AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas House approved a bill that would allow the speed limit on some highways to be raised to 85 mph, which would be the highest in the nation. The measure passed Wednesday on a voice vote was part of a larger transportation bill. It would authorize the Texas Department of Transportation to raise the speed limit on designated lanes or entire stretches of roadway after doing engineering and traffic studies, the Dallas Morning News reported Thursday. The Senate is considering a similar bill. "They have high-speed roadways in Europe, and there could be some merit in having some of those highways in Texas," said Rep. Lois Kolkhorst of Brenham, who introduced the bill. "Given the right engineering, we should consider it." Texas currently has more than 520 miles of interstate highways where the speed limit is 80 mph. One such stretch of Interstate 10 "is as nice a road as you can build; it's flat with a long line of sight, wide lanes and good shoulders," said Rep. Joe Pickett of El Paso. "For people like us who travel that long distance, it could be good" to raise the limit to 85 mph, he said. Some auto insurers oppose the measure, citing safety concerns. "Obviously, the two things that kill most people on our highways are speed and alcohol. Increasing it to 85, or even 75, will have a dramatic impact on the death and injury rate on those highways where it's implemented," said Jerry Johns, a spokesman for the Southwestern Insurance Information Service. He said drivers already exceed 70 mph highway speed limits. "But 85 mph is simply too fast to drive even on a flat road. Any little hitch can cause an accident at that speed. There is still traffic on those roads, and to drive 85 mph is simply ludicrous," he said. The Transportation Department hasn't done the speed and safety analyses of roadways the legislation would require, said department spokeswoman Kelli Petras. "It would be awesome to travel it, but you'd have to look at the safety and other factors," she said. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/7511083.html
Seems a bit bizarre to debate raising the limit by 5 mph? Like they're just padding their stats to get the highest in the nation title.
Hitting? Sure... most cars can do it. Holding 85 safely for an extended period, probably not. My POS Dodge full size will do it, barely. The broke ones I was referring to is the state getting tax money from gas.
Perfect speed for long stretches of highway. But they're really going to have to crack down on drivers not yielding the fast lane for it to work. I'll dance a jig the first time I hear about a ticket for going too slow in the left lane. I also love that these small towns along the interstates will have to look for a legitimate source of income to fund their city.
I'd really love to know where these stretches that are currently 80. I personally dont see any problem with letting me go that fast, I am a very experienced (and sane) driver, but I aint so sure about some of these other idiots that are on the roads around here. Btw...When I was real poor, 2 out of my 4 cars owned in that time period could easily sustain 85. the one I have now could easily sustain 125+, but I doubt they are gonna let me drive that fast. (a guy can wish right?)
There's a stretch of I-10 west of Austin by about an hour (basically outside the central hills of Texas) where the speed limit is 80. I was surprised myself because it was the first time I've seen a speed limit over 70.
Drove the 80 mph stretch of I-10 over the summer. I kept the car coasting at 80-85 most of the time. And I only had to stop once, in Fort Stockton. I-20 from where it starts at I-10 to outside Midland-Odessa is also 80. Perfect for blowing by those desolate counties. Out here in Arizona, the speed limit on the interstates outside the cities is 75.
When they back an 88mph speed limit...well lets just say...s***s gonna get serious! <a href="http://photobucket.com/images/marty%20mcfly" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v305/Bea2/Marty.jpg" border="0" alt="Marty Pictures, Images and Photos"/></a>
Can someone explain to me why coasting at say 80 mph burns more fuel than coasting at 60 mph? I'm not an engineer.
