Federal Transport Minister Bilger rejects a general speed limit

Federal Minister of Transport:

“General speed limit would increase division in the country”

Sep 13, 2026, 4:37 a.m. Reading time: 2 min.

At an appointment last August, Steffen Bilger sits in the passenger seat of an electric truck.Marcus Brandt/dpa

Frustration over traffic problems also leads to votes for the AfD, says Steffen Bilger. Unlike a majority of ADAC members, the transport minister does not want a speed limit on all motorways. At the railway he would like to see the return of an abolished option.

Federal Transport Minister Steffen Bilger (CDU) does not consider a general speed limit on German motorways to be sensible in view of social cohesion. “A speed limit would further increase the division in the country because many would perceive it as a restriction on their freedom,” Bilger told the newspapers of the Funke media group. Many people already drive with cruise control or voluntarily slow down.

He therefore doubts that there is a “great potential for CO₂ savings through a speed limit”. The politician also sees “no significant effect” when it comes to road safety: German motorways are safer than most motorways in European countries with speed limits. To achieve the climate goals, he is relying on electromobility.

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Even ADAC members for speed limits

Excessive or inadequate speed is the number one cause of fatal traffic accidents, as figures from the ADAC show. In a survey by the automobile club at the beginning of 2024, a majority of members (55 percent) were in favor of a speed limit on motorways.

Bilger, however, sees a connection between AfD successes and frustration with the transport infrastructure. Long construction times for transport projects caused dissatisfaction. And: “Since I’ve been in office, I’ve been asked most often about the problems at the railway,” said Bilger, who was sworn in on July 29th. The current condition of the railway is “completely inadequate”.

For return of family reservation

The minister also announced that he would talk to the railways about reintroducing family reservations, which were abolished a good year ago. Until then, families could reserve up to five seats together for 10.40 euros. Since then, each place has to be paid for individually. A petition for the reintroduction started by the German Transport Club was signed by more than 128,000 people.

Bilger said there was “rightly a lot of dissatisfaction” because of the loss of family reservations. “That’s why I criticized it at the time.” At the same time, he emphasized: “The railway generally has a lot of good offers for families.”