speed on the A61 motorway near Waldesch to 130. Photo: Thomas Frey / dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
In the “traffic light” conversations, a general speed limit is actually off the table. Traffic experts expect such a regulation to have clearly positive effects – especially for the climate.
The Verkehrsclub Deutschland has asked the SPD, Greens and FDP to reconsider the rejection of a general speed limit on motorways.
“The fact that the FDP has already collected the speed limit on motorways and that Germany remains the last industrial country without a speed limit on motorways is disappointing and not sustainable in the long term,” said Michael Müller-Görnert, transport policy spokesman for the Verkehrsclub (VCD), the German press Agency.
A general speed limit of 130 kilometers per hour on motorways would have roughly the same effect on the climate as at least one million fewer cars on the roads. In addition, there is the effect on road safety with fewer road deaths.
The exploratory paper by the SPD, Greens and FDP states that there will be no general speed limit on motorways. The three parties are in coalition negotiations. According to the current “DeutschlandTrend” in the ARD morning magazine, 60 percent of those questioned are in favor of a general speed limit of 130 kilometers per hour on motorways as a contribution to environmental and climate protection.
The traffic club also called for climate-damaging subsidies to be dismantled in order to create incentives for climate-friendly mobility behavior. For example, the diesel privilege must be ended – diesel is taxed less than petrol. In addition, the VCD wants to end the funding of plug-in hybrid vehicles that have both an internal combustion engine and an electric drive. In addition, from the point of view of the VCD, a “bonus-malus rule” should be introduced for vehicle tax. Vehicles with lower CO2 emissions would be preferred for tax purposes, while emission-intensive vehicles would be charged.
Müller-Görnert also said that in order to achieve climate protection goals in traffic, a federal mobility law is needed. In future, infrastructure planning must look at all modes of transport equally. What is needed is an expansion and investment offensive for walking, cycling and public transport with buses and trains as well as sharing offers.