I'm new to the web site, I've tried searching for related threads, no luck, so I apologize if this is a recurring theme for topics.

I was stationed near Wurzburg, Germany back in 1999 driving an Avis rental (german plates) while I was out-processing to get out of the Army (2-3 days from permanent return to the U.S.). In the Wurzburg outskirts, I got flashed by an unidentified (no advance warning) speed camera on a rural road. There were no Polizei around to pay on the spot, so I keep trucking on. I was probably doing 15-20mph over the limit.
About six months after I arrived to the states, I received a notice of my speeding ticket in the mail. Speaking to some of my coworkers, they advised not to worry about it; chances are unlikely I’d need to return to Germany, and I agreed. Additional piece of information is that I didn't even know what my U.S. address would be prior to leaving Germany, so I'm not clear how the Polizei found me. Perhaps the folks shipping my household goods from base to the states? No idea.
Fast-forward to today, 16.5 years later, I’m being put in a position where I’m going to have to travel to Germany on a regular basis, and rent/drive vehicles. A big part of me thinks “16.5 years have gone by…statute of limitations will have caused this issue to go away by now.” Small part of me worries “If I get nailed by a cop for speeding, and they find an unpaid fine that’s been disregarded for this long, they’re going to fine the hell out of me.”, causing me a lot of embarrassment within the company.
So my question to you folks is: should I not worry about it due to the statute of limitations, or should I be proactive and address it?
My leaning toward option 1 (disregarding) is also based on the fact that I never acknowledged I had received the fine. I never responded. I can effectively play dumb, but the law doesn’t always factor ignorance into the equation.
Any relevant suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!