Reynolds' speed = safety contention killed in crash with facts

Aug. 1, 2005 -- While Sen. Tom Reynolds insists his raise the speed limit on Interstate highways will make roads safer, experience in Ohio indicates just the opposite: accidents there rose 27% after the speed limit was raised on the Ohio Turnpike.

"Wrecks in which a truck was involved are up even more - at 36 percent," according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

Reynolds introduced a bill that would raise Interstate speed limits in Wisconsin to 75 mph from the 55 mph or 65 mph that most are now.

Reynolds said that studies have shown that raising the speed limit "will not cause drivers to exceed the new speed limit as they do now."

The Ohio State Highway Patrol found that passenger vehicles on the Turnpike are traveling an average of 75 mph and commercial vehicles are zipping along at 67 mph, both over the new speed limit of 65 mph. Before the speed limit was changed, the average speeds were 72 mph for cars and 62 mph for trucks before the change, the Plain Dealer said.

Reynolds also argued that raising the speed limit to 75 mph "will actually make the roads safer because it reduces speed variance."

A Federal Highway Administration report, however, says that "crash-incidence or crash severity, or both measures, generally decline whenever speed limits have been reduced. Conversely, the number of crashes or crash severity generally increased when speed limits were raised, especially on freeways."

Ohio officials said they would continue to study the reasons for the crash increases there.