On one of the coldest and most polluted days in years in most European cities the German Federal administrative court on February 27, 2018 in Leipzig put the health of citizens before the interests of its car industry. Ruling against an appeal of the Laender of Baden-Württemberg (Daimler and Porsche hometurf) and North Rhine-Westphalia Laender, German cities are now allowed to put diesel car bans in place all over Germany. Environmental Action Germany (DUH), the environmental and consumer watchdog organization that first brought the case, praised the court’s decision, calling it a “great day for clean air in Germany.” DUH initially sued both cities Stuttgart and Dusseldorf, the capital cities of the German states of and North Rhine-Westphalia, where air pollution massively exceeds allowable levels. , saying they hadn’t done enough to combat emissions. The German government is hoping to avoid the driving bans as Chancellor Angela Merkel noted that the bans, should cities choose to carry them out, wouldn’t affect all drivers in Germany, but said the government would discuss with urban regions and municipalities on how to proceed. “The court has not issued any driving bans but created clarity about the law. Driving bans can be avoided, and my goal is and will remain that they do not come into force,” German Environment Minister Barbara Hendricks added.