Utah Raises Some Speed Limits To 80 MPH Because It's Safer
 

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After multi-year studies, Utah has raised a number of its highway speed limits to 80 miles an hour. They cited the same reasons of safety as the now-famous 'Speed Kills Your Pocketbook' documentary. Finally, a government making sense about speed.


KSL News reports that yesterday the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) installed 80 MPH signs on some of its rural highways after multi-year studies found that higher speed limits would be safer than lower ones.

They say the speed at which 85% of the cars meet or exceed is the safest speed, the 85th percentile.

That's great news. I am shocked that the tree huggers haven't protested yet. Maybe they did? Depend on what you are driving? We drove throw there from Nevada with cruise set at a little over 85 (75 speed limit) in our Sienna. It felt pretty safe until you get hit by a strong cross wind. it can be scary. Any faster then that The higher ground clearance vehicle might feel floaty. if that was CA people will be going 10-15 over all day long.

All the more reason to drive as fast as possible all the time! ;)

It's been that way (as a test) for a long time now. Usually I drive it in my truck and drive 81. When it drops to 75, I drop to 79. It's a gas mileage thing for me. And my Porsche is at 3500rpm or so so I don't need to go higher than that unless a cobra passes me and I feel the need to Xibit. It is nice though to feel free about the speed you drive. Nice.

just in time for my next visit to SLC

If you go through LA first:)

Leveraged from another forum:

Update of what is currently happening with speed limit increase bills:

Ohio has passed and sent to the Gov a 70 limit increase on rural freeways which includes allowing 60 on certain two lane roads. The new law takes effect July 1. So by mid summer 70 mph will be posted across the state of Ohio on rural freeways, hip hip hora!!

Maine has amended the 75 law to now if passed it will be allowed on any rural freeway that the state DOT deems it safe.

Mississippi still has a 75 bill that is alive awaiting passing by one of the chambers that allows 75 to be posted on most of the states rural freeways.

The first bill this year that proposed the increase was passed by one of the houses then killed by missing a filing deadline out of committee in the other. The next day the limit increase was revived by adding the 75 mph increase to a existing bill that passed unanimously. Today two different bills that have passed both houses have allowing limit increase to 75. So the increase to 75 is alive and awaiting either a action by conference committees to work out the differences between the two bills passed by both chambers. Or the other chamber can just pass the current bill that is still alive as is making the increase law. We will see what happens.....There is wide support with no organized opposition in both chambers for the increase so my bet is they will work it out making the increase law by the end of the session......

Maryland is debating and is looking like it will pass a 70 mph limit for all rural freeways across the state.

New Hampshire house voted 292-65 passing a bill that will raise the limit from 65 mph to 70 mph on I-93 from Exit 18 to the Vermont border. The current speed limit would remain the same through Franconia Notch. The Senate Transportation Committee held a hearing House on Bill 146 Tuesday March 25 and is expected to vote in the full senate on the bill after the Easter break.

The Nevada 85 mph on rural freeways bill seems to have wide support in the legislature and may get final passage next week.

I haven't heard anything on the Connecticut 75 mph rural freeway limit legislation in a few weeks.

And the surprise of the week is a 70 mph bill is sailing through the Illinois legislature. It is looking like it may get full approval by the end of April.

CA can't raise past 70 because they have freeways from hell with potholes after potholes.

I have driven on those 80mph posted zones in UT and it makes a lot of sense in the middle of nowhere. Less people probably fall asleep that way. I also do not think it invites to go 100 mph in regular cars. 85 is about the fastest I want to go in my SUV, it just doesn't feel stable over that, leave alone what it demands in fuel to go any faster.

G

50 MPH in Portland.

Nice. I did a paper early on in college about the fallacy of connecting lower speed limits and safety.

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In the immortal words of Clarkson... "Speed doesn't doesn't kill... suddenly becoming stationary, that's what gets you."

Went up to 85mph in some areas here. Stretches of I10 and I40 have been 80 for sometime.

I know not of the ramifications.