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A driver in Germany was fined for speeding 129 miles per hour over the Autobahn speed limit, something that many people in America never knew existed until today.
Firstly, the Autobahn in Germany is not a single road. It is a network of highways throughout the country. As such, portions of those roads go through towns, areas with bends in the road, congestion spots, and similar conditions. So of course there are Autobahn speed limits on portions of the road, even if it is primarily known for not having a speed limit.
The Autobahn Speed Limit Exists, In Some Places
The driver was clocked by officers speeding at 199 mph (320 kph) in a portion of the Autobahn where the speed limit was set at 75 mph (120 kph). This was on the A2 highway near Burg, according to a report from the Associated Press, back on July 28th.
After being clocked at 124 mph over the speed limit, the unnamed driver was hit with a fine of €900, or about $1,043. That’s a steep fine for speeding but here in the United States you would be lucky to escape jail time if you were caught driving 124 mph over the speed limit.
This particular portion of the Autobahn where the driver was clocked at 199 mph had a 75 mph speed limit due to ongoing construction on the road.
Here in my home state of Florida, you can face jail time for speeding 50 mph or more. According to a recent report from MotorBiscuit, dozens of drivers were caught speeding in excess of 50 mph in the month of July.
What are the speed limits and why?
To be clear, the vast majority of Germany’s autobahn highways do not have speed limits. However, there are restrictions on specific vehicles, in certain areas, and under specified conditions.
Buses with passengers are capped at 60 kph. Motorcyclists hauling trailers are limited to 37 mph. Vehicles weighing over 3.5 tons are allowed a max speed of 50 mph, along with cars/trucks/buses hauling trailers. Then cars/trucks/buses with trailers that are certified for speeds over 100 km/h are capped at that speed.
Going further, on ramps and off ramps have speed limits on the Autobahns. Portions of the road under construction will have speed limits. And in general, 81 mph is the suggested speed even though drivers who don’t fall into the categories above are allowed to exceed that speed.
Fastest Recorded Autobahn Speed
Famed for speed, there have been records set over the years throughout Germany’s Autobahn highway system.
As things stand, the record for the fastest speed achieved on the Autobahn is 268 mph (432.7 kmh). That was from driver Rudolf Caracciola who was driving a 1938 Mercedes-Benz W125 Rekordwagen.
That record-setting achievement happened on a portion of highway that was closed off specifically for the record. So it did not put any other driver at risk. It is hard to imagine a world where that record is broken these days, even with modern supercars capable of reaching that speed.