Hello. I hope you are having a good day.

I have a general driving question that perhaps you can help me understand better. So I’m unsure what this sign means, in difference with the No speed restriction, also below:

https://c8.alamy.com/comp/CR5RJM/traffic-sign-at-the-end-of-a-130-km-h-zone-CR5RJM.jpg

An example to make it easier for me to explain: Let’s say I’m driving from Hamburg to Berlin on the Autobahn 24 and I see this sign. Does that mean I can go as fast as the traffic allows? I know this cancela the previous restriction, but then, what the limit? So far I haven’t found what the statutory speed limit is for the a24 for example. So I don’t really know if that sign means the same as this one:

http://media.gettyimages.com/photos/end-of-speed-and-passing-restrictions-in-in-bangladesh-picture-id480600092?s=170667a&w=1007

I’m confused!

Thanks for helping me clarify this.

Edit: wording

4 comments

  1. In Germany there is no general speed limit on Autobahn. You can drive as fast as traffic, your car and your skills allow. However, there is the so called “Richtgeschwindigkeit” of 130km/h (if not started otherwise) by which insurances will not pay if you crash. If that’s even an issue at that point any longer.

  2. The first one just lifts the speed restriction, the other one all restrictions.

    If there is a restriction for trucks to overtake, which is not lifted, you see the first one. If they want to lift both you see the second.

    And you are allowed to drive as fast as traffic allows it, you are not alone on the street.

    There is a indicative speed of 130km/h for all German Autobahns, if there is no real limit. If you are faster then that, you can be held at least partially responsible if an accident occurs because you were speeding.

  3. The first sign says that the speed limit of 130 km/h discontinues.

    The second sign says that any speed limit or other restriction (such as overtaking) discontinues.

  4. > Let’s say I’m driving from Hamburg to Berlin on the Autobahn 24 and I see this sign. Does that mean I can go as fast as I would like?

    If your vehicle is a normal car and isn’t pulling a trailer, then there is no specific speed limit for you. But you must be in full control of your vehicle at all times, so your speed must match the road, weather and traffic conditions, and your own skill and experience as a driver. You might not be ticketed for breaking the speed limit, but you can still be ticketed for reckless driving or illegal street racing.

    Incidentally, the sign doesn’t actually mean “No speed restriction”; it means “Default speed limit applies”. It’s just that on autobahns and certain other types of road, the default speed limit for cars happens to be “infinity”.

    > So far I haven’t found what the statutory speed limit is for the a24 for example.

    The default speed limit always depends on the type of vehicle you’re driving. For a car, the default speed limit on autobahns is, as I said, infinity; but there is a recommended speed of 130 km/h.

    > I don’t really know if that sign means the same as this one:

    This sign means “End of all restrictions”. This means that not only does the default speed limit apply, but you can also overtake.

    [Here’s an overview of overtaking bans](https://www.bussgeldkatalog.org/wp-content/uploads/ueberholverbotsschilder.png): sign 276 means “you may not overtake” and is cancelled by sign 280; and sign 277 means “vehicles over 3.5 tons or pulling a trailer may not overtake” and is cancelled by sign 281; and then sign 282 cancels whatever overtaking restriction is in force *and* resets the speed limit to the default.

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