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For the third time in recent years, legislation offered in Illinois calls for bringing an end to split speed limits on the state’s interstate highways.
Rep. Robert Flider, D-Decatur, and Sen. John Sullivan, D-Rushville, have taken up the battle to eliminate the provision that set up slower speed limits on rural interstates for vehicles weighing more than 8,000 pounds.
Currently, those vehicles are required to travel 10 mph below the 65 mph speed limit for other vehicles. If approved, the new rule would clear all vehicles to drive 65 mph.
Gov. Blagojevich vetoed the bill in 2003 and 2004…
Blagojevich said at the time he fears that faster trucks would mean bloodier accidents because the force of impact is stronger the faster a vehicle is traveling, The Associated Press reported.
But Flider disagrees…
“Studies have shown that uniform speed limits are safer in many instances. There are occurrences of a car driver coming upon a truck and suddenly realizing that truck is driving a lot slower. That can create some challenges on a busy highway, Flider said. “It seems to me, and I think studies have concluded, uniform speed limits actually would be safer as long as everybody follows the speed limit.â€
Question: Which side are you on and why?
posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Mar 27, 07 @ 8:54 am
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If Rep. Flider’s argument that uniform speeds actually create safer highways then why not introduce a bill making cars slow down to truck speeds. Since his bill will always be met with a veto and he truly cares about safety then the next logical step would be to lower car speeds but he has not done so…i think he has other interests at heart other than highway safety
Comment by anon Tuesday, Mar 27, 07 @ 9:03 am
Who goes 65? Right now trucks do!
Why? Because NO ONE drives the speed limit.
If Flider’s proposal passes, trucks will go faster than the speed limit. Raise it to 65? They will do 80.
I drive a Saturn wagon with three toddlers in it. I do not want to risk our lives for the sake of a truck deliver schedule.
Just how many burning mini vans full of children does Flider wish to risk to satisfy his need for uniform speeds? He is not thinking like a parent, he is thinking like some kind of robot.
Comment by VanillaMan Tuesday, Mar 27, 07 @ 9:19 am
I agree with VanillaMan (for a change), I see no reason why my safety needs to be impacted. Trucks already go 65 with apparently no fear of law enforcement (just as many cars go 75). If a driver is so impaired that he cannot realize that the vehicle ahead of himself is going at a slower rate of speed, then he is too impaired to be safely driving.
Comment by cermak_rd Tuesday, Mar 27, 07 @ 9:35 am
You guys are missing the point… I drive I-74 and I-80 quite a bit. When in Illinois, there is almost constant lane switching because of the semi’s driving slower. When we get to Iowa on 80, it is much more mellow because of the uniform speed limit. (and that is with a 70mph limit) Additionally, statistics are wishy washy on which way is better. So we aren’t giving up safety for convenience. If you want to be safe and drive at 55, thats your choice. But why complicate things for other drivers by having differing speeds that cause more lane changes and traffic mishaps.
Comment by Robbie Tuesday, Mar 27, 07 @ 9:43 am
It is obvious that Flider spends time driving the interstate system and realizes the dangers involved with the split system. I think the fact that the state troopers on the road have allowed these trucks to cruise at 65mph should tell us what they think. I have noticed that the truck driver that is weaving in and out of traffic tend to be the ones that get stopped. How many people that argue for keeping the split speed limit try to keep up with traffic on the expressways. Do you not feel safer going with the flow?
Comment by Logical Tuesday, Mar 27, 07 @ 9:59 am
As someone who drives about 30,000 yr between Spfld and Chicago, I am against increasing the speed limit for the trucks. Having them in the right lane going 65-70 makes it much safer and less stressful. Trucks bearing down on you from behind and passing you is only a recipe for disaster.
Comment by RickMonday Tuesday, Mar 27, 07 @ 10:02 am
I’ll consider the need for increasing the limit the day that I can drive for five miles at 65 mph on the interstate system without an 18-wheeler passing me.
We already have a de facto higher speed limit.
– SCAM
Comment by So-Called "Austin Mayor" Tuesday, Mar 27, 07 @ 10:07 am
Compromise, make 60 mph the speed limit for everyone.
Comment by i d Tuesday, Mar 27, 07 @ 10:23 am
I drive 65 most of the time on non-Chicago Met area highways, occasionally creeping up to 69 when the situation warrants it. I don’t mind lane changes to pass semis. Lane changes should not be inherently dangerous, we are talking about divided highways after all. Passing another vehicle on a divided highway is only dangerous when the passer is distracted, the passer is going too fast for conditions, or large hooved mammals are in the passing lane.
Comment by cermak_rd Tuesday, Mar 27, 07 @ 10:34 am
The split speed limit was stupid then, is stupid now and remains stupid. Go Flider.
Comment by JW Tuesday, Mar 27, 07 @ 10:39 am
It’s 10mph. Let em’ all drive 65, I say.
Comment by Oy Vey Tuesday, Mar 27, 07 @ 11:13 am
The real QOTD is did Capt Fax did his mirrors back before leaving home? or is there another visual assault in the works?
Comment by Reddbyrd Tuesday, Mar 27, 07 @ 12:02 pm
Trucking safety goes way beyond the issue of a speed limit, and I think everyone knows what I’m talking about. That being said, make it 60 MPH and increase regular vehicle speed to 70 MPH. Why not? Nearly all truckers - even gas tankers - go at least 60. And how many drivers actually drive the speed limit? I would guess very few.
Comment by Team Sleep Tuesday, Mar 27, 07 @ 12:03 pm
I’m for the same speed limit for everyone, I’m willing to go 65 or 70….sure we can slow down around metropolitan areas. But the big issue is and always has been enforcement.
Comment by Kevin Highland Tuesday, Mar 27, 07 @ 12:27 pm
Since this is a safety issue, why not let the professional safety community make that assessment. This is just another case of politicians pretending to know better than the real experts. Whats next deciding on what medical treatments are appropriate for an ailment?
Comment by plutocrat03 Tuesday, Mar 27, 07 @ 12:30 pm
I know exactly what some of the other posters are talking about with regards to having to slow down for semi trucks. I do think it would be safer to go the same speed. I think 70 on an interstate is reasonable.
Comment by Bridget Dooley Tuesday, Mar 27, 07 @ 12:55 pm
There is a driver expectation that vehicles are likely to go the same speed on the interstate highways.
Whenever there are differential speeds (slower truck, faster cars), there are always the risks of increased numbers of crashes, rear end, side swipe, off road, roll over, etc. Usually it is a distracted driver failing to notice the slower vehicle in time for a safe lane change.
Up until 2003 IDOT had crash data available which included state wide crash rates. Outside IDOT District 1, the 2001-2003 crash rate for rural interstates, such as I-80, I-57 or I-55 was 1.305 crashes per million vehicles miles travelled. Please note that the crash rate does not include hitting animals such as deer.
I will try to simply explain the crash rate. Take a 1 mile stretch of road, count the vehicles that go by, for every 1,000,000 vehicles, there ought to be about 1.305 crashes Anything less the roadway is considered safer than the average rural interstate highway.
Here is the equation for a 3 year crash rate: Crash Rate = (# of Crashes * 1,000,000)/(Avg Daily Traffic * 365 days * 3 years)
As a driver, I am not afraid of getting hit by a semi-truck. I am more afraid of getting hit by drivers of any other 4 wheeled vehicle. Too many times, I have had other drivers of cars and pick up trucks tailgating, cutting me off etc. I’ll take driving with semi-trucks over other cars/pick ups anyday.
There is one other thing to remember, the driver of a semi-truck is at work. Wrecking his truck means he is out of a job.
PTOE stands for Professional Traffic Operations Engineer, pronunced patooee
Comment by PE - PTOE Tuesday, Mar 27, 07 @ 1:24 pm
This is one of those pieces of “do nothing” legilsation that wastes time in the legislature. Leave the speed limits the way they are, and worry about enforcement.
While im not a fan of our Guv, hats off to him for the veto, hope he does it again.
Comment by pickles!! Tuesday, Mar 27, 07 @ 1:55 pm
Mr. Patooee, thank you for an excellent explanation of the technical issues behind the bill. As another I-55 frequent flier, I am inclined to support it as well. Were I a GA member, I would want to call in Director Trent for his professional opinion and also receive a briefing on where the State Police cars are these days, because many a day, they’re not on the highways. Other than the around speed traps we all know about, it’s generally more likely to see a yellow Lamborghini on the double nickel than a striped-out Crown Vic.
Comment by Arthur Andersen Tuesday, Mar 27, 07 @ 2:07 pm
In the West the interstate speeds are 75 mph for everyone. There are no more “bloody crashes” out there than in IL. Our goofy speed limits is another reason travelers drive around our state to avoid driving through it.
Comment by Shelbyville Tuesday, Mar 27, 07 @ 2:09 pm
I’ve rarley seen truckers driving the speed limit. In fact I’ve had numerous truckers literally suck the paint off my doors as they blow by me. These people are lunatics.
Comment by Milorad Tuesday, Mar 27, 07 @ 2:18 pm
Speed is not the issue here—it’s the fact that you have two objects moving in the same direction at different velocities. Sooner or later the two have to interact, and that’s where the problem lies (at least in Illinois). Most accidents on interstates involve lane changes, rear enders, etc. Don’t buy the arguement of the AAA that it takes longer to stop. I’ve never seen a stop light on the interstate! Deer, yes. Stop light, no.
Comment by Informed Citizen Tuesday, Mar 27, 07 @ 2:21 pm
I guess I’ll have to do my own scientific poll and next time I get out of “Po-dunk”, I’ll try to do two things at one time. No, that won’t be drive and talk on the cell phone. I’ll try to keep track of the number of cars that pass me vs. the number of semi-trucks. My perception is it’s more trucks than cars but I’ll conduct my survey and get back to you all.
Comment by Little Egypt Tuesday, Mar 27, 07 @ 2:32 pm
Shelbyville, u mean people actually avoid Illinois, the land Lincoln loved? There’s so much to do and see here. Why would anyone bypass such a beautifuk, utopia like state?
Comment by pickles!! Tuesday, Mar 27, 07 @ 2:39 pm
Here is a website with the crash statistics from 2004 & 2005:
www.dot.state.il.us/travelstats/final2005crashfacts.pdf
On page 11, there are 2 charts which list the vehicles involved in a crash. You are 36 times as likely being hit by a car or pick up truck than being hit by a semi-truck.
Please review the facts before getting excited about “getting killed by a speeding semi”. More people got killed in crashes involving passenger cars than crashes involving trucks.
I will take my chances with trucks.
Comment by PE - PTOE Tuesday, Mar 27, 07 @ 3:19 pm
Quote: “as long as everybody follows the speed limit.†But they do not obey the speed limit. And in the winter and on rain slick roads, large trucks take enormous distances to stop. Take a truck that is running 64 with a 55 mile per hour speed limit and bump it’s speed up to 74 and you have a problem: Longer stopping distances and increased chance of control loss. There is no possible way that the Illinois State Police has enough staffing, (after years of cuts by EVERY governor since Jim Thompson), to keep these trucks going 65. What our good friend does not tell you is that commercial motor vehicles and trucks have an astronomically higher rate of fatal accidents compared to smaller motor vehicles. When a truck crashes, somebody is going to get hurt. This change in the law will make the lobbyists for the trucking industry happy but will cost the lives of mothers, fathers, children, friends, co-workers and nieghbors. This is a bad idea.
Comment by Freezeup Tuesday, Mar 27, 07 @ 3:56 pm
-Pe-Petoe-
You are taking statistics out of context. There are more passenger vehicles and pickup trucks than large trucks, therefore more crashes involving passenger cars etc.
If you are involved in a crash with a large truck you are many, many more times likely to be killed or seriously injured. Period. My personal experiences patrolling the interstates of this state back up that statistic. (Or should I say at least in this instance I believe the stats!)
I have never, in almost twenty years of patrolling the interstates of Illinois, handled a crash that was caused by differential speed limit. Never. I HAVE handled many crashes that were more severe due to increased speed of large trucks. Especially in inclement weather.
Most trucks with the current speed limit travel the interstates at 60-64 miles per hour. I personally do not feel that it is fair to most drivers to cite the driver at those speeds, as that speed could be an inadvertant violation and I am in the business of finding the most severe violation I can find at any given time. This change in the law will cause most truck traffic to travel 70-74 miles per hour. Again, most officers won’t write tickets for this speed. Of course some companies mechanically govern their trucks to travel only 60 miles per hour top speed for 1)Safety, 2) Fuel consumption. If those large companies think it is unsafe for a large truck to go faster, well then we agree!
Comment by Freezeup Tuesday, Mar 27, 07 @ 4:12 pm
AAA and the Chicago Motor Club oppose raising the speed limits for trucks. Higher speeds will mean higher numbers of fatalities. Surrounding states - Missouri, Iowa, and, Kansas - saw fatalities in crashes involving trucks rise by 27% after they allowed trucks to go as fast as cars. The simple fact is that it is more difficult for trucks
to stop or make evasive
maneuvers when travelling at higher speeds. Also, Flider’s bill would apply to a number of non-interstates, 4-lane, divided highways with intersections and stoplights where lane switches and stops are more frequent and evasive maneuvers are necessary more often. It’s just unsafe to have big trucks going faster.
Comment by AAA Tuesday, Mar 27, 07 @ 4:31 pm
AAA please cite your statistic. I would be interested in reading that study. I regularly drive Iowa’s interstates and have not noticed an increase.
Comment by Robbie Tuesday, Mar 27, 07 @ 4:45 pm
Has everyone forgotten that the 55 mph speed limit was implemented for fuel conservation? That was the speed where vehicles got maximum fuel efficiency. They later found it contributed to safety. Are we really concerned about our dependence of “foreign fuels” and the terrorism our purchase of gasoline funds? Start with a repeated analysis of what speed produces the greatest efficiency and go with it.
Comment by NoGiftsPlease Tuesday, Mar 27, 07 @ 6:35 pm
If I bent the statistics - I apoligize. However, knowing that on I-80 west of I-55 that approximately 35-40% of the vehicles are semi-trucks, I will still take my chances with semi-trucks over cars and pickups.
Being hit by a car may kill you, being hit by a semi-truck will make the paste a little softer.
The point is that the number of crashes involving cars is not proportional to the number of cars on the road. There are MORE fatal crashes involving cars and pick up trucks that there are involving semi-trucks. Go look at the data. The numbers are significant - in 2005 there were 575,957 fatalities involving cars vs. 17,902 involving semi-trucks.
Here is the website again: http://www.dot.state.il.us/travelstats/final2005crashfacts.pdf
Look at page 11. I used to work for IDOT. I spent too much time looking at crash reports. I saw more drivers of cars and pick up trucks getting into accidents that semi-trucks. On orders of magnatude in difference.
Again, I will take my chances with semi-trucks any day.
Comment by PE - PTOE Tuesday, Mar 27, 07 @ 7:16 pm
Hey AAA, My understanding is that AAA ENDORSED an increased uniform speed limit in Iowa, saying that a uniform speed limit is safer. Why is it safer in Iowa and not on Illinois’s rural interstates?
Comment by Informed Citizen Tuesday, Mar 27, 07 @ 7:43 pm
If any of you have ever driven across the bridge from Missouri to Illinois…there’s the accident waiting to happen because the trucks are slamming on the brakes to slow down from the 70 MPH Missouri speed limit to the Illinois 55.
Comment by Joe Schmoe Tuesday, Mar 27, 07 @ 7:46 pm
It seems in this day and age of extremely high gas prices, uncertainty in the Middle East, ongoing war in Iraq, upcoming war in Iran, we should be looking to lower the speed limit and seek to conserve oil. We don’t need to go faster and faster. We need to slow down and be safer. Flider is thinking with his ethanol hat.
Comment by Saul Campbelle Tuesday, Mar 27, 07 @ 8:48 pm
I got a goofy idea. how about ask the only highway engineer in the GA, a person who by education and experience is an expert in highway safety, what he thinks. how did dale risinger vote? on which side did he speak up?
Comment by matt jones Tuesday, Mar 27, 07 @ 8:52 pm
answer: sb2374 co-sponsor, SEN. Dale Risinger
Comment by matt jones Tuesday, Mar 27, 07 @ 9:15 pm