Autobahn (German: Autobahn IPA: ['? A? To? Ba: n] Ã, ( listen ) , plural Autobahnen ) is a federal access control highway system in Germany. The official German term is Autobahn (plural autobahnen , abbreviated CHAPTER ), which translates as "federal toll road". The literal meaning of the word autobahn is "Federal Auto (mobile) Track".
The German Autobahn does not have the federal speed limit required for some vehicle classes. However, restrictions are installed (and enforced) in areas that are urbanized, substandard, accident-prone, or under construction. At an unrestricted speed, the advisory speed limit of 130 kilometers per hour (81 mph) is applicable. While going faster is not illegal as it is in the absence of speed limit, it can lead to increased responsibility in case of accident; the court has ruled that the "ideal driver" who is exempt from the absolute responsibility for "inevitable violations" under the law shall not exceed Richtgeschwindigkeit .
The 2008 estimate reported that 52% of autobahn networks have only advisory speed limit, 15% have temporary speed limits due to weather or traffic conditions, and 33% have permanent speed limits. Measurements from Germany's Brandenburg Country in 2006 show an average speed of 142 km/h (88 mph) on the six autobahn lines in free flowing conditions.
The German autobahn network has a total length of about 12,996 kilometers (8,075 mi) by 2017, which ranks among the world's most congested and controlled access control systems. Longer similar systems can be found in the United States (77,017 kilometers (47.856Ã, mi)) and in China (123,000 kilometers (76,000 mi)). However, both the US and China have an area nearly 30 times larger than Germany, which shows the high density of the German highway system.
Video Autobahn
Name
Only federally constructed access control roads with certain construction standards including at least two paths per direction are called autobahn . They have their own white-blue sign and numbering system. In the 1930s, when construction began on the system, its official name was Reichsautobahn . Other access-controlled highways are in the federal (BundesstraÃÆ'Ÿe), country (LandesstraÃÆ'Ÿe), district, and city level but not part of Autobahn network and is officially referred to as KraftfahrstraÃÆ'Ÿe (with rare exceptions, such as A 995 Munich-Giesing-Brunntal). This highway is considered autobahnÃÆ'¤hnlich (like autobahn) and sometimes colloquially called Gelbe Autobahn (yellow autobahn) as most of them are BundesstraÃÆ'Ã… Jalan en (federal highway) with yellow signs. Some controlled access roads are classified as "Autobahn" although they do not meet autobahn construction standards (eg A 62 near Pirmasens).
Maps Autobahn
Construction
Similar to high-speed toll roads in other countries, autobahns have multiple traffic lanes in each direction, separated by a central barrier with class-separated intersections and limited access to motor vehicles with a top speed of more than 60 km/h (37 mph). Almost all the exit to the right. The earliest highway is flanked by shoulders about 60 centimeters (24 inches) in width, made of various materials; The right shoulder on many autobahn is then fitted with a width of 120 cm (47 inches) when the car is realized requires additional space to safely pull the autobahn. In the postwar years, a thicker section of asphalt concrete with a full paved shoulder began to be used in general. The top design speed is about 160 km/h (99 mph) in flat country but lower design speed is used in hilly or mountainous areas. The flat-country Autobahn built to meet the standards during the Nazi period, can support speeds of up to 150 km/h (93 mph) on the curve.
The current autobahn numbering system used in Germany was introduced in 1974. All autobahn are named in capital letters A, which stands for "Autobahn" followed by blank numbers and numbers (eg AÃ, 8). The main autobahn across Germany has a single digit number. Shorter autobahs with regional interests (eg Connecting two major cities or regions in Germany) have double digit numbers (eg A, 24 connecting Berlin and Hamburg). The system is as follows:
- A 10 to A 19 is in eastern Germany (Berlin, Saxony-Anhalt, Saxony and Brandenburg sections)
- A 20 to A 29 is in northern and northeastern Germany
- A30 to A 39 is in Lower Saxony (northwest Germany) and Thuringia
- A 40 to A 49 is on the Rhine-Ruhr to Frankfurt Rhine-Main
- A 50 to A 59 is in the Lower Rhine region to Cologne
- A 60 to A 69 are in Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, Hesse, and Baden-WÃÆ'¼rttemberg north
- A 70 to A 79 is in Thuringia, northern Bavaria and part of Saxony
- A 80 to A 89 is in Baden-WÃÆ'¼rttemberg
- A 90 to 99 is in Bavaria (south)
There are also some very short autobahn created only for local traffic (eg ring road or A 555 from Cologne to Bonn) which usually have three digits for numbering. The first digit used is similar to the above system, depending on the region. The east-west route is always even-numbered, the north-south route is always odd numbered.
The north-south autobahn is generally numbered using odd numbers from west to east; that is, the more eastern road is given a higher number. Similarly, the east-west route is numbered using numbers even from the north (lower numbers) to the south (higher numbers).
History
The idea for autobahn development was first developed in the mid-1920s during the Weimar Republic, but its construction was slow, and most of the projected section did not progress far beyond the planning stage due to economic problems and lack of political support. One of the projects is a private initiative of HaFraBa that plans a "special road car" across Germany from Hamburg in the north through the center of Frankfurt am Main to Basel in Switzerland. Parts of HaFraBa were completed in the late 1930s and early 1940s, but construction was finally stopped by World War II. The first such public road was completed in 1932 between Cologne and Bonn and was opened by Konrad Adenauer (Lord Mayor of Cologne and future Western German Chancellor) on August 6, 1932. Today, the road is the Autobahn 555. This road is not yet called > Autobahn and does not have a central median like a modern highway, but is otherwise called KraftfahrstraÃÆ'Ÿe ("motor vehicle") with two lanes each direction without intersections, pedestrians, bicycles, or animal-powered transportation.
Just days after the Nazi takeover of 1933, Adolf Hitler enthusiastically embraced an ambitious autobahn construction project, appointing Fritz Todt, German Road Construction Inspector General, to lead him. In 1936, 130,000 direct workers were employed in construction, as well as an additional 270,000 in the supply chain for construction, steel, concrete, nameplate, maintenance equipment, etc. In rural areas, new camps to house workers were built near site construction. The aspect of the job creation program was not very important because full work was almost accomplished in 1936. The autobahn was not primarily intended as an improvement of key infrastructure of special value to the military as it is often stated. Their military value is limited because all major military transport in Germany is done by train to save fuel. The propaganda ministry changed the autobahn construction into a major media event that attracted international attention.
Autobahn established the world's first high-speed fast road access network, with the first part of Frankfurt am Main to the opening of Darmstadt in 1935. This straight section was used for high-speed recording attempts by the Grand Prix racing team from Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union to fatal accidents which involved German popular rider Bernd Rosemeyer in early 1938. The world record of 432 kilometers per hour (268 mph) mounted by Rudolf Caracciola on this stretch just before the crash remained one of the highest speeds ever achieved on a public expressway. A similar intention in the 1930s existed for a stretch of ten kilometers from what is today the Autobahn 9 just south of Dessau - called Dessauer Rennstrecke - has a bridge without a dock, intended for speed record cars like Mercedes -Benz T80 made a record attempt in January 1940, abandoned due to the outbreak of World War II in Europe four months earlier.
During World War II, several median strips of autobahn were paved to allow their conversion to be an additional airstrip. Aircraft either hidden in many tunnels or camouflaged in the nearby forest. However, for the most part during the war, autobahn was not militarily significant. Motor vehicles, such as trucks, can not carry goods or troops quickly or in bulk and in amounts equal to trains, and autobahn can not be used by tanks because of their weight and traces of caterpillars damage road surfaces. General gasoline shortages in Germany during most of the war, as well as the low number of trucks and motor vehicles required for direct support of military operations, further reduced the autobahn significance. As a result, most of the military and economic goods are carried by trains. After the war, many parts of the autobahn were in bad shape, badly damaged by heavy Allied bombing and military demolition. Furthermore, thousands of miles of autobahn remain unfinished, their construction stalled in 1943 due to the increasing demand for war effort.
In West Germany (FRG), most of the existing autobahn were repaired immediately after the war. During the 1950s, the West German government restarted its construction program. It's invested in new parts and is under repair for older ones. Completing the incomplete section took longer, with some stretches opened for traffic in the 1980s. Some parts cut by the Iron Curtain in 1945 were only completed after the reunification of Germany in 1990. Others were never resolved, as more profitable routes were found. Some incomplete parts to this day extend across the landscape that form the unique type of modern destruction, often easily seen in satellite photographs.
The East German Autobahn (GDR) was negligible compared to West Germany after 1945. The East German Autobahn was used primarily for GDR military traffic and for agricultural vehicles or state-owned manufacturing. Speed ​​limit on GDR autobahn is 100 km/h; However, lower speed limits are often encountered due to poor road conditions or rapid changes. The speed limit on GDR autobahn is strictly enforced by Volkspolizei, whose patrol car is often found hiding under a camouflage tarp waiting for the speeder.
The last four kilometers of the original rest of Reichsautobahn, part of the A 11 northeast of Berlin near Gartz built in 1936 - the most western remnant of the unfinished Berlinka - is scheduled to be replaced around 2015. Roadway conditions are described as " pathetic"; a 25-meter-long concrete slab, too long for proper expansion, cracks under traffic loads and weather.
Made in Germany Reichsautobahnen in other countries
The first Autobahn in Austria is the Western Autobahn from Wals near Salzburg to Vienna. The building began with the command of Adolf Hitler shortly after Anschluss in 1938. This extends the Reichsautobahn 26 from Munich (current A8), but only 16.8 km (10.4 Ã, mi) including the branch of the Tauern Autobahn plan opened to the public on September 13, 1941. Construction work was suspended the following year and not continued until 1955.
There are parts of the former German Reichsautobahn system in the former eastern region of Germany, namely East Prussia, Farther Pomerania and Silesia; these regions became part of Poland and the Soviet Union with the implementation of the Oder-Neisse line after World War II. Part of the planned autobahn from Berlin to KÃÆ'¶nigsberg (which is Berlinka ) was completed as far as Stettin (Szczecin) on 27 September 1936. After the war, they were included as the A6 autostrada of the Polish highway network. The one-lane part of the traffic at Berlinka east of the former "Polish Corridor" and the Free City of Danzig opened in 1938; today formed the Polish S22 freeway from Elbl? g (Elbing) to the border with the Russian Kaliningrad Oblast, where it was continued by the R516 regional road. Also on 27 September 1936, a part of Breslau (Wroc? Aw) to Liegnitz (Legnica) in Silesia was inaugurated, which today is part of the Polish A4 autostrada, followed by (single vehicle) Reichsautobahn 9 from Bunzlau (Boles? Awiec) to Sagan (? Aga?) Next year, today part of the Polish A18 autostrada.
After the German occupation of Czechoslovakia, the plan for the toll road connecting Breslau with Vienna via Brno (BrÃÆ'n¼nn) in "Bohemian and Moravian Protectorates" was carried out from 1939 until construction work was suspended in 1942. Part of the earlier
Current density
In 2016, the German autobahn network has a total length of about 12,993 km. From 2009 Germany has embarked on a huge widening and rehabilitation project, expanding the number of lanes from many of its main arterial routes, such as the A5 in the southwest and the A8 to the east-west.
Most modern German autobahn, containing two or three, sometimes four lanes beside the emergency lane (hard shoulder). Some other parts remain in the old condition, with two lines, no emergency lane, and short paths and ramps.
Facilities
Emergency phone
Approximately 16,000 emergency phones are distributed periodically along the autobahn network, with triangular stickers on the armco obstructions leading to the nearest ones. Despite the increasing use of mobile phones, there are still about 700 calls made every day on average.
For Emergency services or Roadside assistance to come to the right location, miles of road should be provided as part of an emergency call.
Parking, rest area and truck stop
To rest during longer trips, parking lots, rest areas and truck stops are distributed through the complete Autobahn network. Parking on autobahn is prohibited within strict limits outside this designated area. There is a difference between "managed" and "unmanaged" rest areas. (German: bewirtschaftet / unbewirtschaftet ).
Unregulated rest areas are basically just parking spaces, sometimes with toilets. They form part of the German highway system; the plot of land is a federal property. The Autobahn exit to the parking area is marked 200 meters in front with a blue mark with a white letter "P". They are found every few kilometers.
Rested places (Germany: AutobahnraststÃÆ'¤tte or RaststÃÆ'¤tte for short) typically also include refueling stations, filling stations, toilets, toilets and baby changes. Many rest areas also have restaurants, shops, public phones, internet access and a playground. Some have hotels. Mandated every 50 km or so, the rest area is usually open all night.
Both types of rest areas are directly on autobahn, with their own exit, and any service roads that connect them to other road networks are usually closed to public traffic. Autobahn should not be left at rest area.
Truck stops (German Autohof , plural AutohÃÆ'¶fe ) is much less frequent. Located at the public exit, usually at a small distance from autobahn, they do not have their own ramps.
Rest areas and truck stops are marked several times, starting several kilometers in advance, and with bigger signs that often include icons announcing what kind of facilities tourists can expect.
Speed ​​limit
The German Autobahn is famous for being among the few public roads in the world without the speed limit of blankets for cars and motorcycles. Thus, they are important German cultural identifiers, "... are often mentioned with tone of respect, respect by automotive enthusiasts and gaze with a mixture of admiration and terror by outsiders." Some speed limits are applied to different autobahn.
Certain limits are imposed on some vehicle classes:
In addition, the posted speed limits are the most on- and off-ramps and exchanges and other hazard points such as parts of development or in need of repair.
Where no general limit is required, the advisory speed limit is 130 km/h (81 mph), which is referred to in German as Richtgeschwindigkeit . Advisory speed can not be established; However, being involved in a higher-speed driving accident may cause the driver to be considered at least partly responsible for "increased operating danger" ( ErhÃÆ'¶hte Betriebsgefahr ).
The Federal Road Research Institute (Bundesanstalt fÃÆ'¼r StraÃÆ'Ÿenwesen ) requested information on speed regulation on autobahn from sixteen States and reported the following, comparing 2006 and 2008:
Except at the construction site, the general speed limit, where they apply, is usually between 100 km/h (62 mph) and 130 km/h (81 mph); Construction sites typically 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, the section may have a limit of 40 km/h (25 mph), or on one of the roads 30 km/h (19 mph). Specific stretches have lower speed limits during wet weather. Some areas have a speed limit of 120 km/h (75 mph) to reduce noise pollution during overnight hours (usually 10 pm - 6 am) or due to increased traffic during the day (6 am - 8 pm).
Some restrictions apply to reduce pollution and noise. Limits can also be placed temporarily through a dynamic traffic guidance system that displays the appropriate message. More than half of the total German autobahn network length does not have a speed limit, about one-third has a permanent limit, and the remaining part has a temporary or conditional limit.
Some cars with very powerful engines can reach speeds of over 300 km/h (190 mph). The major German carmakers, except for Porsche, follow the agreement of men with electronically limiting the top speed of their cars - with the exception of some models or top-range engines - up to 250 km/h (155 mph). This barrier may be disabled, so speeds of up to 300 km/h (190 mph) may appear on the German autobahn, but due to other traffic, such speeds are generally not achievable except during certain times such as between 10 pm. and 6 am or on Sundays (when truckers have to rest because of the law). In addition, there are certain autobahn parts that are known to have light traffic, so that speed can be achieved for most of the day (especially some of which are located in East Germany). The most restricted part of autobahn lies outside the densely populated area.
Vehicles with a top speed of less than 60 km/h (37 mph) (such as quads, low-grade micro cars, and agricultural/construction equipment) are not allowed to use autobahn, nor are there motorcycles and scooters with low engine capacity regardless of top speed (especially applicable for mopeds that are usually limited to 25 or 45 km/h only). To comply with this limit, heavy duty trucks in Germany (eg mobile cranes, transport tanks etc.) often have a maximum design speed of 62 km/h (39 mph) (usually denoted by black and white round with "62" above) along with a flashing orange flare to warn an approaching car that they're traveling slowly. There is no minimum speed common but drivers are not allowed to drive at unnecessarily low speeds as this will cause significant traffic disruptions and increased collision risk.
Public debate
Germany's national speed limit has a historical relationship with time warfare and deprivation, the Nazi era, and the Soviet era in East Germany. "Free driving for free citizens" ("freie Fahrt fÃÆ'¼r freie BÃÆ'¼rger"), a slogan promoted by the German Auto Club since the 1970s, is a popular slogan among those who oppose autobahn speed limits. 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 the same status as the right to bear weapons in the American debate... At some point, speed limits will come true in here, and soon we will not be able to remember the time before.This is like a ban on smoking in restaurants. "
Initial history
The Weimar Republic does not have a federal required speed limit. The first highway for motor vehicles alone, now the A555 between Bonn and Cologne, has a limit of 120 km/h (75 mph) when it opened in 1932. In October 1939, the Nazi set the first national maximum speed limit, a speed slowdown of up to 80 km/hour (50 mph) to save on gasoline for war effort. After the war, the four Allied occupation zones set their own speed limits until the East German and West German republics divided into 1949; initially, the Nazi speed limit was restored in East and West Germany.
After World War
In December 1952 the West German legislature voted to abolish all national speed limits, see them as Nazi relics, return to state-level decisions. National boundaries are rebuilt gradually. The urban limit of 50 km/h (31 mph) was enacted in 1956, effective in 1957. The 100 km/h (62 mph) limit on rural roads - except autobahn - became effective in 1972.
The 1970s oil crisis
Just before the 1973 oil crisis, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria all had no general speed restrictions on autobahn. During the crisis, like other countries, Germany imposed temporary speed restrictions; for example, 100 km/h (62 mph) on autobahns effective November 13, 1973. The car projected a 20% drop in sales, which they were partly due to the lowered speed limit. The 100 km/hour limit fought by Minister of Transportation Lauritz Lauritzen lasts 111 days. Countries adjacent to the limited speed autobahn, Austria and Switzerland, impose a permanent limit of 130 km/h (81 mph) after the crisis.
However, after the crisis subsided in 1974, the upper house of the German parliament, controlled by conservative parties, successfully resisted the imposition of a permanent mandatory limit supported by Chancellor Brandt. The upper house insists on a recommendation limit of 130 km/h (81 mph) until a thorough study of mandatory limits effects can be performed. Thus, the Federal Highway Research Institute conducted several years experiments, switching between mandatory limits and recommended on two autobahn trials. In a final report released in 1977, the Institute declared that mandatory speed limits could reduce the number of deaths due to autobahn but there would be economic repercussions, so political decisions should be made as they involve trade-offs. At that time, the Federal Government refused to impose mandatory restrictions. The trend of death rates on German authors reflects them from other country highways that impose a general speed limit.
Environmental issues of the 1980s
In the mid-1980s, acid rain and forest destruction suddenly renewed the debate over whether or not a common speed limit should be imposed on autobahn. Fuel consumption of cars is increasing at high speed, and fuel conservation is a key factor in reducing air pollution. Environmental experts argue that enforcing the limit of 100 km/h (62 mph) limits on autobahn and 80 km/h (50 mph) on other rural roads will save lives and forests, reduce annual death toll by 30% (250 inhabitants) on autobahn and 15% (1,000 inhabitants) on rural roads; The death toll of a German motor vehicle was about 10,000 at the time. The Federal Government sponsors large-scale experiments with a speed limit of 100 km/h (62 mph) to measure the impact of reduced emissions and compliance speeds. After that, once again, the Federal Government refuses to set a mandatory limit, deciding that simple measurable emission reductions will have no meaningful effect on forest loss. In 1987 all restrictions on the test section were removed, even in Hesse where the state government was controlled by a "red-green" coalition.
German Reunification
Prior to German reunification in 1990, eastern German states focused on strict traffic regulations such as speed limits of autobahn 100 km/h (62 mph) and 80 km/h (50 mph) on other rural roads. In the two years following the opening, the availability of high-powered vehicles and an increase of 54% of motor vehicle traffic led to twice the annual traffic loss, although "provisional arrangements involving a continuation of the 100 km/h (62 mph) speed limit on autobahn and 80 km/h (50 mph) outside the city ". An extensive program of four E (law enforcement, education, engineering, and emergency response) brings the number of traffic deaths back to the pre-unification level after a decade of business while traffic rules are aligned with western standards (for example, 130 km/h (81 mph) limit of the expressway advisor, 100 km/h (62 mph) on other rural roads, and 0.05 percent BAC).
Since reunification
In 1993, the coalition of the Green-Social Democratic Party that controls the State of Hesse experimented with a 90 km/h (56 mph) limit for autobahn and 80 km/h (50 mph) on other rural roads. This limitation is an attempt to reduce ozone pollution.
During his tenure (1998 to 2005) as German Chancellor, Gerhard SchrÃÆ'¶der opposed the autobahn speed limit, renowned for referring to Germany as the Autofahrernation ("driver state").
In October 2007, at a party congress organized by the German Social Democrats, the delegation narrowly approved a proposal to introduce a 130km/h (130 mph) blanket speed limit on all German autobahns. Although this initiative is primarily part of the broad outline of the SPD's general strategy for the future and, according to practice, need not be intended to influence government policy immediately, the proposal has sparked debate once again; German Chancellor since 2005, Angela Merkel, and a prominent cabinet member declared an unintentional rejection of such an act.
In 2008, the Social Democratic-Green Party coalition controlled Germany's smallest State, the City of Bremen & amp; Bremerhaven, imposed a limit of 120 kilometers per hour (75 mph) on the last 11 kilometers (6.8 mi) of unlimited speed autobahn in the hope of leading other countries to do the same.
In 2011, the first green-country prime minister of any German state, Winfried Kretschmann of Baden-WÃÆ'¼rttemberg initially proposed the same limit, the rate of 120 kilometers per hour (75 mph). However, Baden-WÃÆ'¼rttemberg is an important location for the German motor industry, including the headquarters of Daimler AG and Porsche; the ruling coalition finally decided against the country-level border at 675 kilometers (419 × mi) of unlimited speed roads - arguing for national speed limits instead.
In 2014, the conservative-liberal coalition of power from Sachsen insists its rejection of the general speed limit on autobahn, instead advocating dynamic traffic controls if necessary. Between 2010 and 2014 in Hesse State, transport minister Dieter Posch and his successor Florian Rentsch, both members of the Free Democratic Party, eliminated or raised the speed limit on some parts of the autobahn after a regular 5-year review of speed limit effectiveness; several parts shortly before the installation of Tarek Al-Wazir (Green Party) as Minister of Communications in January 2014 as part of an uncomfortable green-coalition coalition government. In 2015, the left-green coalition government of Thuringia stated that the general autobahn limit was a Federal issue; Thuringia will not indirectly impose statewide borders in general, although Thuringian environmental ministers have recommended a 120 kilometer per hour (75 mph) limit.
By the end of 2015, Winfried Hermann, the Baden-WÃÆ'¼rttemberg Green Transport Minister, pledged to impose a trial speed limit of 120 kilometers per hour (75 mph) in about 10% of the country's autobahn starting in May 2016. However, the ruling green - the social democratic coalition losing the majority in March 2016 elections; while Hermann maintains his post in the new Green-Christian Democracy government, he removes preparations for speed limits because of opposition from his new coalition partners.
Security
In 2014, autobahn carries 31% of motorized traffic and constitutes 11% of traffic deaths in Germany. The autobahn mortality rate of 1.6 deaths per billion traveled-kilometers compared favorably with a rate of 4.6 in urban streets and 6.5 levels in rural roads.
Between 1970 and 2010, overall German road deaths declined by almost 80% from 19,193 to 3,648; during the same period of time, autobah death was split from 945 to 430 deaths. Statistics for 2013 show total German traffic deaths have dropped to the lowest ever recorded: 3,340 (428 on autobahns); a representative from the Federal Statistical Office attributes a general downturn to the harsh winter weather that delayed the start of the motorcycle riding season. By 2014, there were a total of 3,377 deaths on the road, while deaths due to autobahn fell to 375.
* per 1.000.000.000 trip-kilometer
In 2012, the main cause of autobahn accidents was "excessive speed (for conditions)": 6,587 so-called "speed-related accidents" claimed the lives of 179 people, representing almost half (46.3%) of the 387 autobahn deaths that year. However, "excessive speed" does not mean that the speed limit has been exceeded, but the police determines at least one party to travel too fast for existing road or weather conditions. On autobahn 22 people die every 1,000 injuries; a lower rate of 29 deaths per 1,000 injury accidents on conventional rural roads, which are in turn five times higher than risks in urban roads - higher speeds on rural roads and autobahn than urban roads, increasing the severity potential of accidents.
Security: international comparison
Some countries publicize their road safety records; Federal Highway Research Institute provides IRTAD statistics for 2012:
For example, a person who each year passes 15,000 kilometers (9,300 mi) on a regular road and 10,000 kilometers (6,200 mi) on the highway has roughly 1 in 11,000 chances of dying in a car accident in Germany the road in each year ( 1 in 57,000 on autobahn), compared to 1 at 3,800 in the Czech Republic, 1 in 17,000 in Denmark, or 1 in 7200 in the United States.
However, there are many differences between countries in geography, economics, traffic growth, the size of the road system, the level of urbanization and motorization, and so on.
Travel speed
The Federal Government does not regularly measure or estimate the speed of travel. One study reported in the transport engineering journal offers a historical perspective on increasing the speed of travel over a decade, as shown below.
Source : Kellermann, G: Speed ​​Behavior on the 1992 Highway Network. Highway Highway, Issue 5/1995.
The Federal Office reported that, in free flowing parts in 1992, the recorded average speed was 132 km/h (82 mph) with 51% of drivers exceeding the recommended speed.
In 2006, speed was recorded using an automatic detection loop in the State of Brandenburg at two points: on the six A9 line near Niemegk with a speed of advisers 130 km/h (81 mph); and on the four lane A10 passes Berlin near GroÃÆ'Ÿ Kreutz with a mandatory limit of 120Ã, Âh (75 mph). The results are shown below:
At peak times on the "free-flowing" portion of the A9, over 60% of road users exceed the maximum speed of 130 km/h (recommended), over 30% of riders exceeding 150 km/h (93 mph), and over 15 % exceeds 170 km/h (106 mph) - in other words the so-called "85th percentile speed" exceeds 170 km/h.
Highway
On January 1, 2005, the new system came into force for the obligatory tolls (Mautpflicht) on large trucks (weighing more than 12 t) when using the German autobahn system ( LKW-Death ). The German government is contracted with a private company, Toll Collect GmbH , to operate a toll collection system, which has involved the use of vehicle-installed transponders and road mounted installed sensors all over Germany. Tolls are calculated based on toll routes, as well as by vehicle pollution class, weight and number of axles on vehicles. Certain vehicles, such as emergency vehicles and buses, are exempt from tolls. The average user is charged EUR0.15 per kilometer, or about $ 0.31 per mile (Toll Collect, 2007).
Traffic and enforcement laws
Driving in Germany is governed by StraÃÆ'Ÿenverkehrs-Ordnung ( road traffic rules , abbreviated StVO). Enforcement on federal Autobahnen is handled by state Highway Patrol (Autobahnpolizei), often using unmarked police and motor cars and usually equipped with video cameras, thus enabling easier law enforcement such as tailgating. The famous laws include the following.
- The right path should be used when it's free ( Rechtsfahrgebot ) and the left path is usually only for overtaking unless the traffic is too dense to justify driving just on the right lane. It is legal to provide short horns or light signals (flashing lights or Lichtheets ) to indicate overtaking intentions, but a safe distance to the vehicle ahead must be maintained, otherwise this may be considered a coercive act.
- Penalties for tailgating were upgraded in May 2006 to a maximum of EUR375 and a three-month suspension: "the driver must keep a distance in meters equal to half their speed.For example, the driver will be 100 km/h on autobahn should keep a minimum distance of 50 meters 165 feet) ". The increased penalty was followed by a stir after a famous fatal accident in Autobahn 5 in 2003.
- In traffic, drivers should establish an emergency line ( Rettungsgasse ) to allow emergency services to reach the crash site. This improvising gang must be made at the dividing line between the two leftmost lanes.
- It is against the law to stop for any reason in autobahn, except for emergencies and when it can not be avoided, such as traffic congestion or being involved in an accident. This includes stops in the emergency lane. Running out of fuel is considered an avoidable event, because according to the law there is a direct gas station on autobahn approximately every 50-55 km (31-34Ã, mi). The driver can face fines and suspension of up to six months, if stopped then it is considered unnecessary by the police. In some cases (if there are immediate hazards to life and limbs or property, such as cars and road infrastructure) it can also be considered a crime and drivers may receive jail sentences (up to 5 years).
- Deviating to the right (doing) is strictly forbidden, except when trapped in a traffic jam. Up to 80 km/h (50 mph) is allowed to pass the car on the right side if the speed difference is not more than 20 km/h (12 mph) or vehicle in the stationary left lane. This is not referred to as overtaking, but through it. Even if the illegally seized car occupies the left lane, that is not an acceptable reason; in such cases, the police will routinely stop and drive off both drivers. However, exceptions can and sometimes do.
In popular culture
Movies and TV
- Alarm for Cobra 11 - Die Autobahnpolizei ( Alarm for Cobra 11 - The Autobahn Police , 1996-), a famous German TV series that focuses on the work of a team of highway police officers and their investigations, set in the metropolitan area of ​​the Rhine-Ruhr that is bound in an autobiographical fashion.
- Reichsautobahn (documentary/b & amp; w) by Hartmut Bitomsky (West Germany, 1986)
Music
- "Autobahn", song and album by German electronic band Kraftwerk (1974)
Video games
Need for Speed: ProStreet , Burnout 3: Takedown , and Burnout Dominator use autobahn as one of their tracks. Euro Truck Simulator 2 displays Autobahn on the world map open. Burnout 3: Takedown names them as Alpine while Burnout Dominator splits them into two (Autobahn and Autobahn Loop). Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed also has tracks that have player drives in different parts of autobahn. The entire game world of Crash Time: Autobahn Pursuit is set to autobahn. At Gran Turismo 5 and Gran Turismo 6 , trophies are given to those who have traveled the same distance with the total autobahn length. In December 2010, video game developers Synetic GmbH and Conspiracy Entertainment released the title Alarm fÃÆ'¼r Cobra 11Ã, - Die Autobahnpolizei featuring real-world racing and mission-based games. This was taken from the popular German television series about the first two-person team of the Autobahnpolizei in Berlin then in North Rhine-Westphalia.
See also
- Transportation in Germany
References
Further reading
- Vahrenkamp, ​​Richard (2010). The German Autobahn 1920-1945: Hafraba Visions and Mega Projects . Josef Eul Verlag GmbH. Ã,
- Zeller, Thomas (2010). Driving Germany: Autobahn Landscape Germany, 1930-1970 . Book Berghahn.
External links
- German website with descriptions of all autobahn routes and exit (in English)
- English-language website that covers all aspects of autobahn
- Geographic data associated with Autobahn in OpenStreetMap
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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