|
Editorial: Before changing speeds
Op-Ed · February 19, 2015
State Rep. Bobby Kaufmann said Saturday a proposal by seven Republican legislators to raise the speed limit on rural sections of interstate highways to 75 miles per hour may not get far in the Iowa legislature.
We hope he is correct, because while we like the idea of saving time, we worry about fatality rates and how, exactly, such a bill would define “rural” and how that would translate into signs along the highway to clarify where speed limits start and stop.
During Kaufmann’s visit Saturday at the West Branch Public Library, resident Beth Ahrens broached the subject and raised her concerns that 75 mph is simply just too high. Several others agreed, though resident Rod Hanson said “poor drivers” are more to blame than increased speeds.
The Des Moines Register reported that since the speed limit increased in 2005 to 70 miles per hour, the average number of highway deaths increased from 33 per year to 36 per year.
Car accidents happen for a variety of reasons on West Branch’s stretch of Interstate 80: Weather conditions, driver’s health reasons, distracted driving, driver errors, etc.
Yet we do not see police writing accident reports listing the cause as “speed limit.”
Truly, if accidents happen, it is not the speed limit that is to blame. Outside of uncontrollable factors, like a deer running across the road or a seizure or a blown tire, most remaining accidents mean somebody was not paying attention or was not properly trained to handle certain driving conditions.
We cannot really say we oppose higher speeds on interstate highways. We really would like to first see that the drivers Iowa does permit behind the wheel — obviously, this does not include tourists or a majority of over-the-road truck drivers, etc. — are thoroughly trained and tested.
And then, take special care to increase the number of highway speed limit signs, or make them more eye-catching, so drivers cannot say they did not know either the speed limit or they had driven from “rural” to “urban” areas.
This bill seems to simply jack up the speed limit. If it fails, then so be it. If not, let’s make sure it’s done right, and does not just involve changing the signs.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
