Study: Speed Limit on Highways Could Prevent up to 90 Traffic Fatalities per Year

According to Brockmann, 292 people died on highways in the study's reference year. According to the Federal Statistical Office, more than 2,800 people were killed in road traffic in Germany in 2025. According to the ADAC, roughly one-third of all passenger car kilometers in Germany are driven on highways.

Key Findings of the Meta-Study

The head of accident research at the Björn Steiger Foundation emphasized that a speed limit would have positive effects on road safety. „Ein Tempolimit hätte positive Effekte auf die Verkehrssicherheit", he said. Comparable studies for Germany do not yet exist: „Für Deutschland gibt es keine vergleichenden Studien", said Brockmann. International experience from Austria, the Netherlands, and the USA has shown, however, that speed limits can reduce serious accidents and fatalities.

Brockmann advocated testing the effect of a speed limit for one year or establishing test stretches with different limits. According to his remarks, such an experiment would only be possible with the approval of the Federal Ministry of Transport. The Ministry, however, rejects a general speed limit on highways.

Positions of the ADAC and the Federal Ministry of Transport

The ADAC described the issue as polarizing but noted that public support has been rising for years. „Möglichkeiten und Grenzen eines Tempolimits für die Verkehrssicherheit und den Klimaschutz sollten untersucht werden", the automobile club demanded. At the same time, the ADAC pointed out that highways are the safest roads in Germany and that the share of traffic fatalities there, at roughly ten percent, is below average.

In addition to road safety, climate protection also plays a role: According to calculations by the Federal Environment Agency, a speed limit of 130 km/h on highways and 80 km/h outside built-up areas could save 2.7 percent of transport emissions. Experts, according to Brockmann, also do not expect additional traffic jams from a speed limit – on the contrary, travel times could become more reliable because accident-related closures would become less frequent: „Unfallbedingte Sperrungen und Umleitungen würden seltener."

International Comparison and Impact on Traffic Flow

Brockmann also rejected the objection that traffic could shift to rural roads with a speed limit. His study assumes that no equivalent alternative routes would be available. Older German studies from 1977, from Brandenburg between 2000 and 2006, as well as assessments by the Federal Environment Agency have already addressed the issue.

In international comparison, Germany is the only Western European country without a general speed limit on highways. „Nahezu alle anderen Staaten verfügten über verbindliche Tempo-Begrenzungen auf Autobahnen", said Brockmann. The highest regular maximum speed on European highways is 140 km/h in Poland; on certain pilot stretches in the Czech Republic, 150 km/h is permitted. Various speed limits already apply on large parts of the German highway network.

Political Debate and Outlook

Many associations in Germany support a general speed limit. The political debate over the issue has been ongoing for years. Brockmann shared his findings with the German Press Agency, according to his own statements.

The study takes up a fundamental question of German transport policy: Should speed on highways be limited? Supporters point to the potential saving of human lives and positive climate effects, while opponents cite individual freedom and the comparatively low accident rate on highways. A final political decision is pending.