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80-596: Germany's Bundesstraßen network has a total length of about 40,000 km. German Bundesstraßen are labelled with rectangular yellow signs with black numerals, as opposed to the white-on-blue markers of the Autobahn controlled-access highways . Bundesstraßen , like autobahns, are maintained by the federal agency of the Transport Ministry . In the German highway system they rank below autobahns, but above

160-405: A filling station , charging station , lavatories, toilets, and baby changes. Most rest areas also have restaurants, shops, public telephones, Internet access, and a playground. Some have hotels. Mandated every 50 kilometres (31 mi) or so, rest areas are usually open all night. Both kinds of rest areas are directly on the autobahn, with their own exits, and any service roads connecting them to

240-423: A 20% plunge in sales, which they attributed in part to the lowered speed limits. The 100 km/h limit championed by Transportation Minister Lauritz Lauritzen lasted 111 days. Adjacent nations with unlimited speed autobahns, Austria and Switzerland, imposed permanent 130 km/h (81 mph) limits after the crisis. However, after the crisis eased in 1974, the upper house of the German parliament , which

320-601: A centre median like modern motorways, but instead was termed a Kraftfahrstraße ("motor vehicle road") with two lanes each direction without intersections, pedestrians, bicycles, or animal-powered transportation. Just days after the 1933 Nazi takeover, Adolf Hitler enthusiastically embraced an ambitious autobahn construction project, appointing Fritz Todt , the Inspector General of German Road Construction, to lead it. By 1936, 130,000 workers were directly employed in construction, as well as an additional 270,000 in

400-470: A general speed limit. In the mid-1980s, acid rain and sudden forest destruction renewed debate on whether or not a general speed limit should be imposed on autobahns. A car's fuel consumption increases with high speed, and fuel conservation is a key factor in reducing air pollution. Environmentalists argued that enforcing limits of 100 km/h (62 mph) limit on autobahns and 80 km/h (50 mph) on other rural roads would save lives as well as

480-637: A historical association with war-time restrictions and deprivations, the Nazi era, and the Soviet era in East Germany. After the Nazi dictatorship, German society was happy to overcome the traumas of war by freeing itself from most government restrictions, prohibitions and regulations. "Free driving for free citizens" ("freie Fahrt für freie Bürger"), a slogan promoted by the German Auto Club since

560-475: A lot of rules that corresponded with the international standards of the time. The reasons for this speed limit are unknown. Oftentimes it is argued that the roads were in a poor state, however, there is no proof that the road conditions were a relevant factor in introducing the speed limit, especially since the roads were not much used in the first 20 years after the Second World War and the majority of

640-562: A mandatory limit, deciding the modest measured emission reduction would have no meaningful effect on forest loss. By 1987, all restrictions on test sections had been removed, even in Hesse where the state government was controlled by a "red-green" coalition . Prior to German reunification in 1990, eastern German states focused on restrictive traffic regulation such as a 100 km/h (62 mph) autobahn speed limit and of 80 km/h (50 mph) on other rural roads. Within two years after

720-435: A maximum design speed of 62 km/h (39 mph) (usually denoted by a round black-on-white sign with "62" on it), along with flashing orange beacons to warn approaching cars that they are travelling slowly. There is no general minimum speed but drivers are not allowed to drive at an unnecessarily low speed as this would lead to significant traffic disturbance and an increased collision risk. German national speed limits have

800-495: A part of the German highway system; the plots of land are federal property. Autobahn exits leading to such parking areas are marked at least 200 metres (660 ft) (mostly 500 metres (1,600 ft)) in advance with a blue sign with the white letter "P". They are usually found every few kilometres. Some of them bear local or historic names. A managed rest area (German: Autobahnraststätte or Raststätte ( German: [ˈʁastˌʃtɛtə] ) for short) usually also includes

880-467: A planned 20,000 km (12,000 mi) of autobahn had been completed. Meanwhile, the median strips of some autobahns were paved over to allow their conversion into auxiliary airstrips . Aircraft were either stashed in numerous tunnels or camouflaged in nearby woods. However, for the most part during the war, the autobahns were not militarily significant. Motor vehicles, such as trucks, could not carry goods or troops as quickly or in as much bulk and in

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960-591: A speed at which lateral g-forces will not exceed 0.22g to fall well within the minimum suggested static rollover threshold of 0.35g for non-dangerous goods. The Richtgeschwindigkeit ( pronounced [ˈʁɪçtɡəˌʃvɪndɪçkaɪ̯t] , German for Advisory or Suggested Speed of Travel) is a legal term in Germany describing the advisory speed limit for roads without a mandatory speed limit . Autobahns have an advisory speed limit of 130 kilometres per hour (81 mph) on non-signposted sections. Exceeding

1040-420: A speed limit of 120 km/h (75 mph) in order to reduce noise pollution during overnight hours (usually 10 pm – 6 am) or because of increased traffic during daytime (6 am – 8 pm). Some limits were imposed to reduce pollution and noise. Limits can also be temporarily put into place through dynamic traffic guidance systems that display the corresponding message. More than half of

1120-635: A total length of about 13,192 kilometres (8,197 mi) in 2021 ), and a density of 36 motorway kilometres per thousand square kilometers (Eurostat) which ranks it among the densest and longest controlled-access systems in the world, and fifth in density within the EU in 2016 (Netherlands 66, Finland 3). Longer similar systems can be found in the United States (77,960 kilometres (48,440 mi)) and in China (149,600 kilometres (93,000 mi)). However both

1200-630: Is Strecke 46  [ de ] between Bad Brückenau and Gemünden am Main on the Fulda-Würzburg route, which was replaced by A7 . The autobahns of East Germany (GDR) were neglected in comparison to those in West Germany after 1945. In 1956, the speed limit was set to 100 kilometres per hour (62 mph) in the new version of the Rules of the Road (Straßenverkehrsordnung), which adopted

1280-551: Is 36 kilometers per thousand square kilometer in 2016, close to that of the smaller countries nearby (Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Slovenia). About 17,000 emergency telephones are distributed at regular intervals all along the autobahn network, with triangular stickers on the armco barriers pointing the way to the nearest one. Despite the increasing use of mobile phones, there are still about 150 calls made each day on average (after some 700 in 2013). This still equals four calls per kilometre each year. The location of

1360-604: Is a speed recommendation by a governing body, used when it may be non-obvious to the driver that the safe speed is below the legal speed . It is a posting which either approximates the Basic Speed Law or rule (and is subject to enforcement as such) or is based on a maximum g-force exerted at a specific speed. Advisory speed limits are often set in areas with many pedestrians , such as in city centres and outside schools, and on difficult stretches of roads, such as on tight corners or through roadworks . While travelling above

1440-490: Is not defined by the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals , and is therefore not standardised internationally. The United States uses a small yellow sign under the main warning sign, as well as a standalone variation on the standard speed limit sign, with a yellow background instead of a white one, the words "speed limit" omitted and an additional panel stating the type of hazard ahead. Though they list speeds,

1520-489: Is not illegal in the absence of a speed limit, it can cause an increased liability in the case of a collision (which mandatory auto insurance has to cover); courts have ruled that an "ideal driver" who is exempt from absolute liability for "inevitable" tort under the law would not exceed the advisory speed limit. A 2017 report by the Federal Road Research Institute reported that in 2015, 70.4% of

1600-472: Is strongly preferred when the intent is to make specific reference to Germany's Autobahn network. Similar to high-speed motorways in other countries, autobahns have multiple lanes of traffic in each direction, separated by a central barrier with grade-separated junctions and access restricted to motor vehicles with a top speed greater than 60 km/h (37 mph). Nearly all exits are to the right; rare left-hand exits result from incomplete interchanges where

1680-661: Is the federal controlled-access highway system in Germany . The official term is Bundesautobahn (abbreviated BAB ), which translates as 'federal motorway'. The literal meaning of the word Bundesautobahn is 'Federal Auto(mobile) Track'. Much of the system has no speed limit for some classes of vehicles. However, limits are posted and enforced in areas that are urbanised, substandard, accident-prone, or under construction. On speed-unrestricted stretches, an advisory speed limit ( Richtgeschwindigkeit ) of 130 kilometres per hour (81 mph) applies. While driving faster

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1760-493: Is the isolated and abandoned twin-carriageway Borovsko Bridge southeast of Prague, on which construction started in July 1939 and halted after the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich by former Czechoslovak army soldiers at the end of May 1942. As of 2021 , Germany's autobahn network has a total length of about 13,192 kilometres (8,197 mi). From 2009 Germany has embarked on a massive widening and rehabilitation project, expanding

1840-532: The Autobahn-Richtgeschwindigkeits-Verordnung (Directive on Reference Speed on Motorways), introduced in 1974, recommends a speed of no more than 130 km/h (81 mph) for autobahns and similar roads, whose lanes are separated by a median or which have at least two lanes per direction, provided there are no traffic signs posting a lower speed limit. Until 31 August 2009, a different reference speed could be posted by

1920-609: The Richtgeschwindigkeit ("reference speed") in Germany is valid for the whole autobahn network (but can be overruled by speed limits in particular sections or for special reasons like weather conditions or roadworks), while the United States and the United Kingdom only give advisory speed limits for hazards such as bends. Use of advisory speed limits varies by locale, but they are generally used to reduce speed along short stretches of dangerous road, such as on

2000-559: The Landesstraßen and Kreisstraßen maintained by the federal states and the districts respectively. The numbering was implemented by law in 1932 and has overall been retained up to today, except for those roads located in the former eastern territories of Germany . One distinguishing characteristic between German Bundesstraßen and Autobahnen is that there usually is a general 100 km/h (62 mph) speed limit on federal highways out of built-up areas , as opposed to

2080-537: The A ;555 from Cologne to Bonn) that usually have three digits for numbering. The first digit used is similar to the system above, depending on the region. East–west routes are even-numbered, north–south routes are odd-numbered. The north–south autobahns are generally numbered from west to east; that is to say, the more easterly roads are given higher numbers. Similarly, the east–west routes are numbered from north (lower numbers) to south (higher numbers). The idea for

2160-537: The HaFraBa were completed in the late 1930s and early 1940s, but construction eventually was halted by World War II . The first public road of this kind was completed in 1932 between Cologne and Bonn and opened by Konrad Adenauer ( Lord Mayor of Cologne and future Chancellor of West Germany) on 6 August 1932. Today, that road is the Bundesautobahn 555 . This road was not yet called Autobahn and lacked

2240-465: The Raststätten fuel prices are significantly higher. Rest areas and truck stops are marked several times as motorists approach, starting several kilometres in advance, and include large signs that often include icons announcing what kinds of facilities travellers can expect, such as hotels, filling stations, rest areas, etc. Germany's autobahns are famous for being among the few public roads in

2320-542: The Transportation Research Board found advisory speed limits through roadworks being consistently flouted by motorists, while an investigation by Manchester Evening News found that almost all buses in Manchester city centre exceeded the local 10 miles per hour (16 km/h) advisory speed limit; some by as much as 30 miles per hour (48 km/h). The signage for advisory speed limits

2400-701: The federal states ( Bundesländer ). Therefore, officially classified as Landesstraßen , they are still colloquially called Bundesstraßen and have retained their "B" designation (except for Vorarlberg ), followed by the number and a name. They are marked by a blue square sign with white number and are per se priority roads. Before 2002 there has been a further category of Bundesstraßen with circular yellow sign and black number that shows that this road has no fixed priority (right of way for users). A few yellow signs lived longer than 2002. Germany and Austria have plans to reconstruct and/or replace Bundesstraße as/by motorways (Autobahn), outside built-up areas, especially

2480-570: The sixteen States and reported the following, comparing the years 2006 and 2008: Except at construction sites, the general speed limits, where they apply, are usually between 100 km/h (62 mph) and 130 km/h (81 mph); construction sites usually have a speed limit of 80 km/h (50 mph) but the limit may be as low as 60 km/h (37 mph). In rare cases, sections may have limits of 40 km/h (25 mph), or on one ramp 30 km/h (19 mph). Certain stretches have lower speed limits during wet weather. Some areas have

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2560-500: The "straight-on" leads into the exit. The earliest motorways were flanked by shoulders about 60 centimetres (24 in) in width, constructed of varying materials; right-hand shoulders on many autobahns were later retrofitted to 120 centimetres (47 in) in width when it was realized cars needed the additional space to pull off the autobahn safely. In the postwar years, a thicker asphaltic concrete cross-section with fully paved hard shoulders came into general use. The top design speed

2640-759: The 1930s, when construction began on the system, the official name was Reichsautobahn . Various other controlled-access highways exist on the federal ( Bundesstraße ), state ( Landesstraße ), district, and municipal level but are not part of the Autobahn network and are officially referred to as Kraftfahrstraße (with rare exceptions, like A 995 Munich-Giesing–Brunntal until 2018). These highways are considered autobahnähnlich (autobahn-like) and are sometimes colloquially called Gelbe Autobahn (yellow autobahn) because most of them are Bundesstraßen (federal highways) with yellow signs. Some controlled-access highways are classified as "Bundesautobahn" in spite of not meeting

2720-617: The 1970s, is a popular slogan among those opposing autobahn speed restrictions. Tarek Al-Wazir , head of the Green Party in Hesse, and currently the Hessian Transport Minister has stated that "the speed limit in Germany has a similar status as the right to bear arms in the American debate . At some point, a speed limit will become reality here, and soon we will not be able to remember the time before. It's like

2800-617: The Autobahn network had only the advisory speed limit, 6.2% had temporary speed limits due to weather or traffic conditions, and 23.4% had permanent speed limits. Measurements from the German state of Brandenburg in 2006 showed average speeds of 142 km/h (88 mph) on a 6-lane section of Autobahn in free-flowing conditions. Only federally built controlled-access highways with certain construction standards including at least two lanes per direction are called Bundesautobahn . They have their own white-on-blue signs and numbering system. In

2880-719: The Polish S22 expressway from Elbląg (Elbing) to the border with the Russian Kaliningrad Oblast , where it is continued by the R516 regional road. Also on 27 September 1936, a section from Breslau ( Wrocław ) to Liegnitz ( Legnica ) in Silesia was inaugurated, which today is part of the Polish A4 autostrada , followed by the (single vehicle) Reichsautobahn 9 from Bunzlau ( Bolesławiec ) to Sagan ( Żagań )

2960-677: The U.S. and China have an area nearly 30 times bigger than Germany, which demonstrates the high density of Germany's highway system. The first autobahn in Austria was the West Autobahn from Wals near Salzburg to Vienna . Building started by command of Adolf Hitler shortly after the Anschluss in 1938. It extended the Reichsautobahn 26 from Munich (the present-day A 8 ), however only 16.8 km (10.4 mi) including

3040-426: The United States advisory speed signs are classified as warning signs, not regulatory signs, as primary speed signs are. Australia uses a similar design as the United States in spite of regulatory speed limit signs being quite different. Germany used a square sign with a blue background and white lettering, similar to the minimum speed limit sign, and New Zealand uses a yellow background with black lettering (similar to

3120-616: The accident remains one of the highest speeds ever achieved on a public motorway. In the 1930s, a ten-kilometre stretch of what is today Bundesautobahn 9 just south of Dessau —called the Dessauer Rennstrecke —had bridges with no piers and was designed for cars like the Mercedes-Benz T80 to attempt to make land speed records . The T80 was to make a record attempt in January 1940 , but plans were abandoned after

3200-595: The advised speed is not a criminal offense, but may result in greater liability in the case of a collision due to an increased danger of operating the vehicle. There are multiple court cases where another car was recklessly cutting into the left lane but partial liability was assigned to the speeding driver nevertheless ( Bundesgerichtshof , 17 March 1992, VI ZR 62/91: cut in without blinking, speeding at 150–180 km/h, 25% liability; OLG Koblenz , 14 October 2013, Az. 12 U 313/13: cut in from ramp directly across two lanes, speeding at 200 km/h, 40% liability) In Germany,

3280-552: The advisory speed limit is 130 km/h (81 mph), referred to in German as the Richtgeschwindigkeit . The advisory speed is not enforceable; however, being involved in an accident driving at higher speeds can lead to the driver being deemed at least partially responsible due to "increased operating danger" ( Erhöhte Betriebsgefahr ). The Federal Road Research Institute ( Bundesanstalt für Straßenwesen ) solicited information about speed regulations on autobahns from

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3360-410: The advisory speed limit is not illegal per se , it may be negligence per se and liability for any collisions that occur as a result of traveling above the limit can be placed partially or entirely on the person exceeding the advisory speed limit. Signposting of advisory speed limits varies from country to country; Australia makes extensive use of advisory speed limits across its highway networks while

3440-579: The autobahn are located outside densely populated areas. Vehicles with a top speed less than 60 km/h (37 mph) (such as quads , low-end microcars, and agricultural/construction equipment) are not allowed to use the autobahn, nor are motorcycles and scooters with low engine capacity regardless of top speed (mainly applicable to mopeds which are typically limited to 25 kilometres per hour (16 mph) or 45 kilometres per hour (28 mph) anyway). To comply with this limit, heavy-duty trucks in Germany (e.g. mobile cranes, tank transporters etc.) often have

3520-461: The autobahn construction standard (for example, the A 62 near Pirmasens ). Similar to some other German words, the term autobahn when used in English is usually understood to refer specifically to the national highway system of Germany, whereas in German the word autobahn is applied to any controlled highway in any country. For this reason in German, the more specific term Bundesautobahn

3600-475: The branch-off of the planned Tauern Autobahn was opened to the public on 13 September 1941. Construction works discontinued the next year and were not resumed until 1955. There are sections of the former German Reichsautobahn system in the former eastern territories of Germany , i.e. East Prussia , Farther Pomerania , and Silesia ; these territories became parts of Poland and the Soviet Union with

3680-490: The caller is automatically sent to the operator. For breaks during longer journeys, parking sites, rest areas , and truck stops are distributed over the complete Autobahn network. Parking on the autobahn is prohibited in the strictest terms outside these designated areas. There is a distinction between "managed" and "unmanaged" rest areas. (German: bewirtschaftet / unbewirtschaftet ). Unmanaged rest areas are basically only parking spaces, sometimes with toilets. They form

3760-551: The capital letter A, which simply stands for "Autobahn" followed by a blank and a number (for example A 8 ). The main autobahns going all across Germany have a single-digit number. Shorter autobahns that are of regional importance (e.g. connecting two major cities or regions within Germany) have a double-digit number (e.g. A 24 , connecting Berlin and Hamburg). The system is as follows: There are also some very short autobahns built just for local traffic (e.g. ring roads or

3840-596: The construction of the autobahn was first conceived in the mid-1920s during the days of the Weimar Republic , but the construction was slow, and most projected sections did not progress much beyond the planning stage due to economic problems and a lack of political support. One project was the private initiative HaFraBa which planned a "car-only road" crossing Germany from Hamburg in the north via central Frankfurt am Main to Basel in Switzerland. Parts of

3920-674: The exception of some top of the range models or engines—to 250 km/h (155 mph). These limiters can be deactivated, so speeds up to 300 km/h (190 mph) might arise on the German autobahn, but due to other traffic, such speeds are generally not attainable except during certain times like between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. or on Sundays (when truck drivers have to rest by law). Furthermore, there are certain autobahn sections which are known for having light traffic, making such speeds attainable during most days (especially some of those located in Eastern Germany). Most unlimited sections of

4000-590: The federal highways are only single carriageway with one lane for each direction and no hard shoulder pull-out area. The closest equivalent in the United States would be the U.S. highway system . In contrast to Germany, according to a 2002 amendment of the Austrian federal road act, Bundesstraßen is the official term referring only to autobahns ( Bundesstraßen A ) and limited-access roads ( Schnellstraßen, Bundesstraßen S ). The administration of all other former federal highways ( Bundesstraßen B ) has passed to

4080-461: The final report issued in 1977, the Institute stated the mandatory speed limit could reduce the autobahn death toll but there would be economic impacts, so a political decision had to be made due to the trade-offs involved. At that time, the federal government declined to impose a mandatory limit. The fatality rate trend on the German autobahn mirrored those of other nations' motorways that imposed

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4160-539: The first limited-access, high-speed road network in the world, with the first section from Frankfurt am Main to Darmstadt opening in 1935. This straight section was used for high-speed record attempts by the Grand Prix racing teams of Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union until a fatal accident involving popular German race driver Bernd Rosemeyer in early 1938. The world record of 432 kilometres per hour (268 mph) set by Rudolf Caracciola on this stretch just prior to

4240-424: The forest, reducing the annual death toll by 30% (250 lives) on autobahns and 15% (1,000 lives) on rural roads; the German motor vehicle death toll was about 10,000 at the time. The federal government sponsored a large-scale experiment with a 100 km/h (62 mph) speed limit in order to measure the impact of reduced speeds on emissions and compliance. Afterward, again, the federal government declined to impose

4320-768: The implementation of the Oder–Neisse line after World War II. Parts of the planned autobahn from Berlin to Königsberg (the Berlinka ) were completed as far as Stettin ( Szczecin ) on 27 September 1936. After the war, they were incorporated as the A6 autostrada of the Polish motorway network . A single-carriageway section of the Berlinka east of the former " Polish Corridor " and the Free City of Danzig opened in 1938; today it forms

4400-399: The important ones of 20 to 30 thousands kilometers of the ways in Germany. For Austria they have to replace another 8000 km by schnellstraße/motorways, then Schnellstraße have to be replaced by/rebuilt as motorways. Autobahn The Autobahn ( IPA: [ˈaʊtoˌbaːn] ; German pl.   Autobahnen , pronounced [ˈaʊ̯toˌbaːnən] )

4480-533: The inclusion of a red ring surround, effectively changing them from advance hazard warnings into standard, mandatory speed-limit signs. As local councils require consent from the Department for Transport before changing speed limits, some use advisory speed limits on roads that the DfT refuses to officially downgrade. The usefulness of advisory speed limits has been questioned by a number of studies: one group from

4560-407: The lane count of many of its major arterial routes, such as the A 5 in the southwest and A 8 going east–west. Most sections of Germany's autobahns have two or three, sometimes four lanes in each direction in addition to an emergency lane ( hard shoulder ). A few sections have only two lanes in each direction without emergency lanes, and short slip-roads and ramps. The motorway density in Germany

4640-527: The merely advisory speed limit ( Richtgeschwindigkeit ) of 130 km/h (83 mph) in unmarked sections of the autobahns. However, a number of Bundesstraßen have been extended as expressways ( dual carriageways ) (colloquially called "Yellow Autobahns"), which can be compared to motorway-grade A roads in the U.K. like the A1(M) . Many of these have speed limits of usually 100–120 km/h, others have only an advisory speed limit like autobahns. Most sections of

4720-541: The minimum static rollover threshold of 0.35g. In the United Kingdom, most speed limits imposed by variable-message signs are advisory, and there are no sanctions for drivers who exceed them; a notable exception being the Gatsometer -camera enforced, MIDAS and ATM variable limits on motorways such as the M25 , M42 and M6 . Crucially, the signs imposing these limits are distinct from regular, advisory VMS displays by

4800-641: The next year, today part of the Polish A18 autostrada . After the German occupation of Czechoslovakia , plans for a motorway connecting Breslau with Vienna via Brno (Brünn) in the " Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia " were carried out from 1939 until construction works discontinued in 1942. A section of the former Strecke 88 near Brno is today part of the D52 motorway of the Czech Republic. Also, there

4880-739: The number of traffic deaths back to pre-unification levels after a decade of effort while traffic regulations were conformed to western standards (e.g., 130 km/h (81 mph) freeway advisory limit, 100 km/h (62 mph) on other rural roads, and 0.05 percent BAC ). In 1993, the Social Democratic-Green Party coalition controlling the State of Hesse experimented with a 90 km/h (56 mph) limit on autobahns and 80 km/h (50 mph) on other rural roads. These limits were attempts to reduce ozone pollution . Advisory speed limit An advisory speed limit

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4960-423: The opening, availability of high-powered vehicles and a 54% increase in motorized traffic led to a doubling of annual traffic deaths, despite "interim arrangements [which] involved the continuation of the speed limit of 100 km/h (62 mph) on autobahns and of 80 km/h (50 mph) outside cities". An extensive program of the four E s (enforcement, education, engineering, and emergency response ) brought

5040-589: The outbreak of World War II in Europe in September 1939. During World War II, many of Germany's workers were required for various war production tasks. Therefore, construction work on the autobahn system increasingly relied on forced workers and concentration camp inmates, and working conditions were very poor. As of 1942, when the war turned against the Third Reich , only 3,800 km (2,400 mi) out of

5120-445: The remaining original Reichsautobahn , a section of A 11 northeast of Berlin near Gartz built in 1936—the westernmost remainder of the never-finished Berlinka — was scheduled for replacement around 2015. Roadway condition is described as "deplorable"; the 25 metres (82 ft)-long concrete slabs, too long for proper expansion, are cracking under the weight of the traffic as well as the weather. Germany's autobahn network has

5200-541: The rest of the road network are usually closed to general traffic. Apart from rare exceptions, the autobahn must not be left nor entered at rest areas. Truck stops (German Autohof ( German: [ˈaʊ̯toˌhoːf] ), plural Autohöfe ( German: [ˈaʊ̯toˌhøːfə] )) are large filling stations located at general exits, usually at a small distance from the autobahn, combined with fast food facilities and/or restaurants, but have no ramps of their own. They mostly sell fuel at normal price level while

5280-604: The road network was based on the Reichsautobahn of Nazi-Germany just like in West Germany, and thus were in a good state. Speed limit violations on the autobahns of the GDR were rare because most cars had not the engine power to go much faster than the set limit. For example, the most common car of the GDR, the Trabant , could reach a maximum of only 110 kilometres per hour (68 mph). The last 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) of

5360-413: The same numbers as trains could, and the autobahns could not be used by tanks as their weight and caterpillar tracks damaged the road surface. The general shortage of petrol in Germany during much of the war, as well as the low number of trucks and motor vehicles needed for direct support of military operations, further decreased the autobahn's significance. As a result, most military and economic freight

5440-473: The smoking ban in restaurants." The Weimar Republic had no federally required speed limits. The first crossroads-free road for motorized vehicles only, now A 555 between Bonn and Cologne, had a 120 km/h (75 mph) limit when it opened in 1932. In October 1939, the Nazis instituted the first national maximum speed limit, throttling speeds to 80 km/h (50 mph) in order to conserve gasoline for

5520-442: The supply chain for construction equipment, steel, concrete, signage, maintenance equipment, etc. In rural areas, new camps to house the workers were built near construction sites. The job creation program aspect was not especially important because full employment was almost reached by 1936. However, according to one source autobahn workers were often conscripted through the compulsory Reich Labor Service (and thereby removed from

5600-800: The tight curves of an off-ramp or on a busy shopping street. The advisory speed limit when not posted is generally the same as the mandatory speed limit in ideal conditions. In Australia, if a person is involved in a single vehicle accident and the resulting investigation reveals that the driver was exceeding the Advisory Speed Limit displayed it can be a breach of the Insurance Cover Contract, resulting in no payout. Advisory speeds in corners are set out in AS (Australian Standard) 1742.2-2009 Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices, Part 2, appendix F. Corners are signed to indicate

5680-414: The total length of the German autobahn network has no speed limit, about one third has a permanent limit, and the remaining parts have a temporary or conditional limit. Some cars with very powerful engines can reach speeds of well over 300 km/h (190 mph). Major German car manufacturers, except Porsche , follow a gentlemen's agreement by electronically limiting the top speeds of their cars—with

5760-463: The traffic signs number 380 and 381, according to §42 of the German traffic code ( St raßen v erkehrs o rdnung, StVO), as seen above. As these traffic signs were only rarely used, they have been abolished, and will be fully removed by 31 October 2022. Advisory speeds are not legal speed limits. Advisory speeds end in 5 to avoid confusion with mandatory speed limits, which end in 0. The limits are established at 0.22g lateral g-force to fall well within

5840-438: The unemployment registry). The autobahns were not primarily intended as major infrastructure improvement of special value to the military as sometimes stated. Their military value was limited as all large-scale military transportation in Germany was done by train to save fuel. The propaganda ministry turned the construction of the autobahns into a major media event that attracted international attention. The autobahns formed

5920-549: The war effort. After the war, the four Allied occupation zones established their own speed limits until the divided East German and West German republics were constituted in 1949; initially, the Nazi speed limits were restored in both East and West Germany. In December 1952 the West German legislature voted to abolish all national speed limits , reverting to State-level decisions. National limits were reestablished incrementally. The 50 km/h (31 mph) urban limit

6000-497: The war. During the 1950s, the West German government restarted the construction program. It invested in new sections and in improvements to older ones. Finishing the incomplete sections took longer, with some stretches opened to traffic by the 1980s. Some sections cut by the Iron Curtain in 1945 were only completed after German reunification in 1990. Others were never completed, as more advantageous routes were found. An example

6080-565: The world without blanket speed limits for cars and motorcycles. As such, they are important German cultural identifiers, "often mentioned in hushed, reverential tones by motoring enthusiasts and looked at with a mix of awe and terror by outsiders." Some speed limits are implemented on different autobahns. Certain limits are imposed on some classes of vehicles: Additionally, speed limits are posted at most on- and off-ramps and interchanges and other danger points like sections under construction or in need of repair. Where no general limit exists,

6160-450: Was approximately 160 km/h (99 mph) in flat country but lower design speeds were used in hilly or mountainous terrain. A flat-country autobahn that was constructed to meet standards during the Nazi period could support speeds of up to 150 km/h (93 mph) on curves. The current autobahn numbering system in use in Germany was introduced in 1974. All autobahns are named by using

6240-402: Was carried by rail. After the war, numerous sections of the autobahns were in bad shape, severely damaged by heavy Allied bombing and military demolition. Furthermore, thousands of kilometres of autobahns remained unfinished, their construction brought to a halt by 1943 due to the increasing demands of the war effort. In West Germany (FRG), most existing autobahns were repaired soon after

6320-570: Was controlled by conservative parties , successfully resisted the imposition of a permanent mandatory limit supported by Chancellor Brandt . The upper house insisted on a 130 km/h (81 mph) recommended limit until a thorough study of the effects of a mandatory limit could be conducted. Accordingly, the Federal Highway Research Institute conducted a multiple-year experiment, switching between mandatory and recommended limits on two test stretches of autobahn. In

6400-452: Was enacted in 1956, effective in 1957. The 100 km/h (62 mph) limit on rural roads—except autobahns—became effective in 1972. Just prior to the 1973 oil crisis , Germany, Switzerland, and Austria all had no general speed restriction on autobahns. During the crisis, like other nations, Germany imposed temporary speed restrictions; for example, 100 km/h (62 mph) on autobahns effective 13 November 1973. Automakers projected

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