Bremen - Germany's smallest state, the city-state of Bremen, became the first to introduce a general speed limit on its freeways Wednesday. Signs stipulating a limit of 120 kilometres an hour went up on the last six kilometres of the state's 60 kilometres of autobahn.
"Our aim is imposing a general speed limit on all autobahns in Germany," Bremen Environment Senator Reinhard Loske said to mark the occasion.
Loske faces an uphill battle. There is widespread opposition to introducing a general limit on roughly half of the country's 12,000 kilometres of autobahn that have no limit at present.
"Not with me," was Chancellor Angela Merkel's response when the issue was revived once more last year.
Environmentalists concerned about greenhouse gas emissions have begun promoting a speed limit alongside road safety activists, but German politicians tend to dismiss the effects on climate change as minimal.
Although speed limits are in force in almost all other European countries, there are no plans in the remaining 15 German states to introduce one.
