Why don't we have an Autobahn?

1stMerc

Senior Member
or something akin to it. Are there any roads/highways here, where you can go full out or close to it full time?
 
Too many ***** jabbing on cell phones and texting and driving under the speed limit and driving slow in the left lane and passing on the right and eating Big Mac's etc etc!! List goes on. Check out the laws on the Autobahn. Thats some of the reasons we will never have one.
 
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Montana used to be about as close as we could get, but there's more pronghorn than people out there so population density or lack thereof was probably the reason for that.
 
We do

or something akin to it. Are there any roads/highways here, where you can go full out or close to it full time?

In fact our whole highway (interstate) system is patterned after the Germany road system.

The reason for the speed limits is very simple... way too many vehicles on the roadways:)
 
If youve lived in Germany you know the krauts pride themselves on their driving. You would also know when they do have a wreck on the autobahn (usually on foggy, rainy days) its a flaming conflagration with bunches of folks killed at a time.
 
I watched a special on the Autobahn on History Channel, and vortex is right. The Germans do not have cup holders in their cars if that gives you an idea...they view driving as an event to be perfected rather than a part of daily life. The fences and such that guard the Autobahn also allow for no wildlife to enter the highway, as opposed to the United States...which one of my neighbors just hit a cow doing 45 on a state highway.
 
I watched a special on the Autobahn on History Channel, and vortex is right. The Germans do not have cup holders in their cars if that gives you an idea...they view driving as an event to be perfected rather than a part of daily life. The fences and such that guard the Autobahn also allow for no wildlife to enter the highway, as opposed to the United States...which one of my neighbors just hit a cow doing 45 on a state highway.

I've never been able to get a cow to go much faster than about 15 mph.
 
I watched a special on driver education over there and WOW! They have to put a car into a series of spins and correct in seconds without hitting any cones. This is only one of the tests to obtain a license. They take there driving very seriously there and it is a privilege not a right.
 
or something akin to it. Are there any roads/highways here, where you can go full out or close to it full time?
Montana dropped the speed limits out of town for a while and posted "road condition" limits. As I understand it Mercedes came to Montana to "test" their cars and then all of a sudden there are speed limits.

As far as akin to try joining a racing club that rents tracks like Watkins Glen or Lime Rock for the day
 
2 reasons....

#1, American drivers suck... Our driving requirements are 1/2 of what they have over there.

#2, Average American cars are not built for higher speeds. You look at a minivan from the UK and a minivan here and you'll see the brakes are MUCH larger. Hell Park your Marauder next to a BMW 7 series. Even an OLD ass 7 series. You'll see my point.
 
They take there driving very seriously there and it is a privilege not a right.

Driving in the USA is also a privilege, not a right, and can be revoked/suspended for cause.

I was out on the NYS Thruway (I90) last Saturday. For those that have never driven on that interstate, it is a very limited access toll road, mostly straight, flat and wide. More and more I notice that I have to pass mahroons doing under the speed limit, in the hammer lane, on the right because they are clueless as to what high beam flashing means. Not to mention they have no business being out there in the 1st place.

A US autobahn = highway of death & destruction... due to skill less imbies practicing their privilege. :rolleyes:
 
I've been over here twice now and I can say Germans drive way better than Americans. The Autobahn does have speed limits in certain areas. Also there are streches where there are no speed limits and you can go as fast as you want, however there are alot of speed cameras so when you see that red flash expect to be paying out of your pocket for the ticket in the mail.

All in all like many have said, Germans pay a hell of alot more for their license and right to drive. It's earned over here, not given.
 
Driving in the USA is also a privilege, not a right, and can be revoked/suspended for cause.

I was out on the NYS Thruway (I90) last Saturday. For those that have never driven on that interstate, it is a very limited access toll road, mostly straight, flat and wide. More and more I notice that I have to pass mahroons doing under the speed limit, in the hammer lane, on the right because they are clueless as to what high beam flashing means. Not to mention they have no business being out there in the 1st place.

A US autobahn = highway of death & destruction... due to skill less imbies practicing their privilege. :rolleyes:

That is considered "road rage" around here and people will actually call the police instead of moving over, and if you get caught you will get every aggressive driving ticket they can throw at you.
 
or something akin to it. Are there any roads/highways here, where you can go full out or close to it full time?

I have six (6) years of experience driving on the Autobahn when I lived in Germany from 1975-1978 and again from 1986-1989. Once the initial thrill of no speed limits wears off, you quickly begin to realize that no matter how fast you think you are ….. there’s always someone faster.

My day of enlightment came on a trip down in Bavaria on the autobahn south of Munich headed toward Rosenheim near the Austrian border. I was “rolling” in my ’74 Dodge Charger at about 120 MPH (~ 194 KPH) when I saw headlights flash in my rearview mirror.

I quickly moved to the center lane just in time to hear the whine of something pass by on my left. Could have been black. Maybe dark blue. Might have been a Porshe or a Lamborghini. But it was GONE. I estimate that he was approaching close to 200 MPH (~ 320 KPH) when he went past.

Checked my fuel gauge to make sure I hadn’t run out of gas. Don’t think that I pushed it much over 100 MPH after that. Someone is ALWAYS faster.


1. Autobahns date back to the 1930s and are better built than the US Interstate system.

2. Autobahns are better laid out than most Interstates.


3. Autobahn signs actually aid people in where they are going and give advance notice of major intersections. They tend to rely on picto symbols and city names instead of numerous and multiple signs that cannot been read even at 55 MPH.

4. German people understand the rules of the road and obey them.

5. German drivers are very predictable. They will move to the right to allow faster traffic to pass. They will make a turn after using their turn signals. They will always use their turn signals to indicate their intentions.

6. In general, the Germans are much more skilled as drivers and have a better understanding of the limits of performance of their vehicle.

7. Because they are more skilled (and tested), German drivers do not exhibit the timidness and indecisiveness of most American drivers.

8. I think that most Americans would consider Germans as “aggressive” drivers.

9. Having done both, I prefer driving on the Autobahn. Driving in the USA is a frustrating experience especially in congested urban areas.

10. IMHO --- The Autobahn concept just wouldn’t work here. We’ve developed more than 60 years of bad habits and dumb designs using the current Interstate system.
 
Driving in the USA is also a privilege, not a right, and can be revoked/suspended for cause.

I was out on the NYS Thruway (I90) last Saturday. For those that have never driven on that interstate, it is a very limited access toll road, mostly straight, flat and wide. More and more I notice that I have to pass mahroons doing under the speed limit, in the hammer lane, on the right because they are clueless as to what high beam flashing means. Not to mention they have no business being out there in the 1st place.

A US autobahn = highway of death & destruction... due to skill less imbies practicing their privilege. :rolleyes:

I-90 is a veryyyyy smooth and straight road, really hard to keep it near the speed limit (65). And very heavily patrolled by police. Wish they'd raise the speed limit to 75 like the throughways where I used to live in Austin TX.
 
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