News

In the Netherlands, the speed limit on motorways is always 100 km/h during business hours. No motorway then provides for faster driving. In the evening and at night, however, from 7 pm to 6 am, the speed is increased to 100, 120 or 130 kilometres per hour. But this is set to change in the coming year. From mid-2025, it will be possible to drive faster than the current 100 km/h limit on certain strectches of motorway.

The reason for the current speed limit was, and still is, noise protection requirements and climate factors. During daytime the speed was limited in order to reduce nitrogen emissions. In addition, of course, there was also the question of emissions worthy of criticism, such as noise, which is why faster driving should not be allowed. These circumstances make it all the more difficult to increase the speed limit in principle, i.e. also during the day.

In order to be able to increase the speed limit during the day, comprehensive analyses must be carried out. It must be demonstrated that an increase in speed neither jeopardises the noise emissions to be complied with nor ensures compliance with the nitrogen limit values.
Environmental regulations make implementation more difficult, but should not make the political goal set out in the center-right government's coalition agreement of being able to increase speed, at least in part, impossible. This is the ‘Actieagenda Auto’, a comprehensive programme to promote mobility, of which increasing speed is a part. The reason for the restriction has of course always been road safety.
If environmental and safety requirements permit an increase, the speed is to be raised to 130 km/h on a stretch totalling 86 kilometres. This includes both directions of travel. Specifically, this includes the A7, Afsluitdijk (44 kilometres between the Stevin locks and Lorentz locks), the A7, Winschoten (up to the German border; 24 kilometres) and the A6, Lelystad-Nord (up to the Ketel bridge; 18 kilometres). A further section on the A37 between Holssloot and Zwartemeer is being considered and is under review, but has not yet been completed.
The project is also dependent on a public participation phase. Citizens will be able to contribute their opinions, objections and suggestions for improvement or even reject the project. However, if it is generally accepted, the project as a whole will be implemented and the traffic signs adapted. We are following the issue. However, this is not the only news worth mentioning when it comes to road safety.

Number of road deaths in Germany to fall slightly by 2024

According to a report by the ADAC (Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil-Club e.V.), the number of traffic fatalities in Germany will decrease in 2024, although not by an exorbitant amount. In 2024, approximately 2,760 people will have died in accidents, which is a decrease of 2.8% compared to the previous year. As for the number of accidents recorded by the police, there will be a slight decrease to 2,510,000, which means that the number of accidents recorded by the police will be only 0.4% below the previous year's figure (2023: 2,519,525). The number of accidents with personal injury will decrease by 1.7% from 291,890 to 287,000.

According to the ADAC, this slight decrease is good, but not nearly enough to reach the goal of the "Pact for Road Safety". This 2021 agreement aims to reduce the number of fatalities by 40 percent by 2030.

Source: Pixabay/flag-2896002_1280