Florida lawmakers are moving toward permitting higher speed limits on some highways in the Sunshine State.
If the legislation becomes law, the Florida Department of Transportation must determine the safe minimum and maximum speed limits of up to 75 miles per hour on all divided highways that have at least four lanes. The current maximum is 70 mph.
However, organizations such as the American Automobile Association (AAA) and consumer safety groups are adamantly opposed to raising the speed limit. They cite statistics that show that higher speeds increase the number of car accidents that result in serious injury or death. So, is this a good or bad idea?
Proposed Changes, Safety Concerns & Hard Numbers
Here’s a look at the proposed changes, safety concerns and some of the hard numbers reported on traffic crashes in ten of Florida’s most populous counties:
Proposed changes. According to the Palm Beach Post, if the measure passes, the maximum speed limit in sparsely populated rural areas could be increased to 75 mph on Florida’s limited access highways and from 65 mph to 70 mph on divided four-lane highways.
The bill also would give the transportation department the authority to raise speeds to 60 mph on other roads they deem safe and to set minimum speeds on certain highways. If passed, Florida would become the second eastern state after Maine to allow 75 mph speed limits.
Safety Concerns. The AAA has safety concerns about raising the speed limit and says it will result in more car accidents, serious injuries and deaths. AAA points to a 2012 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) study that found that nearly one third of all motor vehicle fatalities in 2012 were speed-related and that states with higher speed limits generally exceed the national average of fatalities.
Florida state lawmakers who were opposed to the bill said that allowing people to drive faster only increases the time in which they need to stop to avoid an accident – and Florida reports hundreds of thousands of accidents every year.
Hard Numbers. According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, there were 281,549 crashes in 2012 with an average overall state increase of 18.85% from 2011. In fact, eight out of 10 of Florida’s largest counties reported increases well above the average, including:
Brevard County. Reported 5,718 crashes, an increase of 32%
Broward County. Reported 31,151 crashes, an increase of 34%
Duval County. Reported 18,556 crashes, an increase of 48%
Hillsborough County. Reported 20,180 crashes, an increase of 12%
Lee County. Reported 6,084 crashes, an increase of 38%
Miami-Dade County. Reported 50,818 crashes, an increase of 20%
Orange County. Reported 21,460 crashes, an increase of 12%
Palm Beach County. Reported 16,726 crashes, an increase of 45%
Pinellas County. Reported 13,601 crashes, an increase of 25%
Polk County. Reported 6,624 crashes, an increase of 29%
As you can see above, Duval County had the highest reported increase in crashes from 2011 to 2012 at 48%. During the same period, traffic fatalities and injuries in crashes each increased 32 percent in Duval County, according to the Florida Traffic Crash Facts 2012 Report. Those are frightening statistics that hopefully will be carefully analyzed by Florida’s Department of Transportation before speed limits are increased.
Florida lawmakers are moving toward permitting higher speed limits on some highways in the Sunshine State.
If the legislation becomes law, the Florida Department of Transportation must determine the safe minimum and maximum speed limits of up to 75 miles per hour on all divided highways that have at least four lanes. The current maximum is 70 mph.
However, organizations such as the American Automobile Association (AAA) and consumer safety groups are adamantly opposed to raising the speed limit. They cite statistics that show that higher speeds increase the number of car accidents that result in serious injury or death. So, is this a good or bad idea?
Proposed Changes, Safety Concerns & Hard Numbers
Here’s a look at the proposed changes, safety concerns and some of the hard numbers reported on traffic crashes in ten of Florida’s most populous counties:
The bill also would give the transportation department the authority to raise speeds to 60 mph on other roads they deem safe and to set minimum speeds on certain highways. If passed, Florida would become the second eastern state after Maine to allow 75 mph speed limits.
Florida state lawmakers who were opposed to the bill said that allowing people to drive faster only increases the time in which they need to stop to avoid an accident – and Florida reports hundreds of thousands of accidents every year.
As you can see above, Duval County had the highest reported increase in crashes from 2011 to 2012 at 48%. During the same period, traffic fatalities and injuries in crashes each increased 32 percent in Duval County, according to the Florida Traffic Crash Facts 2012 Report. Those are frightening statistics that hopefully will be carefully analyzed by Florida’s Department of Transportation before speed limits are increased.