Editing Transport in Germany (section)

===Overview===
[[File:Autobahnen in Deutschland.svg|thumb|Map of the German autobahn network]]
The volume of traffic in Germany, especially goods transportation, is at a very high level due to its central location in Europe.
In the past few decades, much of the freight traffic shifted from rail to road, which led the [[German Government|Federal Government]] to introduce a motor toll for trucks in 2005. Individual road usage increased resulting in a relatively high traffic density to other nations. A further increase of traffic is expected in the future. In 2023, 286 billion tonnes-kilometres are travelled by freight.<ref>https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Road_freight_transport_by_journey_characteristics</ref> In 2018, 630 billion kilometers were driven by german cars. In 2023, 591 billion kilometers were driven by german cars.<ref>https://www.fleeteurope.com/en/financial-models/europe/features/mobility-paradox-more-cars-less-mileage?a=FJA05&t[0]=Fleet%20Management&t[1]=Shared%20Mobility&curl=1</ref>

From 2019 to 2021, road death per billion traveled kilometres is in range 3.7 to 4.0. The Common strategy for road safety activities in Germany from 2021 to 2030 is known as the “Road Safety Pact”.<ref>https://www.itf-oecd.org/sites/default/files/docs/irtad-road-safety-annual-report-2022.pdf</ref>

In Germany urban mobility is mostly performed as a driver by car (about 58%) by urban rail or by train (about 14%) or as passenger car (12%).<ref>https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Passenger_mobility_statistics</ref>

Germany has 229,601 kilometers of road in its road network, which make a density of 0.60 kilometer of road per square kilometer. 5.7% of those roads are known as motorways in European English<ref>https://road-safety.transport.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2024-01/erso-country-overview-2024-germany.pdf</ref> and eventually in British English ([[Autobahn]]).

High-speed vehicular traffic has a long tradition in Germany given that the first [[freeway]] ([[Autobahn]]) in the world, the [[AVUS]], and the world's first [[automobile]] were developed and built in Germany. Germany possesses one of the most dense road systems of the world. German motorways have no blanket [[speed limit]] for light vehicles. However, posted limits are in place on many dangerous or congested stretches as well as where traffic noise or pollution poses a problem (20.8% under static or temporary limits and an average 2.6% under variable traffic control limit applications as of 2015).

The German government has had issues with upkeep of the country's autobahn network, having had to revamp the Eastern portion's transport system since the unification of Germany between the [[German Democratic Republic]] (East Germany) and the [[West Germany|Federal Republic of Germany]] (West Germany). With that, numerous construction projects have been put on hold in the west, and a vigorous reconstruction has been going since the late 1990s. However, ever since the [[European Union]] formed, an overall streamlining and change of route plans have occurred as faster and more direct links to former [[Soviet bloc]] countries now exist and are in the works, with intense co-operation among European countries.

[[Intercity bus service]] within Germany fell out of favour as [[Wirtschaftswunder|post-war prosperity increased]], and became almost extinct when legislation was introduced in the 1980s to protect the national railway. After that market was deregulated in 2012, some 150 new intercity bus lines have been established, leading to a significant shift from rail to bus for long journeys.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/oliverwyman/2015/10/20/european-bus-upstarts-snatch-20-of-passengers-from-rail/2/|title=European Bus Upstarts Snatch 20% of Passengers from Rail|first=Oliver Wyman on Transportation &|last=Logistics|website=[[Forbes]]}}</ref> The market has since consolidated with [[Flixbus]] controlling over 90% of it and also expanding into neighboring countries.