BOOFER
05-17-2006, 09:46 AM
Texas could accelerate to 80 mph By Larry Copeland, USA TODAY
Wed May 17, 7:01 AM ET
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.
Wed May 17, 7:01 AM ET
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.