On Monday the Senate Transportation Committee, chaired by state Sen. Gayle Manning, R-N. Ridgeville, added the speed limit change to the state transportation budget bill. The bill still has a ways to go: Senate committee and floor votes, House agreement to Senate changes, and signature from Gov. John Kasich.
The change would apply to vehicles weighing less than 8,000 pounds, which includes cars, pick up trucks and some small delivery trucks.
In July 2013, the speed limit was raised to 70 mph, from 65 mph, on the turnpike and highways outside of congested urban areas. The 75 mph limit would apply to the same roads, according to Manning’s office.
Since Congress repealed the national speed limit in 1995, 34 states have raised speed limits to 70 mph or higher on some of their roads, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association. Currently, there are 16 states with speed limits of 75 mph or higher but most of them are western states such as Montana, Wyoming, and the Dakotas. Texas allows motorists to drive 85 mph — the fastest limit in the nation — on certain roads.
Ohio increased freeway speed from 55 to 65 mph in 1996. The Ohio Turnpike Commission approved a 70 mph speed limit in 2010. Then in July 2013, the limit bumped up to 70 on some roads.
“Speeding is a huge, huge problem. States should focus on enforcing the speed limits they have rather than increasing the speed limits,” said Kara Macek, spokeswoman for the Governors Highway Safety Association. She added that one-third of traffic fatalities are tied to excessive speed. Limits should be based on science, engineering and safety, not on the perceived need for expediting travel, she said.
Environmental groups generally oppose higher speed limits because going faster consumes more gasoline. “When speed limits rise, so does energy use and air pollution. So lawmakers who vote to jack up speed limits should not complain if their metro area fails to meet minimum clean air standards,” said Jack Shaner, lobbyist for the Ohio Environmental Council.
The Consumer Energy Center says gas mileage usually decreases rapidly at speeds above 55 mph and slowing down from 65 mph to 55 mph can improve gas mileage by as much as 15 percent.
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