This holiday by car through Germany? Please note: only in this case no speed limit applies | Mobility
--
Many motorists are convinced that a speed limit on German motorways ends automatically when there is no repeat sign at the next entrance to the ‘Autobahn’. But that is not the case. Time to clear up this misunderstanding.
Are you in Germany and not sure how fast you can drive? You’re not the only one. This is mainly because – unlike in Belgium – you hardly see any signs with the applicable speed limit anywhere. There are also far fewer matrix signs above the highways. And you can easily miss a sign saying ‘end of maximum permitted speed’.
Flitsmeister and Waze
But how do you know that there is no longer a speed limit? The easiest way is to use an app like Waze or Flitsmeister. He knows exactly how fast you can drive. Modern cars are also often equipped with cameras that recognize traffic signs and project them onto your dashboard. They can also lend a helping hand.
Many motorists think that a speed limit after an intersection or highway entrance is automatically lifted if the speed limit sign is not repeated. That seems logical because a road user who enters the highway at the maximum speed at that point cannot know anything about it. But that is not true, according to the ADAC (Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil-Club). That is the largest car association in Europe.
Traffic judge makes ruling
“A speed limit usually only ends at the round sign ‘End of the maximum permitted speed’, where the speed limit is displayed as a gray number on a white background and crossed out with black horizontal stripes,” said a spokesperson. This is special, because without a repeater sign, motorists turning onto the highway cannot theoretically know what the applicable speed limit is. Yet that is the practice in Germany. If these motorists are subsequently fined, a traffic judge often has to decide whether the punishment is justified.
It is not the case that you can unashamedly accelerate without taking other traffic into account.
Local motorists are expected to be aware of the speed limits without a sign. But this can create dangerous situations, for example when drivers adhere to different speed limits. For this reason, traffic experts from ADAC, among others, call for traffic signs to be repeated after intersections and highway entrances – especially in places where there are many non-local road users.
Sometimes no cancellation sign
Certain speed restrictions do not have to be lifted by a cancellation sign. This is the case if they are limited to a short stretch of road and the length is indicated by an additional sign, for example ‘400 m’. After this distance, the restriction ends automatically.
Speed limits may also only be valid to a limited extent, for example if a time is stated on the traffic sign. Then the speed limit only applies during the specified period. In addition, a speed limit is limited if the speed sign is placed together with a danger sign. This may be the case, for example, at a bend, during roadworks or during a dangerous descent.
A speed limit in Germany is therefore only lifted if there is a cancellation sign, if a new speed limit is indicated, or if it only applies to limited sections or at certain times. If no new speed is indicated after a cancellation sign, no speed limit applies.
This means that you can drive as fast as your car can. You can be held liable in the event of an accident that results from this. So it is not the case that you can unabashedly accelerate without taking other traffic into account.
How long will your car inspection station keep you waiting, a year after our investigation? We do the test (+)
Why you should not wait too long to make an appointment for your tire change (+)
What happens when you press the SOS button on your car? “Thanks to this system, there are 2,500 fewer road deaths per year”
Free unlimited access to Showbytes? Which can!
Log in or create an account and never miss anything from the stars.
