You Gotta Love Texas!

I love to drive, and yes I have been known to speed some or all of the time. I am not an advocate of dangerous, uncontrollable, or reckless driving. I do believe that maintaining safe control of a vehicle can be done at higher speeds as long as the flow of traffic or road conditions allow. If you have ever been to Texas you know people drive fast. The roads in Texas are awesome! They are smooth, straight, and wide. Texas drivers bring their fast driving habits to other states too. Texan license plates are the most common out of state tag seen in South Louisiana.

Texas has just raised it's speed limit on rural stretches in the western part of the state to 80 mph, up from 75 mph. The rest of the state boasts a 70 mph speed limit on nearly every highway from Interstate to 2 lane state roads. Louisiana has a 70 mph limit on interstate highways, 65 on divided highways, and 55 on two lane. The state senate passed a bill last week to raise Louisiana's Interstate limit to 75 mph! I know some aren't big fans of high speed limits, but I would prefer them. Since the majority of drivers are going 75 safely anyway, upping the limit would free up law enforcement to target agressive, reckless, or drunk drivers.

Between home and New Orleans for example, I usually have a cruising speed of 75 to 80, anything over 80 is uncomfortable. Many people think that by raising the limit people will automatically run 10 mph over anyway. If the limit was 75, I don't see myself going over 80, and if fines were doubled, as they did in Texas, I think compliance would be even greater. In Illinois 1-19 over is $75. In Louisiana, just 1 mph over is $129! Speed in a construction zone, fines are doubled. Texas fines are double what Louisiana has in 80 mph speed zones, so 81 will set you back $258!

Now, if only Mississippi, Arkansas, and Missouri would go to 75 or 80, then I-55 wouldn't seem so boring! 30 years ago, higher gas prices meant lower speed limits to conserve energy. Since so much oil and gas revenue comes through Texas and Louisiana, it seems only fitting that we raise the limits to keep guzzling gas at a record pace to keep the price and revenue up! It's all about us right?