Texas to Soon Have Country's Highest Speed Limit

[spurs_2108]

WOAI-TV
80 MPH will soon be reality on hundres of miles of west Texas interstatesSeveral hundred miles of Interstates 10 and 20 in west Texas will soon have the highest posted speed limits in the country, 1200 WOAI news reported today.

A measure which takes effect next month will allow Tex-DOT to raise the speed limit to 80 miles an hour on Interstate 10 between Kerr and Culverson counties, and on Interstate 20 in Ward and Culberson counties.

"Those stretches of highway are pretty isolated and pretty long, and they're actually designed for that speed of travel," State Rep Pete Gallego (D-Alpine) who wrote the new law, told 1200 WOAI news.

Gallego says he expects Tex-DOT to erect the first "SPEED LIMIT 80" signs in west Texas 'within six weeks,' and he added 'I want to be there when that happens.'

The speed limit in rural west Texas was raised to 70 miles per hour after the national 55 mile an hour speed limit was lifted in December of 1995. In 1999, the limit in west Texas and elsewhere was raised to 75 miles an hour.

"One of the fascinating things we've already learned from raising the speed limit from 70 to 75 is that the accident and fatality rate has actually gone down in those counties, because people get where they're going faster."

The 80 mile an hour limit would be the highest posted speed limit in the country. Arizona law allows speed limits of 'no more than 85 miles an hour' but no highway in Arizona has an 85 mile an hour speed limit, and a measure to raise the speed limits from 75 to 80 on rural stretches on Interstate 10 in that state died in the legislature.

Gallego concedes that raising the speed limit is not the best way to save gasoline, but he is philosophical about that.

"Driving 80 is not a mandate. You don't have to drive 80. If you think it will save gasoline, you can drive 55 through west Texas if you want to. 80 is just the maximum speed you can drive."

Gallego points out that under the ambitious 'Trans Texas Corridor' plan proposed by Governor Perry becomes reality, all of the 'Trans Texas Corridor' highways will have posted speed limits of 85 miles an hour.

Out in West Texas it is empty, so 80 mph is ok. I am kinda in shock about the 85 mph in the Trans Texas Corridor. That is a little bit weird. But oh, well. More speed. lol.

[mookie2001]

thats dumb
i bet exxonmobil loves that
ill still go 65

[Spam]

Texas Autobahn

[mookie2001]

Texas CarRoad

[Useruser666]

thats dumb
i bet exxonmobil loves that
ill still go 65

The minimum will probably be 65! :lol

[CharlieMac]

People doing 80+ in trucks with hot freeways and bad tires can only end well.

[mookie2001]

do you think in order for the ultimate appearance of wealth any H3 tahoe/yukons/escalade with Bush stickers with a single woman driving will go 85 while chatting on her phone?
just wondering
this would be the ultimate passive obscene display of wealth

[N.Y. Johnny]

People doing 80+ in trucks with hot freeways and bad tires can only end well.



exactly..i get to have idiots on 1604 going even faster now! shit they already do 80 mph on there on fuckin wet roads...now they got a green light for 90! jeez

[mookie2001]

how did that young muscular nubile brother of yours do in his s?

[Horry For 3!]

I think I saw 80 mph before or it might have been 75 mph. I don't remember.

[Zombie]

montana doesn't have a posted speed limit at night i believe
They do now, they wanted funds for road repairs, so they started posting speed limits just here recently.

[AlamoSpursFan]

If the powers that be at Frito would just get off their asses and let us go faster than the 65 were stuck with now, that SA-El Paso-Dallas-SA run will be sweet as hell!

[King]

This will keep EMS busy.

[Zombie]

Hell back about 13 years ago, I use to do about 100mph between Junction and El paso, that was insane. After 2 tickets and an ass chewing from the boss, I quit doing that. :smokin

[hussker]

"One of the fascinating things we've already learned from raising the speed limit from 70 to 75 is that the accident and fatality rate has actually gone down in those counties, because people get where they're going faster." State Rep Pete Gallego (D-Alpine) who wrote the new law, told 1200 WOAI news

My Favorite line....Ranks up there with the ALL TIME GREAT of "Adios, Mo Fo"

Or the Joke: "90 % of accidents happen within 5 miles of home, so we moved..."

[scott]

Some tolls roads in Oklahoma have had 75 for years... very low accident rates.

[Clandestino]

have any of you driven that stretch of road.. nothing fucking out there.. they speed limit could be 200 for the 2 people who travel on it...

[hussker]

No, it is not that there are fewer deaths, just the statement that they are getting where they are goin faster...That is a stupid statement...DUH

[timvp]

I blew out a tire going 95 somewhere between San Antonio and El Paso. I think the closest city was Van Horn.

[Zombie]

I blew out a tire going 95 somewhere between San Antonio and El Paso. I think the closest city was Van Horn.
Sucks huh?
I hit a deer doing 80 and fucked up my truck, had to wait 5 hours for my co-driver to go get help. Not fun.

[The sone]

but can we still drink?

[Das Texan]

speed itself doesnt kill people.


its the way stupid people handle the speed. i really see absolutely nothing wrong with the new speed limits in these extremely desolate areas, its not like they will be bringing them into metro areas anytime soon.

[travis2]

exactly..i get to have idiots on 1604 going even faster now! shit they already do 80 mph on there on fuckin wet roads...now they got a green light for 90! jeez

uhhhhhhhh...no. They aren't talking about metro areas, only remote rural areas.


A measure which takes effect next month will allow Tex-DOT to raise the speed limit to 80 miles an hour on Interstate 10 between Kerr and Culverson counties, and on Interstate 20 in Ward and Culberson counties.

[Extra Stout]

Yeah, people back east will read this headline and think us yeehaw Texas cowboys are raising the speed limit to 80 through Houston and Dallas.

Those stretches of I-10 and I-20 mentioned in the article are EMPTY. You might see maybe three or four cars every 50 miles. It's so deserted there are actually uncontrolled intersections on I-10 for ranch access. You're not going to hit anybody.

However, driving that fast through the Chihuahan Desert in the middle of July when it's 108 degrees is an excellent way to blow out your tires, flip over several times, and die.

Or else, you get to wait outside in the heat for four hours while the AAA tow truck makes its way from the nearest city. Then you get to pay through the nose for it.

But, hey, have fun!

[SWC Bonfire]

Wait until you have big trucks weaving through traffic at 80mph like in New Mexico on I-40. Traffic on I-10 will only increase, but this will help keep some distance between them.

[CrashMag]

If everyone just went the 80 mph no one would get tail gated.
The people that cause the accidents are the fucks that get in the
Fast lane and due minimum speeds, and think “why should I move
Im going the limit”. Let me tell you something from experience.
I was driving home when my mom called, someone had busted
The front door down and she didn’t know if some one was in the house.
Sure she had called the cops but I still wanted to get home.
Every fucker on the road had that idea I was driving fast to be
A dick, and got in my way. Point being you never no why the person
Behind you is in a hurry move the Freak over

[Extra Stout]

If everyone just went the 80 mph no one would get tail gated.Bullshit. If everyone went 80, the idiot cracker monkeys in their jacked-up trucks would go 95 and still be riding everyone's ass.


The people that cause the accidents are the fucks that get in the
Fast lane and due minimum speeds, and think “why should I move
Im going the limit”.Bullshit. It's people who aren't paying attention and don't know how to use their vehicles. If you're going 85 in the rain in your truck, and traffic slows down ahead of you because of congestion, and you're talking on your cell phone or admiring your dick, so that you don't see it until the last minute, well guess what, either you're going to slam into everyone and take like 5 people with you to the grave, or you're going to lose control and flip over multiple times and end up so bad that the medical crew just uses a wet-dry vac and a hose.

Likewise, if you're too scared to merge onto I-10, and you slam on the brakes at the end of the on-ramp and come to a stop, you'll probably get rear-ended, or worse, you'll plow into traffic and get creamed by somebody doing the speed limit.

Going 80 in and of itself is not a problem. Idiots are the problem. Some idiots go too fast for conditions, while other idiots go too slow for conditions. If you're too scared to go over 40, stay off the damn freeway, Mildred.


Every fucker on the road had that idea I was driving fast to be
A dick, and got in my way. Point being you never no why the person
Behind you is in a hurry move the Freak overIs that an SA thing? I've noticed that SA drivers have no idea how to keep things moving in heavy traffic.

[CosmicCowboy]

For a long time I had a condo in Crested Butte and would drive that way going snow skiing several time every winter...Skiied in Taos a lot before that...When it was clear I would AVERAGE 100mph through that section counting restroom breaks and gas stops...

[Guru of Nothing]

http://www.kingdouglas.com/xmastrip/xmas10.1.jpg

[ZStomp]

If everyone just went the 80 mph no one would get tail gated.
The people that cause the accidents are the fucks that get in the
Fast lane and due minimum speeds, and think “why should I move
Im going the limit”. Let me tell you something from experience.
I was driving home when my mom called, someone had busted
The front door down and she didn’t know if some one was in the house.
Sure she had called the cops but I still wanted to get home.
Every fucker on the road had that idea I was driving fast to be
A dick, and got in my way. Point being you never no why the person
Behind you is in a hurry move the Freak over


STFU man...I bet your the type of cat that drives Mustangs..GT no less and/or Nissans 350Z...fuck that.

[Horry For 3!]

Sucks huh?
I hit a deer doing 80 and fucked up my truck, had to wait 5 hours for my co-driver to go get help. Not fun.
:lol shouldn't of hit the deer....

[hussker]

Leave it to an AGGIE...
My wife is in her PhD program here at TAMU. One of the YOUNGER gals in her cohort said that, "In Texas you can drink and drive because the roads are straighter and wider. That's why the law is that way, right?" No kidding, serious statement!

I basically asked her to call us when she goes driving so I can make sure I am off of the road.

[CrashMag]

STFU man...I bet your the type of cat that drives Mustangs..GT no less and/or Nissans 350Z...fuck that.

You must be an ex to know all that... dont hate just get in line.
and maybe just maybe ill give you another ride....
RAWLS RAWLS