Texas House of Reps OKs Several Speed Limit Changes

[burgess87]

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/7511072.html

AUSTIN – 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.

Texas currently has more than 520 miles of interstate highways where the speed limit is 80 mph.

[Chris]

Interesting, but I rather see more 80 mph stretches on all intercity Interstates of Texas. I-10 must be a lonesome drive at 75 / 80 mph though.

[Brandon]

Bringing this old thread back, the Texas House approved a bill yesterday that would allow for a speed limit up to 85 MPH.

Good.  Tell the insurers to can it and to learn to read the fatality per mile driven statistics.  BTW, Kansas just approved 75 mph.

[Alps]

85 is getting ridiculous. Just go to reasonable and prudent.

[agentsteel53]

I just worry about the enforcement.

when the speed limit was 75, they were enforcing 82.

now that the speed limit is 80 ... they're enforcing 82.

I fear what they'll enforce when they sign 85.

[Alps]

I wouldn't go a whit above 79 regardless of the limit unless someone else is paying for gas.

[cjk374]

I just worry about the enforcement.

when the speed limit was 75, they were enforcing 82.

now that the speed limit is 80 ... they're enforcing 82.

I fear what they'll enforce when they sign 85.

Probably enforce 82 for that as well.  

[corco]

I wouldn't go a whit above 79 regardless of the limit unless someone else is paying for gas.

Same here- it would be nice to be able to legally speed up to 85 for a few seconds in order to quickly pass vehicles going 78.5

[Brandon]

85 is getting ridiculous. Just go to reasonable and prudent.

The problem with R&P is defining it.  That's what killed it in Montana.

[vdeane]

It's only an issue if you do speed enforcement for the sake of speed enforcement.

[Henry]

Remember the days when the speedometers in most cars went up to 85? They'd really push those older cars to their limits!

[Chris]

I wouldn't go a whit above 79 regardless of the limit unless someone else is paying for gas.

Me too, especially at the $ 9+ gas we have in the Netherlands. When there is a blank speed limit in Germany I usually keep to 80 mph. I mean, all the time you win by driving 100+ you'll spend gassing up again.

OTOH, I had a long drive today and time to spare so I was driving 65 mph at a 75 limit and I got a nice 52 miles per gallon (diesel). It pays off not to drive very fast.

[agentsteel53]

It's only an issue if you do speed enforcement for the sake of speed enforcement.

you misspelled "revenue".

[burgess87]

Piggybacking on this story, the Texas House of Representatives has OK'd the abolition of nighttime speed limits, as well as increasing rural speed limits to 75 MPH statewide.

http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/politics/entries/2011/04/15/speed_limit_bill_barrels_throu.html

Legislation that would eliminate lower nighttime speed limits in Texas and allow rural highway limits of 75 mph statewide was given initial approval by the Texas House today. The debate, as it were, lasted about three minutes, and then House Bill 1353 passed on a voice vote without opposition.

[agentsteel53]

if the speed limit were 80 at night on I-10, I doubt I'd go that fast.  there's a little thing called "deer".

[corco]

if the speed limit were 80 at night on I-10, I doubt I'd go that fast.  there's a little thing called "deer".

Yup- I actually like the night speed limits- people in the Plains drive way too fast at night- if I had a dollar for every time I've had to slam my brakes for a deer at night in Wyoming/Nebraska/Colorado/Kansas, I'd have a lot of dollars- and I pretty much stick to 60 on two lanes and 70 on interstates. I suspect Texas is the same way.

[agentsteel53]

60 sounds about right.  I remember once on US-50 in Nevada sticking to about 56 - and damn glad I did, because I saw what looked like something in the distance, slammed the brakes, and ended up maybe four feet away from a very black cow on a very black road in a very black night.

I think the next revision of the MUTCD should mandate retroreflective sheeting on animals, not just cat's eyes.

[The Premier]

I think the next revision of the MUTCD should mandate retroreflective sheeting on animals, not just cat's eyes.

Good luck with that. Even if that happens, it won't prevent people from swerving to avoid it, much less hit an animal.

[Alps]

Use that jellyfish gene that works in mice, implant it into cows. The plus side is you never have to ask, "Where's the beef?"

[Scott5114]

Thank God. The first speeding ticket I ever got was in Shamrock, Texas, for a night speed limit. It was still daylight out. Being from out of state, how the hell am I supposed to know what arbitrary point the Texas Highway Patrol uses as the divider between "day" and "night"?

[Alps]

Thank God. The first speeding ticket I ever got was in Shamrock, Texas, for a night speed limit. It was still daylight out. Being from out of state, how the hell am I supposed to know what arbitrary point the Texas Highway Patrol uses as the divider between "day" and "night"?

Funny you mention that, because I had just set my cruise control tonight based on the daytime speed limit and 15 minutes later it hit me that I was supposed to read the bottom one. Luckily, 4 over becomes 9 over so it's not a big deal, but I'm trying to not even go 9 over on this trip just in case someone thinks it's 10 or 11...

(EDIT - on any road that may be watched by cops)

[burgess87]

Here's what I'd do if I were TxDOT, in the 80 (85) zones:

Mount something like this (48x48 on the diamond sign, and an appropriate size on the supplemental legend plaque):



(Change the "1" to a "80" or however long the distance is).

Flashing yellow beacons above & below.  One such assembly on each side of the road.

Reduced height. Damnnnnn

[Sykotyk]

I'm actually against removing the night-time speed. I just think it needs to be clarified (i.e, after 6pm to 6am or until visible light on the horizon fades/starts). As long as I see light on the horizon, I've always followed the daytime limit.

Maybe upping the night time limit to 70 on interstates, but on two-lane cattle roaming roads, 65 is plenty fast at night.

As for night time limits, Montana needs to do something, their car/truck split applies to the night speed (similar to how Texas signs most FM routes). If cars can go 65/60 (day/night), trucks go 60/55. Which, on a two-lane road backs up traffic and forces passing. At least Texas, at night, all traffic can go the same speed (65).

[Scott5114]

I'm actually against removing the night-time speed. I just think it needs to be clarified (i.e, after 6pm to 6am or until visible light on the horizon fades/starts). As long as I see light on the horizon, I've always followed the daytime limit.

There was light on the horizon when I got my ticket.

[agentsteel53]

I figure if I need headlights, it's night.

or inclement weather, in which situation I should likely be doing a slower speed anyway.