An Autobahn in California? Depending on the news source, not quite. One way or another, this means more speed!
It’s been stated numerous times that speed does not actually kill. From Top Gear to your favorite local homegrown car-enthusiast website, all have used the German Autobahn and its numerous stretches of speed-limit free highways with few speed-related accidents as exhibit “A” to support this point.
This would be one of the reasons as to why California state senator John Moorlach (R-Orange County) has tabled a bill to add two lanes to the north- and southbound Interstate 5 and State Route 99 that would be speed-limit free.
According to some sources, the limit would be set at 100mph (160 km/h) with violations costing motorists quite a bit. The increased speed, according to Moorlach, would cut idling in traffic and reduce greenhouse gases. Oddly, Germany is thinking about killing the Autobahn for the same reasons…
Our favorite aspect of the bill, other than cruising at 100mph, is that it contains a very clear “stay right except to pass” lane-discipline clause which will hopefully be heavily enforced should the Californian Autobahn become a thing. The biggest concern is severe lack of both driver training in North America and respect for others on the road.
In our opinion, these two elements will kill the bill. Speed doesn’t kill; idiots on the road do.
