Possible speed limit rule changes are under discussion at multiple statehouses. Most pieces of legislation call for keeping speed limits for cars and trucks uniform. Two states have bills that would authorize 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.
New Mexico
The New Mexico Senate voted Saturday, March 15 to advance a bill that would create a speed limit differential for cars and trucks. The chamber passed the bill on a 17-13 vote.
New Mexico has 75 mph speed limits for all vehicles traveling on the state’s largest highways. A two-year-old law mandates that large trucks traveling on multi-lane highways outside of municipalities stay in the right-hand lane.
Sen. George Munoz, D-Gallup, is behind the legislation to slow down trucks to 65 mph on affected roadways.
Munoz has said the speed-limit change is needed because the right lane rule has not done enough to get trucks out of the far-left lane.
OOIDA has communicated to the bill sponsor that the Association believes 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.
Doug Morris, OOIDA director of state government affairs, added that the bill sponsor must not be aware that motorists are responsible for more accidents than trucks.
“Many states who had split speed limits have gone back to standardized speeds for all vehicles,” Morris said. “What happens is that while trucks are going slower, there are more interactions with passing cars, causing a higher likelihood of an accident.”
The bill, SB226, next heads to the House. The bill must advance from the chamber before the Legislature’s scheduled Saturday, March 22 adjournment date.
🟡From @Land_Line_Mag: New Mexico speed limit differential bill advances #nmleg #nmpol https://t.co/EQbxMu4erR
— NM Senate Democrats (@NMSenateDems) March 12, 2025
Hawaii
Similarly, a bill halfway through the Hawaii statehouse would introduce speed limit differentials in the state’s largest county.
The Aloha State authorizes cars and trucks of all sizes to travel 60 mph on interstate highways. Other limited access roads have 55 mph speeds posted.
House lawmakers approved a bill to reduce the authorized speed limit to 50 mph, regardless of the posted speed, for vehicles with at least three axles or weighing more than 10,000 pounds.
HB229 would apply to counties with populations exceeding 500,000 people. Honolulu County is the lone county to meet the population threshold. Counties with fewer than 500,000 people could establish a split speed limit by ordinance.
Exceptions to the rule would be made for actively overtaking and passing another vehicle traveling in the same direction or for making a left turn.
Supporters have said that slowing down trucks would result in safer travel.
During a recent House committee hearing, multiple groups informed lawmakers about a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration study that showed light vehicles were responsible for more than 80% of collisions involving commercial vehicles. The panel was told that many of these incidents are from motorists running into the rear of a large vehicle that is moving at a slower speed.
Nevertheless, the bill has advanced to the Senate.
Indiana
Meanwhile, an Indiana House bill to eliminate speed limit differentials has again died.
Indiana 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, again introduced legislation 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 did not come up for consideration in the House Roads and Transportation Committee.
North Dakota
In North Dakota, a House-approved bill would authorize higher speed limits on the state’s fastest roadways.
State 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.
HB1298 would increase speed limits for all drivers on interstate highways to 80 mph.
Rep. Ben Koppelman, R-West Fargo, said the speed increase would be phased in.
“This increase in speed will be a phased-in approach that will allow DOT to initially increase speeds in all areas that can easily handle the speed and work toward upgrading other areas that can handle the speed with minor improvements,” Koppelman told the Senate Transportation Committee.
He added that the remaining areas of interstate will be phased in as roads are improved.
The Senate Transportation Committee has not voted on the bill.
North Carolina
One North Carolina House bill would permit the state Department of Transportation to boost the speed limit to 75 mph on certain roadways.
State law authorizes all vehicles to travel 70 mph on interstates and other controlled-access highways. The highway department is authorized to set “a reasonable and safe speed limit” based on engineering and traffic levels.
H112 would apply to affected roadways along stretches where it is deemed appropriate for a higher maximum speed.
Maryland
The Maryland House has advanced a bill to revise speed limit rules.
HB780 would authorize the Maryland State Highway Administration to reduce maximum speed limits by 5 mph on urban state highways. The change could be made without a traffic or engineering study.
The change would apply to state-owned and -maintained highways that do not restrict non-motorized access and where highways are located in incorporated municipalities. The change would also apply to locations identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as Designated Urban Areas where pedestrians walk adjacent to highways.
The Maryland DOT 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.
“This legislation is a critical tool that can be used to accelerate efforts towards achieving zero traffic deaths and serious injuries in Maryland, specifically where known issues exist,” MDOT told a House committee.
The agency added that NHTSA findings show that speeding or traveling too fast for conditions is a contributing factor in nearly 31% of all traffic accidents in Maryland – compared to 29% nationally.
New York
New York bills would boost the speed limit for cars and trucks.
All vehicles now are permitted to travel 65 mph on interstate highways and other limited-access roads.
Both bills 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. He said the legislation would permit vehicles to travel 70 mph “where appropriate.”
A3571 and S1500 each is in its respective chamber’s transportation committee.
South Carolina
In South Carolina, a House bill addresses concern about slow-moving traffic on the state’s fastest highways.
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 states that the minimum speed limit along interstate highways with a maximum posted speed of 70 mph would be 50 mph – up from 45 mph.
The bill is in the House Education and Public Works Committee.
California
A California Assembly bill would make changes to how speed limits are set on certain roadways.
Statute calls for speed limits to be set based on the 85th percentile formula. The 85th percentile speed rule is the speed at or below which 85% of vehicles travel in free-flowing traffic.
AB1014 would change the rule to enable Caltrans to reduce speed limits by as much as 10 mph on portions of state highways that are not freeways. The rule would apply to stretches of highway that are identified as needing modification to accommodate pedestrians and other vulnerable users.
Assemblyman Chris Rogers, D-Santa Rosa, described his bill as providing more flexibility to setting speed limits on state highways.
The bill is in the Assembly Transportation Committee.
Mississippi
In Mississippi, a House-approved bill that addressed speed limits died in the Senate.
HB74 called for authorizing 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 were to add toll roads, all vehicles would have been permitted to travel 80 mph on affected roadways.
Advocates noted that many travelers in the state already are driving 75 mph. Supporters wanted to make sure they’re doing it legally. LL
More Land Line coverage of state news is available.
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