Lightning rip-off on the Alb Highway: Is the 70 km/h rule fair?

Lightning rip-off on the Alb Highway: Is the 70 km/h rule fair?

On July 24, 2025, Daniel Streifler from Göggingen was subjected to enormous injustice while driving to his children's birthday party on the Alb Highway. At 1:40 p.m. he was caught in a speed trap set up by the district office. The reason for the monitoring is a speed limit of 70 km/h, which was introduced due to construction work for a wind farm on this section.

The limit applies on working days between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., including Saturdays. But Streifler, who was flashed on Saturday afternoon, sees the measure as an injustice. “There is usually no work on this day,” he says, feeling ripped off. The district office, on the other hand, makes it clear that work will also be carried out on the construction site on Saturdays and that materials must constantly be delivered.

The rules of speed limits

What does this mean for drivers like Streifler? According to the ADAC, speed limits do not automatically end at the next intersection or junction. This can be particularly problematic for people unfamiliar with the area, as they may not notice a new traffic sign when they turn. The traffic sign therefore remains relevant as long as there is no explicit cancellation by a corresponding sign. This means that a speed limit can apply even if there is no other sign that removes the speed limit. This regulation is intended to help increase road safety.

Streifler exceeded the permitted speed by 8 km/h, which earned him a fine of 20 euros. Does that seem too mild? He emphasizes that there is a much more urgent need for road safety measures in other places, such as old people's homes, kindergartens or schools. Here too, consistent speed monitoring could make sense to protect vulnerable road users.

A heated debate about safety and speed controls

The discussion about speed limits and their enforcement is not new. Some people believe that surveillance is too strict and often unjustified, while others see the measures as necessary to improve traffic safety. In times when there are more and more road users on the roads, the arguments for both abolishing and maintaining these controls are entirely understandable.

For Streifler the question remains: Where is the balance between necessary traffic safety and excessive control? It is obvious that the unsatisfied use of speed cameras must be done in the right places in order to do justice to all road users.

Opinions differ across the country, and while some are taking notice of this regulation, others are hoping for fair and clear traffic enforcement practices. In the meantime, we have no choice but to drive carefully - even if we're in a child's birthday rush!