As Texas lawmakers continue to try to increase the speed limit to 85 MPH on our highways, they meet tough opposition from those who claim the increased speed will lead to more highway deaths, according to Fox News. Insurance officials agree with these advocates saying that the increased speed limit would indeed result in more injuries and fatalities from car accidents in Texas.
Our Dallas personal injury lawyers know that speeding, drunk driving and distracted driving are the three primary causes of fatal traffic accidents.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2009 to 2010 recorded a 3 percent decrease in traffic fatalities. This decrease provided the U.S. with the lowest rate since 1949. The Texas region shows a 7 percent decrease in traffic fatalities. These statistics are expected to increase once again if the speed limit is raised and the economy continues to recover..
The president of Southwestern Insurance Information Service, Jerry Jonhs, says that people are already traveling at speeds well above the posted speed limits and are posing hazards to those that are obeying the speed limits.
Despite the dangers of raising the speed limits, the Texas House of Representatives recently passed the legislation and sent it to the Senate for approval. The State Senators will vote on this bill in the next few weeks.
Approximately 500 miles of rural interstate already have speed limits of 80 MPH, those roads would not change. The new 85 MPH speed limit, which would be the highest limit in the nation, would only apply to newly constructed roads that would be engineered for the speed and roads that are approved by the Texas Transportation Commission.
“We’re a big, big state,” says Rep. Lori Kolkhorst, the lawmaker who introduced the bill. “And so as we try to move goods and services — and more importantly people — from destination to destination, it could be an option for the future.”
Smart Motorists say there are a number of ways accidents are caused by speeding. The faster a vehicle is traveling, the greater the risk it has of being involved in an accident. Forces experienced by the human body increase tremendously as the speed of the vehicle increases. They report that speeding is a deliberate behavior where the driver understands the risk but ignores the dangers. Approximately 90 percent of licensed drivers speed at some point in their driving career and 75 percent admit to committing the offense on a regular basis.
With an increased speed limit, motorists will be allowed to travel at faster speeds. The heightened travel speed will only increase the risk of car accidents and personal injuries to motorists statewide.
If you or a loved one have been involved in a car accident, contact the Dallas Personal Injury Lawyer Mike Goolsby of The Goolsby Law Firm for a free and confidential consultation. Call (972) 492-8758.
