Hello!
I have a doubt about speed limit on entry and exit ramps on the autobahn. I have not found this info anywhere so I would really appreciate some insight here.
In the country I come from, the speed limit on such ramps are the same as the highway (for obvious reasons you will go slower because of the bends but still…).
I plan to drive through this route next week and want to be prepared. On this entry specifically (see picture) there is a longer stretch before the acceleration lane and then merging, what would be the speed limit here?
Thank you so much!
I am a novice driver and want to be prepared whenever I am taking an unusual route. And this time in another country.
by sharkinthesink1941
14 comments
If there is a speed limit, there’ll be a sign. If there is no sign, there will not be a speed limit.
That doesn’t mean that any speed would be safe, or even possible under the laws of physics.
In my experience most people drive between 60-80 kph if there’s no speed limit. If you’re not comfortable, drive slower.
Your entry is from antoher Autobahn, so there will maybe signs, if not it’s the Same speed like before or there is no Speed Limit at all.
If you are not sure, just go like 80km/h (:
The route limitation is indicated by the familiar round speed limit sign with the number 274 (red border, white background, speed limit number in black). It applies …
* to the end of a stretch of road (turning into a junction or side road without a new speed limit)
* up to the yellow place name sign
* up to a new speed limit
* up to a speed limit canncellation sign
This is not a junction in the sense stated in the rules. I’d either expect a speed limit of 80 or none, but there will most definitely be signs there. German roads are sometimes jokingly called ‘traffic sign forest’, because sometimes we are simply overdoing it.
I just looked at it with StreetView. There is no speed limit signs.
However based on the Situation I would probably drive around 80kph there and maybe even slower in the turns depending on weather and how much I can see.
In such an Intersection I would obviously not drive 100 kph… even if it was not specifically signed as 70 or 50 as some if not most of them definitely are…
You know because physics
There is a law on how fast you should go. No one goes 70km/h in a sharp turn even if the signs allow that. It’s called “driving responsibly” and is even noted in the law – under another term of course.
But yeah, driving to fast in a situation that clearly demands lower speed situationally, even if allowed higher, can be used against you if it comes to a dangerous Situation or an accident.
If there’s no speed limit, you should only drive at a speed at which you feel confident and that matches your skill.
Also, if the on-ramp and acceleration ramp (Beschleunigungsstreifen) ends, and you didn’t manage to get onto the Autobahn, keep going on the hard shoulder (Standstreifen) until you are at a safe speed to merge into traffic.
Once you pass [this sign](https://ais.badische-zeitung.de/piece/13/c7/31/c0/331821504.jpg) you are subject to autobahn rules, which means that for ordinary cars there is no speed limit unless one is specifically posted. Not until you pass [this sign](https://www.hessenschau.de/wirtschaft/autobahn-ende-100~_t-1683721339754_v-1to1__xlarge.jpg) do autobahn rules end.
However, you do need to adjust your speed to take into account road and traffic conditions. On and off-ramps are really acceleration and deceleration lanes, to give you time to match your speed to the road you are entering — by the time you merge onto the autobahn, you should be driving at a speed that matches the flow of traffic on the autobahn. They also feature tight curves, which you need to slow down for if you want to stay in control of your vehicle. And on the route you have drawn, you will also be crossing traffic that is trying to exit onto the minor road, so you need to be mindful of that as well.
On the on ramp the goal is to get up to the speed everyone else is driving, so if it’s not super busy, you should focus on that and making sure you don’t hit anyone when you switch lanes. You don’t have to be at exactly the speed limit by then, but you should do your best to be as close as possible. Only if there are a lot of other cars and getting on is a bit of a problem, I would go a little bit slower than you otherwise would and focus mainly on entering safely. On the off lane when you leave you slow down to a speed where you can safely get around the curve. Usually I find that 50-70 km/h is fine there and that’s also what we usually did in driving school, but if you can, go faster (but under the speed limit) or slower if it doesn’t work. It’s always important to use your own judgement here. If there is a speed limit, there should be a sign, but that doesn’t mean that that is the right speed for you.
Waze app is highly recommended in your case. Be safe and be relaxed. Don’t think too much.
my old driving instructor gave us the rule of thumb to use the 3rd gear in those curves ~45-60kph so you also have enough time to slow down to a stop if you got traffic behind the visual points leaving the Autobahn. That way most cars can also accelerate pretty decently to a 100kph when you are on the acceleration lane. In Germany, driving isn’t about the speed but to drive “vorausschauend” means foresighted. Drive to keep it flowing, check mirrors and what’s happening around you. That way it’s pretty safe 👍
Those ramps usually have a posted speed limit of 80 km/h but there will be a sign
If you need to consult reddit to handle this, please order a taxi