Speed limits in Germany
In 1973, in the wake of the 1973 oil crisis, a federal speed limit of 100 km/h (62 mph) on Autobahns was imposed to help conserve fuel for fear of impending future shortages (not for environmental or safety reasons). The measure only lasted from December 1973 to March 1974; while the administration and the Bundestag were in favor of keeping the speed limit, the Bundesrat pushed to repeal the law. As a compromise, a "recommended speed" was introduced on Autobahns and "highways outside of built-up areas with a center divide or without a center divide and a continuous lane for overtaking in both directions". This law is basically still in effect today. Unrestricted non-Autobahn highways, however, have since become virtually non-existent or replaced by "Schnellstraßen", Autobahn-like expressways typically limited to 120 or 130 km/h and normally only covering a few kilometers.
Speed limits in Germany
In 2015, the German Safety Council recommended that the general limit be set at 80 km/h (50 mph) for rural roads less than six meters wide. The proposed speed would reduce the differential with trucks 3.5 metric tonne trucks, which generally travel at 60 km/h (37 mph). In 2013, rural roads spanned approximately 200,000 kilometers in length, and killed at least 1,934 people.