Why can't we have autobahns in America? And let only people on that are licensed to drive fast safely?

Question

I am sick of traffic courts making money off me to finance their new golf course or whatever. Why are Europeans smarter in this regard, having autobahns. Is it because the US is so obsessed with making a buck off drivers and setting ridiculously low speed limits to achieve this? The European population is more dense than the US, so it's obviously not a driver population issue. They drink more than the US, so it's not a DUI issue. Any good arguments out there as to why or why not the US could have autobahns?

Common Sense,
I think you are striking at the root of the problem. Unfair traffic cops throw the word 'safety' around to justify oppression. I wish I could unify people enough to bring a change to congress.

Answer 1

Higher speed traffic on Germany's autobahn makes more sense than flying, whereas the US cities are farther apart and air travel is faster. The US interstate system could certainly be utilized better if drivers were better educated on how to use the interstates, rather than just trained to parallel park.

Average interstate speed could probably be increased by 10mph if drivers would simply have the dicipline to:
1) Obey lane laws, with slower traffic remaining in the RIGHT lane. 2) Allowing proper following distance between cars.
With these 2 small changes we could save time, fuel, lives, accidents, etc., and have a much more positive economic impact vs. the currently capricious attempts to enforce speed limits with fines that are little more than a road tax for those who do know how to drive safely at high speeds.

Answer 2

Well, if traffic courts are "making money off you", it's because you can't follow the law and deserve to pay the penalty. I get tired of the people who just have to whine about "why do we need speed limits?"...they are generally the people responsible for the limits in the first place.

Your statements about European drivers are flawed: for starters, in Europe the population may be more dense, but the DRIVER population ISN'T...they are so heavily taxed, restricted, and regulated as far as car ownership, registration, and even something as simple as PARKING, that many don't even own a car due to the prohibitive cost; thus the "driver population" is substantially lower than you infer. As far as the drinking issue- per capita, they might drink more, but they drive less, and the penalties for DUI are HUGE, worse than in the US... thus the DUI issue is another red herring.

Laying that aside, from a practical standpoint, autobahns would not be plausible in the US. The existing interstate highway system was originally created to handle speeds of no more than 75 mph as a rule, and revamping it would be cost prohibitive.

I just want to echo another answerer's sentiment, by saying thanks for contributing to keeping my taxes lower by paying the fines for your own stupidity. Either follow the law, or move to Germany where you can drive the autobahn all you want... of course you'll get bored of it fairly quickly, because it's not very long and doesn't run through all of Europe, or even all of Germany for that matter... plus there are speed limits when you get to a major city...most people don't realize that...and more likely than not they'll end up scraping you off the pavement somewhere near Stuttgart when you can't handle it.

Answer 3

actually the idea did come up a long time ago,,but it was voted down by congress,,because they thought it would create a total havoc on the roadways,,there never was mention of it to the general public,,but they thought it was a way to relieve traffic congestion,,and true it probably would have worked,,for some roads,,and some areas,,but people here already speed enough the way it is,,imagine if there was an autobahn,,it would be like a drag strip,,all the time on it,,there was also concern for fuel economy when the idea came up,,they went as far as to compare statistics,on accidents on the German autobahn,,and the idea never was brought up again,,i discovered this by accident one day when looking at old government bills that had been voted down,,good luck,, hope his help,s.

Answer 4

The US has a larger "Autobahn" ( German Word ) system than
any nation on earth, by far..
We call it the Interstate Highway System in the United States..
You must be referring to the relatively unlimited speed limits on some sections of the German Autobahns...
Many US police forces make a good living off of harassing drivers ,giving traffic tickets and confiscating ( stealing ) property.

Answer 5

you look desperate to fail your driving try considering which you're actually not listening to the guy you're paying solid money to. He is accustomed to a thank you to rigidity,. you do not ! Your question approximately lacking gears shows how little you recognize approximately driving,.Why do you think of the producer geared up them ? driving is a severe corporation and could get carry of fairly some understand, so pay attention and learn,

Answer 6

For many reasons and that is the pavement is thicker so they don't buckle under heet or crack because of cold or because of the weight so they are more expensive to build there can't be any steephills or sharp curves for longer and farther sight because of wild life crossing your path so the landscape has to be more level and presice for vision so when you factor in them and gas mileage and the cost it does'nt really add up the one in germany that hitler did was over budget and over time to build

Answer 7

well i'd like to thank you for your generous contribution to our judicial system...if it weren't for the fines from all you idiot drivers my taxes would be through the roof.
i don't get alot of tickets because I FOLLOW THE RULES!!! YOU, ON THE OTHER HAND FEEL LIKE EVERYBODY WITH A BADGE IS PICKING ON YOU. YOU BEEN SUCKIN' HIND TIT ALL YOUR LIFE AND IT'S EVERY BODY'S ELSES FAULT...
YOU WANT SOME CHEESE WITH THAT WINE???
GET A CLUE!!!