Higher Speed Impacts Safety Gains

The U.S. Governors Highway Safety Association says the repeal of the national speed limit has negated the safety gains of the last 10 years.

The group, which represents state highway safety agencies, says the Congressional act 10 years ago has made highways more dangerous than they should be, USA Today reports.

Motorists driving faster have helped negate the benefits of higher seat belt use, safer automobiles and a reduction in the number of drunken drivers, says Barbara Harsha, executive director of the association.

The safety community is very frustrated, she said. We should have much more gains in highway safety than we’re seeing.

Congress’ repeal of the 55 mph maximum speed limit went into effect in 1995, allowing states to set their own limits. Since then, 31 of them raised their speed limits to 70 mph or 75 mph on some roads, the GHSA said.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has determined that speeding accounts for about one-third of the 42,000 U.S. traffic deaths every year.