Autobahn
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
- This article is about the German, Austrian and Swiss road system. For the Kraftwerk album, see Autobahn (album).
Autobahn (pronounced [ˈaʊtoːbaːn] in IPA) is the German word for a major high-speed road confined to motor vehicles and having full control of access, similar to a motorway or freeway in English-speaking countries; in English, the word is used to refer only to these roads in German-speaking countries, usually Germany. On German autobahns there is no regular speed limit (besides many areas with high traffic and in construction zones of course), but there is a recommended speed limit of 130 km/h, which is slightly higher than 80 mph. Austrian and Swiss autobahns have speed limits of 130 km/h or 80 mph. In German, the word is pronounced as described above, and its plural is Autobahnen; in English, however, the segment "auto" is typically pronounced as in other English words such as "automobile", and the plural is almost always autobahns.
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Construction
Germany
Similar to such freeways in other countries, autobahns have multiple lanes of traffic in each direction, separated by a central barrier with grade-separated junctions and access restricted to certain types of motor vehicles only. The first german Autobahn was completed in 1932 between Cologne and Bonn. Each carriageway was flanked by bankettes about 60 cm (2 ft) in width, constructed of varying materials; right-hand bankettes on many autobahns were later retrofitted to 120 cm (4 ft) in width when it was realized cars needed the additional space to pull off the autobahn safely. In the postwar years, a thicker asphaltic concrete cross-section with full paved hard shoulders came into general use. The top design speed was approximately 160 km/h (100 mph) in flat country but lower design speeds could be used in hilly or mountainous terrain. A flat-country autobahn constructed to published design standards in use during the Nazi period could support hands-off speeds on curves of about 150 km/h (90 mph).
All autobahns are named by using the capital letter "A" followed by a blank and a number (for example "A 8"). The "main autobahns" going all across Germany have a single number usually even-numbered for east-west routes and odd-numbered for north-south routes. But the roads are not as straight as in America and so it is often hard to decide which number an autobahn should get. Shorter autobahns that are of regional importance (e.g. connecting two major cities or regions within Germany) have a double number (e.g. A 24, connecting Berlin and Hamburg). The system is as follows:
- A 10 to A 19 are in eastern Germany (Berlin, Saxony-Anhalt, parts of Saxony and Brandenburg)
- A 20 to A 29 in northern and northeastern Germany
- A 30 to A 39 in Lower Saxony (northwestern Germany)
- A 40 to A 49 in Rhine Main and Rhine-Ruhr Areas
- A 50 to A 59 in western Germany
- A 60 to A 69 in Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland and Hesse
- A 70 to A 79 in Thuringia, northern Bavaria and parts of Saxony
- A 80 to A 89 in Baden-Württemberg
- A 90 to A 99 in (southern) Bavaria
There are also very short autobahns with just local importance (e.g. beltways or the A 555 from Cologne to Bonn) that usually have three numbers the first one of which is similar to the system above, depending on the region.
Switzerland
In Switzerland, it is impractical to navigate using the autobahn numbers; instead it is useful to steer towards the biggest city that lies in the intended target region; this is because traffic signs display the city names much more prominently than in Germany. Another specialty is that in Switzerland the exit gateways appear much more often than in other countries.
History
Germany
Autobahns were first conceived, planned, and built on a limited scale in Germany during the Weimar Republic era in the 1920s, but apart from the AVUS in Berlin, construction was slow, and most projected sections did not progress much beyond the planning stage due to economic problems and a lack of political support. One project was the private initiative HaFraBa which planned a "car only road" (the name autobahn was created in 1929) crossing Germany from Hamburg in the North via central Frankfurt am Main to Basel in Switzerland.
Just days after the 1933 Nazi takeover, Hitler enthusiastically embraced an ambitious autobahn construction project and appointed Fritz Todt the Inspector General of German Road Construction. Soon, over 100,000 laborers worked at construction sites all over Germany. As well as providing employment and improved infrastructure, necessary for economic recovery efforts, the project was also a great success for propaganda purposes. Another aim of the autobahn project was to strengthen centralized rule and national unity (see Nazi architecture).
The autobahns formed the first limited-access, high-speed road network in the world, with the first section from Frankfurt am Main to Darmstadt opening in 1935. This straight section was used for high speed record attempts by the Grand Prix racing teams of Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union until a fatal accident involving popular German race driver Bernd Rosemeyer in early 1938.
During World War II, the central reservation of some autobahns was paved to allow their conversion into auxiliary airports. Aircraft were either stashed in numerous tunnels or camouflaged in nearby woods. However, for the most part, the autobahns were not militarily significant, and most military and economic freight continued to be carried by rail. After the war, numerous sections of the autobahns were in bad shape, severely damaged by heavy Allied bombing and military demolition. Furthermore, thousands of kilometers of autobahns remained unfinished, their construction brought to a halt by 1942 due to the increasing demands of the war effort.
In West Germany, following the war, most existing autobahns were soon repaired. The finishing of the incomplete sections took longer, with some stretches being opened to traffic only in the 1980s. Some sections cut by the Iron Curtain in 1945 were only completed after German reunification in 1990. Finally, certain sections were never completed, as more advantageous routes were found. Some of these sections stretch across the landscape forming a unique type of modern ruin, often easily visible on satellite photographs.
The autobahns in East Germany and Poland after 1945 were grossly neglected in comparison to those in West Germany and Western Europe in general. They received minimal maintenance between 1945 and 1989. However, they did not deteriorate because car ownership, and hence traffic volume, in Communist countries was much lower than in the West.
During the 1950s, the West German government restarted the construction program; it continuously invested in new sections and in improvements to older ones.
Switzerland
A short stretch of autobahn around the Lucerne area in 1955 created Switzerland's first autobahn. For Expo 1964, an autobahn was built between Lausanne and Geneva. The Bern-Lenzburg route was inaugurated in 1967.
Current density
Today, Germany's autobahn network has a total length of about 11,980 km (as of January 1, 2003), second only to the United States' Interstate Highway System.
The Swiss autobahn network has a total length of 1,638 km (as of 2000) and has, by an area of 41,290 sq km, also the highest density of the world. The Swiss autobahn network has not been completed until today because the most important routes have been built first, especially the north-south and the west-east axis. The gaps in the autobahn network are apparent in the graphic.
Germany
Many sections of Germany's autobahns are modern, containing three lanes in addition to an emergency lane. Some other sections remain in their original state, with two lanes, no emergency lane, short ramps, etc. Such a combination of the two types of autobahn can be seen on the A 9 autobahn (Munich-Berlin). Heading out from Nuremberg, the autobahn starts off as a modern, three lane + emergency lane autobahn. However, after heading into Thuringia, which was formerly part of East Germany, parts of the autobahn are no wider than two lanes and no emergency lane exists (only rare emergency bays with a telephone post in orange-yellow). Ongoing roadworks will eventually bring the entire A 9 to three-lane standard.
Switzerland
Swiss autobahns very often have an emergency lane except in tunnels. Some newly built autobahn sections, like the lone section crossing the Jura region in the north-western part of Switzerland has only emergency bays. This may be due to the improved reliability of automobiles.
Speed limits
Germany
The German autobahns are famous for being some of the few public roads in the world without blanket speed limits for cars and motorcycles. Lack of blanket speed limits does not appear to negatively impact the road safety of autobahns compared with other German roads or motorways in other countries. Perhaps this is due in part because traffic can be heavy enough to restrict speeds to little above the typical motorway speeds found elsewhere. Certainly, speed limits do apply at junctions and other danger points, like sections under construction or in need of repair. Speed limits at non-construction sites are generally 100 km/h (62 mph) or 120 km/h (75 mph); construction sites have a usual speed limit of 80 km/h (50 mph) but may be as low as 60 km/h (37 mph) or even 40 km/h (25 mph). Certain stretches have separate, and lower, speed limits used in cases of wet lanes. A hard limit is imposed on some vehicles:
| 60 km/h (37 mph) |
|
|---|---|
| 80 km/h (50 mph) |
|
| 100 km/h (62 mph) |
|
Some limits were imposed to reduce pollution and noise. Limits can also be put into place temporarily through dynamic traffic guidance systems that display the according traffic signs. If there is no speed limit, the recommended speed is 130 km/h (80 mph), referred to in German as the Richtgeschwindigkeit; this speed is not a binding limit, but being involved in an accident at higher speeds can lead to being assigned part of the fault due to "increased operating danger". On average, about half of the total length of the German autobahn network has no speed limit, about one third has a permanent limit, and the remaining parts have a temporary limit for a number of reasons.
It is important to remember that in places without a general limit, there are mostly also no restrictions on overtaking. Therefore, those traveling at high speeds may often encounter trucks running side-by-side at only about 80 km/h (50 mph). In theory, trucks are not allowed to overtake others unless they drive 20 km/h (12 mph) faster than whomever they are overtaking, but truck drivers are generally under pressure to arrive in time, and such laws are rarely enforced for economic and political reasons, as many trucks are from foreign countries. On most days, the right lane of a typical autobahn is crowded with trucks, and too often, trucks pull out to overtake. (An exception is Sundays, on which trucks usually aren't allowed to drive except for trucks with perishable goods and certain other exceptions.) In some zones with only two lanes in both directions there is no speed limit, but a special overtaking restriction for trucks and/or cars pulling trailers.
Modern cars easily reach well over 200 km/h (125 mph), and most large car manufacturers follow a gentlemen's agreement by artificially limiting the top speed of their cars to 250 km/h (155 mph) for safety reasons (inexperienced drivers and risk of tires failing, especially when underinflated). Yet, these limiters can easily be removed, so speeds over 300 km/h (185 mph) are not uncommon nowadays. But due to common speed limits and other traffic, such speeds are rarely attainable. Most unlimited sections of the autobahn are located in the south of Germany, where many of the large automobile production companies such as Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Porsche and BMW reside. The A 8 at Stuttgart is one such example.
If your car or motorcycle can not reach a minimum speed of 60 Km/h, it is not allowed to use an autobahn. This is not a high limit today, of course, but it prevents very small cars (e.g. Quads) and motorcycles (e.g. Mofas) from using autobahns.
Austria and Switzerland
Autobahns in Austria (130 km/h; 81 mph) and Switzerland (120 km/h; 75 mph) have normal speed limits. The minimum speed in Austria is 60 Km/h, in Switzerland 80 km/h, starting at 1st January 2006. Before it was 60 km/h.
Notable traffic laws
- Autobahns in Austria and Germany may only be used by powered vehicles that have a designed maximum speed exceeding 60 km/h (Switzerland: 80 km/h).
- The right lane must be used when it is free (Rechtsfahrgebot)
- Overtaking on the right is forbidden (except in traffic jams with caution)
- It is unlawful to run out of gasoline on the autobahn
See also
- List of motorways in Germany
- Lists of motorways in Switzerland
- Highway
- Freeway
- Motorway
- Road transport
- Toll road
- List of German expressions in English
Film
- Reichsautobahn (documentary/b&w) by Hartmut Bitomsky (West Germany, 1986)
