Should Germany implement a speed limit?

The Greens' proposal to implement a speed limit on German roads has been met with dissatisfaction among rival parties. Could a speed limit be the solution to resource shortages and rising prices?

Debating speed limits in Germany

In a recent Interview conducted by the Zeit, Katharina Dröge, head of the Greens in the Bundestag, argued for her party's proposal to implement a speed limit of 130 kilometres per hour on German highways.

Dröge claimed that a speed limit would counteract the oil shortage caused by blockages in the Strait of Hormuz. According to Federal Office for the Environment calculations, a speed limit of 120 kilometres per hour would save 3,2 billion litres of fuel annually. She referred to a request by the head of the International Energy Agency, who called on states to ration their oil consumption to prevent a detrimental supply shortfall.

Her reasoning was debated by Hubert Aiwanger, Bavarian Minister of Economic Affairs. He accused the Greens of “wanting to dictate what citizens do and don’t do”. He countered that if the Greens were simply planning to address the oil crisis, their proposal would exclude electric vehicles that do not rely on gas.

Dröge responded that this solution would be too bureaucratic in practice. While the proposal primarily aims to address the oil crisis, speed limits have been proven to increase road safety for all. Here she referred to Germany’s neighbouring states, which have all implemented speed limits.

Prior attempts to implement speed limits

This is not the first instance in which gas shortages have reignited the speed limit debate in Germany. In 2022, after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the general manager of the German Association of Cities, Helmut Dedy, also suggested that a speed limit could help Germany save energy and become less dependent on Russian supplies. Back then, the proposal was fruitless, and it remains to be seen whether the Greens' new attempt will yield greater profit.

So far, the German government has already discussed and begun introducing measures to help cushion the blow of the oil crisis for consumers. Those include cutting taxes on petrol and diesel prices, as well as offering a tax bonus for employees. However, none of these policies addresses the potential shortage of resources that would affect residents in the long term. 

Germans have already gotten a taste of stronger enforcement of speed limits during the European “speed week”. Between April 13 and April 19, 2026, thousands of police officers and additional speed cameras were deployed and installed across the country.