Energy prices: Should Germany reintroduce car-free Sundays?

The auto club ADAC rejects car-free Sundays.

In order to reduce fuel consumption, ADAC President Christian Reinicke instead called for a moderate speed on the roads: "Slower driving certainly helps with fuel consumption," Reinicke told the newspapers of the Funke media group.

"I don't think there is a need for Sunday driving bans, especially since a majority rejects them," said the ADAC President.

Sunday driving bans are “symbolic politics”.

However, the ADAC does not endorse the demand for a speed limit of 130: "Currently, a slight majority is in favor and a hardly smaller group is against it," said Reinicke.

"As long as the conditions are so tight, the ADAC will not position itself for one side."

Figures from the Federal Statistical Office on Monday suggested for the first time that Germany's motorists are reacting to the exceptionally high prices for petrol and diesel to a greater extent with behavioral changes.

Sales at free gas stations fell by 11.5 percent from February to March, adjusted for price and seasonal effects (FAZ on Tuesday).

The Central Association of the German Petrol Station Industry estimates the decline in sales at the petrol stations to be as much as 20 percent due to the high prices.

Immediately after the price increase, it was said that most people had no choice but to accept the increase because they would not be able to organize their mobility in any other way so quickly.

Economists are discussing the extent to which people are now simply forgoing trips, cycling or walking more, or driving more slowly on the freeway.

Until this question can finally be clarified, one must await detailed figures from the statisticians.

Of course, the high prices would have an impact on consumer behavior, said Jürgen Ziegner, head of the petrol station association.

"We estimate that this price level has cost the industry around 20 percent of the sales that would otherwise have been incurred." Consumer driving behavior has clearly changed: "At least in the private sector, people drive less and also slower on the freeway."

In addition, consumers are paying more and more attention to price differences, although these are becoming less and less important in percentage terms given the high price level, said Ziegner: "In the first two months of the year, sales of the E10, which is cheaper at the column, increased at the expense of the E5 compared to the Increased by more than 60 percent compared to the same period of the previous year - we continue to observe that the so-called A-brands are suffering the greatest sales losses."