[align=center]
States with Highest Speed Limits
[/align][align=center][/align][align=center]

[/align][align=center][/align][*][align=center]
80 mph -- Texas (on about 500 miles of Interstate 10 and 20 in southwest corner of the state) [/align][*][align=center]
75 mph -- Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas (in counties with less than 10 people per square mile), Utah, Wyoming [/align][*][align=center]
70 mph -- Alabama, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Washington state [/align][*][align=center]
Some drivers would say that the United States is a crazy quilt of speed limits, with an emphasis on the "crazy."

Since 1995, states have been free to set their own maximum speed limits, leading to long debates on safety standards. To some folks, the speed limits are just insane -- either too low or too high, depending on their views about what makes driving safe.

Advocates of low speed limits won't find much to like about Texas. True to its frontier roots, it stands out as the land of the fast getaway. The top rural speed limit is normally 70 mph, but in 2006 it set a maximum daytime speed of 80 miles per hour, the highest speed limit on the country, on more than 500 miles of rural interstate in its southwest corner.
[/align][align=center][/align][align=center]This includes parts of Interstate 10 between Kerrville and El Paso and of I-20 between Monahans and the I-10 interchange.

The speed limit for rural roads in Montana is 75 mph. As a result, it takes just three hours to travel the 228 miles from Billings to Butte at the posted speed. But that's much slower than a Montana driver could have made the trip in early 1999. At that time there was a six-month speeders' honeymoon when the state had almost no control over rural speeds, partly as a result of an unfavorable court ruling.

St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands is at or near the other end of the spectrum. There the speed limit is 20 mph in the city and 30 out in the country. As a form of consolation for their slow progress, drivers can legally sip their pina coladas and margaritas behind the wheel. When it comes to accident rates, though, you would be far better off on a Montana interstate than competing with the island's frenetic drivers on the way to Paradise Point.

Nationwide, maximum speeds range from 60 miles per hour in Hawaii to 75 in most of the West. Meanwhile, much of the eastern Midwest and the Northeast has opted for maximum speeds of 65 mph, although Michigan and Indiana chose the 70 mph standard more common to the South and the Great Plains states.

So if you are cruising west along I-90 out of Ohio, you can enjoy the increase in speed across 150 miles of Indiana before Illinois' lower speed limit -- or its state police -- reins you in. As you continue west, interstate speed limits bump up to 70 in Iowa, and then you can maintain a steady 75 from Nebraska through to the California line, where interstate speeds drop off to 70 again. Should you choose to detour into Oregon, you're back down to 65.

More Articles
[/align][

 

 

I think 80 would be a good speed limit, or like Montana had for a time "Safe and Reasonable", but that was only in daylight hours,I believe.I also think a setup like some sections of the autobahn, with electronic speed limit signs to change the limit due to weather/accidents would be cool, too.
I just can't stand the fact that in our "FREE" country the only thing some law enforcement agencies consider is the posted speed limit. I can't tell you how many times I have been on freeways with not another soul around, except for that lonely super trooper hiding in thetrees running radar. WTFO? I could rant about this ALL day long.

 

To me, it does not matter what the maximum speed limit is, as long as the minimum speed is within 10 MPH, or in other words, if the 80 MPH is the Max, than 70 MPH must be the Min. What causes accidents is the speed variance -- when one vehicle is traveling 80 MPH and another pulls in front of it only traveling 60. The vehcile traveling 80, now has to make advoidance maneuvers (slumming on the brakes, jumping lanes, going off the road, etc.) which can cut another person off, etc.

High Speed or even UNLIMITED SPEED would be fine, IF:
1. Each lane is clearly identified -- #1 Lane (lane closest to median) is for vehicles traveling 80-90 MPH; #2 Lane (one lane to the right) is for vehicles traveling 70-80 MPH; #3 Laneis for vehicles traveling 60-70 MPH, and the #4 Lane is for vechicles traveling 50-60 MPH. If Unlimited is allowed, than it is clear that only vehicles traveling over 100-MPH are allowed in Lane #1.
2. Trucks are NOT allowed to travel in the #1 Lane.
3. A vehicle approaching a slower moving vehicle flashes their lights, the slower vehicle is to move over one lane to the right to allow the faster moving vehicle to pass safely. (This was the common thing to do when I was growing up. If you saw a vehcile moving up on you moving fast and they flashed their lights, you simply moved over a lane and let them pass. The same thing applied to trucks... A trucker would turn on their signal to change lanes and give you a short blast of their horn, you in-turn, would flash your lights to indicate it was OK for the trucker to move over.) So,
4. Some common signals use for safe motoring. NO.. turn signals are not enough.. Because the driver in the lane next to you may not have seen your signal. But a flash of your lights or a short blast of your horn (If Commonly Understood) would tell you clearly the driver knows you are about to come into their lane in front of them. Boy.. driving would come a pleasure again!

 

I don't really know about all of Canada, but in Ontario, I don't think there is a legal speed limit over 100kph. (equates to about 62mph).

I personally think with todays vehicles, a speed of 75mph is within reason. This of course would be only on Interstate type 4 lane or more routes. It wasn't long ago where a lot of States purposely lowered the limits in the interest of saving fuel.

Most drivers seem to push the limits, and to them, 10mph over is OK.I think this is considered, when the limits are set, and it'salmost assumed that generally, drivers will run 5-10mph over. Therefore to truly see 75mph traffic, the limit will need to be 65mph.

 

Space, I've driven those sectionsof road over 20 times, don't recall a sign posted.

Maybe there isn't one.

 

By the way, we need that 45mph minimum here in California.

 

the 80 mph thing is new in Texas, and thats a day time limit. i think about 80 is reasonable. you can't have a free for all out here, thats flat out dangerous

 

The people who put this study together obviously never drove through Ohio. 99% or higher of all motorists driver well above the posted speed limit and think nothing of it.

These driver must have unlimited free cash cause I for one can not afford speeding tickets so I don't.

The road behind our house, most drivers act like it's their personal drag strip. They will run you down if you do 55mph on this road. Ask me. If I had my way the cops would patrol this road a lot more then they do.

If states decided to allow drivers to do say 80mph in the inside lane of say I-75 then thelanes should be posted inside lane is 80mph, middle lane is 70mph, outside lane is 60mph. But you already see drivers doing 80mph or higher out there. Again they must have lots of free spending cash on hand.

 

Think the highest I have seen in Canada is 120!








K/ph...