States' Attitudes Towards Speed Limits: Summary Chart

This shows the current and proposed speed limits for the various states.
The Original Summary Chart is still available for those who like it
better. You may also want to check out the Detailed List for the full
story of any possable speed limit increase or the News Summary version
for just a quick overview of what is happening in the states in terms of
speed limits. 

I am trying to keep this chart as up-to-date as possible so if you know of
any New Speed Limits and/or when it will take effect for your state please
let me know at kevinatk@home.com; 7962 Helmart Dr. Laurel MD 20723.
Or by using this form. Be sure to include how you found out about the
information.  With out it I have no way to judge how valid it is. 

" align=center alt="[Daytime Speed Limit Map (sl-attu2.gif)]">

(Change Map | Other Maps)

The limits for the Current and Proposed limits are as follows:
(Rural Freeway / Divided / UnDivided / Urban Freeway)
The Change date is the date of the most recent rural freeway limit change.
"Pre" stands for what the rural freeway limit was before the 55 mandate.
Please see the Notes at the end of this chart for an explanation of what the
  various abbreviations mean.
For a detailed breakdown of any state click on its name.

State      | Current Limit   | Proposed Limit       | applies to| Change| Pre
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alaska     | 65  55  55  55  |                      |           | 88/01 | 70
           |                 |                      |           |       |    
Alabama    | 70  65  55  65  |                      |           | 96/05 | 70
           |                 |                      |           |       |    
Arkansas   | 70  55  55  55  |                      |           | 96/08 | 75
           | 65  55  55  55  |                      | trucks    |       |
           |                 |                      |           |       |    
Arizona    | 75  55  55  55  | --  65  65  65       |           | 95/12 | 75
           |                 |                      |           |       |    
California | 70  65  65* 65  |                      |           | 96/01 | 70
           | 55  55  55  55  |                      | combinat. |       |
           |                 |                      |           |       |    
Colorado   | 75  65  65  55  |                      |           | 96/05 | 70
           |                 | 55  55  55  55       | trucks    |       |
           |                 |                      |           |       |    
Conn.      | 55  55  50  55  | 65  --  --  --       |           |       | 60
           |                 |                      |           |       |    
Delaware   | 65  55  50  55  |                      |           | 96/01 | 60
           |                 |                      |           |       |    
Florida    | 70  65  55  55  |                      |           | 96/04 | 70
           |                 |                      |           |       |    
Georgia    | 70  65  55  65  |                      |           | 96/07 | 70
           |                 |                      |           |       |    
Hawaii     | 55  55  45  55  |                      |           |       | 70
           |                 |                      |           |       |    
Iowa       | 65  55  55  65* |                      |           | 87/05 | 75
           |                 |                      |           |       |    
Idaho      | 75  65  65  55  |                      |           | 96/05 | 70
           |                 | 65  --  --  --  done | trucks    |       |
           |                 |                      |           |       |    
Illinois   | 65  65  55  65* |                      |           | 87/04 | 70
           | 55  55  55  55  | 65  --  --  --       | trucks    |       |
           |                 |                      |           |       |    
Indiana    | 65  55  55  55  |                      |           | 87/06 | 70
           |                 |                      |           |       |    
Kansas     | 70  70  65  55  |                      |           | 96/03 | 75
           |                 |                      |           |       |    
Kentucky   | 65  55  55  55  |                      |           | 87/06 | 70
           |                 |                      |           |       |    
Louisiana  | 70  65  55  60  |                      |           | 97/07 | 70
           |                 |                      |           |       |    
Mass.      | 65  65  55  65  |                      |           | 92/01 | 65
           |                 |                      |           |       |    
Maryland   | 65  55  55  65* |                      |           | 95/07 | 70
           |                 |                      |           |       |    
Maine      | 65  55  55  55  |                      |           | 87/06 | 70
           |                 |                      |           |       |    
Michigan   | 70  55  55  65  |                      |           | 97/01 | 70
           | 70  --  --  65  |                      | trucks    |       |
           |                 |                      |           |       |    
Minnesota  | 70  65  55  65  |                      |           | 97/06 | 65
           |                 |                      |           |       |    
Missouri   | 70  70  60  60  |                      |           | 96/03 | 70
           |                 |                      |           |       |    
Miss.      | 70  65  55  60  |                      |           | 96/03 | 70
           |                 |                      |           |       |    
Montana    | 00  00  00  55  |                      | day       | 95/12 | 00*
           | 65  55  55  55  |                      | night     |       |
           | 65  60  60  55  |                      | trucks    |       |
           |                 |                      |           |       |    
N Carolina | 70  55  55  65  |                      |           | 96/08 | 70
           |                 |                      |           |       |    
N Dakota   | 70  65  65  55  |                      | day       | 96/07 | 75
           | 70  55  55  55  |                      | night     |       |
           |                 |                      |           |       |    
Nebraska   | 75  65  60  55  |                      |           | 96/06 | 75
           |                 |                      |           |       |    
N. Hamp.   | 65  55  55  55  |                      |           | 87/04 | 70
           |                 |                      |           |       |    
New Jersey | 55  55  50  55  | 65  --  --  --  done |           | 98/04 | 60*
           |                 |                      |           |       |    
New Mexico | 75  70  65  55  |                      |           | 96/02 | 70
           |                 |                      |           |       |    
Nevada     | 75  70  70  65  |                      |           | 95/12 | 0
           |                 |                      |           |       |    
New York   | 65  55  55  65* |                      |           | 95/08 | 65
           |                 |                      |           |       |    
Ohio       | 65  65  55  65  |                      |           | 87/07 | 70
           | 55  55  55  55  | 65  65  --  --       | trucks    |       |
           |                 |                      |           |       |    
Oklahoma   | 75* 70  65  60  |                      | day       | 95/12 | 70
           | 75* 65  55  60  |                      | night     |       |
           | 60  60  55  60  |                      | trucks    |       |
           | 55  55  55  55  |                      | nig truck |       |
           | 65  50  ??  ??  |                      | school b. |       |
           |                 | 75  --  65  65  done |           |       |
           |                 |                      |           |       |    
Oregon     | 65  55  55  55  |                      |           | 87/09 | 75
           |                 |                      |           |       |    
Penn.      | 65  55  55  55  | --  --  --  65       |           | 95/07 | 65
           |                 |                      |           |       |    
R. Island  | 65  55  50  55  |                      |           | 96/05 | 60
           |                 |                      |           |       |    
S Carolina | 65  55  55  55  | 70  --  --  --       |           | 87/08 | 70
           |                 |                      |           |       |    
S Dakota   | 75  65  65  55  |                      |           | 96/04 | 75
           | 65  55  55  55  |                      | trucks    |       |
           |                 |                      |           |       |    
Tennessee  | 70  65  55  55  |                      |           | 87/05 | 75
           |                 |                      |           |       |    
Texas      | 70  70  70  70* |                      | day       | 95/12 | 70
           | 65  65  65  55  |                      | night     |       |
           | 60  60  60  55  |                      | trucks    |       |
           | 55  55  55  55  |                      | nig truck |       |
           | 50  50  50  50  |                      | school b. |       |
           |                 |                      |           |       |    
Utah       | 75  65  55  65  |                      |           | 96/06 | 70
           |                 |                      |           |       |    
Virginia   | 65  55  55  55  |                      |           | 88/07 | 70
           |                 |                      |           |       |    
Vermont    | 65  55  50  55  |                      |           | 87/04 | 65
           |                 |                      |           |       |    
Washington | 70  70* 65* 60  |                      |           | 96/03 | 70
           | 60  60  60  60  |                      | trucks    |       |
           |                 |                      |           |       |    
Wisconsin  | 65  55  55  55  |                      |           | 87/06 | 70
           |                 |                      |           |       |    
W Virginia | 70  65  55  60  |                      |           | 97/08 | 70
           |                 |                      |           |       |    
Wyoming    | 75  65  65  60  |                      |           | 95/12 | 75
           |                 |                      |           |       |    

* For Montana: Daytime only, 55 non-interstate/65 interstate night limit
* For Any Other State: Kind of, see the Detailed List for more info

Notes:

  00 = A reasonable & prudent speed or no speed limit
  ?? = A change possible, but I am not sure what to

  mayb = A possible change, but it is questionable
  done = A done deal, just waiting for the signs to be posted

  combinat. = combination vehicles 
  nig truck = night, trucks
  school b. = school buses

Summary
       Daytime Interstate Speed Limit:
# Of States | 55   60   65   70   75   80   85  None
----------------------------------------------------
Pre-NMSL       0    4    5   29   10    0    0    2  
Post-NMSL      0    0    0    0    0    0    0    0


        Prevailing Speed:
                 | 60      65      70      75      None 
--------------------------------------------------------
Pre-NMSL (2)     | 65-70   66-69   71-76   72-76   76-77

See a pattern here? Note how the pre-NMSL speed limits generally
equaled the speed of traffic.  Also notice how when there was NO speed
limit traffic didn't go above 80.  Something that will hopefully
comeback once the NMSL is repealed.  Notice also how only 10 states
had speed limits of 65 or less.

(1) Estimated speed.  They didn't use the the 85th percentile rule
    (prevailing speed) back them.  Source: "Pre NMSL data" {pre-NMSL}


Copyright (c) 1997 by Kevin Atkinson.

A service of the "Reasonable Drivers Unanimous" home page available at
http://metalab.unc.edu/rdu/.

Special thanks to the National Coalition for the Abolition of Speed Limits
(NCASL) and the National Motorist Association (NMA) for providing a lot of
this info.  The NCASL is a newly formed group that advocates the abolition
of all speed limits except in large cities, business districts, and
residential areas.  For more information see there web page at 
http://www.missouri.edu/~c669885/ncasl/.   The NMA is the only real
drivers rights organization in North America. They are the ones that got
the NMSL repealed in the first place. For more information see there web
page at http://www.motorists.com/ or contact them at 608/849-6000; 
nma@motorists.com or 6678 Pertzborn Road, Dane, Wisconsin 53529.

All of the information in this chart comes from official or semi-official 
sources.

Source for Pre-NMSL speed limits: Federal Highway Administration, 1972
except for NC and NJ.

Some of the sources for the current speed limit data:
NCASL
NMA
AAA
"A state-by-state look at speed limits" by the associated press, USA Today
	Online
"DOA States" by Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety
	(http://www.saferoads.org/press/95/strisk/table2.html)


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