An Investigation of Issues Related to Raising the Rural Interstate Speed Limit in Virginia

About the report:

In April of 1987, Congress passed the Surface Transportation and Uniform Relocation Assistance Act of 1987, which allows the states to raise, without penalty, the speed limit on interstate highways outside of urbanized areas with a population of 50,000 or more. This study estimated that an increase in the rural interstate speed limit in Virginia would have both positive and negative outcomes.-The average speed traveled on the rural interstate highway system has already increased by 3.6 mph in Virginia; this is comparable to that experienced in states that have raised the speed limit. However, if the speed limit on the rural interstate highway system is raised from 55 mph to 65 mph, it is estimated that in the short run the average speed traveled on the rural interstate will increase by an additional 3 mph, from 60 mph to 63 mph. Increased speeds would be expected to result in increased stopping distances and an annual increase of between 6 and 18 fatalities and between 171 and 405 injuries. Further, injuries would likely be more severe as a result of the higher speeds traveled. If the average speed continues to increase in the long run, or if higher speeds spill over onto the urban interstate highway system or rural collector roads, then additional injuries and fatalities would be expected on those systems as well. On the other hand, the primary quantifiable benefit of the higher limit would be a savings of 1.3 million hours in business and commercial travel time. This study has also found that almost 60% of the Virginians surveyed would prefer a 65 mph speed limit to a 55 mph limit on the rural interstate highway system. Finally, because of the current speeds, the geometric design, and the accident history of the rural interstates in general, it would be possible to raise the speed limit without violating traffic engineering tenets for setting speed limits. However, if the speed limit is raised, establishing a truck speed limit differential below the limit established for passenger cars would promote increased speed variance between cars and trucks, thereby creating a more dangerous environment than if the speed limit were raised to the same level for both cars and trucks.

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