28 - Friday, June 17, 1994 - North Shore News

Greg
Wilson

AUTOMOTION

1 RECENTLY had an oppor-
tunity to drive on the
German Autobahn between
the southern cities of Munich
and Nuremburg.

The Autobahn is Germany’s
equivalent of the freeway, and as
you probably know, there are no
speed limits on most sections of the
Autobahn. There is a suggested
speed limit of 130 km/h (80 mph),
but German motorists are permitted
to drive as fast as their car and their
common sense will carry them.

To Canadians, it must seem
incongruous that an advanced coun-
try like Germany has no speed lim-
its on the freeway.

In North America, excessive
speed is often cited as a reason for
deaths and injuries on our high-
ways.

Safety experts and insurance
companies tell us repeatedly that
speed kills. Law enforcement agen-
cies spend a considerable amount of
time and energy catching and fining

ders.

Why would an ordered, safety-
conscious society like Germany fail
to place restrictions on freeway
speeds?

For starters, Germany’s traffic
safety record is comparable to ours,

AUTOMOTIVE
Autobahn’s freedom, and its price

despite the Autobahns. The number
of fatalities on German roads has
declined by 50% in the last 20
years.

Two factors help explain this
apparent incongruity, in my opin-
ion.

First and foremost, German dri-
vers are skilled, conscientious dri-
vers who take their driving serious-
ly,

Secondly, European cars, purtic-
ularly German ones, are better
designed for travelling at high
speeds and are kept in better condi-
tion.

Germany's drivers are skilled
because of mandatory driver train-
ing and stricter license require-
rents. To obtain a driving license
for a passenger car in Germany,
applicants must be {8 years or
older, must take a sight test, written
test, driving test, and first-aid train-
ing.

To pass the government's dri-
ving test, applicants are required to
take a minimum of 12 two-hour dri-
ver training lessons, including two
hours on the Autobahn, two hours
on overland roads, and two hours
driving after dark.

These are minimum require-
ments, and in fact, most young dri-
ver trainees (ake between 30 and 50
hours of driving training. Adults
commonly need (00 hours.

Obtaining a driving license in
Germany often costs thousands of
doilars in driving taining fees.

If the intended driver passes a
written test and a 30-minute driving
exam, a driver’s license is issued for
a two-year probationary period.
This can be withdrawn for even a
minor traffic law infringement.

Also, penalties for drunk driving,
driving when over-tired, or even dri-
ving under the influence of prescrip-
tion drugs can be extremely severe.

A first offence for drunk driving
usually means a three-month dri-
ving suspension or even a perma-
nent loss of the driver's license in
the case of unsafe driving.

Another reason for Germany's
good traffic safety record is that

Group calls for changes to
auto-part identification law

THE CANADIAN Automobile
Association (CAA) recently asked
the federal government to require
the Vehicle Identification Number
(VIN) to be marked on more major
auto parts than is currently
required by law.

With the continued growth of
the auto theft industry in Canada,
the CAA believes that marking
more major auto parts with a VIN
would reduce the incentive for
professional thieves to steal cars

for parts.

Auto theft has been growing
annually in Canada over the past
decade, both in terms of vehicles
stolen and in terms of percentage
of stolen vehicles not recovered.

Law enforcement officials
report that the vast majority of
stolen vehicles end up in “chop
shops” — illegal garages used to
dismanile stolen cars.

The U.S. government adopted a
similar measure in 1992.

1993 bing CORD

4 Door, automatic, AM/FM cassotte,

"TOP DOLLAR
_FOR YOUR FRADE _

full factory
, SQUuIpment.

“ON THE SPOT

FINANCING, 0.A.C.

German cars, which make up the
bulk of cars on German roads, have
been designed for high-speed condi-
tions. BMW, Mercedes-Benz,
Porsche, Audi and even
Volkswagen automobiles are engi-
neered for stable handling at high
speeds, quick braking, high-speed
engine running, and superior crash
protection.

Ir’s not a coincidence that some
of the best cars in the world are
designed and manufactured in one
of the few countries without speed
limits.

In addition, all new cars must
undergo a mechanical inspection
after three years, and used cars
every two years after that.

Though I reached speeds in
excess of 200 kr/h (124 mph) in a

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new BMW 740i, 1 felt completely
safe, Motorists in the fast lane ahead
of me would obligingly move over
to the slow lane when they saw me
coming in their rear-view mirror.
But most motorists did not travel
at the very limit of their cars’ capac-
ity. German drivers appeared to be
travelling at speeds they felt com-
fortable with, generally between

( Javloumorive™

SERVICE LTO.

B.C.A.A

100 (62) and 150 (93 mph).

I can't imagine Canadians being
allowed to drive at unlimited
speeds, but | can imagine stricter
driver training, stricter enforcement
of poor driving behavior (not just
speeding), and mechanical inspec-
tions of cars every couple of years.

We could learn a lot from the
country with no speed limits.

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