Setting speed limits has traditionally been the responsibility of states, except for the period of 1973-1994. During that time, the federal government enacted mandatory speed limit ceilings on interstate highways and similar limited access roads through a National Maximum Speed Limit.
In 1995, the federal government repealed the 55 miles per hour National Maximum Speed Limit allowing states to to set their own speed limits. Since then, 34 states have raised speed limits to 70 mph or higher on some portion of their roadway systems, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA).
With a speed limit of 85 mph on specified segments of rural interstates, Texas is the fastest state in the country. The state’s average speed limit for all three types of roadways (rural and urban interstates and limited-access roads) is 78.3. That’s nearly 2 mph greater than the next-fastest state, Idaho, which has speed limit of 80 mph for cars on specified segments of rural and urban interstates, and an average top speed of 76.7 mph.
Live in Alaska or District of Columbia? Then you live in the slowest states. Both states have a top speed and average speed limit of 55 mph, according to the GHSA. Delaware, Hawaii, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont are also on the slower end of the speed spectrum.
According to the GHSA, several states have set different speed limits for cars and trucks and urban or rural roadways. Some states apply different speed limits to the same type of roadway, depending on various conditions. In some states, the nighttime and daytime speed limits are different as well, said the non-profit organization.
And while raised speed limits can mean making more time on your road trip, safety advocates such as the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says raising speed limits leads to more deaths. More than 10,000 deaths — about a third of all crash fatalities — occurred in speed-related crashes in 2012, said the organization.
For the list of actual speed limits for both urban and rural interstates, as well as other limited access roads, in each state, visit the GHSA website.
