MOTOR BRIEFS
World's fastest public roads will stay that way
German government rejects proposals to impose a blanket 130km/h limit on freeways so as to cut down on carbon emissions
The hypercar haven of Germany will retain its status as the fastest in the world after the government rejected proposals from safety and environment groups for a blanket 130km/h maximum limit on autobahns. But it has come at a cost, with the German government under fire at home from the same lobby groups that helped usher in old-diesel bans in some of the country’s busiest cities. While plenty of drivers around the world would drool at the prospect of a 130km/h maximum speed limit, Germans regarded it as an assault on their civil liberties. About 70% of Germany’s extensive 25,767km of multilane, divided autobahn network is free of speed limits, and many Germans — including car company executives — have put the government under pressure to retain the world’s fastest public roads. Critics of the announcement insist the lowering of the speed limit, as recommended by a government-appointed commission on future mobility — was canned after the car industry’s intensive lobbying. Yet there ...
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