Passed my 2014 TÜV! Yay!

[MexicoCityM3]

Today's Germany is the country I admire the most.

And this kind of thing is one of the myriad of reasons why.

[veeman]

Ah, the myth that the German Autobahn system allows unlimited speeds.

From Wikipedia:

German autobahns have no federally mandated speed limit,[1]—although limits are posted (and enforced) in areas that are urbanized, substandard, accident-prone, or under construction. In case of bad weather, speed limits come into play and are frequently enforced. On speed-unrestricted stretches, an advisory speed limit (Richtgeschwindigkeit) of 130 kilometres per hour (81 mph) applies. In 2008, an estimated 52% of the autobahn network had only the recommended speed limit; 15% had temporary speed limits due to weather or traffic conditions and 33% had permanent speed limits.[2] The 16 Federal German States have the authority to set speed limits for any or all autobahnen they control; in 2008 Germany's smallest State, the paired City-State of Bremen & Bremerhaven, imposed a 120 kilometres per hour (75 mph) limit on its last 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) of speed-unlimited autobahn.[3] In 2011, the Socialist-Green Party ruling coalition of Baden-Württemberg decided against imposing a similar 120 kilometres per hour (75 mph) limit on its 675 kilometres (419 mi) of speed-unlimited roads, supporting instead a Federal speed limit.[4][5] In 2014, the ruling coalition of Saxony confirmed its rejection of a general speed limit on autobahns, instead advocating dynamic traffic controls where appropriate.[6]

Like I said.  They have the Autobahn and we don't.  The highway one is most legally free to drive at the speed the car is able to go in the world.  Of course parts of it have a speed limit but many parts do not.

[veeman]

Go to the midwest and all of your wildest dreams will come true.

I'm from the Midwest.  Driving that can best be described as flat wide interstate highways with a 55 - 70 mph speed limit.  Driving unabated 80 mph across Indiana and Ohio will guarantee you points on your license and a hefty fine.

I love America.  I hate its nonsensical draconian heavily enforced highway speed limits.  I can't drive 55!!

[hotrodalex]

I hit 143 in the middle of Indiana.

Autobahn seems cool but is a little overrated for real life IMO. Would love to visit Germany and drive in it (and the ring) but I'm fine with the 70-75 mph speed limits in rural areas. Not gonna cruise much faster than that anyway.

[Rich]

On the unrestricted autobahn I found my cruising speed to be about 90mph, which is what I felt comfortable with.  If I had a luxury car, my cruise speed probably would have been 100-120ish mph.

[Byteme]

Like I said.  They have the Autobahn and we don't.  The highway one is most legally free to drive at the speed the car is able to go in the world.  Of course parts of it have a speed limit but many parts do not.

The point I was making is that Autobahn doesn't automatically mean no speed limits.   I've never been to Germany, but from what I have heard the practical limit is usually imposed by other traffic.  Still though their lane discipline is much better than in the US where it's non-existent.

Many stretches of interstate in Texas are now 80 or 75 MPH.  I drove to Ft. Smith and back on I 40 today and felt I was impeding traffic  because I was only doing 78 according to the GPS.

[Soup DeVille]

I'm from the Midwest.  Driving that can best be described as flat wide interstate highways with a 55 - 70 mph speed limit.  Driving unabated 80 mph across Indiana and Ohio will guarantee you points on your license and a hefty fine.

I love America.  I hate its nonsensical draconian heavily enforced highway speed limits.  I can't drive 55!!

Oh, 80 across most of either of those states is pretty common, 85-90 out west. More if you're vigilant.

Yes, its nonsense that we have speed limits that are that widely ignored; but you'd need more than just a few miles of autobahn to convince me that Germany is superior in this regard.

Of course, I'd kill for an American Nurburgring...

[Soup DeVille]

What I will say is that there is no measurable difference in safety in the US between states like California who do relatively serious inspections and states like Michigan who do none at all.

[MrH]

The point I was making is that Autobahn doesn't automatically mean no speed limits.   I've never been to Germany, but from what I have heard the practical limit is usually imposed by other traffic.  Still though their lane discipline is much better than in the US where it's non-existent.

Many stretches of interstate in Texas are now 80 or 75 MPH.  I drove to Ft. Smith and back on I 40 today and felt I was impeding traffic  because I was only doing 78 according to the GPS.

You can still keep up a good pace. Most cars are so slow there, maintaining 100+ is difficult in any sort of traffic since it's so tough to get back up to speed.

But the time I have spent on it in faster car.... Yeah, I was booking it the whole time.  125 mph cruising felt fine.

[Byteme]

You can still keep up a good pace. Most cars are so slow there, maintaining 100+ is difficult in any sort of traffic since it's so tough to get back up to speed.

But the time I have spent on it in faster car.... Yeah, I was booking it the whole time.  125 mph cruising felt fine.

I pretty much won't do more than about 10 over the prevailing speed of traffic unless the traffic is very sparse.  Most drivers are not very aware of the surrounding traffic so they are likely not to see someone overtaking at speed and just pull out in front of them or into them.   Then there are the self appointed speed Nazis who believe it's their mission in life to pull into the left lane and camp if they see someone overtaking them at a high rate of speed.   

[cawimmer430]

A tech inspection for a racecar is less stringent than a damn road car inspection in Europe.

Michigan has no tech inspection at all. I'm sure the Germans would assume that we have cars blowing up and losing wheels left and right, but that's not the case. Safety inspections are apparently a huge waste of money.

What's the problem?

It forces car owners to keep their cars in perfect running order. You won't see a rusty, falling-apart car on the road here whose lights and brakes etc. don't work because they would have failed their inspection and are thus not permitted on the road.

It's that simple. These inspections make the roads SAFER for everyone, including visiting American tourists.

[mzziaz]

What I will say is that there is no measurable difference in safety in the US between states like California who do relatively serious inspections and states like Michigan who do none at all.

Otoh, German roads are significantly safer than US roads, even with the autobahns.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_traffic-related_death_rate

[MX793]

What's the problem?

It forces car owners to keep their cars in perfect running order. You won't see a rusty, falling-apart car on the road here whose lights and brakes etc. don't work because they would have failed their inspection and are thus not permitted on the road.

It's that simple. These inspections make the roads SAFER for everyone, including visiting American tourists.

You have inspections every other year.  What happens if a head or tail light burns out 2 days after the inspection?  What if a wheel bearing goes bad 6 months after the inspection?  What if an emissions sensor fails?  What if they hit a pothole and break a radial belt or bend part of their suspension linkage?  What prevents the owner from driving the car in that state for the next year+ without repairing the issue?

[MX793]

Otoh, German roads are significantly safer than US roads, even with the autobahns.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_traffic-related_death_rate

Likely more a function of driver training and discipline than vehicle condition.  It costs thousands of dollars, due to mandatory driving lessons, and is much more difficult to qualify for a driver's license in Germany than the US where formal driver education is not required.

[12,000 RPM]

Low unemployment, fewer working hours, higher pay, higher standard of living, better healthcare, better child care, better schools, better roads, MUCH lower crime, and lower personal debt.

We can learn an awful lot from the Germans......

Wat about how their protectionism and union idiocy helped damn near destroy their manufacturing base?

[Soup DeVille]

Otoh, German roads are significantly safer than US roads, even with the autobahns.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_traffic-related_death_rate

I have no doubt about that: but I will contend that has nearly everything to do with driver training and general driving habits and very little to do with equipment failures.

[GoCougs]

Let them run wild and you get this.

Oh, there is plenty of it (i.e., Madmanism cum Nazism) alive and well there today - socialized medicine (although it had its beginnings in the Wiemar "Republic"), unionism, gun control, wage controls, etc.

[GoCougs]

Always hating America....

Madman wants more pay, fewer hours, free healthcare, etc., etc., without having to buck up and work for it, so of course he hates America.

The sad irony of Germany is its prosperity has come at the expense of a good portion of the EU courtesy of the false economy. Let's balance Germany against Spain, Italy, Portugal, Greece, and others, that are teetering on becoming Third World.

[GoCougs]

I have no doubt about that: but I will contend that has nearly everything to do with driver training and general driving habits and very little to do with equipment failures.

No, it's due to Germany's far stricter DUI laws and punishments.

[GoCougs]

What I will say is that there is no measurable difference in safety in the US between states like California who do relatively serious inspections and states like Michigan who do none at all.

Very true; Crappy unsafe cars make a mess and get stranded, which can definitely be a problem, but they do not cause accidents, or it's so few it's not worth mentioning.

[280Z Turbo]

I'm going to be racing in a rusty, shitty rear engine Geo Metro this Saturday with other rusty, shitty old cars. If these pieces of shit can be raced at high speeds safely, surely they can be driven gingerly on public roads.

[Soup DeVille]

No, it's due to Germany's far stricter DUI laws and punishments.

Which result in better driving habits...

[280Z Turbo]

I think it's more about the culture of Germany. Discipline is fun for them...in more ways than one.

[AltinD]

Wat about how their protectionism and union idiocy helped damn near destroy their manufacturing base?

HUH? Their manufacturing base is alive and kicking .... what about yours?

[Madman]

HUH? Their manufacturing base is alive and kicking .... what about yours?

I'm pretty sure he was being sarcastic.   

[SJ_GTI]

HUH? Their manufacturing base is alive and kicking .... what about yours?

Manufacturing in the US is pretty darn good, actually. Its not as high, per capita, as countries like Japan and Germany, but I think that is more a function of that fact that our economy is simply more diverse. The US has a lot of natural resource exctraction and because the USD is considered a global currency, the US is also a leader in the financial services industries. Only China produces more, overall, than the US. But their production per capita is a fraction of the US's production per capita, although it is certainly growing.

Manufacturing in the US is actually growing even when adjusted for inflation. The hemming and hawing you might see in the news or political debates is more about "jobs" than actual manufacturing. Every year the US makes more and more stuff with less and less manual labor.

[MrH]

Manufacturing in the US is pretty darn good, actually. Its not as high, per capita, as countries like Japan and Germany, but I think that is more a function of that fact that our economy is simply more diverse. The US has a lot of natural resource exctraction and because the USD is considered a global currency, the US is also a leader in the financial services industries. Only China produces more, overall, than the US. But their production per capita is a fraction of the US's production per capita, although it is certainly growing.

Manufacturing in the US is actually growing even when adjusted for inflation. The hemming and hawing you might see in the news or political debates is more about "jobs" than actual manufacturing. Every year the US makes more and more stuff with less and less manual labor.

+1

Manufacturing is coming here for the auto industry, largely to protect against currency fluctuations.  The increasing labor cost is pushing us towards automation.  When you get multiple countries on the same level of automation, your variable cost to produce is roughly equivalent across multiple countries.  It becomes a logistics, taxes, and launch cost game then.

[280Z Turbo]

Nope. There is no manufacturing in the United States anymore...better to become an English major than an engineering major.

I think a lot of companies are getting tired of getting their intellectual property stolen and dealing with poor quality from China. When things level out economically, you might as well manufacture here.

[SJ_GTI]

I got my car inspected this morning. The inspection station is right across the street from our campus. So literally from the time I stepped out of my office until the time I stepped back in, it took 17 minutes to get my car inspected. 

There was only one person in front of me so I didn't wait long. I don't think they even really inspected anything. From what I could tell they plugged something into the computer, let the car idle for about 30 seconds, did some paperwork, and then I was done. 

[280Z Turbo]

Most Volkswagen owners have the perpetual check engine light, so I guess you're lucky.