Speed limit rule revisions are a common topic annually at state capitols. In the opening weeks of the new year, legislation in at least eight states covers higher speed limits, lower speed limits and the creation or removal of speed limit differentials.
The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association believes roadways are safest when all vehicles are allowed to travel at the same rate of speed. The Association does not advocate for a specific speed limit.
North Dakota
In North Dakota, House lawmakers voted 69-22 to authorize higher speed limits on the state’s fastest roadways.
North Dakota law authorizes 75 mph speeds on Interstates 29 and 94. Speeds along four-lane divided highways are set at 70 mph. Two-lane highways are posted at 65 mph.
Rep. Ben Koppelman, R-West Fargo, is again pursuing a rule change to increase speed limits to 80 mph for all drivers on interstate highways. He pointed out that six nearby states have 80 mph speed limits for at least some drivers.
During the most recent regular session, the Legislature approved the 80-mph pursuit, but then-Gov. Doug Burgum vetoed the bill. He cited safety concerns.
Koppelman said the increase in speed would be phased in.
“That will allow DOT to initially increase speeds in all the areas that can easily handle the speed and work toward upgrading other areas that can handle the speed with minor improvements,” Koppelman testified in committee. “The remaining areas of interstate will be phased in over time as roads are improved.”
The bill, HB1298, has moved to the Senate.
New Mexico
A New Mexico bill would introduce a speed limit differential for cars and trucks.
New Mexico has 75 mph speed limits for all vehicles traveling on the state’s largest highways.
Sponsored by Sen. George Munoz, D-Gallup, SB226 would slow down trucks to 65 mph on affected roadways.
OOIDA believes the bill would adversely impact the state’s motoring public and reduce highway safety. The Association said different speed limits are counterproductive to safety. Specifically, speed differentials create more interactions between cars and trucks, which leads to dangerous passing, aggressive driving and an increase in the number of accidents.
The bill is in the Senate Tax, Business and Transportation Committee.
Hawaii
Similarly, a Hawaii bill would introduce speed limit differentials.
The Aloha State authorizes cars and trucks of all sizes to travel 60 mph on all interstate highways. Other limited access roads have 55 mph speeds posted.
HB229 would reduce the authorized speed limit for vehicles with at least three axles or weighing more than 10,000 pounds to 50 mph – regardless of the posted speed.
The bill is in committee.
Indiana
An Indiana House bill would eliminate speed limit differentials.
State law permits passenger vehicles to travel 70 mph on the state’s fastest roadways, while vehicles heavier than 26,000 pounds are limited to 65 mph.
Rep. Mike Aylesworth, R-Hebron, is behind the pursuit to eliminate the speed differential for cars and trucks on interstates and defense highways located outside an urbanized area with a population of at least 50,000. The rule change would also apply to the Indiana Toll Road.
HB1078 is in the House Roads and Transportation Committee.
Advocates for uniform speeds in the state have said it simply makes sense to eliminate speed limit differentials, noting that if everyone is driving at or near the same speed, traffic flows better.
Research in the state backs up the claim. A recent joint research study on speed limits from the Indiana Department of Transportation and Purdue University suggested that uniform 70 mph speed limits would reduce crash frequencies in the state by about 20%.
Doug Morris, OOIDA director of state government affairs, added that speed differentials are based on a flawed belief that slower trucks equal safer trucks. He said that is simply not the case.
Maryland
Multiple Maryland bills would revise speed limit rules.
HB780 would authorize the Maryland State Highway Administration to decrease the maximum speed limits by 5 mph on urban state highways. A traffic or engineering study would not be necessary to make the change.
Del. Ken Kerr, D-Frederick, has explained his bill would apply to state-owned and -maintained highways that do not restrict non-motorized access and where highways are located in incorporated municipalities. The bill would also apply to locations identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as urban areas where pedestrians walk adjacent to highways.
The Maryland DOT has said the rule change would allow the State Highway Administration to respond in a more agile manner to areas where speed is a contributor to roadway incidents.
The House Environment and Transportation Committee is scheduled to discuss the bill on Thursday, Feb. 13.
A Senate bill is intended to reduce abrupt changes in speed limits for vehicles entering or exiting Interstate 495. The roadway has a posted speed limit of 55 mph.
SB559 would require the state DOT to conduct a study on whether all expressways and interstate highways that connect with I-495 should have the same maximum speed limit at the point of connection for at least five miles from the point of entrance to or exit from I-495.
Affected roadways would be Interstates 270, 95 and 295, as well as U.S. Highway 50.
Sen. Joanne Benson, D-Prince George, has contended the change is needed to avoid sudden speed changes. She has noted that highway speeds can differ by as much as 15 mph in certain areas.
Her bill is scheduled for Senate Finance Committee consideration Feb. 19.
Mississippi
A Mississippi bill in the House Transportation Committee also addresses speed limits.
HB74 would authorize the Mississippi Transportation Commission to allow truckers and other drivers to travel 75 mph on rural interstates and four-lane highways – up from 70 mph. If the state adds toll roads, all vehicles would be permitted to travel 80 mph on affected roadways.
Advocates have said that many travelers in the state are already driving 75 mph. Supporters want to make sure they’re doing it legally.
New York
Two New York bills would boost the speed limit for cars and trucks.
Currently, all vehicles are permitted to travel 65 mph on interstate highways and other limited-access roads.
The legislation would authorize speeds for cars and trucks to increase by 5 mph to 70 mph. The state DOT and the New York Thruway Authority would be permitted to implement the change.
Sen. Tom O’Mara, R-Big Flats, has said the change would keep New York in line with maximum speeds in many other states.
“The majority of states across the country have state speed limits that exceed 65 mph,” O’Mara wrote in a previous memo. “New York has failed to keep up with the rest of the country by not adopting a more efficient speed limit.”
He said his bill would correct the inefficacy by permitting vehicles to travel 70 mph “where appropriate.”
S1500 is in the Senate Transportation Committee. The Assembly version, A3571, is in the Assembly Transportation Committee.
South Carolina
One South Carolina bill addresses concern about slow-moving traffic on the state’s fastest highways.
Palmetto State law prohibits slow-moving vehicles from impeding “the normal and reasonable movement” of traffic. Certain exceptions apply.
SCDOT and local authorities are authorized to establish minimum speed zones. Affected areas can be set when an engineering and traffic investigation shows that slow speeds on a portion of highway consistently impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic.
H3138 would raise the minimum speed limit along the state’s interstates. Along highways with a maximum posted speed of 70 mph, the minimum speed would be 50 mph – up from 45 mph.
The bill awaits consideration in the House Education and Public Works Committee. LL
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