Ohio proposal would raise interstate speed limit to 70 mph
http://dervishcom.blogspot.com/2012/01/ohio-proposal-would-raise-interstate.html
A Southwest Ohio lawmaker wants to raise the speed limit on Ohio's interstate highways to 70 miles an hour - five miles above the current limit.
A similar 2009 attempt by other lawmakers never got out of the parking lot.
But the bill by Rep. Ron Maag, R-Salem Township, may move farther down the road. That's because the Ohio Turnpike - run independently - raised its speed limit to 70 mph.
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STORY: Texas lawmakers consider 85-mph speed limit
"To be consistent, the other interstates should be 70," Maag told The Enquirer. "And neighboring states - Kentucky, Indiana, West Virginia - have 70. It's just important to be consistent."
The Ohio Turnpike Commission voted 4-1 in April to increase the speed limit for all vehicles on the 241-mile turnpike, which crosses northern Ohio mostly as I-80. The lone no vote came from the Ohio Department of Transportation representative on the commission. The Ohio Trucking Association also opposed the increase.
Only West Virginia has a 70 mph limit for all vehicles on its interstates. Thirty-five states have speed limits at 70 mph or higher on some portion of their system.
Ohio State Highway Patrol spokeswoman Lt. Anne Ralston said the agency has concerns with raising the speed limit "because it diminishes traffic safety."
The Patrol compared crash data from April through November in 2011 to 2010. The number of crashes increased by 38.6% and injuries by 26%. But fatalities decreased. Though data for December are incomplete, the number of fatalities stands at four in 2011, the lowest number in turnpike history.
"How can anyone say increased speed leads to more fatalities," Maag said, citing the Patrol data.
Ralston said the Patrol would prefer to complete a year-long study before drawing any strong conclusions.
"It tells us there will probably be more injuries and more damage," she said. "It's simple physics."
Maag confident in highway system
Maag said the interstate system is designed to handle traffic at higher speeds and technology has improved the safety of vehicles.
"Cars are better, tires are better and brakes are better," he said.
"There is always a trade-off," said Russ Rader of the Virginia-based Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. "Increasing the speed limit gets people to their destination faster, but it's not free. There's always a cost. More people will be killed in accidents because of the change."
A 2009 national study by the institute looked at the long-term effects of the 1995 repeal of the national speed limit. It found an average 3% increase in road fatalities because of higher speed limits on all roads. The highest increase was 9% on rural interstates. The study estimated that 12,545 deaths were the result of increases in speed limits across the nation between 1995 and 2005.
Rader said vehicles and their restraint systems are less effective in high speed crashes. He said crash tests of vehicles are performed "35 to 40 miles per hour, not 70."
Rader said studies also show that drivers usually travel five to 10 mph faster than the speed limit. "People tend to choose a speed where they are unlikely to get a ticket," he said.
Maag said people travel at a speed "in their comfort zone."
Increased speed also increases fuel consumption. That applies to any vehicle, even hybrids, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
A car's miles-per-gallon rating is based on it going 55 miles per hour. At 60 mph, its engine is 3% less efficient; at 65, it's 8% less efficient and at 70, it's 17% less efficient.
When two House Democrats introduced similar legislation in 2009, HB 162 never made it out of committee. An analysis by the Legislative Service Commission estimated the cost of making the change at $320,000, primarily to replace signs.
Maag's legislation has not been assigned to a committee. No cost analysis has been conducted. But Maag said his legislation has a chance because it would make the 70 mph speed limit consistent across the state.
If a city wants a lower speed limit on interstates within its boundaries, it must request a speed study be conducted. The city submits the results to the Ohio Department of Transportation, where the director has ultimate authority to change the limit. The department also can initiate a lower limit based on a variety factors, including congestion and road design, according to a spokesman for the department.
"Give us a call when the bill has passed," said Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory, asked whether speed limits would go up in the city should HB 395 become law.
A similar 2009 attempt by other lawmakers never got out of the parking lot.
But the bill by Rep. Ron Maag, R-Salem Township, may move farther down the road. That's because the Ohio Turnpike - run independently - raised its speed limit to 70 mph.
*
STORY: Texas lawmakers consider 85-mph speed limit
"To be consistent, the other interstates should be 70," Maag told The Enquirer. "And neighboring states - Kentucky, Indiana, West Virginia - have 70. It's just important to be consistent."
The Ohio Turnpike Commission voted 4-1 in April to increase the speed limit for all vehicles on the 241-mile turnpike, which crosses northern Ohio mostly as I-80. The lone no vote came from the Ohio Department of Transportation representative on the commission. The Ohio Trucking Association also opposed the increase.
Only West Virginia has a 70 mph limit for all vehicles on its interstates. Thirty-five states have speed limits at 70 mph or higher on some portion of their system.
Ohio State Highway Patrol spokeswoman Lt. Anne Ralston said the agency has concerns with raising the speed limit "because it diminishes traffic safety."
The Patrol compared crash data from April through November in 2011 to 2010. The number of crashes increased by 38.6% and injuries by 26%. But fatalities decreased. Though data for December are incomplete, the number of fatalities stands at four in 2011, the lowest number in turnpike history.
"How can anyone say increased speed leads to more fatalities," Maag said, citing the Patrol data.
Ralston said the Patrol would prefer to complete a year-long study before drawing any strong conclusions.
"It tells us there will probably be more injuries and more damage," she said. "It's simple physics."
Maag confident in highway system
Maag said the interstate system is designed to handle traffic at higher speeds and technology has improved the safety of vehicles.
"Cars are better, tires are better and brakes are better," he said.
"There is always a trade-off," said Russ Rader of the Virginia-based Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. "Increasing the speed limit gets people to their destination faster, but it's not free. There's always a cost. More people will be killed in accidents because of the change."
A 2009 national study by the institute looked at the long-term effects of the 1995 repeal of the national speed limit. It found an average 3% increase in road fatalities because of higher speed limits on all roads. The highest increase was 9% on rural interstates. The study estimated that 12,545 deaths were the result of increases in speed limits across the nation between 1995 and 2005.
Rader said vehicles and their restraint systems are less effective in high speed crashes. He said crash tests of vehicles are performed "35 to 40 miles per hour, not 70."
Rader said studies also show that drivers usually travel five to 10 mph faster than the speed limit. "People tend to choose a speed where they are unlikely to get a ticket," he said.
Maag said people travel at a speed "in their comfort zone."
Increased speed also increases fuel consumption. That applies to any vehicle, even hybrids, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
A car's miles-per-gallon rating is based on it going 55 miles per hour. At 60 mph, its engine is 3% less efficient; at 65, it's 8% less efficient and at 70, it's 17% less efficient.
When two House Democrats introduced similar legislation in 2009, HB 162 never made it out of committee. An analysis by the Legislative Service Commission estimated the cost of making the change at $320,000, primarily to replace signs.
Maag's legislation has not been assigned to a committee. No cost analysis has been conducted. But Maag said his legislation has a chance because it would make the 70 mph speed limit consistent across the state.
If a city wants a lower speed limit on interstates within its boundaries, it must request a speed study be conducted. The city submits the results to the Ohio Department of Transportation, where the director has ultimate authority to change the limit. The department also can initiate a lower limit based on a variety factors, including congestion and road design, according to a spokesman for the department.
"Give us a call when the bill has passed," said Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory, asked whether speed limits would go up in the city should HB 395 become law.
