Is an 85 mph speed limit too fast?
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Is an 85 mph speed limit too fast?
http://www.news-journal.com/opinion/...5b3fe5835.html
I think its pretty bad ass. If the limit is 85, you can at least do 90 with no issues. The only thing that would suck is getting that slow poke in the far left lane only doing 60!
The Texas House got serious about speed last week, approving a bill that would set the speed limit on some highways at 85 mph, the fastest in the nation.
We are not opposed to somewhat higher speeds on highway structures built for it. Anyone who drives an Interstate Highway in Texas knows speeds above legal limits already are common along some stretches. If roads are properly engineered and constructed, if traffic flows allow it, there is no reason speed cannot be safe. The limit already is 80 mph in two remote areas of West Texas. One is a 432-mile stretch of Interstate 10; the other is an 89-mile stretch of Interstate 20.
Besides, having the fastest speed limit in the nation would fit our “everything’s bigger in Texas” culture.
But 85 mph, frankly, is excessive. Our chief concern is safety. Speed is deadly. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration about one-third of all highway deaths in 2010 were speed related.
Our second concern is an offshoot of our first: Higher speed limits could lead to higher insurance premiums for Texas motorists. That’s because higher speeds inevitably lead to more crashes, more injuries and more deaths. In some congested areas, speed limits already are too high and in others they are routinely ignored.
“The two things that kill most people on our highways are speed and alcohol,” said Jerry Johns, a spokesman for the Southwestern Insurance Information Service. “Increasing it to 85, or even 75, will have a dramatic impact on the death and injury rate ... To drive 85 mph is simply ludicrous.”
The Texas Department of Transportation hasn’t yet done the analysis of state roadways that is required for the legislation to become law. We hope when that is done and a similar measure is taken up in the Texas Senate, that chamber will do the right thing and slow down this speed limit bill.
We are not opposed to somewhat higher speeds on highway structures built for it. Anyone who drives an Interstate Highway in Texas knows speeds above legal limits already are common along some stretches. If roads are properly engineered and constructed, if traffic flows allow it, there is no reason speed cannot be safe. The limit already is 80 mph in two remote areas of West Texas. One is a 432-mile stretch of Interstate 10; the other is an 89-mile stretch of Interstate 20.
Besides, having the fastest speed limit in the nation would fit our “everything’s bigger in Texas” culture.
But 85 mph, frankly, is excessive. Our chief concern is safety. Speed is deadly. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration about one-third of all highway deaths in 2010 were speed related.
Our second concern is an offshoot of our first: Higher speed limits could lead to higher insurance premiums for Texas motorists. That’s because higher speeds inevitably lead to more crashes, more injuries and more deaths. In some congested areas, speed limits already are too high and in others they are routinely ignored.
“The two things that kill most people on our highways are speed and alcohol,” said Jerry Johns, a spokesman for the Southwestern Insurance Information Service. “Increasing it to 85, or even 75, will have a dramatic impact on the death and injury rate ... To drive 85 mph is simply ludicrous.”
The Texas Department of Transportation hasn’t yet done the analysis of state roadways that is required for the legislation to become law. We hope when that is done and a similar measure is taken up in the Texas Senate, that chamber will do the right thing and slow down this speed limit bill.
I think its pretty bad ass. If the limit is 85, you can at least do 90 with no issues. The only thing that would suck is getting that slow poke in the far left lane only doing 60!
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Consider some parts of Texas (only been there once, not sure if it applies here), or Nevada where you can drive 30-50-70 miles without seeing anything in the desert. No reason to have restrictions if there's only 30 cars per minute or no signs of life nearby.
Go for it.
I drive 85 anyways. Raising the limit would just make it legal for me. unfortunately, TN is full of hills, and NONE of our roads are straight! They all have curves, twists, ups and downs. Not gonna happen for us anytime soon
Go for it.
I drive 85 anyways. Raising the limit would just make it legal for me. unfortunately, TN is full of hills, and NONE of our roads are straight! They all have curves, twists, ups and downs. Not gonna happen for us anytime soon
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That's a great idea for those areas where you see no other life.
If they had tougher laws on how to drive, ie passing on left don't be passed on right, we could have higher speeds everyone. But with the stupidity already on the road that won't happen.
Do you drive those roads at all DPTiburon?
If they had tougher laws on how to drive, ie passing on left don't be passed on right, we could have higher speeds everyone. But with the stupidity already on the road that won't happen.
Do you drive those roads at all DPTiburon?
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In Utah they had a test section of highway where the speed limit was 85mph. It was great. Although the Accent sounds horrible cruising at 90+mph. It made my brain feel like it was gonna explode.
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well people on the highway already scare me at 65 mph. like the idiot today in the rain, here i am cruising in the left lane doing 85mph with no one in front of me. then all the sudden the idiot in the right hand decides to get in the left hand lane for no reason!! no merging traffic and no cars infront of him. he cut me off in the rain. like wtf dude. needless to say.....i flipped him the bird as i maneuverer around him in the right hand land. right after i passed him, he got back over. this is another reason why i hate vermont drivers! everyone says new york drivers are bad. nah i can handle the new yorkers because when they cut you off they then speed up. these vermont people just cut you off and break for no reason. its because of people like this why i feel speed limits should not be increased. plus those law makers who want to raise the speed limit probably have stock in exxon or some other oil company. higher speed = greater gas consumption.
#7
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It's not the speed that kills, it's the sudden stop at the end
But seriously, the problem is not the fast drivers, it's the slow drivers. Speed limits on good, straight, middle of nowhere open roads are dumb. The higher the better.
But seriously, the problem is not the fast drivers, it's the slow drivers. Speed limits on good, straight, middle of nowhere open roads are dumb. The higher the better.
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I am I'm TX at least 6 times a year and have driven on I10 and 20 where the limits Re 80mph and it's in the middle of nowhere but I drive 90+ through there anyway.
#9
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Careful about that . . . the middle of nowhere turns into Small Town really fast, and speeding foreigners are a big part of their budget!
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^- +1 I LOooooVVVvvEEEeee seeing someone with out of state plates hauling ass. I go right along with them. Without fail they go after the other guy