Lawmakers Debate Raising Speed Limit To 70 MPH

[rampage]

http://www.10tv.com/live/content/local/stories/2009/05/20/story_speed_limit.html

 

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio lawmakers began discussing a bill on Wednesday that would increase the speed limit on the state's highways.

 

If House Bill 162 passes, Ohio would join 32 other states that have raised the speed limit to 70 mph or higher, 10TV's Patrick Bell reported.

 

The plan faced opposition from the Ohio State Highway Patrol, which helps police the nation's fourth-largest interstate system.

 

The Patrol worries that an increase could result in serious and potentially deadly crashes, Bell reported.

 

Supporters of the bill said a higher speed limit would mean more convenient transportation, and motorists would be able to get where they want to go more efficiently.

 

"Raising the speed limit will mean that more drivers are in compliance of the speed limit (and) traffic will flow better and actually there will be less accidents," said Carl Boeckman of the National Motorists Association.

 

The legislation is designed to raise speed limits in predominantly rural areas. The Ohio Department of Transportation will make the final determination on which highways would have the increased speed limit.

 

It may be several weeks before lawmakers vote on the bill, Bell reported.

[Sully]

I don't think it'll change anything. Most people already do 70+.

[SRTurbo04]

woohoo im from sandiego ca...an its 75mph on most freeways...its niceeee haha but if your not going 90 then your gonna get hit ha

[Bigbird]

As long as the police don't get all strict and start pulling people over for doing 5 over more often. I agree that it won't really change much though, possibly just fewer tickets in some areas, which I'm all for.

[bbboti]

I don't think it'll change anything. Most people already do 70+.

 

problem will be once it is ok to do 70 then it will be 80+. however i am a fan of the 70 speed limit.

[iwashmycar]

only downside for Ohio is theres a lot of freeway parts that i purposely slow to the speed limit to drive over the craptastic pavement w/o pissing too many people off. Overall i guess it probably won't change much, except the old farts still doing 55 will be more in the way

[2 Sweet]

Nice. But like someone mentioned, hopefully they won't start pulling people over for going like 5 over the limit.

 

I remember when some annoying bitch (I think it was Hilary Clinton) wanted to reduce all U.S. freeway/highway speed limits to 55 so drivers would use less gas

[sol740]

problem will be once it is ok to do 70 then it will be 80+. however i am a fan of the 70 speed limit.

 

Not likely, people will go as fast as they feel comfortable going, regardless of the posted limit.

[Guest tbutera2112]

Not likely, people will go as fast as they feel comfortable going, regardless of the posted limit.

 

not true...speed limit is 65, i try to set my cruise control around 72ish....if speed limit was 70, i would start setting it around 77ish

[bbboti]

not true...speed limit is 65, i try to set my cruise control around 72ish....if speed limit was 70, i would start setting it around 77ish

 

i do too. i guess i was more meaning like the ones that are normally 75-80 now. coming from z-ville to columbus i used to see it alot going to work.

[Aesthetic_Influx]

It won't make things more dangerous - that's already done by people who can't handle highway speeds in the first place.

 

It won't hurt gas mileage - these morons that think speed it the only factor clearly don't understand that the way you drive (throttle position esp.) has more to do with it. (Hence that Top Gear with the M3 v. Prius)

 

While they're discussing laws that other states have left behind years ago, maybe they should focus on the front plate too.

[bbboti]

It won't make things more dangerous - that's already done by people who can't handle highway speeds in the first place.

 

It won't hurt gas mileage - these morons that think speed it the only factor clearly don't understand that the way you drive (throttle position esp.) has more to do with it. (Hence that Top Gear with the M3 v. Prius)

 

While they're discussing laws that other states have left behind years ago, maybe they should focus on the front plate too.

 

AMEN!!!!!!

[2 Sweet]

It won't make things more dangerous - that's already done by people who can't handle highway speeds in the first place.

 

It won't hurt gas mileage - these morons that think speed it the only factor clearly don't understand that the way you drive (throttle position esp.) has more to do with it. (Hence that Top Gear with the M3 v. Prius)

 

While they're discussing laws that other states have left behind years ago, maybe they should focus on the front plate too.

 

TRUTH!

[Flyin Miata]

Saw this in the pathetic excuse for our school's newspaper (Lantern) yesterday, not surprised that everyone is for it except for the Highway Patrol. Ohio needs to get with the times, almost every state surrounding Ohio already has the higher speed limits. In Texas and Utah I think they have stretches of 80 mph or higher.

[BloodRed]

I agree that the speed limit should be raised. I mean almost all the other states around us already are 70 mph on the highways. The only catch is, like someone else mentioned, they will have to work harder to keep the roads repaired. Which I don't see happening with all the budget cuts.

 

I know they already talked about raising the speed limit for truckers as well up to 65 mph. They also need to consider the towns that the highways run through. Most, like Columbus, reduce the speed limit as you drive through town. Are the towns going to increase there speed limit by 5 mph?

 

Also with all the budget cuts the state is making, is it wise to have to speed all the extra money to change all the signs across the state?

[Ramsey]

But with higher mph, we will consume more fuel and raise global warming! not to mention run out of fossil fuels in like 2010!!! OMG!

 

I will set cruise control on my truck at what ever speed they make it.

[sol740]

i do too. i guess i was more meaning like the ones that are normally 75-80 now. coming from z-ville to columbus i used to see it alot going to work.

 

I should've been more specific I suppose. People that watch the speed limits generally do so to avoid getting hassled. Most of those people, such as Tyler and yourself, "speed" within a small MPH of the posted limit, in essence "not really speeding at all" to most cops out there, unless they're being dicks that day.

 

My comment was more directed at people that actually speed, such as myself, regularly 15 or so over the limit (well when I'm by myself anyway). If the speed limit goes up 5mph, it doesn't really effect us, I will still continue to do so, but I'm not going to specifically add 5mph to the 85 I was doing just cause the limit got raised.

 

I'm all for 70mph limits though.

[Rob1647545496]

I don't think it'll change anything. Most people already do 70+.

 

yea but now you wont have to hit the breaks when you see a cop

 

but seriously those who have driven in the states that already have the higher speed limit know it's more efficient i have bought several cars from texas and the drive down is awesome cuz the speed limit keeps going up and up. but the drive home sucks balls.

[hot_wire]

I'll still do 5 over. I feel like the freeways were designed to go about 90 on. Too bad we don't use them to their full potential.

[Draco-REX]

not true...speed limit is 65, i try to set my cruise control around 72ish....if speed limit was 70, i would start setting it around 77ish

 

There's this thing in traffic studies called the 85th percentile. What they found was that the vast majority of drivers drive at a speed they feel is comfortable for the conditions. Numerous studies have found that if speed limits are set to within 5mph of the speed that 85% of the drivers drive at, that accidents drop considerably.

 

The problem with most people is that they think "Speed Kills" so, obviously, slower is safer. What these mentally deficient people don't comprehend that it's not speed that causes accidents, but differences in velocity. Two cars can be traveling at 200mph only inches away from each other, but as long as they maintain the same velocity, they'll never crash into each other.

 

If they raise the speed limit for cars up to 70, they need to raise the limit for trucks as well. Making the difference in speed greater is only going to make things worse.

[Dr. Apex]

I hope it happens, also they need to raise the truck limit as it's dangerous having all these vehicles going different speeds.

[Mensan]

Email sent.

[RangerTurbo]

In Texas and Utah I think they have stretches of 80 mph or higher.

 

Kinda, we did just raise parts of I-15 on the way to Nevada up to 80mph for "testing". Everyone already does 80-85 through those sections anyhow though. As far as I know though, there are no other roads/highways in Utah faster than 75mph.

[TTQ B4U]

I'm all for the 70mph speed limit. I go about 72mph now without any concern as it's fast enough to keep the flow moving and yet safe enough that if I see a cop, I really don't worry about them pulling me over for speed as I feel they are looking for the 75mph+ vehicles that typically weave around the roadway.

 

I do however think they need to put together a campaign and signage that encourage "keep right except to pass" and to encourage or enforce truckers to keep right or center so that they aren't blocking traffic. Nothing pisses me off more than a trucker passing a another trucker at +2mph speed vs the slower one. Just stay the fuck put in the right lane!

 

I also differ on the point of raising the speed limit of trucks. I don't think that keeping them closer to the speeds of cars is going to make thing safer. No one wants to follow or pace a truck regardless of the speed they are traveling so Joe-Public is still going to go around and/or avoid them only now at higher speeds. I also don't think increasing the velocity of a 50,000lb truck/trailer is going to help in terms of safety. They don't stop on a dime as it is and it's not going to help come high traffic areas where things slow down rapidly or when a driver does cut them off.

 

Speed wise/MGP wise, I'm sure they are geared enough to handle it efficiently, but I don't think in today's market they need to get anywhere any faster. It's not going to lower the cost of doing business in IMO. They should stay at 55mph and cars should bump to 70mph. Just stay put and stay out of the cars way and we'll stay out of yours.

 

I will say that it's ironic that while everyone is stressing "going green", cutting down on oil consumption, that we are pushing the public to travel at speeds where mpgs drop. I know in my MS3 in 6th gear on level road at 72mph and 2800rpm, I can average 28mpg according to the computer. If I drop that to 60mph, it jumps to like 39mpg. In fact one time driving mainly on 55mph back roads I reset the computer and stayed under 60mph and averaged nearly 40mpg the whole way.

[Main3s]

I don't think it'll change anything. Most people already do 70+.

It will help becasue if you get caught doing 80mph you're only 10 miles over and not 15, which I think means the ticket won't cost you so much... But I'm probably wrong.