German car drivers ignore speed limits -- Continental

Hannover, Germany - A new study by Conti reveals nothing new: motorists claim they do not break speed limits, but believe other drivers do.

The study, carried out by an independent research company, TNS Infratest, shows that 92 percent of German motorists interviewed believe that other motorists exceed the permissible speed limit either often, very often, or always. By contrast, only one in four stated that he or she frequently drives faster than permitted.

Young car drivers, according to the survey, show the least consideration for speed limits: almost one in two of the 18-to-25-year-olds drives faster than is permitted. Conversely, taking the 40-to-59-year-olds bracket, only one in five exceeds the speed limit, and from age 60 upwards, it is every eighth motorist.

In Germany, speed limits are exceeded most frequently on the main roads and country roads. About one in three car drivers confesses to driving faster than allowed - topping the speed limit by 14 kilometers per hour on average.

"Many car drivers appear to be unaware of the special risks and hazards involved in driving on country roads”, said traffic safety researcher Dr. Dieter Ellinghaus.

"A lot of motorists associate country road driving with pleasant emotions like the feeling of freedom," he continued.

A spokesman for Conti said, "Even if conditions are supposedly good, like driving in sunshine and on dry surfaces, country roads still harbour many dangers of which most motorists are unaware. We, as an auto industry supplier and expert for vehicle safety systems have made it our goal to enlighten motorists and other road users about these dangers and to make them more safety conscious by organizing broad-based information and campaigns covering all aspects of traffic safety”

From 2002 to 2005, at the end of each year, the researchers asked about 1000 car drivers about various aspects of road safety. The latest safety study was performed in December 2005.