https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Germany in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed Germany's Environment Minister has reignited a fierce debate around the introduction of speed limits on the motorway as she claimed the transport sector should do more to hit its climate targets. https://www.thelocal.de/20230505/german-environment-minister-calls-for-speed-limits-on-the-autobahn Fri, 05 May 2023 12:29:40 +0200 german-environment-minister-calls-for-speed-limits-on-the-autobahn The German government set aside a record amount of money in 2022 to upgrade the country’s highways. But that does mean more than a few headaches for drivers this year. https://www.thelocal.de/20230103/drivers-in-germany-warned-to-expect-delays-on-the-autobahn-this-year Tue, 03 Jan 2023 14:36:14 +0100 drivers-in-germany-warned-to-expect-delays-on-the-autobahn-this-year Car-mad Germany may be known for its speed limit-less Autobahns, but a Czech businessman's suspected 417 kilometre-per-hour (260 mph) drag down a stretch of motorway has run into trouble with local law enforcement. https://www.thelocal.de/20220207/germany-to-investigate-suspected-417-km-h-autobahn-racer Mon, 07 Feb 2022 18:40:33 +0100 germany-to-investigate-suspected-417-km-h-autobahn-racer Germany's likely new government has already ruled out a general Autobahn speed limit - even though the population wants it, according to a new survey. https://www.thelocal.de/20211029/majority-of-germans-want-autobahn-speed-limit Fri, 29 Oct 2021 14:50:41 +0200 majority-of-germans-want-autobahn-speed-limit The fierce debate over whether to impose a speed limit on the German Autobahn has continued, with Federal Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer drawing a clear line of defence for the upcoming election campaign. https://www.thelocal.de/20210712/autobahn-speed-limits-becoming-a-fetish-says-german-transport-minister Mon, 12 Jul 2021 13:11:28 +0200 autobahn-speed-limits-becoming-a-fetish-says-german-transport-minister A fierce debate has been ignited among German politicians over whether to impose a 130km-an-hour speed limit on the Autobahn after the September elections. https://www.thelocal.de/20210706/should-germany-impose-an-autobahn-speed-limit-to-fight-climate-change Tue, 06 Jul 2021 17:08:29 +0200 should-germany-impose-an-autobahn-speed-limit-to-fight-climate-change A man has caused a series of motorway accidents in Berlin, injuring six people including three seriously in what German prosecutors Wednesday described as an Islamist act. https://www.thelocal.de/20200819/man-causes-motorway-accidents-in-berlin-in-islamist-act-prosecutors Wed, 19 Aug 2020 11:34:31 +0200 man-causes-motorway-accidents-in-berlin-in-islamist-act-prosecutors There have been renewed calls for a blanket speed limit for Germany’s world renowned autobahns in recent weeks. But would a ban on high-speed driving do everything its proponents promise? https://www.thelocal.de/20200720/autobahn-speed-limits-life-and-planet-savers-or-overhyped Mon, 20 Jul 2020 18:17:26 +0200 autobahn-speed-limits-life-and-planet-savers-or-overhyped The Green party want to enforce a general speed limit on Germany's renowned Autobahn if they get into government after the planned 2021 elections. https://www.thelocal.de/20200714/germanys-greens-propose-speed-limit-on-autobahn-if-elected Tue, 14 Jul 2020 11:01:23 +0200 germanys-greens-propose-speed-limit-on-autobahn-if-elected Despite growing calls for more people to turn to public transport or cycling, cars still seem to be a favourable option among Germans. https://www.thelocal.de/20200619/germans-are-not-tired-of-cars-number-of-vehicles-on-roads-continues-to-rise Fri, 19 Jun 2020 13:19:19 +0200 germans-are-not-tired-of-cars-number-of-vehicles-on-roads-continues-to-rise From tougher penalties for reckless drivers and 'gawpers' to safer measures for cyclists, here are some important changes happening this year on Germany's roads. https://www.thelocal.de/20200109/what-you-need-to-know-about-changes-to-german-driving-laws-in-2020 Thu, 09 Jan 2020 18:23:24 +0100 what-you-need-to-know-about-changes-to-german-driving-laws-in-2020 Germany’s Social Democrats (SPD) have changed their tune on autobahn speed limits - with new chief Saskia Esken in favour of their imposition. https://www.thelocal.de/20191225/is-germany-set-for-another-showdown-on-autobahn-speed-limits Wed, 25 Dec 2019 13:23:37 +0100 is-germany-set-for-another-showdown-on-autobahn-speed-limits Germany is a nation of car-lovers. But is it really true that Germans are particularly good drivers? https://www.thelocal.de/20191211/not-always-polite-but-they-follow-the-rules-the-verdict-on-german-drivers Wed, 11 Dec 2019 09:41:05 +0100 not-always-polite-but-they-follow-the-rules-the-verdict-on-german-drivers German politicians in the Bundestag have overwhelmingly voted against a proposal for a general speed limit on the country’s famous Autobahn. https://www.thelocal.de/20191018/bundestag-votes-against-call-for-speed-limit-on-germanys-autobahn-rejects Fri, 18 Oct 2019 11:22:12 +0200 bundestag-votes-against-call-for-speed-limit-on-germanys-autobahn-rejects Germany's Autobahn is famous for having zones with no speed restrictions. But the Greens are calling for a vote in the Bundestag in a bid to change this. https://www.thelocal.de/20191017/bundestag-set-to-vote-on-german-autobahn-speed-limit Thu, 17 Oct 2019 12:41:15 +0200 bundestag-set-to-vote-on-german-autobahn-speed-limit A man drove an electric scooter onto an Autobahn after he got fed up waiting for a train. https://www.thelocal.de/20190702/man-drives-e-scooter-onto-german-autobahn Tue, 02 Jul 2019 10:50:12 +0200 man-drives-e-scooter-onto-german-autobahn With temperatures up to 40C forecast, officials have placed speed limits on sections of Germany's famous Autobahn network over concerns the road could buckle in the heat. https://www.thelocal.de/20190625/speed-limits-imposed-on-autobahn-sections-over-fears-road-will-blow-up-in-heat Tue, 25 Jun 2019 13:47:32 +0200 speed-limits-imposed-on-autobahn-sections-over-fears-road-will-blow-up-in-heat A hotly-contested planned German road toll that targets foreigners is in violation of EU law, the bloc's highest court ruled on Tuesday. https://www.thelocal.de/20190618/eu-court-rules-german-autobahn-toll-on-foreign-drivers-illegal Tue, 18 Jun 2019 13:42:20 +0200 eu-court-rules-german-autobahn-toll-on-foreign-drivers-illegal No-one enjoys getting stuck in a Stau — a traffic jam. And sadly, the scourge of congestion is particularly bad in some German cities. Here are the worst spots. https://www.thelocal.de/20190604/here-are-the-german-cities-where-drivers-spend-most-time-stuck-in-traffic Tue, 04 Jun 2019 15:14:43 +0200 here-are-the-german-cities-where-drivers-spend-most-time-stuck-in-traffic More education for drivers, extra lighting and efficient maintenance: these are some of the suggestions from Local readers on how to improve Germany’s famous Autobahn network. https://www.thelocal.de/20190531/what-can-germany-do-to-improve-its-autobahn Fri, 31 May 2019 19:28:57 +0200 what-can-germany-do-to-improve-its-autobahn