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Repeal the 55 mph speed limit!



The "Traffic Speed Trends" reports of the Federal Highway Administration (FHwA)
for the years just before the 55-mph National Maximum Speed Limit (NMSL) may
be of interest.

Two participating States had no speed limit, eight had 75-mph limits, 22 had
70-mph, two had 65-mph, three had 60-mph.

AVERAGE SPEEDS OF FREE-MOVING VEHICLES AND PERCENTAGES OF PASSEN
GER CARS TRAVELING IN EXCESS OF VARIOUS SPEEDS ON LEVEL, STRAIGHT
SECTIONS OF THE COMPLETED PORTIONS OF THE RURAL INTERSTATE SYSTEM
FOR 1973

(NOTE: speeds were measured in the summer, before the embargo and oil price
RcrisisS in the fall.)

STATE     Avg            %>55     %>60     %>65     %>70      %>75

(NO SPEED LIMIT)

Mont.          70.2 mph      93        85         68         48         26
Nev.           70.1 mph       97        92         78         54         28

(75-MPH)
Ark.           65.8 mph       93          82         60        26          8
AZ             69.1 mph       92          82         67        46         22
Iowa           67.0 mph       92          76         60        28         11
Kans.          69.4 mph       97          91         76        52         18
Nebr.          69.8 mph       96          89         75        51         19
N.D.           69.2 mph       95          86         69        47         21
S.D.           65.3 mph       87          72         50        26          7
Tenn.          62.0 mph       86          69         32        11          1

(70-mph)
Flor.            65.0 mph       93          80         53        23          6
Ohio            66.6 mph       96          89         63        31          6
N.Mex        69.0 mph       94          86         72        45         19

(65-mph)
Penn           61.8 mph       86          60         26         5          -
N.C.           65.4 mph       95          78         44         -           -

(60-mph)
Conn        65.6 mph       100        84         49        15          0
RI             62.7 mph       88          54         35        11          6
NJ             59.5 mph       85          56         12         3           1


This chart is interesting in two areas:  One, once states are given the freedom to set reasonable speed limits, not
all will.  CT's speed limit in '73 was 60, but according to traffic engineering standards where the 85th percentile
rule is used, that speed limit should have been 70 since only 15% exceeded 70.

Second, note that even with the freedom of no speed limits on any highway, the drivers of MT and NV
averaged only 70 mph, with not a whole lot going over 75 even though they could.  Compare that to the
compliance rates for today's 55 mph limit.   Inverse, isn't it?

So we see here that raising speed limits will not automatically make traffic travel "10 over" the new limit.
It will simply make most of us law-abiding again.

If this sounds good to you, you need to do two things:  A) Join the National Motorists Association (by calling
800-882-2785), which is the organization that's pushing the speed limit repeal thru Congress now, and
B) Write your representatives in the House of Representatives to let them know that it's time to repeal the
national maximum speed limit law.


Check out this weekend's USA TODAY front page article on the speed limit.

Bob Morrow                                                                Join the NMA!  $29/year
National Motorists Association                                   800-882-2785
reply to:  nma@genie.geis.com


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