THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, June 10, 1995 TAG: 9506090009
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Editorial
LENGTH: Medium: 60 lines
An ideal speed limit, according to traffic engineers, is the rate at which 85 percent of vehicles actually travel.
When the speed limit's higher, some motorists lack control.
When the speed limit's lower, it is heeded by some and ignored by others, leading to a dangerously wide range of speeds.
Prior to 1974, state legislatures set speed limits and Wyoming and Montana had none. But that year, to save fuel, Congress ordered states to cut speeds to 55 mph limit or give up millions in federal highway funds. States cut speeds. In 1987 the rural interstate speed limit went to 65 mph.
If you've driven lately on I-64 or I-95, you know even the higher limit is widely ignored, and the range of speeds is frightening.
As part of the movement to return powers to the state, Congress soon will consider letting state legislatures set speed limits again, including the ones for interstates. Given the general shrink-government mood on Capitol Hill, motorists may be driving faster one of these days, at least on some roads.
Sen. Don Nickles (R-Okla.) has introduced an amendment to let states choose their speeds. If a state legislature prefers no speed limit for some roads, Nickles said, so be it. His amendment is to a highway act that could be voted on at any time.
The Allen administration supports having states set their own speed limits. So does the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, whose members are the highway departments in 50 states, Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C.
According to a resolution approved by more than two-thirds of the 52 association members in 1993, experience has shown that speed limits set below what the public considers reasonable and prudent ``are difficult to enforce, produce noncompliance, encourage disrespect for the law, create unnecessary antagonism toward law-enforcement officers and divert traffic to lesser routes.''
The resolution further notes that most of the interstate system is designed for speeds up to 70 mph and that ``the intermittent application of 65 and 55 mph limits in the vicinity of urban areas creates confusion among motorists and can lead to unsafe acts.''
The association is not saying, ``Let her rip,'' but it is saying that motorists should be allowed to drive the speed that most feel is safe - since they'll drive that speed whatever the speed limit.
It seems a sure bet that the Virginia Department of Transportation and Virginia legislators know more about Virginia roads than Congress does. So let Virginia set Virginia speeds.
Today's cars get better mileage at high speeds than yesterday's cars got at 55 mph. Fatal accidents are down for a number of reasons, including the seat-belt requirement and stricter enforcement of drunken-driving laws. Better automobiles and air bags have helped.
If a state increases speed limits too much, so accidents increase substantially, adjustments will be made. by CNB