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Higher Speed Limit Bill Makes First Pass In Florida House
March 5, 2014
A bill that could result in speed limits reaching 75 mph on some Florida roads was steered around opposition from the auto-club AAA on Tuesday as the measure made its first House appearance.
The House Transportation & Highway Safety Subcommittee voted 13-1 to support the measure (HB 761), which would direct the state Department of Transportation to determine the safe minimum and maximum speed limits on all divided highways that have least four lanes.
Senate Transportation Chairman Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, who along with Sen. Jeff Clemens, D-Lake Worth, is sponsoring the Senate companion (SB 392), told the panel that the bill doesn’t raise the posted limits but gives engineers from the state agency more leeway in setting speeds.
“In certain areas of the state it will better reflect how drivers are actually using the roads, and therefore make it safer because you won’t have the variability between minimum speeds and maximum speeds,” Brandes said.
However, Lee Moffitt lobbying on behalf of AAA Auto Club South, said the proposal will result in more accidents if Florida joins Maine to become the only state east of the Mississippi River with speed limits higher than 70 mph.
“We urge you to consider the safety of Florida’s citizens and the millions of tourists that plow in to our state every year,” Moffitt said.
Moffitt pointed to a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration study that found nearly a third of all motor vehicle fatalities in 2012 were speed-related, and states with higher speed limits exceeded the national average.
“With our current speed limits, Florida’s roadways are safer than those states that have increased their speed limits,” Moffitt said. “You know congestion is a huge problem on Florida’s highways and many drivers in this congestion are driving too closely. … If you drive faster it increases the time you need to stop and makes the conditions for an accident even greater.”
Rep. Irv Slosberg, a Boca Raton Democrat who cast the lone vote against the bill, said with the limit posted at 75 mph, motorists will push speeds to 80 mph and higher.
“Is this bill going to make our roads safer? I don’t think so,” Slosberg said.
But Rep. Keith Perry, R-Gainesville, said vehicles are designed safer now than when the speed limit was increased to 70 mph.
“I’m trusting DOT would be an entity we can all hopefully have faith in to objectively make a good decision,” Perry said.
Florida’s highways have had a 70 mph maximum since 1996, the last time the speed limit was reviewed
The House bill has only one more scheduled stop — the Economic Affairs Committee — before reaching the House floor.
The Senate version, which has already been approved by Brandes’ committee, is scheduled to appear Wednesday at the Senate Community Affairs Committee.
by Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida
Comments
12 Responses to “Higher Speed Limit Bill Makes First Pass In Florida House”
To Big Red…It has nothing to do with how fast or slow I want to drive. It has to do with the fact that many people can’t drive safely no matter what the speed limit. The faster you are going the more PSF (that is pounds per square foot) of pressure is exerted on the other object when you hit it. Therefore more damage is done to people and vehicles. (Or immovable objects).
@Big Red, were you the guy who was tailgating me this morning in the rain and refused to back off even after I tapped my brakes a few times? There was traffic in front of me but the driver behind me continued to stay too close. You sound like the agressive driver type. Impatient people cause more accidents than patient people. Yes, if more slow drivers would actually stay in the right lane like they are supposed to, then faster drivers like you would not be held up. But no matter how fast you go, there is always someone who wants to go faster. What the majority fail to consider when making statements about safer vehicles today is that a lot of people like older classic cars which do not have the safety equipment that modern cars have. Have a SAFE day!
What happen to the logic of “ARRIVE ALIVE AT 55″. It does save many lives and fuel also. With the price of fuel this day and time, looks like Florida would want to save $$$$ on fuel!!! It just goes to show you there is plenty of oil for us to waste. No shortage, just empty pockets!!
Just by 2 cents
“So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”
This is why some of us don’t speed. By the way, it is the speed limit, not the speed minimum.
If folks would learn how to drive properly, there would not be as much of a problem. If you don’t want to keep up with traffic or are moving slower than what everyone else is driving, STAY IN THE RIGHT LANE like the law says you should.
Driving in the left lane at 65-70 miles per hour, or riding side by side with a car in the right lane, just irritates people and can cause aggressive driving. I have seen people not even make it up to the interstate speed limit of 60-70 miles per hour by the time they reach the end of the on-ramp. YOU CAN’T MERGE INTO 70-75 mile per hour traffic at 45 MPH. That causes all kinds of chaos and can cause accidents. Being OVERLY CAUTIOUS causes accidents too. If you are not comfortable driving at higher speeds, either don’t use the interstate or stay in the right lane.
perdido fisherman- good point- you can die sitting still and a roof fall in– while sleeping. When its that way ok…but why ask for it. You need to have a wreck friend at that speed and at 35–or your kids- grand kids- then tell me its ok with that logic. Would you rather them have it at 35 or 70. Think about other people and not yourself.
You can die goin 35mph, so it really don’t matter, just like you can die wearing a seat belt. When it’s your time, it’s your time and not a second sooner.
Big Red, why not raise it to 90 m.ph. with your reasoning. Heck why have any speed limit at all.
After all Big Rad, we have plenty of caskets for everyone.
Right?
Leo Guy is 100% right, so is law enforcement , so are studies for decades– thats why you have LIMITS.
Some people dont know their own and fast is never fast enough.
Where ever you go will always be there when you get there.
Speed kills.
Speed kills. It’s a fact. :-/
Huh….you mean the law makers are going to LOWER the speed limit on US-29 and I-10…? Seems to me that when I am moving along I-10 at 70–75 mph that cars pass me like I am running at turtle speed.
@jane if you drive 70 or 75 the results will be the same if you have an accident. If you don’t like the speed limit increase use a state road and drive 45 mph to your destination. If you decide to use the interstate and is afraid to drive 75. There is a right lane for slower traffic. Use it or just find an alternate route. Most accidents are caused by drivers who drive in a cluster causing traffic jams and don’t have a clue on where they are going. So if you don’t like the speed increase find a road that accommodate your driving style. Stay off the interstate highways.
Great. More fatal accidents instead of just more accidents.