Roads nationwide are getting faster. States around the country have been experiencing record low fatality rates, despite posting speed limits, in some cases 25 MPH faster than the Double Nickel limit imposed in 1975. That has encouraged jurisdictions to continue boosting the legal maximum.
Currently, the top speed crown belongs to Texas and Utah, each of which post 80 MPH on select highways. The Lone Star State adopted the top limit in 2008, but only on rural sections of Interstates 10 and 20. Last week, the Texas Transportation Commission decided that speed studies justified raising the limits on fifty-six miles of the State Highway 45 and State Highway 130 toll roads near Austin.
"The Texas Department of Transportation [TxDOT] has conducted the prescribed engineering and traffic investigations to determine reasonable and safe prima facie maximum speed limits for those segments of the state highway system," the commission order stated.
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