80 MPH spee limit in Texas?
 

From Yahoo News this morning.....

The nation's top legal driving speed soon could rise to a long-forbidden 80 mph as Texas moves toward increasing the limit on parts of two interstate highways.

A study by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) found that 85% of drivers on the affected highways already drive 76-79 mph, says Carlos Lopez, the agency's traffic operations chief.

TxDOT has been studying the proposal since the Legislature last year authorized increasing the speed limit from 70 or 75 to 80 mph in 10 mostly rural counties.

The five-member Texas Transportation Commission, which has the final say, is expected to consider the proposal May 25, TxDOT spokesman Mike Cox says.

If it approves, the new speed limit would be posted within a week. "Our folks are working right now on fabricating signs," Lopez says.

The move comes amid soaring gas prices. The Department of Energy says that gas mileage drops sharply at speeds over 60 mph, and that drivers can assume that each 5 mph over 60 is like paying an additional 20 cents per gallon of gas.

American drivers have not seen a "Speed Limit 80" sign in more than three decades. The Kansas Turnpike had an 80-mph limit beginning in 1956, and Nevada and Montana had no numeric limits on some rural highways at times in the past. In 1974, Congress instituted a national 55-mph limit, which it lifted in 1995. States now set speed limits, even on federal highways. Thirteen states in the West and Midwest have 75-mph limits.

Some Texas officials oppose higher limits. "If the speed limit is raised to 80, everybody is going to be doing 85 or 90," says Hudspeth County Judge Becky Dean-Walker, the top elected official in one county facing the move to 80. "That's just human nature."



Everyone drives 80mph now anyhow, so what's the point?

i hope somone runs george W# 2 down on there way to honky tonk rodeo

Yay another law that means nothing. Wish these fucktards in federal and local governments would cut the bullshit and do stuff to help the people that they represent.

60 mph with beer, 80 mph without

Means nothing? It means I may not be getting quite so many speeding tickets.

Bring it on. It needs to be raised everyone drives that fast anyways.

As previously mentioned - everyone drives 80mph anyways. It's the same thing in California - the speed limit on the 5 in san diego is 75mph - but everyone is doing 85mph anyways

friving across the us last week I got 2 tickets in texas so go for it.

Now they can almost hit 90 and have no worries.

If it gets raised to 80, people will just drive at 90 :winkwink:

:1orglaugh :1orglaugh So true.

That would be nice here in certain parts of Canada

EXACTLY:thumbsup

that is wrong.
very wrong.
they should give Texas back to the Mexicans and that would cure most if not all of the United States problems.

no way, thats wayyyy too fucking slow :\

I live close to an area where they plan on doing this..its a welcome change..its in very rural areas only..long stretches of nuttin but interstate..it will be nice to be able to make better time thru those areas and not having to worry about DPS pulling ya over out there.

Nice!!!!!!!!

When I drive to fl the speed limit is 70 I drive 85 most of the way but I can see you make the limit 80 people will be driving 100 and roads in the US arent built for speed like ones in europe.

One foot on the brake and one on the gas, hey!
Well, there's too much traffic, I can't pass, no!
So I tried my best illegal move
A big black and white come and crushed my groove again!

CHORUS:
Go on & write me up for 125
Post my face, wanted dead or alive
Take my license n' all that jive
I can't drive hahaha201; 55! Oh No! Uh!

So I signed my name on number 24, hey!
Yeah the judge said, "Boy, just one more
I'm gonna throw your ass in the city joint"
Looked me in the eye, said, "You get my point?"
I said "Yeah!, Oh yea!"

CHORUS II:
Write me up for 125
Post my face, wanted dead or alive
Take my license, all that jive
I can't drive hahaha201; 55!
Oh, yea!

I can't drive 55! (four times)
Uh! (Solo)

When I drive that slow, you know it's hard to steer.
And I can't get my car out of second gear.
What used to take two hours now takes all day.
Huh - It took me 16 hours to get to L.A.!

CHORUS:
Go on & write me up for 125
Post my face, wanted dead or alive
Take my license n' all that jive
I can't drive 55!

No, no, no, I can't drive...(I can't drive 55!)
I can't drive... (I can't drive 55!)
I can't drive 55!

Good move by Texas

that would be great, then i wouldn't be paying so much in tickets each year :(

people with piece of shit cars are gonna be in trouble

Texas is gonna be filled with lots of slow moving vehicles and that really sucks.