Arizona is #1...

[ludes98]

The Arizona State Senate just approved the highest speed limit in the country folks. 80mph for rural highways. The article is here. Arizona has long been a leader in the field, being the first to raise the speed limit from 55mph to 65mph in 1987. In the same session the Senate voted to keep seatbelt infractions as a secondary offense, meaning you can't be pulled over just for not wearing a seatbelt.

I just can't see how raising the speed limit on our highways is going to help. The section they mention between Phoenix and Tucson does suck, but it has nothing to do with the speed limit. The real problem on highways here is the incredible amount of truck traffic, which makes for major slowdowns when they are trying to pass each other but doing far less than the current 75mph speed limit.

 

[BKM]

Maybe you can adapt the New Hampshire state slogan: Live Free AND Die

(I have read there is little direct link between speed limits and traffic safety, though).

 

[mendelman]

In Michigan, the interstate speed limit went to 70mph in 1997. Here in Illinois, the max. is 55mph, but everyone drives 70mph anyhow.

I would agree, speed has no bearing on traffic congestion. It's the number of cars on the road, stupid.

I can't wait to no longer have to drive my car for commuting. It will happen.

 

[PlannerByDay]

SWEET

Just in time for my trip to AZ. I'll be heading to Scottsdale in April and my dad has a Mercades 500SL convertable down there in the garage.

I'm gonna that baby out on the open roads on my way up Sedona and Flagstaff.

 

[Rumpy Tunanator]

Not so fast Batman, I heard there is no speed limit in parts of Montana.

 

[Cardinal]

Sorry, Rumpy, but Montana did impose a speed limit of 75 during daylight and 65 at night. (Whether or not it is enforced is another matter.)

With Arizona, you have to understand the unique circumstances. Arizona is filled with a large number of retirees; old people who do not have a long time left to live. They can't afford to be dawdling around at 55 MPH because they might pass away by the time they get to their destination. You could argue that for safety reasons, old people shouldn't be going that fast, but face the facts, their reactions are too slow to make a difference at 40 MPH, much less 80 MPH, even if they could see what they are about to hit.

 

[jresta]

I started driving right around the time the speed limits started to change on the east coast. of course it happened down south first. When the speed limit was 55 everyone used to drive just under 65. Going 70 was considered "asking for it".
When they bumped it up to 65 the average inched closer to 75 and in the parts of NC and SC where the limit is 70 going 80 is not at all uncommon.

When NJ changed to 65 the number of accidents actually went down but the number of fatal accidents went up.

 

[Trail Nazi]

Now if they would just allow super fast bumper cars on the road to get rid of the slow drivers, 80 mph would be even better.

 

[FueledByRamen]

I think thats great. Having just driven from Austin Texas to Salida Colorado and back (736 miles) I let out an "amen" when we got into Colorado and could drive 80 to 85. (The limit there is 75). My thought is you're just as dead at 80 as you are at 70.

Now, if we could just set up an interstate Maglev system all of our problems would be solved...