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Texas could accelerate to 80 mph By Larry Copeland, USA TODAY
Wed May 17, 7:01 AM ET



The nation's top legal driving speed soon could rise to a long-forbidden 80 mph as Texas moves toward increasing the limit on parts of two interstate highways.


The proposed increase on Interstates 10 and 20 in West Texas is opposed by some national traffic safety advocates, who say speed contributes to many crashes.


"That's not good news for safety," says Richard Retting, senior transportation engineer at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, an industry group. "When states raise speed limits, they're trading lives for faster travel times."


But a study by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) found that 85% of drivers on the affected highways already drive 76-79 mph, says Carlos Lopez, the agency's traffic operations chief.


TxDOT has been studying the proposal since the Legislature last year authorized increasing the speed limit from 70 or 75 to 80 mph in 10 mostly rural counties.


The five-member Texas Transportation Commission, which has the final say, is expected to consider the proposal May 25, TxDOT spokesman Mike Cox says.


If it approves, the new speed limit would be posted within a week. "Our folks are working right now on fabricating signs," Lopez says.


The move comes amid soaring gas prices. The Department of Energy says that gas mileage drops sharply at speeds over 60 mph, and that drivers can assume that each 5 mph over 60 is like paying an additional 20 cents per gallon of gas.


American drivers have not seen a "Speed Limit 80" sign in more than three decades. The Kansas Turnpike had an 80-mph limit beginning in 1956, and Nevada and Montana had no numeric limits on some rural highways at times in the past. In 1974, Congress instituted a national 55-mph limit, which it lifted in 1995. States now set speed limits, even on federal highways. Thirteen states in the West and Midwest have 75-mph limits.


Some Texas officials oppose higher limits. "If the speed limit is raised to 80, everybody is going to be doing 85 or 90," says Hudspeth County Judge Becky Dean-Walker, the top elected official in one county facing the move to 80. "That's just human nature."


Yeah, driving 80 isn't very safe and there will probably be more accidents, and fuel consumption will increase greatly, but... c'est la vie. This new speed limit will be ownage for commuters.

Fucking retarded

Bah. That doesn't really sound too bright.

Wow, I do 80 anyway and I even get to live in a state that is infinitely better than Texas.

if you raise it to 80, it just means people will now drive 90-100

Cars today are infinately more capable of stability and saftey at speeds exceeding 65-75 mph. Tires are better, suspensions are better, saftey belts and air bags make survivability of an accident the greatest it's ever been.

There is really no reason for anything less than an 80mph limit on freeway/interstate type roads.

Also, the only thing harming fuel economy is the ratios cars are generally geared for. Most of the nations roadways are 55-65mph limits, and the final drive ratios are geared for best economy in those ranges.

Higher ratios would give the same mileage at 80mph.

Not to mention 55 mph speed limits throw mapquest's estimated travel times way off!

Thank God I drive on neither.

Some of you have never driven in Texas. It's long and flat.

The speed limit should be 100 mph. On 10, they should make it like the Autobahn. Do away with the speed limit.

85% of drivers on the affected highways already drive 76-79 mph, says Carlos Lopez, the agency's traffic operations chief.

lyion wrote:Some of you have never driven in Texas. It's long and flat.

The speed limit should be 100 mph. On 10, they should make it like the Autobahn. Do away with the speed limit.

85% of drivers on the affected highways already drive 76-79 mph, says Carlos Lopez, the agency's traffic operations chief.

Last time I drove 10, I did average about 90 mph with bursts of 110.

They should make Central's speed limit 90. It would be like those racing games where you have to dogde construction and workers.

lot of big oil people from texas

driving faster than ~65 destroys your fuel economy

why would they raise the limit?

can't people just get their gear ratios changed?

Yes. He doesn't read posts apparently. I changed the gears in my 1999 Chevy silverado with a 5.3 liter v8 and went from 16-17mpg @ average speed of 73mph to 20-21mpg@ 73. I went from 3.11 : 1 to 2.73 : 1.

If I can do that with a half ton pickup I think the results would be even more dramatic in a little car.

i don't know a lot about cars but does that also keep your fuel economy at lower city speeds like 25 and 35? my car is a v6 and gets like 18ish in the city and 21ish on the highway at like 65ish speeds... i want better economy

It still won't stop old people from driving 45 mph in the hammer lane.

SS~

Why is that fucking retarded or not to bright dudes ?

I dont see a problem with that either man i got places to go and shit to do

Ok, since you dont live here, I'll fill you in.

Texas drivers are the worst anywhere. 65 is kinda pushing it for safety.
80 is asking for people to die.

Texas must have a lot of female drivers then.

Texas women drivers are the worst, ugh.
But even the menfolk drive like shit.

All you Texans drive like shit but the worst of you are the ones that try and pass in the breakdown lane and the old folks that drive way too slow in the hammer lane. Man, take my word, don't ever drive in Texas on Sunday afternoon. It's Dantes gates in slow fuckin motion.

SS~

Preaching to the choir, man.