威力彩玩法

A broad-based coalition of environmental groups and police representatives is calling for Germany鈥檚 next government to impose a聽general speed limit on聽the country鈥檚 autobahns聽after this year鈥檚 federal election聽in September. "Lower speeds massively reduce CO2 emissions and could save thousands of lives," said Kerstin Haarmann, chair of environmental mobility group VCD in a聽. The 鈥渟peeding lobby,鈥� however, is fighting against safer motorways and political leaders are making it unnecessarily difficult for municipalities to introduce a 30-kilometre-per-hour speed limit by doing nothing, she added.聽The alliance includes environmental associations, the North Rhine-Westphalia police union and traffic safety associations.聽In addition to an autobahn聽speed limit,聽the alliance聽is calling聽for the maximum speed outside of聽towns and cities聽to be reduced to 80 kilometres聽per hour and a regular speed of 30 kilometres聽per hour聽within cities.聽

A general speed limit is politically controversial and transport聽minister Andreas Scheuer has聽previously rejected it.聽"The argument for a general speed limit is a political instrument of combat, for some even a fetish,"聽Scheuer, a member of the conservative Christian Social Union party, told the news agency dpa, adding that Germany鈥檚聽autobahns聽are聽the safest roads in the world. But Stefan Bauernschuster from the University of Passau and Christian Traxler from the Hertie School聽reject that claim.聽Compared internationally, German highways are not considered particularly safe, they write in an article for聽the journal聽, cited by the scientific information service聽. Excessive speed is by far the most frequent cause of fatal accidents, the researchers stress.聽A聽speed limit would not only lead to fewer deaths and injuries, but also聽to聽better health outcomes for聽the approximately聽15 million people聽who聽live聽near聽highways without a speed limit, they add.聽"A considerable part of the population could directly benefit from a decrease in emissions."聽They also cite studies that detail the negative effects of air pollution from vehicle emissions on聽the聽health聽of people, particularly聽children and the elderly.聽Emissions of pollutants increase disproportionately at high speeds, they stress.聽Such research, however,聽is not even being considered聽in the current debate聽on聽speed limits in Germany, the researchers聽point out.