Speed limits

[Saras]

Speed limits dont help senile drivers

[Harovan]

Originally posted by Boris Godunov
This is only true on the Autobahn, and only on certain parts of it. Around major urban centers, one simply can't go fast, as traffic is rather dense. Plus, one has to get a special license now to drive on the Autobahn, which I believe costs something like $5,000 US (I'm not sure if this applies to everyone or just non-Germans).

There's a Autobahn fee for trucks, because they cause the most damage, but none for private cars.

At any rate, they have a noticeably lower accident fatality rate than major U.S. highways. However, Germans also treat driving in a different way than Americans, particularly on the Autobahn. There is much more focus and attention paid. Americans tend to view driving as just a means of travel, whereas Germans view it as a past time unto itself.

That's for sure. I've seen Americans drive, omfg . When I last was in the States, a friend met me at the airport and drove me home. It was a mere 45 minutes trip, but driving like this in Germany, she'd have earned about 10 tickets in this time. Not that she's a bad driver, at the countrary. They were all driving like this. It was a complete chaos, at least for me.

Germany also has some very strict laws regarding unsafe driving on the Autobahn. Cameras monitor distances between cars, and if you are driving too close to the car in front of you (I think something like 20 feet is the minimum in no traffic, but not sure), then you will be fined severely. Fines are based on the individual wealth of the infractor. A couple years ago they gave out a $10,000 fine to a wealthy driver for tailgating. Ouch.

All of this courtesy of the History Channel, thank you.

Regarding distance: You have to keep a distance in meters of at least half the amount of your speed in kilometers per hour. For instance, if you're at 60 km/h, you have to keep at least 30 m distance in front of you. I leave the translation into mph and feet to you .

[aaglo]

Saras -
That somehow reminds me of Moscow...

[Dis]

75 on freeways in my state. 65 on freeways within the city (specifcially Las Vegas)

The highways can range from 70 on open highways out in the middle of nowhere to 55.

note: those figures are in miles per hour. Like there would be any other useful way to measure velocity

[aaglo]

I wonder what is the opposite of "freeway"? Is it a closed way or what?

In Finland
- freeways beyond city limits: 100 - 120 km/h
- freeways inside city limits: 70 - 80 km/h
- general city roads: 40-60 km/h

[Dis]

often our freeways withing the cities are just gridlockways

[DRoseDARs]

Edit: This was in response to Aaglo's post

Freeway, highway, expressway.

Toe-MAY-toe, toe-MAH-toe.

They're the same thing, only difference is where you live. Obviously tollways ARE different as you have to pay toll.

We park in driveways and drive on parkways too...

[aaglo]

Don't forget, there is also My Way ^TM

And there are no tollways in Finland.

[Harovan]

Originally posted by DRoseDARs
Freeway, highway, expressway.

Toe-MAY-toe, toe-MAH-toe.

They're the same thing, only difference is where you live.

Why not generalize it then and call all of them Autobahn?

[aaglo]

Moottoritie! (=motorway)

[DRoseDARs]

Aaglo, the only tollways I can think of are in the Eastern US. I don't think I've ever seen or been on one here in the west. The only tolls I recall paying are for bridges.

Veering a little way back on-topic, the posted limits here in Nevada are a tad slow for what's reasonable. In a great many places you could easily go 75mph on long open stretches of road (particularly between Reno and Las Vegas on US-95). Hell, us-395 and I-80 through Reno could easily handle higher speeds, but they're both limited to 65mph. I do believe there are some stretches of both I-80 through Central Nevada and parts of US-95 that allow 70+, but I'd need to check.

[DRoseDARs]

Originally posted by Sir Ralph


Why not generalize it then and call all of them Autobahn?

Because we're Americans, damn it! We're too lazy to change!

[Harovan]

Tollways are annoying. I remember my first visit in France, heck, what a mess. Stop once or twice every hour and pay a fee in a currency you're not used to, with coins you don't have a feeling for yet, and do it fast, or the people behind you will start to honk.

[DRoseDARs]

I might be (probably) mistaken, but I believe it's like this: "Freeway" is used in the Eastern US, where you find most of the nation's "Tollways"; "Expressway" is used on the west coast, mostly California and Washington state; "Highway" is used everywhere in between.

As far as differing coinage every hour, I don't know where you live Sir Ralph but I'll go out on a limb and guess Europe : Are Europe's tollways ready for Euro coins?

[Harovan]

Originally posted by DRoseDARs
As far as differing coinage every hour, I don't know where you live Sir Ralph but I'll go out on a limb and guess Europe : Are Europe's tollways ready for Euro coins?

I live in Germany and am driving at 200km/h (or 125 mph ) without fearing a ticket. I could go faster, but that's all my car can make. We have no tollways here and I haven't been a while in France, but since all our automats have been switched to Euro coins fairly quick (in a couple of days), I suppose theirs have too.