Defensive Driving Blog

Fastest Speed Limits in USA

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Texas is always eager to lay claim to being the best. To be number one drives this state to many extremes and one of them is speed limits. Out of all 50 states, Texas ranks first in the fastest posted limit on a single highway as well as having the greatest overall top speed when you average all of the highest allowable speeds on its rural interstates, urban interstates and other limited access roads.

The Governor’s Highway Safety Organization, a non-profit that represents all state and national highway safety offices, states that Texas’ 85 mph speed limit on Texas State Highway 130, from Austin to San Antonio is the highest in the nation. In addition, Texas can claim the highest overall top speed (78.3) when averaging the highest allowable speeds on urban interstates, rural interstates and other limited access roads. The next in line would be Idaho with an 80 mph top posted speed limit and an average of 76.7.

speedlimitmapTX 85mphsignTX

These outer regions in speed limits represent quite a change to Texans who have been driving for decades. In an effort to fend off an oil crisis in 1974, Richard Nixon signed a law mandating that 55 mph be the highest allowable speed limit in the U.S. This greatly discouraged cross country travel and spawned the Sammy Hagar song “I Can’t Drive 55” in 1984. But thankfully that law was repealed nearly 20 years ago and we have seen speed limit on the rise ever since.

If going slow is your thing, there are places where you will find happiness. Head on up to Alaska or the District of Columbia where the top speed and average top speed is 55. Almost as slow are Delaware, Hawaii, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont with top speeds no more than 65 and average speeds in the upper 50’s.

Whatever the speed limit is in your part of the world it is a good idea to stay within those boundaries. If you find yourself with a ticket because you did not, then log on to WirelessDefensiveDriving.com.

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