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Subscribe to RSSThe claim that "everything is bigger in Texas" will likely gain further credence later this year, when the speed limit on a stretch of toll road between Austin and San Antonio hits 85 miles per hour — the highest limit in the country.
Constructions crews on Wednesday began posting 85-mph speed limit signs along a pending section of toll road on Texas' State Highway 130. This 41-mile stretch of highway, which will open for traffic by Nov. 11, is on the east side of Austin and heads southwest toward San Antonio.
Chris Lippincott, an official with the State Highway 130 Concession Co., said that the Texas Department of Transportation has determined that this area is safe to travel at 85 mph.
Related: Texas studies 85-mph speed limit, fastest in US
"We are committed to operating a safe, reliable highway for our customers," Lippincott said in a statement. "On any road, drivers hold the key to safety based on traffic, travel conditions and the capabilities of their own vehicles."
The first 85-mile an hour speed limit signs are going up on a stretch of Route 130 outside of Austin, Texas. NBC's Brian Williams reports.
Since the repeal of the 55-mph national speed limit for U.S. highways in 1995, 34 states have individually raised their speed limits to 70 mph or higher on portions of their roads, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association.
Other roads in the Lone Star State also have high speed limits: On some highways in rural West Texas, drivers can legally cruise as fast as 80 mph, The Associated Press reported. Utah is the only other state in the country with posted speeds at 80 mph, with that as the limit on portions of Interstate 15, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety believes higher speed limits have a costly trade-off.
"There’s a clear safety downside to raising safety limits," spokesperson Russ Rader told NBC News. "The research is absolutely clear that high speed limits lead to higher crash deaths."
Rader cited a 2009 study that found that in more than 10 years of follow-up after the 1995 federal speed limit repeal, an estimated 12,545 American deaths were attributed to increased speed limits.
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"If safety were a priorty, states would not be raising speed limits," Rader said. "They would be finding ways to heavily enforce speed limits they have."
The National Motorists Association, an advocacy organization originally rooted in fighting the 55-mph national limit, believes higher speeds are a "win-win" situation.
"Based on what we have heard about it, the Texas Department of Transportation did in fact do their required homework to make this happen," spokesperson John Bowman said.
Related: Robot cars could increase highway efficiency 273 percent, study says
"The prevailing wisdom is setting the speed low," Bowman said, so there is a pressure to set low speed limits. However, he said they believe that legitimate studies often find that the speeds on roads should be raised.
"There’s a myth that when you increase speed limits, accidents and fatalities go up," Bowman claimed.
According to Bowman, higher speeds can actually increase highway safety by letting traffic flow at is own rate, reducing conflicts between vehicles, less stopping and starting, and fewer quick lane changes.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Texas is awsome. This whole damn country should be more like Texas. It would'nt be in the mess it's in now. There must not be alot of progressive morons in Texas...if there are, they know to keep their stupid mouths shut. God Bless Texas!
Speed alone typically does not kill...wreckless careless drivers do. I have an idea. Let's have all people under the age of 25 drive orange cars, and they must drive the normal highway posted speed limited of 65 mph, and stay in the RIGHT side lanes. All other older drivers who have NOT had recent speeding or other traffic violations can go up to 20 mph over the posted speed limit. This will keep those who make up the MAJORITY of "texting" while driving or "drinking" while driving, and doing everything BUT driving--- in their own lanes...and the traffic will flow like it should, instead of like a slinky when the dopes are all around in every lane.
There is no speed limit in most of Italy, and guess what, they have FEWER traffic accidents...They have fatal ones, but fewer. That keeps the dumb or distracted people who shouldn't be driving anyway, off the roads. What a dream that would be.
I swear I saw an 85 mph section of toll road in DALLAS about 5 years ago. I don't think Austin is the first to do this...
It's simple - make driver's licenses harder to get, easier to lose, and harder still to get back after they've lost them. Mandatory jail time for people caught driving with no license. Too many people out there who have no business driving.
All I have to say is Look at the Autobahn... Look at our Highways.. Look at the Autobahn... Look at your Highways... Now look at the Autobahn, it is the Safest highway in the world... Why? Because of the way it is ran with its no speed limit sections... You WILL get pulled ovre for going under the speed limit, but you can haul as much ass as you want, that is WHY there are less fatalities there, because you dont have those slow ass drivers getting in the way of people maintining speed. Nad it is enforced well, but like I said, just look at the autobahn, and use that as an example of how highways should be.
Watch the movie series "Faces Of Death", and pay particular attention to the horrible accidents on the Autobahn. Then come back and we will discuss it.
The man said he did his homework. Well, the first assignments should have been "do the deaths go up as the speed limit goes up?" What's the answer, Mr. Homework??
I have a 2013 mustang shelby arriving in October, might hit 200mph, for those who would like to go a little faster than 85mph, your welcome to drive the mustang with a free place to stay, just need to pay for the beer and steaks to BBQ.
I've already got one -- see my avatar. You will be used to the speed / acceleration in 3 months, and then you will want more. I'm just sayin. :)
There are many, many really stoopid things in and from Texas.
Maybe we should round up all the Yugos left in the world and send them to Dallas. Those clunkers can't do 55 let alone 85.
I don't know where you're from, but there seems to be some really STUPID people from there. STUPID or stoopid? Just reading your screen name says it ALL about you.
Yeah? Well, you're a doodie-head if you're not from Texas. :)
To keep things safe at high speeds we need to match the German law of no overtaking on the right.
Since most states that have a 65mph limit see cars/suv's doing 75-80 in the fast lane I guess that means this stretch of road will see them doing 95+ -- great way to promote safe driving when many can't handle their car at even 65 during emergency situations. Can't wait to see how few tickets are given out for even speeding along this route - will take someone 5 mins just to cath up to the speeder if they choose to. So now we will have those big suv/trucks that get only 14-16 mpg at 65 now getting 10 or less as they really open them up - another environmentally challenged decision.
I think Rick Perry came up with the idea of faster speed limits. You drive faster, get worse fuel comsuption and have to pay for using more gas. With the current tax rate on a gallon of gas, the state can now get more revenue without raising taxes.
I can't drive ... 85.
OMG, "who's my father" (w/Oboy pic) posts are laughable. I can't do 85..Sammy Hagar? Almost got nailed on Floridas I-4 doing 85 yesterday on a 70mph. The trooper was looking for something better!
Nobody is saying that Africa needs diversity.
Nobody is saying that Asia needs diversity.
They are already 100% diverse.
People are only telling white children in white countries that they need diversity.
White countries will be 100% diverse when there are no white people left.
Diversity is a code-word for the genocide of white people.
Every white country on earth is supposed to become multicultural and multiracial.
Anti-racist is a codeword for anti-white.
I've been saying this for years...problem is, white people eat it up...still feeling guilty over slavery I guess. What else would explain the moron in the WhiteHouse? Don't get me wrong, I don't dislike him because he's black...I dislike him because he is ruining the country I love. When there are no more white people the world will end....count on it!
I have a 2013 Mustang Shelby that will arrive in Germany in October that might just hit 200mph, for those who would like to drive a little faster than 85mph, all it will cost is some beer and steaks for the BBQ.
Why do you keep posting this? Are you really that vain?
No need to go to Germany. Hitting a car's top speed (even when it's 200+) is nothing special, anyway. Why don't you come here and really test that sweet-ass car (best muscle in the world) on a perfectly legal 1/4mi? I'll supply the beer and steaks ;)
speed don't kill! Its all the morons on their phones texting, or the illegal immigrants who dont have licenses or insurance that cant drive!!
85mph......huh..you're kidding right. I drive 90mph on the FDR everyday and so does every other New Yorker.
What's your licence plate number? What color and make is your car?
@Eric-1882221
Brett's car is obviously the blur...and good luck with trying to catch his plates.
A Ford interceptor would run circles around anyone driving 85mph, lol. 85's nothing.
Texas just figured out a way to curb the out of hand population in San Antonio. Hurray!
That would be great if only progressive libtards could drive 85mph.
all the highways in texas should have higher posted speeds. I just got back from a day trip to the texas coast it took me over 10 hrs of driving to make the trip and I was running an average of 80mph. 85 is nothing except for the idiots who won't run the speed limit.
I brought my 911 back from germany when I came home from the service. The car just does not run right at the old 55mph. Also the original reason for the lower speed of 55mph was supposedly to save fuel (remember 1973 and the gas wars?) however every car I have ever owned has given better fuel economy above 75mph. the last time I drove the german autobahn was in 2008 when I visited the inlaws and it was just not the same as it was in the 70's when I lived there.
here's hoping that texas does away with posted speed limits outside of towns and cities and starts enforcing the law on slow drivers who insist upon driving in the inside lanes. that is the real danger.
cs-1183913 ....You are exactly the kind of as--hole whom I detest in our society. Maybe your dumb ass will kiss an oak tree at 100 mph you moron. F=MA.
HA! That is good that Texas has raised speed limit to 85. By next election time there will be fewer RepubTeas left over to vote. Thank you GOD. Amen.
Who's gonna' pay for your welfare?......idiot!
This will provide a speedy escape route for all the real human beings who want to exit this 'whites only', gunhugging, Republican hellhole known as Texas...which is otherwise doing business as the Rick Perry White Peoples Enclave.
Well....I still wonder about some of these articles. Interesting writing and I sometimes don't take them too seriously because this is the web now which has replaced the newspapers for the most part. I've driven in Texas (a big 15 passenger van) and the road system is a good one for the most part but like the article points out sometimes bigger is not necessarily better. I've also been on the autobahn in Germany with unlimited speed limits but I got to say there is a big difference here. Actually only a short stretch of road and it seems like some Texas legislature folks want some recognition. Oops, forgot this is the norm here I guess. I do recall the Interstate system traveling further South out of Austin seems to be in repair most of the way down to Laredo. Is this a double or triple lane highway stretch? It's a toll road so this can make a difference, I guess. It's posted at 85 so 15 miles over the limit can't make much difference can it? Wait, I think there was one poster here who might have it figured out here. Does Texas have a shortage of organ donors presently?.............Just wondering!!!!!! You can come to NC and drive I85/I40 from Durham to Greensboro on 10 lanes (5 each direction) at any speed you desire. Of course it's posted but no one notices the far left lane.
so now the insurance companies will jump right in raising premiums, but what about the people who drive in the fast lane doing under the speed limit, they are a real concern because they are too narcissistic to move over. anyone over the age of 60 should be required to take a drivers test over to make sure they can handle a car doing 55 or 65 and if they can`t , take away their drivers license. as for me i`m signing up for the LLC. for those of u who don`t know ,,,,,,,,,,,LEFT LANE CLUB,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, yahoo get out of my way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! eastbound and down, put that hammer down!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Isn't every highway 85mph? I guess I've been speeding all this time.
Good for Texas. There are some stretches of highway in Texas where you can drive for miles and never encounter a turn, a bend in the road, or any significant traffic.
That's very smart of them.
They go at 85 already on a 55mph anyway.
Now they can actually try their engines!