5 ms·

Not Germany, but the FDP Party is to blame, representing sub 5% subset of voters.

wongarsu 4y ago
Arguably the represent 11.5%, since that's how many votes they got. But yeah, their current poll results are a lot worse than that.
- b3orn 4y ago
  They represent much less, they lost a lot of votes in state parliament elections since the federal election, not just in polls.
oaiey 4y ago
Unlimited Speed on Highways = People who drive really fast = People think their time is money = Entrepreneur mindset = FDP key voters. Guess what we Germans are unable to kill either: Adding a generic speed limit so we do not get heart attacks when someone drives 300km behind us. Sucks but is called a compromise. Democracy.
- samjmck 4y ago
  Genuinely curious: does having no speed limit cause more deaths on the road?
  - mantas 4y ago
    I remember there was a test run Australia and no speed limit didn't increase casualties. Whenever I come over to Germany, driving on autobans feels like a pleasure compared to eastern european highways with a speed limit :/
    - defrost 4y ago
      Four dead was the usual number of casualties? https://www.upi.com/Archives/1994/05/24/Four-die-in-Australian-road-rally/8473769752000/ https://www.upi.com/Archives/1994/05/24/Four-die-in-Australi...
      - mantas 4y ago
        Cannonball shitheads do shithead stuff regardless of speed limit.
        defrost 4y ago
        These are people specifically coming to the Northern Territory to legally drive at high speeds on unlimited road sections ... therefore directly relevant to the assertion that unlimited speed sections don't see additional road deaths. A more thoughtful evaluation would need to consider the unique isolation of the NT roads, the nature of actual traffic (road trains, first time tourist drivers, etc) , the nature of the road (long slow deceptive curves, dips, washouts, etc), relatively low traffic (and then suddenly a cluster). As I recall the NT was unlimited for "ever" (well, since cars first arrived in NT) outside of towns (as a Territory and not a state), then limited, then conditionally unlimited (and now perhaps limited again). One consequence of having unlimited roads was an increase in people driving beyond their abilities on roads they were unfamilar with (eg: Japanese dentists with no long open road experience driving super cars). For interest: https://www.whichcar.com.au/news/northern-territory-now-has-300km-of-unrestricted-speed-limits https://www.whichcar.com.au/news/northern-territory-now-has-... https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-37283797 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-37283797
        mantas 4y ago
        If that area is unlimited „outside of towns“, it’s rather different from unlimited-in-proper-highways. Unlimited on a regular road is stupid. Unlimited in an isolated highway with no crossings or same level intersections is nice. Driving culture is important too. Somehow I wasn’t tailgated on German highways and supercars were happily waiting for me to get out of the way. Meanwhile back at home with 130km/h limit it’s common to do +10 and get tailgated with flashing left turn signal by those who want to do +20. But maybe they’d wait too if they knew they could speed more in an empty section down the road?
  - wongarsu 4y ago
    Yes, but Germany compensates with good traffic rules and good driver education (one of the harder to get driving licenses around the world, with 18 hours of mandatory theoretical classes, practical classes, and theoretical and practical tests that cost you around €2000 overall). Going by [1] Germany has the 15th lowest per-capita traffic-related death rate, less than one third that of the USA. 1: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_traffic-related_death_rate https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_traffic-r...
- jnsaff2 4y ago
  Not to mention that driving at 200km/h instead of 100km/h uses about 10 times the energy.
  - rasz 4y ago
    its ~4x energy and ~4x the air resistance https://www.electromotive.eu/?page_id=12 https://www.electromotive.eu/?page_id=12
  - enigma20 4y ago
    Using SUVs costs more money, more resources, cars are heavier, tyres bigger, more are resistance, more fuel usage. And number of people buying bigger and bigger cars is growing. Number of people driving really fast is relatively low. I would rather ban SUVs than anything else. It's upsetting to hear people complaining about climate change, pollution, voting for the Green party because of this, and then instead of a sedan or wagon they are going for a SUV which uses 3-4 liter of fuel.
- enigma20 4y ago
  First huge part of the population should learn to use the right and middle lane. I'm not often zooming on the highways, but how many times I overtake cars driving 130 kph in the right lane, where someone is driving in the middle lane 120 kph, and the next truck in the right lane is 1km away. Also I'm not FDP voter, but I'm definitely pro no-limit. There is little no-limit patches anyway, traffic often doesn't allow driving faster than 160. Construction work all the time everywhere.

Arguably the represent 11.5%, since that's how many votes they got. But yeah, their current poll results are a lot worse than that.

b3orn 4y ago
They represent much less, they lost a lot of votes in state parliament elections since the federal election, not just in polls.

oaiey 4y ago

Unlimited Speed on Highways = People who drive really fast = People think their time is money = Entrepreneur mindset = FDP key voters. Guess what we Germans are unable to kill either: Adding a generic speed limit so we do not get heart attacks when someone drives 300km behind us. Sucks but is called a compromise. Democracy.

samjmck 4y ago
Genuinely curious: does having no speed limit cause more deaths on the road?
- mantas 4y ago
  I remember there was a test run Australia and no speed limit didn't increase casualties. Whenever I come over to Germany, driving on autobans feels like a pleasure compared to eastern european highways with a speed limit :/
  - defrost 4y ago
    Four dead was the usual number of casualties? https://www.upi.com/Archives/1994/05/24/Four-die-in-Australian-road-rally/8473769752000/ https://www.upi.com/Archives/1994/05/24/Four-die-in-Australi...
    - mantas 4y ago
      Cannonball shitheads do shithead stuff regardless of speed limit.
      - defrost 4y ago
        These are people specifically coming to the Northern Territory to legally drive at high speeds on unlimited road sections ... therefore directly relevant to the assertion that unlimited speed sections don't see additional road deaths. A more thoughtful evaluation would need to consider the unique isolation of the NT roads, the nature of actual traffic (road trains, first time tourist drivers, etc) , the nature of the road (long slow deceptive curves, dips, washouts, etc), relatively low traffic (and then suddenly a cluster). As I recall the NT was unlimited for "ever" (well, since cars first arrived in NT) outside of towns (as a Territory and not a state), then limited, then conditionally unlimited (and now perhaps limited again). One consequence of having unlimited roads was an increase in people driving beyond their abilities on roads they were unfamilar with (eg: Japanese dentists with no long open road experience driving super cars). For interest: https://www.whichcar.com.au/news/northern-territory-now-has-300km-of-unrestricted-speed-limits https://www.whichcar.com.au/news/northern-territory-now-has-... https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-37283797 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-37283797
        mantas 4y ago
        If that area is unlimited „outside of towns“, it’s rather different from unlimited-in-proper-highways. Unlimited on a regular road is stupid. Unlimited in an isolated highway with no crossings or same level intersections is nice. Driving culture is important too. Somehow I wasn’t tailgated on German highways and supercars were happily waiting for me to get out of the way. Meanwhile back at home with 130km/h limit it’s common to do +10 and get tailgated with flashing left turn signal by those who want to do +20. But maybe they’d wait too if they knew they could speed more in an empty section down the road?
- wongarsu 4y ago
  Yes, but Germany compensates with good traffic rules and good driver education (one of the harder to get driving licenses around the world, with 18 hours of mandatory theoretical classes, practical classes, and theoretical and practical tests that cost you around €2000 overall). Going by [1] Germany has the 15th lowest per-capita traffic-related death rate, less than one third that of the USA. 1: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_traffic-related_death_rate https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_traffic-r...
jnsaff2 4y ago
Not to mention that driving at 200km/h instead of 100km/h uses about 10 times the energy.
- rasz 4y ago
  its ~4x energy and ~4x the air resistance https://www.electromotive.eu/?page_id=12 https://www.electromotive.eu/?page_id=12
- enigma20 4y ago
  Using SUVs costs more money, more resources, cars are heavier, tyres bigger, more are resistance, more fuel usage. And number of people buying bigger and bigger cars is growing. Number of people driving really fast is relatively low. I would rather ban SUVs than anything else. It's upsetting to hear people complaining about climate change, pollution, voting for the Green party because of this, and then instead of a sedan or wagon they are going for a SUV which uses 3-4 liter of fuel.
enigma20 4y ago
First huge part of the population should learn to use the right and middle lane. I'm not often zooming on the highways, but how many times I overtake cars driving 130 kph in the right lane, where someone is driving in the middle lane 120 kph, and the next truck in the right lane is 1km away. Also I'm not FDP voter, but I'm definitely pro no-limit. There is little no-limit patches anyway, traffic often doesn't allow driving faster than 160. Construction work all the time everywhere.