No Autobahn speed limits? Not so fast say German Social Democrats!

Just days after German Chancellor Angela Merkel apparently shot down the idea of imposing across the board speed limits on the autobahn, the issue is back. Merkel leads the Christian Democrats who are in a coalition with the Social Democrats in the German parliament. At the SPD party congress the majority of delegates voted in favor of a 130 km/h speed limit on German highways. The resolution is non-binding and no speed limit law is likely to pass anytime soon without the support of a significant portion of Merkel's party which does not appear to be forthcoming. Nonetheless, with polls showing sixty percent of Germans in favor of the limits, the pressure looks set to increase. Environmental groups that are pushing the proposal say the limits would help cut CO2 emissions by fifteen percent over the long-term and five percent immediately.
[Source: Automotive News - Sub. req'd]