A section of the A24 was limited to 130 kmph for 20 years to reduce accidents. Because the reduction the speed limit was lifted early this year. Now there are 8% more accidents with injury and 42% more injured. Politicians call now to make it possible to limit the section again.

https://archive.ph/hPIpp

Speed limits absolutely do work if there are cameras and consequences. Unfortunately everyone seems to have decided that suspending licences and siezing cars is a human rights violation.

The problem is that even in low traffic, there is a truck on the right lane every few meters. Often, after you switch to the right lane, someone decides to drive right next to you, forcing you to brake.
It's just more comfortable to stay in the middle lane.

Now IMHO the real problem is when trucks are overtaking with 101km/h...

Most people somehow decided that its easiest to drive in the middle lane at slow(ish) speeds, while the right lane stays empty for long stretches.

Really? In my experience driving on German roads (primarily down near Munich), lane discipline is exceptionally good. The only times I saw significantly lower driving standards was in rush hour.

Meanwhile, the UK is notorious for people sitting in the middle lane. That used to be the rule, the inside lane was the slow lane, middle for cruising and outside for overtaking, however that was changed in the 60s/70s. It's recently been made formally illegal, rather than just contrary to the highway code, but even trained police drivers are still guilty of doing it.

In the Netherlands they're very big on pulling back in. So much so they frequently cut your nose off by pulling in so early.

It's fun seeing how driving styles vary between different regions and countries.

Driving on occassion on the A8 near Stuttgart and can't confirm it.
Usually trucks are clogging the most right line and overtaking each on the 2nd lane.
Most PKWs drive on the 2nd/3rd lane while the racers and overtakers use the 3rd/4th lane.
Also who cares about overtaking from the right. If you drive 120kph and my lane all drive 130 kph I will naturally overtake you. No need to switch lanes if the lane is free. Just don't overtake at +30 kph but more at 10 kph in relation to base Autobahn speed.

Left is for passing. You may not overtake in right lane. At least that’s how it works in Sweden. Thus if left lane is slow, right is slower.

Where i live it's fucking madness. People change lanes randomly, sit in the far left going 10 under the limit, pass on the right or left at seeming random, and sometimes just drive in the middle lane doing 30 mph in a 70 mph zone with their fucking hazards on. Don't even get me started on their merge technique, jealousy and resentment are what rule people's decisions and nobody has ever even heard of zipper merging. It's a shock there aren't more accidents than there are.

I once watched someone sitting in the far left at the limit, come up against someone driving on the left going 10 under, decide to undertake, and then slow down to like 30 under to "punish" the person.

I've changed lanes to pass only to have people change in front of me to block me, then change back when i changed back.

But most of all, and it should be noted i drive a two seater sports car here, i've had people in their huge ass SUVs look over at me, MAKE EYE CONTACT with me, and then merge into whatever lane i was in at the time like they were trying to drive me off the road.

Fuck!

I've actually been pulled over for being in the left lane too long in the US, so it does happen, but not enough.

I think it's based on the (fahrt fahrt fahrt auf den) Autobahn. Now, I'm not german so I could be wrong, but here's what wikipedia says regarding speed limits on the autobahn:

Much of the system has no speed limit for some classes of vehicles.[1] 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.[2] While driving faster 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 Richtgeschwindigkeit.

So, it certainly seems there is a basis for the jokes, even if they aren't 100% historically accurate.

An Autobahn has per default no speed limit for cars, except when there is one indicated by a speed limit sign. But there are many parts on any Autobahn without speed limit signs, so in reality you can very often drive as fast as you want.

There are many opportunities to drive with 200km/h or more if you want, but often the traffic prevents going with this speed for longer than a few seconds or minutes.

we have this every year in slovenia. you have to pass a technical inspection then register your car

my mom's car failed bexause her handbrake was 11% less efficient than new (limit being 10%). she had to get it replaced and then the car passed perfectly with 0 issues stated

i'd rather do this shit than have some jerk driving around with a car thats about to fall apart and maybe not have a working brake

Laughing in german....

If your mental capacity is reached by checking your surroundings while all the traffic is going roughly the same speed as you, then no way youre capable of handling "no speed limit" where everyone is driving to their liking.

It's not just you who'd be suddenly free to do whatever they want, but everyone else too.

Claiming "I know better what's best for me" is the best sign of someone who absolutely doesn't.

I think traffic calming is really interesting for this reason, building roads to make you feel most comfortable at the correct speed. The road design here is usually good, but when driving I feel really anxious on roads that have a design not matching the speed limit too.

100% agreed. If I don’t set cruise control, I usually speed on my commute due to me just focusing on the grip of my car, distance to/from other cars, and perceived speed. It’s just hard to gauge speed without checking often on my speedometer, which isn’t as safe. Even just trying to follow at a constant distance in the right lane is difficult because the semi trucks usually end up having wide speed differences at random times, meaning 60mph-80mph depending on the hill usually.