What do you think about the prospect of 85 mph speed limits in Texas? Well, get ready for it.
I'm in Austin this morning, covering the monthly meeting of the Texas Transportation Commission, and a proposal to raise speed limits in some rural areas (none in Dallas-Fort Worth) is on the agenda. I'm guessing the five commissioners will want to speak about the importance of studying the safety issues surrounding the proposed 85 mph speeds. On parts of Interstates 10 and 20 in far west Texas, the maximum speed limit is already 80 mph, so 5 extra miles per hour doesn't seem like much of a leap. But also keep in mind that the state recently did away with separate speed limits for trucks. So, in many of these corridors trucks may no longer be restricted to 65 mph while smaller vehicles are allowed to go faster. Whether it's trucks or economy cars or even Ferraris, how fast is too fast?
@gdickson
raise it to 100 mph!
Posted by: Broke Obuma | September 29, 2011 at 11:08 AM
Traffic actually flows much better with no speed limit. Much less road rage. In reality it is safer. In Germany, people don't drive in the left lane unless they are actually passing someone. And you pass at much greater speed. Get around and back in the right lanes. You don't find anyone with their cruise control on inching past someone in the left lane afraid to exceed the speed limit.
Posted by: cs | September 29, 2011 at 07:23 PM
Most people drive faster than this already; even in DFW. A lot of people on the tollways, 75, I-35, and in the HOV lanes usually exceed the speed limit; and some appear to be going at least 85 mph or more, and it does seem to be more efficient and with less accidents. I've also heard that statistically you are more likely to get in a wreck on a city street, than on a highway. I do agree with the increase of the speed limit to 85 mph and with making night and day time speed limits the same, but I do think that they should still limit the speed of tractor trailers.
Posted by: tm | October 03, 2011 at 03:09 AM
Here in Pennsylvania we have a huge problem with people driving in the passing lane. They drive under the speed limit and all they do is snarl traffic. I could see if the speed limit was raised to 85 here there would be even bigger traffic jams. Driving in the passing lane in Pa. is against the law. The passing lane is for passing only.
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