At a time when everything seems political, Austria is trying out a small speed increase on its autobahns, and it has become a left-right dispute.
Austria’s current government is a coalition of center-right and far-right parties. Transport Minister Norbert Hofer, from the far-right Freedom Party, is behind the change in speed from 120 to 130 km/h on its main routes.
Opposition parties and green groups have objected, citing safety concerns and environmental issues. Hofer tweeted back “We are building motorways, not slow roads.” He also said that the one-year trial would show that cars and highways have both improved enough for the higher speed.
Meanwhile, in neighboring Germany where the autobahns have no speed limit, increasing traffic has brought the average speed down to 120 km/h.
Photo: Johann Jaritz/Wikimedia
