Autobahn-Tempolimit
The speed-limit debate in numbers
The discussion about a general 130 kph limit returns again and again. We take no side – we simply show what the network really looks like, so the numbers are on the table.
The map colours every Autobahn by speed limit – so you can see at a glance what a limit would affect.
What the debate is about
Germany is the only country in Europe without a general speed limit on its motorways. Instead of a ban, an advisory speed of 130 kph has applied since 1978 – a recommendation. Whether a fixed 130 kph limit should be introduced is a recurring political question. We take no side here; we simply put the network figures that the debate turns on on the table.
What a 130 kph limit would affect
A general speed limit would mainly change the part of the network that is unrestricted today. That is 64.7% of the Autobahn network, or roughly 17,287 kilometres of directional carriageway. The remaining 23.2% already carry a fixed limit, and 10.6% are managed dynamically.
The change would be felt most where the network is freest today: in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (90.6% unrestricted), Saxony-Anhalt (78.5%) and Thuringia (76.1%), and on the most open individual routes such as the A20 and the A38. The full picture is in the comparison of all federal states and the most derestricted Autobahns.
Where little would change today
In the city-states the Autobahn is already almost entirely restricted: only 2.9% is free in Bremen, 6.1% in Berlin and 7.9% in Hamburg. Rhineland-Palatinate is the only territorial state below half, at 49.1%. For these regions a 130 kph limit would barely be a change – see City-states versus area states.
What the numbers do not say
Our analysis shows how much road would be affected – not whether a limit is a good idea. Arguments about safety, climate and traffic flow cannot be derived from kilometres alone; that remains a political judgement. What we provide is the solid basis: a kilometre-accurate map of the current state.
Frequently asked questions
How much Autobahn would a 130 kph limit affect?
About 64.7% of the network, or roughly 17,287 km of directional carriageway, has no fixed limit today. Exactly this part would be capped for the first time by a general 130 kph limit.
Is there a general speed limit on German motorways?
No. Only an advisory speed of 130 kph applies – a recommendation, not a ban. Germany is the only country in Europe without a general motorway limit.
Which federal states would be affected most?
The freest states today: Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (90.6% unrestricted), Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. In the city-states of Bremen, Berlin and Hamburg almost nothing would change.
Data source: our own analysis of OpenStreetMap speed limits, as of 13 September 2026. National figures in directional-carriageway kilometres, state figures averaged per direction. Not an official survey.
Read next
Where is there no limit?
How the whole network breaks down by category – with all the kilometres.
ComparisonSpeed limit by state
All 16 states by unrestricted share – clipped to the state borders.
RankingThe most derestricted Autobahns
A20, A38, A24: the largest shares without a limit – with kilometres.
LawAdvisory speed 130 kph
A recommendation, not a ban – yet with consequences after a crash.