Is the era of speed limit increases over?

[Ingsoc75]

The complete list is below:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_limits_in_the_United_States

I'm surprised ND hasn't been able to pass an increase to 80 mph seeing as it's flat and has a low population.

ID, MT, NV, OK, SD, TX (in small places), UT, and WY currently allow 80 on their freeways. I find it very surprising that KS hasn't returned to that number, since I remember it being used (prior to the NMSL being adopted) by studying old atlases. Also, I think AZ, NE and NM should at least consider joining the 80 club.

AZ has the issue of the super speeder law being 85. Unless that changes, don't expect AZ to raise their limit. ND recently tried and failed. Nebraska tried in the late 2010s and also failed. NM hasn't been tried, but I wouldn't expect it given state politics. At this point, I'd be surprised if even any of the 70 states jump to 75. Ohio looked at it but shelved, ME and MI have maxed out where it is reasonable, the west coast will never (despite WA law allowing up to 75).

These are good examples of why the paradigm of "the speed limit is 10 mph slower than what we want traffic to actually go" needs to die.  75 mph is a very comfortable speed to drive on rural interstates everywhere, even in the northeast.  But because they don't want you to go faster than that, they sign the limit at 65 instead.

Ironically this was one of many justifications why Florida's attempt at allowing 75mph was stopped. Sign 75 and "everyone" will be driving 85. And goodness forbid the "think of the children" argument was used due to concerns over teen drivers going 85+. Not too long ago I was one of those teen drivers, and 85 was freaking slow for my peers...

I also find it ironic that in Florida the argument tends to change a lot about what "everyone" does with respect to a posted speed limit. Sometimes I hear "everyone" goes 5 over (ok I'll admit I'm in this group), other times I'll hear that "everyone" goes 10 over, and more recently I've been hearing "everyone" goes 15 over.

Also, if "everyone" goes 10-15 over and that was the justification for keeping the 70 cap, why do I know people who have gotten ticketed for 76-78 in the 70?

Honestly, I'd rather have pervasive speed cameras with reasonable limits instead of lax enforcement plus unreasonably low limits, but I seem to be in the minority on that.  Why someone would rather break a rule and get away with it most but not all of the time instead of following a rule all the time (and therefore never get punished for breaking the rule) is beyond me (not just on this issue, but with respect to life in general).

(personal opinion)

I think Alligator Alley would be a prime place for a having a 75 mph zone.

[ElishaGOtis]

The complete list is below:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_limits_in_the_United_States

I'm surprised ND hasn't been able to pass an increase to 80 mph seeing as it's flat and has a low population.

ID, MT, NV, OK, SD, TX (in small places), UT, and WY currently allow 80 on their freeways. I find it very surprising that KS hasn't returned to that number, since I remember it being used (prior to the NMSL being adopted) by studying old atlases. Also, I think AZ, NE and NM should at least consider joining the 80 club.

AZ has the issue of the super speeder law being 85. Unless that changes, don't expect AZ to raise their limit. ND recently tried and failed. Nebraska tried in the late 2010s and also failed. NM hasn't been tried, but I wouldn't expect it given state politics. At this point, I'd be surprised if even any of the 70 states jump to 75. Ohio looked at it but shelved, ME and MI have maxed out where it is reasonable, the west coast will never (despite WA law allowing up to 75).

These are good examples of why the paradigm of "the speed limit is 10 mph slower than what we want traffic to actually go" needs to die.  75 mph is a very comfortable speed to drive on rural interstates everywhere, even in the northeast.  But because they don't want you to go faster than that, they sign the limit at 65 instead.

Ironically this was one of many justifications why Florida's attempt at allowing 75mph was stopped. Sign 75 and "everyone" will be driving 85. And goodness forbid the "think of the children" argument was used due to concerns over teen drivers going 85+. Not too long ago I was one of those teen drivers, and 85 was freaking slow for my peers...

I also find it ironic that in Florida the argument tends to change a lot about what "everyone" does with respect to a posted speed limit. Sometimes I hear "everyone" goes 5 over (ok I'll admit I'm in this group), other times I'll hear that "everyone" goes 10 over, and more recently I've been hearing "everyone" goes 15 over.

Also, if "everyone" goes 10-15 over and that was the justification for keeping the 70 cap, why do I know people who have gotten ticketed for 76-78 in the 70?

Honestly, I'd rather have pervasive speed cameras with reasonable limits instead of lax enforcement plus unreasonably low limits, but I seem to be in the minority on that.  Why someone would rather break a rule and get away with it most but not all of the time instead of following a rule all the time (and therefore never get punished for breaking the rule) is beyond me (not just on this issue, but with respect to life in general).

(personal opinion)

I think Alligator Alley would be a prime place for a having a 75 mph zone.

Ironically, the dynamic message signs already indicate an 80mph+ operating speed...

SR-869 / I-595
27 miles
20-23 min

[US 89]

For Florida in particular, the feel of the 70 mph interstate speed limit varies greatly depending on what road you're on. It feels a lot better on a higher traffic road like I-95 than it does on I-10 through the panhandle. I typically set my cruise control for 77 on Florida interstates, which was about in line with what most other cars were doing, and never had an issue with it.

One way Florida is nice is that they allow 60 mph on two-lane roads. There are plenty of roads down there that would feel totally safe at 65-70 (which is what people drive on them), but most states in that part of the country cap those roads at 55 mph, which feels way too slow 90% of the time.

[ElishaGOtis]

HB 1055 - New Tennessee bill to raise default freeway speed limit to 75, minimum left-lane speed to 60, and prohibit violations for speeds between 60 and 80 on the specified highways.

https://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/Default.aspx?BillNumber=HB1055

[vdeane]

prohibit violations for speeds between 60 and 80 on the specified highways.

If you're going to make the speed limit 80, just make it 80.  Don't go "it's 75, but it's really 80".  The 5 mph tolerance is supposed to be so that people don't get nailed when they're honestly trying to maintain the speed limit (ie, if their speedometer and/or the radar gun is off, or their cruise control momentarily drifts), not be tacit permission for everyone to just go 5 mph over all the time.

[ElishaGOtis]

prohibit violations for speeds between 60 and 80 on the specified highways.

If you're going to make the speed limit 80, just make it 80.  Don't go "it's 75, but it's really 80".  The 5 mph tolerance is supposed to be so that people don't get nailed when they're honestly trying to maintain the speed limit (ie, if their speedometer and/or the radar gun is off, or their cruise control momentarily drifts), not be tacit permission for everyone to just go 5 mph over all the time.

You can still be pulled over for less than 5 over, just not issued a ticket. That is the law currently in TN (no violations between 55 and 75 in a 70), as is with GA and FL.

However, this exception only exists for the higher limits. I know someone who got a ticket for 34 in a 30 recently, which is kinda silly imho but completely legal.

[freebrickproductions]

HB 1055 - New Tennessee bill to raise default freeway speed limit to 75, minimum left-lane speed to 60, and prohibit violations for speeds between 60 and 80 on the specified highways.

https://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/Default.aspx?BillNumber=HB1055

Given that Mississippi and now Tennessee are both proposing increasing their default freeway speed limits to 75, I wonder if we could see Alabama proposing a similar increase.

[ElishaGOtis]

HB 1055 - New Tennessee bill to raise default freeway speed limit to 75, minimum left-lane speed to 60, and prohibit violations for speeds between 60 and 80 on the specified highways.

https://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/Default.aspx?BillNumber=HB1055

Given that Mississippi and now Tennessee are both proposing increasing their default freeway speed limits to 75, I wonder if we could see Alabama proposing a similar increase.

Right now as far as I'm aware, the DOT legally can do so wherever they prefer.

Fingers crossed this extends to FL sometime soon

[ElishaGOtis]

North Carolina HB 112 would increase the max allowed Interstate speed limit to 75, with criminal speed still applying at 10 over (80 in a 70, 85 in a 75). This is similar to previous session bills.

https://www.ncleg.gov/BillLookUp/2025/H112

Also, it appears the TN bill is dead for now

[ElishaGOtis]

Mississippi House passes HB 74 (increases default limits to 75 freeway / 70 elsewhere) in a 110-5 vote, with 7 absent or vacant.


https://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/2025/pdf/votes/house/0380032.pdf