Speed limits across the US are on the rise! Up-to-date state-to-state info & news...

OhioDOT wants OK for/power in law to install variable speed limits based on condition

OhioDOT wants OK for/power in law to install variable speed limits based on conditions across the state....

OhioDOT wants OK for/power in law to install variable speed limits based on conditions across the state....

February 24, 2019 at 4:30p.m.


Associated Press

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio's Department of Transportation is seeking permission to apply changes in speed limits anytime statewide.

The department currently is allowed to impose variable speed limits based on road conditions on only a few interstate stretches such as when a snow storm hits I-90 east of Cleveland or when traffic is heavy on I-670 in Columbus, the Dayton Daily News reported .

The proposed change would mean electronic speed limit signs on Ohio highways that could be changed depending on conditions.

Department Director Jack Marchbanks is asking state lawmakers for the authority to apply variable speed limits across the state.

"What we're talking about is applying it where we have construction projects and we have also known safety issues such as white-outs or other issues impacting traffic, impacting safety of our traveling motorists," Marchbanks said.

An example would be applying a lower speed limit during a winter storm, and then returning to the original speed limit when weather conditions improve.

Marchbanks said the department is not interested in raising highway speed limits.

"People are driving too fast already," the director said.

State lawmakers approved a test of variable speed limits on I-670 in Columbus starting in 2018.

Current law only allows speed limits to be temporarily lowered in school zones and work zones.

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Ticket SCamera systems soon to detect speeding in some Pa. work zones for 5 years....

Ticket SCamera systems will soon detect speeding in some Pa. work zones for 5 years....


!!!WARNING!!! PA residents....This could open the door for widespread radar use across the state of PA to enforce speed traps for money,,,,....which is why if you don't know they have been banned radar use across the state for all this time.....

Ticket SCamera systems will soon detect speeding in some Pa. work zones for 5 years....

Photo of An electronic sign on Interstate 80 warns traffic of a road construction area in Monroe County. ...In article....

By Valerie Myers, Erie Times-News, Pa. (TNS)
Posted Feb 24, 2019 at 5:41 PM
Updated Feb 24, 2019 at 5:41 PM

New technology will keep an eye out for speeders in construction zones on Pennsylvania highways starting this fall.

Automated Scamera systems will measure vehicle speeds and snap photos of vehicle license plates.

Drivers exceeding the posted speed limit by 11 mph or more in active work zones will get a warning in the mail for a first offense and will be ticketed for $75 and $150 fines for second and third offenses.

But don’t expect the Scamera systems on every state highway and byway.

The state expects to roll out just two of the automated speed enforcement systems this year and has not decided where they will be placed, said Jill Harry, spokeswoman for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation in northwestern Pennsylvania.

The department first has to design signs to notify drivers of work zones where an automated enforcement system will be in use, as required by the October 2018 state law that authorized automated enforcement.

It also has other details to work out, Harry said.

“Right now we’re still going through evaluation and planning to see how to implement this,” she said.

“We’re looking at signs and how we’re going to do other education and announcements to make sure that people are informed when the systems are in place. A process for (administering) the system needs to be worked out as well.”

The state expects to have 10 of the automated systems in use by the end of 2020, Harry said. The law allows for their use on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, interstate highways and other state roads.

The automated camera systems are meant to slow traffic through work zones and save lives, Fritzi Schreffler, PennDOT’s Harrisburg area safety officer, said in a video posted to the department Facebook page Friday.

“We are really hoping this is going to save lives and make people think about their driving behaviors in work zones,” Schreffler said.


A construction worker was hit and killed by a car on Interstate 90 in Harborcreek in August. Jacqueline Ohly, 26, of Wisconsin, had been installing cable barriers in the highway median for a construction firm hired by PennDOT.

A 20-year-old Erie man accused in Ohly’s death is awaiting trial on charges including homicide and aggravated assault by vehicle while driving under the influence.

Statewide, there were 1,778 work-zone crashes, including 19 fatalities, in 2017, the most recent year for which data is available.

More than 1,100 people were injured.

The automated speed enforcement systems can only be used in active construction zones, according to state law.

Tickets written as a result of high speeds caught on camera will be mailed to drivers within 30 days of the violations.

Fines must be paid within 90 days and will not be reflected on drivers’ records.

Fines will pay for the technology and the costs to administer the system. Additional money collected will go to state police, who will get 45 percent of the revenues;

the Motor License Fund, 40 percent, for General Assembly-approved transportation projects; and PennDOT and the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, 15 percent, for additional construction zone safety projects.

Images from the camera systems cannot be used for other surveillance purposes, according to state law.

But a court could order that images be turned over to law enforcement if requested in a criminal case.

The state will pilot the automated speed enforcement system for five years.

State police are required to report annually to House and Senate transportation committee leaders on the number of work-zone crashes and fatalities,

the number of warnings and tickets issued and other data.

Legislators will decide whether to reauthorize the system after five years.


The video explaining the new automated enforcement system was posted on PennDOT’s Facebook page during the state’s Highway Safety Law Awareness Week that ended Saturday.

The video is one of several advising drivers of recent changes in highway laws.

Also new:

•The same law that authorized automated speed enforcement authorizes state police to use light-detection and ranging devices, or LIDAR, in addition to radar to more accurately measure the speed of a particular vehicle in traffic. The system uses pulses of laser light to determine speed.

•The state’s “steer clear” law requiring drivers to move over or slow down when approaching an emergency vehicle, traffic stop or disabled vehicle, now additionally requires drivers to move over or slow down when approaching trash and recycling vehicles.

•Harsher penalties are in place for those convicted of driving under the influence. A third offense in 10 years now might be a felony, depending on the driver’s blood-alcohol content. A fourth offense in 10 years automatically is a felony.

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Spain & France have reduced the speed limit on major rural roads 100km/hr to 90km/h

Europe is going backward's by their ignoring their own safety & maximum setting data from the last 70 years with the installation of this policy of posting political ridiculously under posting maximums that are not science or engineering based maximums across much of the EU....

To the chagrin of rural road drivers, Spain & France have drastically reduced the speed limits on all of the countries major rural roads...

Most, if not all of these KMs(miles) are across empty parts of their countries, are now drastically & uncomfortably lowered now for political reasons, not based on real collected on-site safety, science or real road engineering data reasons.

This is the same kind of stupidity we on this side of the pond were forced for political only reasons to have to live with for decades.

The EU seems to be h3ll bent on trying our failed experiment of close to three decades of ignoring engineering, observed safety & road design choosing to post arbitrary maximums all will ignore makes travel less safe to all who share the road......

Just as was documented here by all 50 state DOT's in their 70+ years of safety-related allowed/observed safe speed data when limits match engineering & safety data collected on the ground travel is safer for all....

And from this time on our(the USA's) vast 100s of thousands of miles coast to coast on our rural road & highway/freeway network, proper comfortable design & engineering posted maximums make travel safer for all who must share the road.....

We also here in the US documented in collecting data that this ignoring of the science is stupid and that France & Spain are putting in place a policy that will lead to more crashes & deaths.

In the US we learned from the collected data that the lowering of posted maximums so far below what has been shown over the last 7 decades to be proper maximums creates bad drivers who begin to ignore all posted limits.

Creating a world where all limits lose almost right away lose the respect of all drivers, especially dangerous when a driver is faced with a lower limit that is actually real so should be followed. In the US it has taken almost 20 years get drivers to pay attention when a limit drops due to real reasons.

All this policy being put in place in France & Spain is guaranteed to do is to produce drivers who no longer look at speed limits that are posted being relevant to the actual safe engineering based maximums that were just days ago posted @.

Drivers in both of these countries know what has been safely for the last 7 decades posted will make not obey what they know is not the safe travel speed, drivers who begin to ignore all limits they see as political will make travel less safe on all roads for all who share the road....

wherever this idea of posting idea, not engineering based limits are as documented in the all world by DOT's of these bogus maximums ALL POSTED LIMITS will begin to be ignored ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

Soon after this stupid idea is put in place it will begin to lead to all limits that are being posted today suddenly being ignored by all drivers who know the current limit is not what should be safely engineering designed based....

The EU(Mainly right now France & Spain) are completely ignoring the data collected in North America of what happened in the US & Canada when this kind of failed not ever obeyed or supported by the drivers who must travel these routes regularly this political idea based not safety or engineering based posting policy.......

The current Political reasons put forth to force all drivers to reduce their speed for KMs(miles) on end to 70-90km/h (~45-56mph), from 100km/h (62mph) which has for decades now safely & comfortably been posted across all of both these countries thousands of KMs(miles) of very rural highways of all sorts......

We have again a repeating at best of the stupidity that was used to force US states to keep the 55mph (in the US/80-90km/hr across Canada that was adjusted back up to 62km/hr -100kn/hr when Canada went metric in 1976)....

While long before this end date of 11/94 repeal of the NMSL In the US drivers had since by all states changing exceeding to 55 to no real penalties attached to driving a speed that was at or below most state's pre-NMSL in place before the NMSL became law in January of 1974.

By the late 70s the majority of states had passed laws that in law kept 55posted only to the feds happy, they all passed laws that allowed their state's drivers to ignore the 55 painted on the signs.....

In most states, the defacto unposted maximum became reverted back to 65-70mph pre-NMSL maximums across most of the US...

So across most of the US by 1979 without posting of the real limit almost all states reverted back to pre-NMSL's allowed unposted maximums///

The EU is setting itself up to have a system which makes travel far less safe across the continent.

By doing this not thought through action Spain & France failed to learn what we did learn from all 50 state DOT's 7+ decades of safe travel collected data relating to what was limits of this kind/ Every state DOT has data showing that these political idea based maximums made travel less safe for all for the years we were stupid enough to keep this policy/

Today around the world 75-80-85mph are the safe accepted maximums that have today shown to be the safest posted maximums on freeways & highway designed for safe travel at these legal today posted speeds...

For the 25 years of the NMSL(55) along with the real maximums posted for over 24 years after the end of the failed NMSL are still dealing with drivers this policy taught very well all posted limits are irrelevant to whatever the actual safe maximum allowed travel speed for any given stretch of highway or freeway....!!!....

That is what France and now Spain are about to do, with the dropping of limits below what decades of data along with what drivers are used to 100km/hr which was the safe, comfortable, and engineering based maximum for the last ~70 years they are going to create a generation of drivers who see the posted maximum as nothing more than a bad joke to be ignored by all drivers....

In the US we learned all too well that by posting limits all know are politically based bullshirt, not based in any way on what the actual safe maximum for optimal conditions maximums,....

In the US we have 4+ decades of data showing how unsafe it makes driving with of the teaching of a whole generation of drivers that posted limits are irrelevant to the real safety & engineering, making the actual limit drive to conditions within whatever the posted maximums were pre-NMSL.....

The NMSL had a documented negative effect on safe travel by making exceeding the stupid 55 we were stuck ignored by 99.99 97 % of drivers a normal thing.

By states being forced by the feds to keep the NMSL posted, showing they did not support the 55 through the passing laws allowing their citizens to ignore the 55 as long as drivers stuck to a speed that was within the state's pre55 maximum the NMSL lost its power around 1979 in most states.

From the fall of 73 until the ending of the NMSL in the highway bill passed in November of 1994/ that is the numbers posted finally change back to reality-based maximums across most of the US in the fall of 94/winter 95. In every state now the 55 is a dead relic from the past that no one in the US is likely to ever be allowed to put in place again.....

For unsupported by science or engineering reasons, political reasons Spain & France have reduced the speed limit on major rural roads to 80-90km/h (50-56mph), from 100km/h (62mph).....

Spain is among several EU countries reassessing/lowering speed limits on country roads from 100km/hr(62mph) to 80-90 km/hr(50-56mph)..

France put these drops to 80-90km/hr maximums across France in on decades-old posted safety based on engineering & science

The new Spanish government measure took effect on Tuesday, after the authorities changed more than 2,700 road signs at a cost of €526,000 (£457,000; $602,000).

The aim is to get into the safest group of EU countries for rural drivers: below 30 deaths per million people.

In Germany, meanwhile, the government has resisted pressure to introduce a speed limit on motorways (Autobahnen).

The argument in Germany centres mainly on fine-particle exhaust pollution and CO2 emissions, which increase at higher speeds.

But cutting road accident deaths is also part of the debate in Germany.
What is changing in Spain?

The new 90km/h limit applies to major rural roads, which are described in Spanish as "conventional or secondary roads".

In the past five years, Spanish RTVE news reports, they accounted for up to 80% of fatal road accidents.

The death toll on such roads in 2018 was 877. In 40% of fatal accidents one or more vehicles had swung out of its lane, and 27% involved head-on collisions.

The government aims to get the number of deaths below the 39-per-million figure that Spain registered in 2017.

Data for 2017 from the EU's European Transport Safety Council shows that road deaths were lowest in Sweden and the UK, per million inhabitants.

Madrid bans old cars to cut pollution, result from are Air pollution & early deaths rise in EU.



What about France?


The French government's decision last year to cut the speed limit on country roads by 10km/h - to 80km/h - was a major factor in the rise of the "gilets jaunes" (yellow vests) protest movement.

Many inhabitants of rural France saw the move as an example of President

Emmanuel Macron's urban elitism - a failure to understand the needs of rural folk totally reliant on their cars.

Yellow vests knock out 60% of speed cameras

Speed limit cut on French roads angers rural voters
Gilets Jaunes - the full story

Thousands of French speed Scameras have been vandalized during yellow-vest protests

On Monday France's Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said 116 fewer people had been killed on roads where the speed limit had been cut to 80km/h.

Speaking in the town of Coubert, just south of Paris,

he said the total number of fatalities on French roads had reached a historic low of 3,259 last year, "189 fewer than in 2017".

The move was also part of Mr Macron's push to cut France's emissions of greenhouse gases.

What are the UK's speed limits?

The UK limit is 60mph (96km/h) for cars on rural roads corresponding to those in France and Spain.

But on dual carriageways - with a central reservation - and motorways the UK limit is 70mph (112km/h).

Central London 20mph limit to be imposed

Speed limits in EU (on major rural roads) remain 110-130 km/hr.

While Germany continues with unlimited sections of their autobahns giving Fun, fun, fun on the Autobahn..?...

Germany remains the exception in the EU in having no speed limit on its Autobahnen.

Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman, Steffen Seibert, rejected a proposed 130km/h speed limit on Germany's famous motorways.

"There are more intelligent measures for climate protection in the transport sector," he said.

A transport committee will put forward proposals next month for reducing pollution from vehicles.

Many German drivers cherish their freedom on the Autobahn
Resistance to an Autobahn speed limit remains strong, especially in the powerful car lobby.

For decades high-performance cars, such as Audis and BMWs, have played a big role in Germany's export prowess.

But a survey last week for broadcaster ARD suggested 51% of Germans favoring a 130km/h Autobahn limit, and 47% against.

Environmental Action Germany (DUH), a campaign group, argues that such a limit would cut annual CO2 emissions by 5m tonnes.

The scandal over Volkswagen's diesel emissions has given the climate campaigners extra leverage.

VW was found to have sold more than 10 million cars with emissions-test cheating software installed, from 2007 to 2015.

Porsche to stop making diesel cars

In neighbouring Austria there is heated debate over Transport Minister Norbert Hofer's pilot scheme to raise the Autobahn speed limit to 140km/h, from the current 130km/h.

Emissions are being measured on two Autobahn sections, and he plans to expand the pilot to two-thirds of Austria's motorways.

He is a member of the far-right Freedom Party, and political rivals have strongly criticised his pilot scheme.

Among them is Environment Minister Elisabeth Köstinger, who says Mr Hofer's ministry has the target of cutting CO2 emissions by at least 7.2m tonnes by 2030.

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rotarykid said:

Could California be the first state to put unregulated with no numerical speed lanes back in the US.....?.....

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Never happen. The CPR still hasn't even raised the speed limit on: I-15 (Barstow/Nevada), I-40 (Barstow/Arizona), I-10 (Palm Springs/Arizona), or I-5 (Tracy/Lebec) to at least 75 (or more reasonable 80).


Besides the State Senator proposing this is one of the few Republicans in the state legislature so it'll never get out of committee.

rotarykid said:

Oklahoma legislature advances speed limit increase bill last week....


Transportation Secretary-designate Tim Gatz said he has some concerns about raising the speed limit on turnpikes, adding that they are not designed for such speeds.

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But they are official Defense & Interstates so what is the design speed rating to be designated a "Defense and Interstate" freeway?

My only problems with the increased speed limits is animals crossing the roads and driving slower. Pigs and deer are really problematic down here especially at night. At 90 mph or so a 200 to 400 pound hog will ruin your day. The deer are smaller but will still be an issue. We have already had some really bad wrecks on 130 where the limit is 85 and the traffic moves even faster.

There are also times when I don't want to drive that fast and going slower, even though keeping right, can make things dicey as well. Some of the speeders don't care how or where they pass you. Left side, right side, shoulder anything to get around in any traffic.

Not to mention the cars themselves. We have had some terrible accidents due to cars that shouldn't even be on the road much less going 90 mph on the toll road or Interstate. It is scary seeing some rat trap clapped together car passing you at 90 mph. There are times I spend a lot of time just trying to get away and avoid other drivers.

I have no problem with the speed limits. My issues are more the drivers and their cars. I drove in Germany for 2 years way back in 1980 or so and had no problem on the autobahns there. But the traffic was less and the drivers and cars better.

Lightflyer1 said:

Not to mention the cars themselves. We have had some terrible accidents due to cars that shouldn't even be on the road much less going 90 mph on the toll road or Interstate. It is scary seeing some rat trap clapped together car passing you at 90 mph. There are times I spend a lot of time just trying to get away and avoid other drivers.

I have no problem with the speed limits. My issues are more the drivers and their cars. I drove in Germany for 2 years way back in 1980 or so and had no problem on the autobahns there. But the traffic was less and the drivers and cars better.

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Unfortunately, these United States don't have:


1. Strict driver training,


2. Strict vehicle inspection (TÜV) every two years


as does Germany. Also, body damage (including rust) is required to be fixed within a minimum time or vehicle is barred from the road until fixed.

I am aware of the differences between there and here. You haven't even scratched the surface.

Lightflyer1 said:

I am aware of the differences between there and here. You haven't even scratched the surface.

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True, I only lived in Germany for just over 12 years. I just mentioned the two most probable differences.

Speed limit raised 3/1/19 from 110 to 120 kph on some Japanese expressways

Highest speed limit ever allowed anywhere in Japan Speed limit raised from 110 to 120 kph for cars / 80 kph for trucks remains on some Japanese expressways starting on Friday March 1, 2019.

120 kph is the highest legal posted maximum since 1962.....the previous maximum allowed was 110 kph as part of a ~two-year trial to see if Japanize freeways are capable of allowing these speeds in a safe manner,....

Speed limit raised to 120 kph on some Japanese expressways


The Japan News Published 3:00 pm PST, Saturday, March 2, 2019

An expressway sign indicates a speed limit of 120 kph on the Shin-Tomei Expressway in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan on Friday.

An expressway sign indicates a speed limit of 120 kph up from 110 kph on the Shin-Tomei Expressway in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan on Friday.

A trial in which the speed limit has been raised from 110 kph to 120 kph on the Shin-Tomei Expressway began Friday.

The trial, taking place on a roughly 50-kilometer section of the expressway in Shizuoka Prefecture between the Shin-Shizuoka and Mori-Kakegawa interchanges, marks the fastest speed limit introduced in Japan.

The Shizuoka Prefectural Police determined that the speed limit could be safely raised as there have been no serious accidents since it was increased to 110 kph in November 2017.

A highway sign displaying "120" was turned on at the beginning of the section where the trial is taking place. The 80 kph speed limit for large trucks will remain unchanged.

"I don't feel unsafe because the expressway is wide. But I will be careful to keep a safe distance from other cars," said a driver at the Fujieda parking area in Shizuoka Prefecture.


A trial to increase the speed limit to 120 kph also began Friday on a roughly 27-kilometer stretch of the Tohoku Expressway in Iwate Prefecture between the Hanamaki-Minami and Morioka-Minami interchanges.

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West Virginia Legislature bill would Allow WVDOT to raise max. 75mph if signed...

West Virginia Legislature bill on the way to governor's desk would Allow WVDOT to raise max. 75mph if signed...

Bill in the West Virginia Legislature Would Allow West Virginia Department of Transportation To Increase Speed Limits to 75 MPH; Changes on Interstate 70 Unlikely

COMMUNITY MAR 8, 2019, JOSELYN KING Staff Writer

A measure before the West Virginia Legislature would give the state Department of Transportation authority to raise the speed limits on the state’s interstate highways to 75 mph “where appropriate.”

Such an increase is not expected to happen on Interstate 70 in Ohio County, however, given concerns about speeding on the Two-Mile Hill stretch of that highway,

The speed limit on selected interstate highways in West Virginia could be raised under a measure before the Legislature.

However, this isn’t likely to speed things up on Interstate 70 in Ohio County, said Sen. Charles Clements, chairman of Senate Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

House Concurrent Resolution 32 would give the secretary of the State Department of Transportation raise highway speed limits, “where appropriate,” to 75 mph on interstate highways in West Virginia.

“This is only permissive, not mandatory,” said Clements, R-Wetzel.

“It does not require it to be done. (The secretary) is authorized to look into it.”

He doesn’t foresee a decision coming to raise the speed limit to 75 mph on I-70.

“I doubt it. It’s pretty congested,” Clements said. “They want it down to 60-65 mph coming down Two-Mile Hill. I don’t think so.”

HCR 32 passed the Senate Monday containing an amendment made in the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

Members eliminated a provision that also would have given the secretary of the State Department of Transportation authority to raise speed limits on the Appalachian Corridor highways to 70 mph.

“It was removed because there are crossings there that are pretty dangerous,” Clements said. “It’s like that in a lot of places.”

The House accepted changes to the legislation Wednesday evening, and HCR 32 is now on to Gov. Jim Justice for signature.

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Ontarians Calling For A Major Increase To 130 kph Speed Limit On Highway 407

new push to raise the posted allowed maximums in Ontario online petition calling to raise the 407 speed limit to 120 or 130

Ontarians Calling For A Major Increase To The Speed Limit to 130 kph On Highway 407

Ontarians calling for a major increase to the speed limit on the 407 since they pay to drive there.

Ontarians Calling For A Major Increase To 130 kph Speed Limit On Highway 407

One of the major highways in Ontario is the 407, a privately owned road that is meant to make your drive faster and more efficient.

It accomplishes this by making people pay to drive on it. Now, however, people want that drive to be even faster. Online, Ontarians are calling for a major increase to the speed limit on Highway 407.

On a recent Reddit thread, one user suggested that the speed limit on the 407 should be upped to 120 Km/hour.

Currently, the limit is 100 Km/hour, like on every other highway in Ontario. Ontarians, however, think that this should even higher.

In response to the Reddit thread, some have suggested that 120 isn't enough and they want to see speed limits of 140 or even 200 Km/hour.

The main argument behind this is that if you're paying to drive there you should be allowed to go as fast as you want.

There is even a whole online campaign dedicated to this speed limit raise.

Stop100 dates back a few years, their online petition calling to raise the 407 speed limit to 120 or 130 kph is still active and has garnered over 43,000 signatures so far.

If the 407 speed limit went up to 130 Km/hour it would officially be the fastest speed limit on any Canadian road.

Currently, in BC, they hold the title of highest speed limits after raising the limits of some roads to 120 Km/hour.

Other provinces like New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Saskatchewan have limits of 110 Km/hour.

Despite being privately owned, the 407 is covered by the Highway Traffic Act in Ontario.

Ontario Provincial Police also patrol the highway 24/7 enforcing the current speed limits and responding to any other driving issues.

On top of that, the 407 also have their own ETR's Highway Safety Patrol who help enforce driving laws on the private highway.

One of the world's most famous highways for their unrestricted speeds is the Autobahn in Germany.

On that federally-run road, there are some stretches with no official posted speed limit, but even then they advise that you only go 130 Km/hour which is the same limit proposed for the 407.

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Utah lowers BAC limit to 0.05 ? study shows no death or crash number reduction...

Utah lowers BAC limit to 0.05, lowest in the US..?..

But a Scottish road toll study shows no death or crash number reduction with this imposed limit reduction...

"Lowering the threshold for convicting a motorist of drunk driving has done nothing to improve road safety in Scotland. "

Scotland: Lowering Drunk Driving Limit Did Nothing For Safety

Medical journal finds lowering of the drunk driving threshold to .05 failed to reduce traffic accidents in Scotland.

Lowering the threshold for convicting a motorist of drunk driving has done nothing to improve road safety in Scotland.

The Lancet, a respected medical journal, last month examined the impact of Scotland's lowering of the motorist's legal blood alcohol content (BAC) level from .08 to .05.

The change took effect on December 5, 2014, giving the team funded by the UK National Institute for Health Research four years of accident statistics to draw their results.

"After the reduction in BAC limits for drivers in Scotland, we found no significant change in weekly road traffic accident rates after adjustment for seasonality and underlying temporal trend," the researchers explained in the Lancet.

"Relative to road traffic accidents in England and Wales, where the reduction in BAC limit for drivers did not occur, we found a seven percent increase in weekly RTA rates in Scotland after this reduction in BAC limit for drivers."

The researchers also gathered alcohol sales numbers for a rough estimate of the impact on per-capita alcohol consumption.

They found little change there as well.

Lowering the trigger for drunk driving convictions, like lowering speed limits, is one of the quick fixes suggested by adherents of Vision Zero transportation policy.

In the United States, Utah became the first state to formally adopt a 0.05 BAC policy on December 30.

The District of Columbia in 2005 revised its drunk driving ordinances to say that a person could be convicted of driving under the influence with a BAC reading as low as 0.05.

Prior to the change, DC motorists were being arrested for DUI after having a single drink, regardless of the breath test results.

Critics charged that arresting sober individuals did nothing to stop the hard-core drinkers who are the ones most likely to get behind the wheel and cause accidents.

"The most frequently recorded BAC among all drinking drivers in fatal crashes in 2010 was .18, more than twice the legal limit in every state," a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report explained.

The same dynamic may be at play in Scotland. The study noted that no other enforcement measures, such as random stops to force motorists to take breath tests, took place during the study period. The researchers say more information is needed.

"It could be that road traffic accidents that are not related to alcohol have increased in Scotland during the study period, masking an intervention effect," the study concluded.

"Given the modeling results, we think this explanation is unlikely. Further research exploring these and other possible explanations for the findings is needed."

A copy of the study is available in a 400k PDF file at the source link below.

Source: PDF File Evaluation of the effects of lowering blood alcohol concentration limits (The Lancet, 12/12/2018)

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'Unreasonable government intervention'?

romad said:

Unfortunately, these United States don't have:


1. Strict driver training,


2. Strict vehicle inspection (TÜV) every two years


as does Germany. Also, body damage (including rust) is required to be fixed within a minimum time or vehicle is barred from the road until fixed.

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This is true but to a lot/some people the above approach would equal 'unreasonable government intervention/interference' and it might backfire.

I know of drivers in the Greater Houston area that have not changed their out-of-state license plates and driver licenses because they do not want to be subject to the Texas state mandated annual vehicle inspection :-(

7 states are currently in efforts to modify, raise & end truck speed differential

Seven states are currently in efforts to modify, raise & reduce speed differential between cars and heavy truck limits....

UPDATED: Speed limit changes approved, pursued in seven states

By Keith Goble, Land Line state legislative editor | 4/8/2019

The pursuit of changes to speed limit rules are underway at statehouses from Montana to West Virginia.

Legislators in multiple states are pursuing the elimination of speed limit differentials for cars and trucks, while legislation in two other states would introduce differentials.

The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association says roadways are safest when all vehicles are allowed to travel at the same rate of speed.

The Association does not advocate for a specific speed limit.


Arkansas
State lawmakers have voted to advance to the governor’s desk a bill intended to speed up conversion to higher speed limits on certain highways around the state. A change made along the way also would reintroduce a speed differential in the state.

A two-year old Arkansas law permits the State Highway Commission to increase speed limits only after completing an engineering and traffic investigation. The maximum speed limits on controlled-access highways can be 75 mph.

HB1631 would mandate a 75 mph speed limit on freeways outside urban areas. Large trucks, however, would be allowed to travel up to 70 mph.

Speeds on urban freeways would be set at 65 mph for all vehicles.

The new speed limit along a stretch of roadway would revert to its previous maximum only after an engineering and traffic investigation that finds the new maximum unsafe.

The pursuit of a speed limit differential is in contrast to a 2015 decision made by the Arkansas Highway Commission to rid the state of slower speeds for large vehicles.

At the time, commissioners referred to research that showed a differential speed limit is not effective for the efficient flow of traffic.

OOIDA says HB1631 would adversely impact the state’s motoring public and reduce highway safety.

Mike Matousek, OOIDA’s manager of government affairs, says that truckers are firsthand observers of the negative consequences of misguided traffic laws, including differential speed limits.

“OOIDA and our members are opposed to differential speed limits because they are counterproductive to safety, limit the ability of truck drivers to fully control their vehicle and negatively impact the behavior of other drivers and vehicle,” Matousek communicated to the bill sponsor.

“Ultimately, they create more interactions between cars and trucks, which leads to dangerous passing, aggressive driving, and an increase in the number of accidents.”

California
Two notable efforts are underway in Sacramento to revise the state’s speed limit rules.

The first bill calls for doing away with speed differential for cars and trucks.

Currently, smaller vehicles are allowed to drive 65 mph – 70 mph in certain locations – while large vehicles are limited to 55 mph.

Sponsored by Assemblyman Randy Voepel, R-Santee, AB172 would raise truck speed limits to 65 mph in rural areas.

Matousek said the Association welcomes interest in the California Legislature to address the state's split limit differential for cars and trucks.

“We look at the current speed limit laws in California as a deterrent to highway safety,” Matousek said. “They are also a contributing factor to increased congestion, carbon emissions, and increased inefficiencies with local, regional, and national goods movement.”

A separate bill would permit faster travel for all vehicles on portions of Interstate 5 and state Route 99.

Sponsored by Sen. John Moorlach, R-Costa Mesa, SB319 calls for adding two lanes each way without speed limits.

Moorlach said his plan is a “viable alternative” to a high-speed rail system project pursued by leading state officials for years. He said his bill would be much cheaper than the $77 billion “bullet train” project to provide faster travel between Northern and Southern California.

The bill awaits further consideration in the House Commerce and Economic Development Committee.

Kentucky
A new law in Kentucky will increase the speed limit from 65 mph to 70 mph on two highways.

Previously HB266, the new law adds Interstate 165 to the list of highways and parkways in the state with 70 mph speed limits posted.

Faster travel for all vehicles also is authorized for the entire length of the highway.

In addition, 70 mph travel is permitted for the entire length of the Bert T. Combs Mountain Parkway Extension.

Currently, 70 mph travel is permitted along the parkway from I-64 to the beginning of the Mountain Parkway Extension in Wolfe County. Elsewhere on the affected parkway, a 65 mph speed limit is posted.

Massachusetts
Multiple bills introduced at the statehouse would revise speed limit rules.

The first bill, H3023, would increase the state’s 65 mph speed limit to 70 mph.

Another bill, H3024, would permit the use of variable speed limits on limited-access roadways, including the Massachusetts Turnpike.

Situations that would activate variable speed limits cover congestion, weather conditions, or “any other temporary factor that has a bearing on a safe speed.”

A separate 14-page bill includes a provision that covers roadway work zones.

S7 would permit the Massachusetts DOT to set up temporary speed limits in work zones.

Fines for speeding in affected areas would be doubled when workers are present.

The bills are in the Joint Committee on Transportation.

Montana
One bill moving through the Senate would raise truck speeds. House lawmakers have already approved it.

HB393 would raise the speed limit for trucks on interstate highways from 65 mph to 70 mph throughout the day.

Truck speeds on all noninterstate highways would be set at 65 mph for all hours of the day.

State highways are limited to 60 mph during the day and 55 mph at night.

Cars are permitted to travel 65 mph on non-interstate highways and up to 80 mph on rural interstate highways.

“Speed limits should be set to keep traffic flowing freely.

Currently trucks are set at 10 mph below the rest of traffic, which causes congestion on our highways,” Rep. Joshua Kassmier, R-Fort Benton, testified during a Senate Highways and Transportation Committee hearing.

“It is my belief that allowing traffic to flow more freely is in the best interest of everyone’s safety.”

The bill awaits a Senate floor vote. If approved without changes, it would head to the governor’s desk.

Oklahoma
Senate Transportation Committee voted to advance a bill to amend rules on speed limits for the state’s turnpike system and interstate highways are moving forward.

House lawmakers previously approved a slightly different version of the bill.

Oklahoma already permits all vehicles to travel at 75 mph on four-lane divided highways, including interstates.

A 2016 state law, however, permits higher posted speeds after a state Department of Transportation engineering and traffic investigation.

HB1071 would authorize the speed on the turnpike system to be raised to 80 mph – up from 75.

The bill would also permit the maximum posted speed on rural interstate highways to be increased from 70 to 75 mph.

The bill has moved to the full Senate for consideration.

If approved there, it would head back to the House for final approval before moving to the governor.

West Virginia
The Legislature approved a resolution that could result in a change to the posted speed on the state’s fastest highways.

House Concurrent Resolution 32 gives the state DOT authority to increase the speed limit on interstate highways from 70 mph to 75 mph.

Specifically, the measure grants the agency authority to make changes “where appropriate” on interstates.

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Oklahoma Turnpike Speed Limits Could Increase from 75 to 80 mph under a passed bill.

Oklahoma could be the next state to raise their speed limit to 80 mph on rural turnpikes across the state under a bill that has passed both the state house & senate...

Oklahoma Turnpike Speed Limits Could Increase from 75 to 80 mph under a passed bill...

Thursday, April 11th 2019, 7:07 AM CDT
By: NewsOn6.com

Oklahoma - A bill that would increase the speed limit on some Oklahoma turnpikes has passed through the State Senate.

House bill 1071 passed through the senate 27 to 16.

The bill would allow the Turnpike Authority to raise the speed limits on some turnpikes from 75 to 80 MPH.

The bill's author, Representative Daniel Pae, said the speed limits will only affect portions of roads.

Oklahoma has ten turnpikes that cover over 600 miles.

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Speed limit increase being looked at for 400-series highways....

Have read this before, but not sure what might happen this time....

Speed limit increase being looked at for 400-series highways.....https://windsor.ctvnews.ca/speed-limit-increase-being-looked-at-for-400-series-highways-1.4405034

Published Thursday, May 2, 2019 10:43AM EDT
Last Updated Thursday, May 2, 2019 10:51AM EDT

TORONTO -- Ontario's transportation minister is raising the possibility of increasing speed limits on provincial highways.

Jeff Yurek says he will announce consultations next week on speed limits, which will include some pilot projects using different maximum speeds.

Yurek says he'll give more details then, but he says today that the 400-series highways -- which have speed limits of 100 kilometres an hour -- were designed to have vehicles travelling at 120 kilometres an hour.

Ontario planning to review/increase some highway speeds

By Marc Montgomery | english@rcinet.ca
Thursday 2 May, 2019 , 0 Comments ↓

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Ontario’s transportation minister has announced the province is in the process of examining speed limits on some of its main highways.

Currently the speed limit on highways in Ontario is 100 kilometres per hour.

In announcing the proposal on Wednesday Jeff Yurek said,

“”If you look back on the history of why speed limits were set where they were, back in the 70s, there was an energy crisis.

In order to conserve fuel, they lowered the speed limits on our highway system and it stayed that way ever since”

The Ontario pilot project would apparently affect only the “400” series highways, which are major controlled-access routes across the province.


The 400 series highways through Canada’s most populous province. The 100 km/h limit on the provinces’ many other major highways will likely remain unchanged (wiki)

There is no information on how much the increase would be or when a pilot project would begin, but the minister is also reported to have said he believed the 400 series highways were built for a standard of 120 km/h.

Also mentioned was an increase in fines for people driving slowly in the left hand lane, generally reserved for passing other vehicles.

Fine increases may also be announced for speeding through construction zones or near tow-trucks.


The speed limit on Ontario highways is 100km/h, although it seems a majority of users, especially around the heavily populated greater Toronto area, regularly exceed the limit, (CBC)

Also to be examined are new rules for bicycles, electric bicycles, and electric scooters.The project called “Get Ontario Moving” is expected to be announced later today.

Of interest, a CBC Marketplace study of traffic on the 401 highway near Toronto in 2015 found a clear majority of vehicles travelling over the 100 km/h limit with one in five at about 120km/h, and with a handful travelling much faster.

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2000alhVW said:

but “cruising” at 90mph wherever you are is just simply excessive

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I disagree with your opinion. I routinely hit and cruise at 90 mph on sections of I-95 in MD. Car is happy to do it, still get pretty good mileage, and it gets me to my destination faster. I have not been in a single circumstance when I have felt the vehicle being even remotely out of my control.

Now I can understand going slower if your vehicle has some deficiency (reduced tread on tires, low life on brake discs/pads, poor alignment). Additionally, when other vehicles are around, sure, I will slow down until I pass the danger--people are unpredictable, after all. That said, 80-90 is routine for me. I also believe the ICC has no reason not to be an 80 mph toll road.

Problem there are idiots out there. Picture some teenager with a 20 year old clapped out SUV with bald tires, worn out suspension and driving 95mph while glued to the phone and thinking about the next party to go to.


Yeah, no thanks. IMO, there should be another license class and an elevated vehicle inspection anything past 65MPH.

turbocharged798 said:

Problem there are idiots out there. Picture some teenager with a 20 year old clapped out SUV with bald tires, worn out suspension and driving 95mph while glued to the phone and thinking about the next party to go to.


Yeah, no thanks. IMO, there should be another license class and an elevated vehicle inspection anything past 65MPH.

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the person you describe today already pays no attentions to most rules & laws of the road, changing the law to allow safe & properly maintained vehicles & drivers to legally post to drive what is an allowed today safe speed for optimal weather is not going to have any effect on the clown you describe!

But what it does do is make me & other safe drivers not to have to worry about a non-safety (revenue collection enforcement) of a limit not based on what the safe speed really is for a given area in a given state.....

... How about each state enforce the laws already on the books put in place today to get this arse clown off of the road....

You are aware there 10s of thousands of miles of two lane highways across the west today,......

right now two lane highways posted @ 65-75 across all the states in the colorado, nevada, newmexico, kansas, nebraska, wyoming, utah, oregon, arizona, washington, idaho, southdakota, northdakota, texas, many two lane miles across 4 western canada provinces posted @ 110km.hr(~68mph)....

With most freeways miles across the west today 75-80 posted across the region of the west listed above, (80-85mph routenely allowed across most of the region on interstates in good weather times.....

... except for kansas who make bank off of drivers slightly exceeding(1-3mph) over the currently posted max of 75,......120km/hr posted in places in BC on rural freeways...

My point is in the west at least that bus(of a higher level of speed for the special people) you suggest left the station in this part of the west long ago, 80-90 mph is the allowed norm today across most of the western US's freeway miles...

...with a legally allowed 65-75 posted on the regions two lane highway system miles today depending on the state you are crossing....with these speeds legally posted and allowed today I don't even use my radar detector anymore when I am only driving around the region....

Last I checked the Two lane highway posted limits- CO, NE, CA, WA, 65,.....AZ, KS, WY, UT, SD, OR, OK, MT, ND, 70,.....ID, NM, NV, TX, 75.....

With around 80-85 mph allowed & posted across most of the wests freeway miles, with ~70 mph being posted & allowed across pretty much all of the two lane rural miles in the region,....

In the west I am today allowed to travel at the speed I want to travel at most of the time with little to no worry of ticket today in my travels across the region....

London Ontario is expected to host highway speed limit increase pilot project

It looks like it may finally happen on Friday, for the first time in over 4 decades at least one stretch in Ontario is going to get a limit posted that is related to the actual allowed travel speed....110?...120? ....we will soon see...

London Ontario is expected to host highway speed limit increase pilot project

Gerry Dewan, CTV London
Published Monday, May 6, 2019 4:45PM EDT

Transporation Minister and Elgin-Middlesex-London MPP Jeff Yurek spoke at the Ontario Traffic Council's annual meeting on Monday morning.

But Yurek touched only briefly on a pilot project which would see speed limits increase to 120 km/h on designated sections of 400-series highways.
He told the gathering the highways are,

“Roads designed for higher speeds which were only reduced in the 1970s due to the fuel shortage."

Yurek also says a change in speed limits would bring Ontario more in line with other provinces.

In 2014 British Columbia increased speeds to 120 km/h on 33 highways in that province.

Yurek says the onus is still on drivers to drive safely,

"Drivers still have to be aware. There's rules of the road that they have to follow. There are penalties still in place exceeding the speed limit.

We're going to ensure law enforcement is there to enforce those rules."

Yurek will formally introduce the speed limit pilot in London on Friday and indicated one pilot project zone will be in the London area.

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What is not being addressed is that in 1974 the speed limit on the 401 was 70 Mph (112 Kph) and the the cars were not as sophisticated as they are now i.e brakes, suspensions etc. were nowhere near as good as they are now.

When Canada switched to metric the speed limit was arbitrarily lowered!


BTW: I regularly travel on a road in the USA where the speed limit is 85 Mph (136 Kph) and people are driving quite civilized on it!

Jetta_Pilot said:

What is not being addressed is that in 1974 the speed limit on the 401 was 70 Mph (112 Kph) and the the cars were not as sophisticated as they are now i.e brakes, suspensions etc. were nowhere near as good as they are now.

When Canada switched to metric the speed limit was arbitrarily lowered!


BTW: I regularly travel on a road in the USA where the speed limit is 85 Mph (136 Kph) and people are driving quite civilized on it!

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Maybe that is because there aren't any confusing metric speed limit signs!


Think what would happen if our school zone 25 (mph) limit signs were replaced by those reading 40 (kph); since our speedometers have the miles in large type and kilometers in small type, people would tend to go 40 MPH!

The metric numbers aren't confusing to us. It's the country south of us that uses units that are gibberish.

It appears that we will find out on Friday, but if the speculation is for the pilot project to be in the London area, it wouldn't surprise me if it involves highway 402 from London to Sarnia. It has much less traffic on it than the 401 does, and there is generally quite a bit of separation between the eastbound and westbound lanes. It's roughly 100 km in length. Secondary roads out that way already have a posted 90 km/h limit, as opposed to the 80 km/h everywhere else in the province.

GoFaster said:

The metric numbers aren't confusing to us. It's the country south of us that uses units that are gibberish.

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They are the British Imperial units; you know the same units used in the Mother Country of both Canada and these United States.

BTW, one of the reasons for Brexit was the EU trying to criminalize the use of Imperial units EVEN as secondary.

They wanted to criminalize Imperial units!? What were they going to do, toss people in jail for having a car whose speedo was labeled in both meters and miles?
I mean, come on - if you go by Star Trek (Original series), they'll still be using Imperial measurement units into the late 23rd century...

No they would have just fined the transgressor business.

Well, 110 km/h is better than 100. But it's on more sections than expected.

https://torontosun.com/news/provinc...7_AoNTPjDZt_s8JdUoY8_GL2vpLbYILDbFaJwEOCJyLao

402 isn't a surprise, nor is 417, but the Queen Elizabeth Way from St-Cath to Hamilton is. That's a busy road.

turbocharged798 said:

Problem there are idiots out there. Picture some teenager with a 20 year old clapped out SUV with bald tires, worn out suspension and driving 95mph while glued to the phone and thinking about the next party to go to.


Yeah, no thanks. IMO, there should be another license class and an elevated vehicle inspection anything past 65MPH.

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Yes. There lies the problem. It's much too easy to get a driver's license. Traffic laws are dumbed down for the inattentive driver, as well as those individuals with poor driving skills. ...IMO, this is most of the driving public.

GoFaster said:

Well, 110 km/h is better than 100. But it's on more sections than expected.

https://torontosun.com/news/provinc...7_AoNTPjDZt_s8JdUoY8_GL2vpLbYILDbFaJwEOCJyLao

402 isn't a surprise, nor is 417, but the Queen Elizabeth Way from St-Cath to Hamilton is. That's a busy road.

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So no 120km/hr, but you will get 110 posted on 3 specific sections in mid september if they follow what was stated last friday....