US and German Highways: What is Reasonable and Prudent?

The U.S. Interstate System
Since the beginning of the 20th century, personal vehicles have given individuals the chance to travel across the United States. The Model T, an early affordable car, had a top speed of 45mph. Still, People traveling across the country found themselves on unpaved roads better suited to travel by horses. The ensuing decades saw changes in the quality of both cars and roads, making speed limits and law enforcement necessary for vehicular travel.

	United States	Germany
Highway	US Interstate Highway System	German Autobahn
Length of Highway System	47,182mi (75,932km)	7,965mi (12,800km)
Maximum Speed Limit	Varies by state; rural western Texas has highest in the nation at 80mph (129km/h)	None for cars and motorcycles; recommended speed limit of 130km/h (81mph)
Speed Limit Signage	In MPH Maximum Speed Limit Signs on US Interstate (89km/h & 120km/h)	In KM/H Advisory Speed on German Autobahn (62 mph) Minimum Speed (50mph)
Road Fatalities 2010	32,885	3,648
% Drivers wearing Seatbelts	84%	98%
% Passengers wearing Seatbelts	74%	97%
% of Population w/ Driver’s License	70%	77.5%

Dwight D. Eisenhower was the driving force behind the largest road endeavor ever attempted. At a shocking 47,182 miles, the United States Interstate Highway System¹ is the largest network of roads in the world and one of the largest-scale public projects ever attempted. Speed limits on these highways vary from 35mph in heavily urban areas of New York to 80mph in certain parts of Texas and Utah². Despite this variation, speed limits have seen many changes since the Interstate first opened in 1956. This includes a nationally imposed maximum speed limit of 55mph that was repealed in 1995 to the introduction of Montana’s “Reasonable and Prudent” speed limit³ , which bears a striking similarity to the speed laws of Germany’s Autobahn⁴ , the inspiration of the US Interstate.

The Autobahn
The Autobahn, which first opened in 1935, is Germany’s national road system. It was the first large-scale highway system ever successfully attempted and bears the distinction of having no mandated speed laws for cars or motorcycles on its roads. While commercial vehicles and trucks are restricted in speed, their maximum speeds far exceed the United States national average. Signs on the Autobahn propose a suggested speed of 130km/h or 81mph, higher than the fastest maximum speed limit in the US.

Accident Statistics in the United States and Germany
While the US often attributes high speed to many fatalities and accidents on the roads, the 2011 Road Safety Annual Report⁵ tells a different story. The number of road fatalities in Germany in 2010 amounted to 3,648 – compared to a striking 32,885 in the United States. This huge disparity has many contributory causes, including culturally accepted standards of driver behavior.

Germany has had a compulsory seat belt law in effect since 1976 for drivers and passengers in the front seat. In 1984 the law was extended to included passengers in the back seat. The 2010-2011 data find that 98% of drivers and 97% of passengers wear their seatbelts in Germany. In the United States, however, seatbelt laws are regulated by state, and mandated for drivers and front-seat passengers by only 32 statesvary by state in the United States, with only 32 states mandating seatbelts for drivers and front seat passengers. The International Road Traffic and Accident Database (IRTAD) found that only 84% drivers and front-seat passengers wore seatbelts, with an even smaller 74% wearing seatbelts in the backseat. It’s this kind of careless sentiment that draws the distinction between European and American drivers. While German drivers are known for dutifully following road rules and safety regulations, Americans are much more lax with traffic laws despite facing much higher penalties than European drivers. This lack of respect for road laws creates a terrifying environment for new or cautious drivers and a truly dangerous environment for all drivers. In fact, the IRTAD finds 10.6 Americans for every 100,000 died in 2010 due to car accidents, as compared to 4.5 deaths for every 100,000 Germans. Statistics like these highlight the importance of respecting road laws, limits, and buckling up. In the United States, an estimated 70% of residents are licensed drivers⁶ . In Germany that number is as high as 77.5%⁷ . These numbers get only more surprising with the considerable difference in obtaining a driver’s license between the two countries.

Licensing Drivers
In the US potential drivers must take a simple written exam highlighting the importance of signs, and take a short practical exam displaying simple skills like turning and stopping. In Germany, a license costs over $2000, and requires 25 to 45 practical driving hours as well as 12 hours of theory under professional instruction⁸. With these strict and steadfast laws, the lack of a speed limit seems negligible, especially considering the disproportionate rate of fatalities.

The question remains whether speed limits are useful in preventing fatalities. In 1973, then-president Richard Nixon signed a bill in response to an oil crisis that lowered the maximum speed limit to 55 mph⁹. Its main purpose was to lower overall consumption of gasoline, but following the crisis, the laws remained in effect under the assumption that they were safer. It wasn’t until 1995 that the laws were fully repealed. Although initially there was a decrease in the number of accidents on the road, the rate did not remain significant and the imposed speed limit did not greatly affect road accidents.

While it is inconclusive whether speed limits decrease the amount of road fatalities, it is clear that following signs, which advise or enforce a speed, can be preventative of major accidents. Maintaining a minimum speed in appropriate traffic and being mindful of driving conditions can avoid unnecessary accidents. Following seatbelt laws and not practicing distracted driving will also avoid unnecessary accidents. It is always more important to arrive safely as opposed to quickly, but by following the rules of the road, it is possible to do both.