The Autobahn in Germany is famous for being a highway that has a lot of sections without speed limits, and many drivers take advantage of that to max out their cars. But now, after the recent German federal elections, plans for establishing speed limits the full length of the roadway have opened up again, and even Formula 1 driver Sebastian Vettel agrees.
According to Auto Motor und Sport, the four-time F1 World Champion believes that speed limits on the Autobahn are a “no-brainer”. When asked about the election this past weekend at the race in Turkey, he said: “I’m not disappointed with the result. I expect the next government to finally act and not just talk when it comes to issues such as social injustice or the climate crisis. There are many things that need to be addressed now.”
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Even though Vettel is no stranger to driving fast, seeing as he races in the premier single-seater motorsport series and owns a sizeable collection of supercars, he believes that safety and the environment should come first. “It’s not about personal feelings. You have to look at the big picture,” he told AMS. “A speed limit would save almost two million tons of CO2 emissions. And it would make the roads a bit safer. There are accidents in Germany that only happen because we don’t have a speed limit. If you only save the life of a single person, then that’s a no-brainer for me.”
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Many have been saying that the speed limits are an issue of freedom. What’s Vettel’s take on that? “I have no problem with free driving disappearing,” he replied. “If you want to step on the gas, you should do it where it is safe. In this case, that would be the racetrack. You can test your limits without putting others in danger.”