Why, if speed laws are so well-thought out, is the speed unlimited on
the
Autobahnen, where the country is so much smaller than ours?
1.) Greater assumption of responsibility
2.) Population more homogenous
3.) Stricter and more comprehensive vehicle safety inspection
4.) Stricter and more comprehensive vehicle driver training
5.) "Lane-ownership" mentality not entrenched
6.) Driving neither viewed as universal right by citizens, nor enabled
to be such by government
7.) Very high accident injury rate acceptable to drivers
8.) Remnants of classist structure allowing driving to be regulated as a
privilege by the government
The bottom line is that people have very serious collisions and are
often killed or seriously injured from driving as fast as they want to
on Germany's autobahn. The accident rate is high, and the accidents are
substantially worse than they would have been at lower speeds. No one
discusses this aspect of unlimited speed, particularly when referring to
the autobahn, but rather seem to think that all of those Germans are
just zipping along at 155 MPH, day in day out, with nary a false step.
Stuart Steele
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