How does the accident and death rate on the Autobahn compare to highways that enforce speed limits?

star_gazer

The German autobahnen are famous for being some of the few public roads in the world without blanket speed limits for cars and motorcycles. Lack of blanket speed limits does not appear to negatively impact the road traffic safety compared with motorways in other countries; motorways are safer than other road types. Perhaps this is in part because traffic can be heavy enough to restrict speeds to little above the typical motorway speeds found elsewhere, or due to reducing the exhaustion of the drivers by shortening their travelling times. Certainly, speed limits do apply at junctions and other danger points, like sections under construction or in need of repair. Speed limits at non-construction sites are generally 100 km/h, 120 km/h, or sometimes even 130 km/h; construction sites have a usual speed limit of 80 km/h but may be as low as 60 km/h or even 40 km/h. Certain stretches have separate, and lower, speed limits used in cases of wet lanes. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_Autobahnen#Speed_limits I've been on the Autobahn...its a road. Jul 18 10, 11:35 AM

Zbeckabee

The overall Road traffic safety of German autobahns is generally better than that of other European highways. German autobahn fatality rates are lower than Austria's and higher than Switzerland's rates. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autobahn The fatality rate on the United States interstate system is higher than that on the German Autobahn. http://maps.unomaha.edu/peterson/funda/sidebar/autobahn.htm The annual fatality rate (2.7 per billion km in 2009) is consistently lower than that of most other superhighway systems, including the US Interstates (4.5 in 2009). Furthermore, a 2005 study by the German government found that Autobahn sections without speed limits had the same accident rate as those with speed limits. http://www.gettingaroundgermany.info/autobahn.shtml Jul 18 10, 12:05 PM