NOT SO FAST

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety conducted a study of 12 states that raised speed limits between December 8, 1995, and April 1, 1996, (after Congress repealed the national maximum speed limit) and found that traffic fatalities increased 12% on interstates and freeways and 6% on all roads. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued a report to Congress in February 1998 that offered similar results, revealing that the states that raised speed limits saw a 9% increase in fatalities. While researchers have not yet completed any studies on the effects of the higher speed limits on traffic crashes, speed appears to have logical effects on crash occurrence and severity. The faster a vehicle travels, the longer its braking distance. Thus, at higher speeds, drivers have less time to react to avoid crashes. Many drivers do not compensate for higher speeds with safer driving. When high-speed crashes occur, the chance that they will result in fatalities is higher. Most experts, however, agree that very few states will step back and reduce their maximum speed limits any time soon. It is even less likely that Congress will reinstate the national maximum speed limit. A sidebar examines whether higher speed limits lead to higher speeds.