The Wyoming Department of Transportation recently announced that they will increase the speed limit for thousands of miles of state highways to 70 mph in the upcoming months. At the same time, they warn all drivers to maintain the posted speed limit for all roads—even if that limit will change soon.
The Billings Gazette reports that the faster speed limits are a result of the passing of Senate File 72, which was signed into law by Governor Matt Mead last week. Under this new law, sections of many roads where the speed limit is currently 65 mph will see that speed limit increased to 70 mph. In some areas, speed limits will stay the same because of safety concerns. For example, roads in and around school zones and in some urban areas will still have a speed limit of 65 mph.
Wyoming is not the only state to increase speed limits on many highways: this is part of a nationwide movement and multiple state legislatures are attempting to follow suit. However, not everybody is in favor of raising speed limits. One opponent is Cathy Chase, with Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety. She says that higher speeds will translate into an increase in highway fatalities, and that up to one-third of all car crashes are speed-related. She also says that drivers are always prone to exceed the posted speed limit, which means that many vehicles will be traveling much faster than 70 mph on roads where the limit is increased.
"Cars and people were not built to walk away and survive these (high-speed) crashes," she said. "Every time speeds are bumped up, people exceed the speed limit."
However, Senator Leland Christensen, who sponsored SF72, says that WYDOT data shows that there was very little increase in serious injuries and fatalities on roads where the speed limit was previously increased from 75 mph to 80 mph. In fact, he says that most people drive at the speed most comfortable for them in relation to surrounding vehicles, and in Wyoming the average highway speed driven is 71 to 72 mph. He also says that Montana has many roads with 70 mph speed limits, and that Wyoming roads are much safer and better maintained so we should not see a dramatic increase in injuries and deaths.
Although the small increase in speed limits for up to 2,500 miles of Wyoming roadways was approved, WYDOT says that it will take some months to produce the new speed limit signs and the new signs may not be fully in place until late May. In a statement issued last week and published in the Wyoming Business Report, Wyoming Highway Patrol Col. Kebin Haller warned all drivers to observe the currently posted speed limits at all times. Additionally, WYDOT Director Bill Panos said that the state will monitor all roads with increased speed limits to determine "there is no significant increase in crashes." If there is, "we will take the actions necessary to protect the safety of the driving public."
Every year, thousands of drivers, passengers, and pedestrians are killed in the crashes where speeding was a factor. As an experienced car crash attorney, Frederick J. Harrison has seen first-hand the devastating consequences speeding has had for his clients and their loved ones, and he knows that no rush is great enough for drivers to compromise safety on the roads. If you have suffered serious injury or even the death of a loved one in a car crash, please contact Attorney Harrison to learn whether you may be entitled to compensation in a free legal consultation.
