"An HGV moving at 60 kilometres per hour is an obstacle for normal traffic and provokes dangerous overtaking manoeuvres", said Jörg Elsner, chairperson of the Traffic Law Study Group of the DAV on Thursday within the scope of the German Traffic Court Day in Goslar. With today's technical equipment, an HGV with a speed limitation of 60 kilometres per hour is absolutely old-fashioned. He called for the speed limit to be raised to 80 kph. "It is exactly these overtaking manoeuvres that are the cause of serious accidents with personal damages."

The ACE Auto Club of Europe sees the raising of the speed limit as something that could be implemented. "But only where an extra lane allows safe overtaking at regular intervals without oncoming traffic", said ACE speaker Rainer Hillgärtner. Without this condition the plan is not justifiable for reasons of road safety. "It is pure speculation to assume that the tailing drivers' readiness to overtake would be diminished if the speed of the HGV in front was increased to 80 kilometres per hour." Currently a speed limit of 60 kph is the legal limit for HGV’s on German country roads.

The president of the German Traffic Court Day (VGT), Kay Nehm, had criticised the many exceptions in German traffic law from the outset of the event. Easy, clear traffic laws are important, said the ex-General Attorney of the Federal Supreme Court on Thursday. "Instead of showing a way out of the labyrinth of the issues and granting the necessary legal protection to the consumer, the legislator has additionally aggravated the situation". Examples are the winter tyre problems, the judges' reservations with regard to blood tests, and the EU framework decision for the recognition of fines. Amongst other things, 1600 VGT experts discussed parking requirements, drugs at the wheel and HGV security. The invited speaker is Federal Minister of Transport, Peter Ramsauer (CSU). (lni)
_{-Source: www.dvz.de-}

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