Safe Speed Forums

Does any of you have data on road fatalities on restricted and on free motorways in Germany?

Is it that hard to find?

I've never found those figures, but then I don't speak German and it's hard to search in a language that you don't speak (so mostly I don't even try).

There are also some figures that show average speeds rising steadily on the Autobahns, while accident risk is reducing markedly. But I don't have a proper source for those either.

Plus, I'm so busy these days I don't get a whole lot of time to do any research.

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Paul Smith
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I was last in Germany last September and will be there again in August. I've travelled the Autobahns regularly for ...... oh! 25ish years now.

My impression is of a much free'er, faster system than ours, despite there being only 2 lanes in most cases.

There ARE accidents of course and unusually I saw three last year, two on the opposing carriageway and one right beside me at LOW SPEED as one Merc rear ended another right beside me in the outer lane!........... (Ah! German tailgating.......their only vice!)


One thing that British drivers MUST realise.......Use your mirror!

Those FLASHING headlights in the rear......... are NOT aggressive.
Whilst strictly speaking they ARE illegal, it is a warning of their approach, NOT the impatient signal it means here.

They are probably approaching at, at least double your speed, and a warning is req'd. Get out of the way IF you can. If you are simply overtaking a string of slower moving vehicles, then leave your indicator running until you pull back in, indicating right. DON'T be surprised if this happens at 130+ mph !

It's just how it is there. It MAKES it WORK on a 2 lane Autobahn. Adopt the new mindset, and be mindful of other peoples needs.

You are the slower vehicle and it's your duty to get out of the way!





Methinks that whilst it's not perfect, there's a lot to be said for it......

I have driven on the Autobhans, they are great. The whole system is very well desgined I found it quite relaxing. You do have to keep an eye in your rear view mirror, as there is always someone who wants to/can go faster than you.

The attitude is completely different, there is no messing around the drivers seem more predictable, and most people (if not all) stay in the right hand lane unless overtaking. If the driver in front is travelling slower than you, if they can they move out of the way as soon as possible. None of this teach you a lesson attitude you get from slower drivers on our motorways. In fact it is a similar story for most countries on the continent

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Data I found so far show German motorways are in risk quite good. But that is an average, no division between free and limited motorways.
On the other hand and as far as I know they use the principle in G to only limit speed on motorway tracks that show more than average risk, so one can expect free tracks to be below average, but I never found a confirmation.
It might have been you had a source somewhere. German is not a problem.

It's a fairly simple message, "Keep left unless overtaking", but we in the UK seem to make such a mess of it.

It's not only Germany where the motorways are more relaxing - motorways in France (even with speed restrictions) are generally less stressful roads than the UK ones!

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COAST Not just somewhere to keep a beach.

A young loner on a crusade to champion the cause of the innocent, the helpless, the powerless, in a world of criminals who operate above the law.

I do not know if this will help with regard to German autobahn accidents

From BAST
Traffic Accidents Germany

The next are from here IRTAD
Exposure Data
Death Rates
Injury Accidents

Peter C,

I have been living in Germany now for 6 years, and I can help (a bit) but generally your question is not easy to answer.

In general, there are not many autobahns with speed limits on. There are areas of autobahns with speed limits on them, I do not believe there are any single motorways with them.

Most motorways have areas where speeds limits are applied. These limits are usually as follows:- During wet weather, during nightime...especially in areas near villages/towns (this is to keep the noise down), in dangerous areas, and finally as traffic determines (such as during rush hour, after accidents etc,this is done with signs that illuminate when needed).

I think this is a far more sensible approach on the autobahns.

With regard to speed limits on non-autobahn roads, the speed limit is rigidly enforced, 90% with police, 10% with police mobile cameras (there are very few fixed cameras here). If you get caught speeding, the punishment is relative to the amount you break the law. For example, do 34kph in a 30 limit, you get a 10 Euro fine. Do 85kph in a 50 limit and you get a 50 euro fine and a point on your license. The more you break the law, the higher the penalty. This too, I think is a sensible approach.

I know it is in German, and if you have any questions, I can help, but have a look at this http://www.adac.de/Verkehr/Statistiken/ ... ageID=7939

I have had a quick look, and I cannot find any statistic which breaks down the accident rate by speed.

Driver training is better here (for example, ADAC..which is the German version of AA, runs course on skid-pan control before winter, learner drivers have to go on the autobahn, etc), but that is not to say that driving is great here. As noted above....tailgating is a serious problem here..drivers always think that their car will get them out of trouble. Red lights at traffic lights are optional for the first 3 cars to arrive at them, and indicators are optional extras when you buy a car (this is a joke, but I bet more people know how to use their stereo than their indicators)!

Post accident, the car is excellent here. The heath care system works here, but I feel that a larger part here is the social service. Everyone feels that they should contribute time to society, which has the net effect that EVERY small town and village has a volunteer fire/ambulance service, which means that however remote you are in an accident, you are never more than that 15 minutes away from fire-rescue services.

Hope this helps give you a bit of a clearer image. I could go on, but I have probably bored you enough for now. If you would like to know more, just drop me a line.

I hope you do, that was a useful post.

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Hello there,

My own recollections, and it is a few years back now, is that the German law and HC system has a much better structure in terms of who has priority in a given situation. I do not really like the vagueness of some of our laws and guidelines which IMHO result in differing interpretations in a guiven situation which in turn can result in roadrage.

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Political Correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical, liberal minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end.

excellent post.

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COAST Not just somewhere to keep a beach.

A young loner on a crusade to champion the cause of the innocent, the helpless, the powerless, in a world of criminals who operate above the law.

I spent 10 years dragging a roadtrain through and around Germany.

I think you will find that there are speed restrictions on all motorways in Deutchland, but when you pass through a de-restricted sign thats the time to put your foot down. But, you have to be sensible with it or you will still get nicked.

back in the day, if you didnt carry enough money on you, you had to spend some time in chokey untill cleared funds came through, brilliant.

Best m-ways i saw were in the south. and as for French m-ways being less stressfull, dont forget, Frankereich is 2.5 times the size of us with the same population, so everyone has more space.

This doesnt help the OP i know, but i thought it was worth mentioning.

Good luck all.

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I think it has been mentioned that you pay an insurance surcharge to drive at the high speeds as well. They have limits and variable limits on many stretches in Bavaria.

They will prosecute for downright dangerous behaviour on the derestricted stretches. I think Wildy posted to someone on PH that German authorities are not stupid.

They have CCTV monitoring the A/bahn. This is not just for "Traffic News" either. If you do something stupid and they think it warrants a "tug" - they'll use that footage against you. They even incorporate it into a "bespoke" Speed Aware course where they use the footage of your own car and the DVD "game" has a number of nasty outcomes dependent on how you "play" it. They call it the "AHA Faktor" apparently and they claim it has many a "Turbo Wolfgang" emerging a bit "pale" afterwards (Think one of the German car mags did a story on it back in 2004)

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Thanks for the link. I will keep it as a favorite.
Are you (living in G) able to sustain the principle that limits are only applied on motorway tracks that show more than average risk on casualties?

Thanks for the link, but the data were already in my archives.
Fact is, German motorways on average are with appr. 3 people killed per bilion km (1E09km) travelled very good.

Excellent post Castaway Robinson...

Given that the majority of German Autobahns are only "2" lanes..... I think that their record is good compared to our "3" lane standard Motorway.

I HAVE seen things that I "cringed at".......... but generally their standard is good.

Although, their tolerance of anyone "towing" ..... is Low!
(shakes head)

I am still living in Germany (Bavaria actually...which if you ask anyone here is not REALLY part of Germany...it just happens to share some of the same language).

To answer a few of the questions (and give a bit more information).

The majority of the Autobahns here do not have general speed limits imposed (by this I mean, I speed limit which is in-force 24 hours a day). The only one I can think of that has it for any distance is the A8 between Ulm and Stutgart (about 30km). Other places have a general speed limit, but this is normally only for a particular junction (for example, a very busy junction), or an area of road that is particularly dangerous (such as a traffic jam blackspot). If the road is good, and there is nothing around (such as close villages, etc), then there is normally no speed limI am still living in Germany (Bavaria actually...which if you ask anyone here is not REALLY part of Germany...it just happens to share some of the same language).

To answer a few of the questions (and give a bit more information).

The majority of the Autobahns here do not have general speed limits imposed (by this I mean, I speed limit which is in-force 24 hours a day). The only one I can think of that has it for any distance is the A8 between Ulm and Stuttgart (about 30km). Other places have a general speed limit, but this is normally only for a particular junction (for example, a very busy junction), or an area of road that is particularly dangerous (such as a traffic jam blackspot). If the road is good, and there is nothing around (such as close villages, etc), then there is normally no speed limit. There is a "voluntary/recommended" speed limit of 130kph, on unrestricted roads, but this is not legally enforceable. Saying this, if you travel over this speed, insurance can become an issue. There is no premium/excess for travelling over 130, but if you have a crash, then the police may charge you with dangerous driving, and the insurance company may limit or refuse to pay out. There is no hard and last rule, it all depends on the circumstances. This applies to any speed though. If you are going too fast for the conditions, then you can be prosecuted. All non Autobahn roads have speed limits:- 100kph in the sticks (A roads), 80 (B roads), 50 in built up areas, 30 in residential areas, schools etc. Obviously, you have to look at the signs and the conditions to be exact.

Cameras can be a very sensitive issue here. They are seen as an intrusion into you personal privacy by the state and so very camera has to be licensed, and the license renewed (I think every year) and its location, purpose and coverage has to be published. It is not true that cameras can be used to monitor and prosecute bad driving. I believe this would break the German constitution. There are cameras that can be switched on during times of limits, but there have to be clearly marked, and are fixed….like the ones on the M25 around Heathrow area). I do not know anyone who has been prosecuted through these as people generally stick closely to the speed limit when posted.

I do not have any hard data to back up at the speed limits being applied only to higher risk areas. I will try and find some. I can only say that you can look up the areas of greatest "Stau"...traffic jams, and these areas mostly have fixed speed limits. These are also the areas where the differences in speeds between the vehicles because the most apparent and the most dangerous. I would say though, the car-lobby in Germany is far stronger than in the UK, and so every restriction placed on motorists are fought against. Only the ones that make logical sense seem to get through.


All the of above only really applies to autobahns, and of course, whilst the speed is higher, and the potential for injuries/deaths per accident is higher, most roads and accidents are A and B roads. This is where we can have mixed blessings.

My personal opinion on the safety of the roads, is that it is based a combination of a number of small things which make a big difference:-

- Better education for the driver. I notice this more than anything on autobahns when people indicate, pull out, over take then move back over. You do not see many people just sitting in the overtaking lane…unless they are going scarily fast.
- Roads are better maintain. The staff working on maintenance are allocated certain area of roads that they are responsible for. They check them, and carry out minor repairs as and when. When doing minor work, they often use a rolling roadwork, which means they do not have to cone off areas for days on end. 10 mins and most repairs can be finished. This keeps the standard generally quite good.
- Sensible speed limits. As most drives understand and agree that the limits are about right, they generally stick to them.
- Sensible restrictions…such as no trucks overtaking allowed on certain stretches of roads at certain times. This allows cars to travel more freely and helps reduce dangerous driving through impatience.
- Winter tyres. These are essential if snow and ice. Legally necessary (on spot fine and invalid insurance if you do not have them fitted). No chaos with that inch of snow…or 2 metres as we had last year.
- Each village provides the service to keep the roads going. This includes fire, ambulance, snow clearing/gritting, road maintenance. This means that the service is always just around the corner and most importantly, they know the roads and what areas to concentrate on. No centralised service.
- Rest stops. Normally very 10-15km. Usually pick-nick tables, about every fourth toilets. You feel tired, you pull over for a few minutes. You do not always want or need a huge service station.
- Pedestrians and cyclists generally have the right of way.
- School children all carry bags which are bright in colour and always have reflective strips.
- Mandatory first aid training and first aid kits.
- More police out doing patrols.


Some of the bad points though:-

- It is not always clear who has priority at a junction (generally give way to the right…which is stupid as you have to look across any passenger)
- Traffic light need more cameras to stop people jumping lights
- Junctions are always the right of way for pedestrians. If you turn and a bike hits you, it is your fault…you do not always see them coming, especially in the dark.
- Hardshoulders are used as lanes during rushhour. I know this is closely monitored for breakdowns, but it is scarey.
- Tailgating at 200kph
- No cats-eyes (this is a real pain in the wet as you cannot tell where the lanes are)
- Parking (anything goes)


I congratulate you if you managed to trawl all the way through this. Roads are simple to fix (and do not have to cost billions). There are a million good ideas out there. Unfortunately there are 50 in each country and so the governments do not like to be seen “copying” from another country, even if it is an excellent idea. I think anyone that works in roads/traffic should be forced to spend 6 months living in a foreign country to find the good and the bad bits, which they can then take back with them. Maybe then everyone’s lives will be better.
it. There is a "voluntary/recommended" speed limit of 130kph, on unrestricted roads, but this is not legally enforceable. Saying this, if you travel over this speed, insurance can become an issue. There is no premium/excess for travelling over 130, but if you have a crash, then the police may charge you with dangerous drving, and the insurance company may limit or refuse to pay out. There is no hard and last rule, it all depends on the circumstances. This applies to any speed though. If you are going too fast for the conditions, then you can be prosecuted.

I do not have any hard data to back up at the speed limits being applied only to higher risk areas. I will try and find some. I can only say that you can look up the areas of greatest "Stau"...traffic jams, and these areas mostly have fixed speed limits. These are also the areas where the differences in speeds between the vehicles because the most apparent and the most dangerous. I would say though, the car-lobby in Germany is far stronger than in the UK, and so every restriction placed on motorists are fought against. Only the ones that make logical sense seem to get through.

If you would find some hard evidence to back up at the speed limits being applied only to higher risk areas, that would help me a lot.
If the car lobby is able to get through that only the limits that make logical sense get through than I think they do a good job.

Hi Castaway Robinson....... Just got back from a "circumnavigation" of Germany around the outer edges almost!

Kassel, Leipzig, Colditz, Chiemsee, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Tubingen, Trier......and all points between. Excellent post once again from you and much appreciated.

Yes as you say, (and being critical here), I'd say that "tailgating", and the lack of "cats-eyes" (amazes me that they don't have them) are the biggest barrier to road safety in Germany.

Still, Who the hell are we in Britain to be critical?...............