Germany’s Autobahn!

In Arizona, the maximum speed limit on the highway is 75 mph, and that’s only in limited areas between cities. In Germany, a country in central Europe, part of the highway system has no set speed limit!

The German government began building the motorway in 1913. This came to be known as the autobahn. Over the years, as the government added to the highway system, the autobahn grew to more than 7,450 miles of roadway.

While many people believe that there is no speed limit anywhere on the autobahn, there is a speed limit that ranges from 37 mph to 80 mph on about one-third of the roadway system. The speed limits are usually found in areas with dangerous curves, in urban areas, near major interchanges and in construction zones.

The other two-thirds of the autobahn network has no speed limit, but there is always a recommended speed limit of 81 mph. About one-third of the roadway system also has a system of electronic signs that display different speed limits depending on weather, traffic or road conditions.

Despite the high speeds on the autobahn, the accident rate is extremely low. This is partially because of the way travelers drive and partially because of the regulations about lane changes, exiting and construction.

Germany, which is part of the European Union, is composed of 16 states. The country has seen its share of difficulty in the last 100 years, including both world wars and the division of the country for more than 40 years by the Berlin Wall.

Germany is now the second most highly populated country in Europe. The country is about the same size as the state of Montana and home to Neuschwanstein Castle, which is said to be one of the inspirations for Sleeping Beauty’s Castle in Disneyland.