Many locals probably consider it a zippy ride when they can drive up to 65 mph on an area highway.
But that’s pretty pedestrian compared to other parts of the country, where super-fast speed limits are on the rise, my colleague at USA TODAY wrote in a Dec. 28 story.
Take Texas Highway 130, home to the highest speed limit in the country. On a new southern stretch between Austin and San Antonio, drivers are allowed to zoom along at 85 mph.
Though drivers like the 85 mph speed limit because it shortens their trips, traffic safety advocates say faster speeds are more dangerous.
“They’ve designed a modern roadway that’s as safe as can be,” Russ Rader, a spokesman with the Insurance Institute, told USA TODAY. “But you can’t get around the law of physics: the faster you go, the more likely it is a crash will happen and the more severe the crash will be.”
Since 1995, when the federal government eliminated the nationwide 55 mph speed limit, more than half the country’s states have set speed limits of 70 mph or higher on some of their roads, according to the report.
One point the story doesn’t get into is fuel efficiency. The faster you drive, the quicker you burn gas.
Tell us what you think: How fast is too fast? Have you ever driven on a highway with a super-fast limit?
(Journal News file photo of Interstate 84 in Southeast)
6 Comments
GIVEN GOOD DRIVING SKILLS, AND A MODERN CAR IN GOOD SHAPE WITH TIRES RATED FOR HIGH SPEEDS (AT LEAST A V RATING) SPEED LIMITS CAN BE SET MUCH HIGHER THAN 85 MPH.
How does Germany Autobaun get away with it then? Do they build safer cars or do they not care? Probably not a nanny state….
High speed is OK weather permitting. No tailgating, passing n the right and no slow cars in the left lane. Like the Autobahn.
I’ve been on that stretch of the toll road where it’s 85.
It’s really rather boring.
Speed limits on limited-access roads are much lower than they should be for reasons other than safety.
As to gas consumption rates being higher at higher speed…
A: Much of it is a matter of vehicle aerodynamics and gearing, which have improved vastly over the past few decades. Weight and displacement have also gone up, making low-end acceleration better, but negating some of the economy gains that would be possible had weight not gone up.
B: It’s none of your damned business how I spend my money. If the fuel economy is lower at a higher speed, why would that matter when it comes to the speed limit? That smacks of psychologists and social scientists writing laws attempting to elicit a response to negative stimulus. STOP IT
i well remember the schelpp drives i made around westchester just when was the last time the stupid state of n.y. even attempted a major monumental infrastructural project need a hint it was when the beatles came to shea stadium fortheir first world tour thats it 1964 here on the west coast of fl. where i moved to escape the vulturine taxes of your benighted blasphemous bootless state capitol of albany i can drive to a world calss beach anyday of the week at 75 mph to 80 mph safely and serenely i call it lounging in my lexus the criminal negligence of n.y.s. in regards to its toilet bowl infrastructure will stink for 1000 yrs. and is a major reason your stupid state is broke. just before i bolted the garbage barge state remember 1987 and that stink,in barge docked in gravesend bay brooklyn i called up my state sen. SUZI creamcheese OPPENHEIMER to complain about the atrocious congestion on i 287 only to be informed by one of her lackeys that it was none of their concern but that perhaps gov. patack,s office might help this witch could care less about the countys derelicted roads or the poor slop commuters and commercial drivers such a cavalier attidute is the reason the whole bronx to n.h. conn. corridor is the most blood bespattered backed up inefficient coastly muderous tramatic dangerous interstate in america!empire state no way your stupid state has blood stained hands for its criminal neglect of its vital roads and collapsing bridges again no wonder your stupid state is broke who wants to locate in a futureless econ. region such as lower n.y.s. with its toilet bowl infrastructure?!!? the garbage barge state of n.y. signed its death warrant when the treacherous albany guided by the pussillaminous pipsqueaks of the nassau county planning commission rebuffed the brillant plan of robert moses to construct the rye oyster bay bridge and instead gave heed to the siren song of the post menupasual slut jane jacobs who hated cars and the geriatric weasel robert caro who still lives on 95 st. in sodom n.y.c.this weasel who also hated cars now writes for the noxious n.y. times a paper i reserve for the parakeet cage.when major bridges are unbuilt as in the garbage barge state u kill your cash $$$$$$$$$$$ FLOW!!!u kill your tourism u kill your entrepreunial investment and u send tens of thousands of prestigious well paying transgenerational enviable secure challenging JOBS permanently away from your regional econ. resulting in the forfeiture of billions of $$$$$$$$$ from the coffers of your stupid state again no wonder the property taxes in westchester and long island which is now a DEATHTRAP ARE THE MOST ATROCIOUS OUTRAGEOUS AND BLASPHEMOUS IN AMERICA!