Author Topic: Texas may get 80mph (Read 1171 times)

Airscrew · « **on:** May 17, 2006, 11:57:12 AM »

Holly Cow!

Just in time for my trip to Nevada

AP News,

The nation's top legal driving speed soon could rise to a long-forbidden 80 mph as Texas moves toward increasing the limit on parts of two interstate highways.

The proposed increase on Interstates 10 and 20 in West Texas is opposed by some national traffic safety advocates, who say speed contributes to many crashes.

"That's not good news for safety," says Richard Retting, senior transportation engineer at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, an industry group. "When states raise speed limits, they're trading lives for faster travel times."

But a study by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) found that 85% of drivers on the affected highways already drive 76-79 mph, says Carlos Lopez, the agency's traffic operations chief.

TxDOT has been studying the proposal since the Legislature last year authorized increasing the speed limit from 70 or 75 to 80 mph in 10 mostly rural counties.

The five-member Texas Transportation Commission, which has the final say, is expected to consider the proposal May 25, TxDOT spokesman Mike Cox says.

If it approves, the new speed limit would be posted within a week. "Our folks are working right now on fabricating signs," Lopez says.

The move comes amid soaring gas prices. The Department of Energy says that gas mileage drops sharply at speeds over 60 mph, and that drivers can assume that each 5 mph over 60 is like paying an additional 20 cents per gallon of gas.

American drivers have not seen a "Speed Limit 80" sign in more than three decades. The Kansas Turnpike had an 80-mph limit beginning in 1956, and Nevada and Montana had no numeric limits on some rural highways at times in the past. In 1974, Congress instituted a national 55-mph limit, which it lifted in 1995. States now set speed limits, even on federal highways. Thirteen states in the West and Midwest have 75-mph limits.

Some Texas officials oppose higher limits. "If the speed limit is raised to 80, everybody is going to be doing 85 or 90," says Hudspeth County Judge Becky Dean-Walker, the top elected official in one county facing the move to 80. "That's just human nature."

Cthen · « **Reply #1 on:** May 17, 2006, 12:02:32 PM »

Think of the tax savings by allowing this speed limit.............

Now AWACS aircraft can patrol the interstates instead of super trooper behind the tree. (AWACS can spot any moving object going faster than 80 MPH as a matter of routine)

Cthen

Sandman · « **Reply #2 on:** May 17, 2006, 12:06:11 PM »

In other words, 85% of the people already break the law so let's just do away with it.

Run that same argument over in the immigration thread and see how it goes.

Back on topic... IMHO, gasoline obviously isn't expensive enough yet to compel drivers to slow down.

Airscrew · « **Reply #3 on:** May 17, 2006, 12:30:46 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Sandman
In other words, 85% of the people already break the law so let's just do away with it.

thats not what they were arguing about

Quote

"That's not good news for safety," says Richard Retting, senior transportation engineer at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, an industry group. "When states raise speed limits, they're trading lives for faster travel times."

they also cried about this when speed limits were raised from 55 to 65 and when speed limits where raised to 70

And the response is

Quote

But a study by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) found that 85% of drivers on the affected highways already drive 76-79 mph,[/u] says Carlos Lopez, the agency's traffic operations chief.

On IH-35 from Austin to San Antonio the speed limit is 70mph in most places, I do about 75 and I am regularly passed by cars going a lot faster.

indy007 · « **Reply #4 on:** May 17, 2006, 12:41:43 PM »

Houston to San Antonio is mostly 75mph. Made the run last Monday. No State Troopers on the way up, but loads of them on the way back. Made the round trip in 5 1/2 hours in a boxtruck with a governer set to 80mph.

I coulda gone faster.

Midnight · « **Reply #5 on:** May 17, 2006, 01:55:21 PM »

Whatever they raise the legal limit to, a large percentage will drive about 5 to 10 MPH over the limit. The reason is that the penalty for barely exceeding the speed limit is not very harsh, and the police don't want the hassle of writing so many tickets that will mostly be thrown out or not worth writing in the first place.

That said, if they raise the limit and then increase the base penalties for driving over the limit, the overall traffic would probably be better.

Why do we get a lot of traffic problems now? IMO, it's because the people who are driving the speed limit are causing the law breakers (Speeders) to tailgate, do a lot of lane changing, and driving more recklessly so they can drive the speed they want (5 - 10 MPH over the limit)

Make the speed limit 85... then make (AND ENFORCE) a law that says braking the speed limit is an AUTOMATIC suspension of driver's license for 7 days. 2nd offense, 30 days - 3rd offense 120 days.

It's not that the people who drive at the speed limit are scared to drive faster, it's that they believe it is the right thing to do. Give them a higher limit, and thy will drive it.

NattyIced · « **Reply #6 on:** May 17, 2006, 01:57:24 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Midnight
It's not that the people who drive at the speed limit are scared to drive faster,

Unless they are Asian women.

SirLoin · « **Reply #7 on:** May 17, 2006, 02:10:31 PM »

Speed does not kill...Stupido drivers do however.

Anti-speed advocates are wasting their time..lol

john9001 · « **Reply #8 on:** May 17, 2006, 02:16:15 PM »

80mph...we all gona dieeeeee

Skuzzy · « **Reply #9 on:** May 17, 2006, 02:18:51 PM »

If anyone has ever driven 20 West to El Paso, they would agree that 80 to 85 limits would be a good thing. It is a very long, straight, and level stretch of highway, where nothing but the occasional tumbleweed traverses.

When I drove it, it was not uncommon to see people doing 90MPH. I usually drove it at 80MPH.

As far as the gas mileage goes, my current car gets 32MPG at 75MPH and 31MPG at 80MPH. At 60MPH, it gets 32MPG. Of course, if there is a very strong headwind, then all bets are off. But there is very little headwind on 20W. It's usually crosswinds that are the issue.

If they bump that puppy to 80MPH, I am going to have to take a trip.

BlckMgk · « **Reply #10 on:** May 17, 2006, 02:27:50 PM »

Sad thing is that high speeds don't kill people... its speed Differences!

If everyone drove 80mph we'd be ok... its when you find that person driving 45mph and people going 70 have gotta react.

Of course you can make the arguement well speed differences increase as people go faster... well duh! but we should allow everyone to go faster or institute lanes where there's a minimum speed 70mph.. etc.

Holden McGroin · « **Reply #11 on:** May 17, 2006, 02:31:15 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by BlckMgk
Sad thing is that high speeds don't kill people... its speed Differences!
...

If we could only get the bridge abutments to go 80...

Midnight · « **Reply #12 on:** May 17, 2006, 03:08:59 PM »

I think most of the MPG statements are based on cars with poor aerodynamic qualities. If you drive a huge SUV with the aerodynamics of a brick wall, then yes, it takes a lot more power (hence less fuel economy) to go faster. However, if you are driving a small sporty car, there's not much difference in drag factors from 60 to 80 MPH

soda72 · « **Reply #13 on:** May 17, 2006, 03:12:16 PM »

People drive that fast on 635 anyway....

Or is it only for unpopulated areas?

Sixpence · « **Reply #14 on:** May 17, 2006, 03:20:38 PM »

We need our own version of an autobahn for cross country travel, imo