Chat with Chic, February 7, 1985

Chat with Chic 2/7/85 A Report from Washington By U.S. Senator Chic Hecht When I introduced S.329, the Highway Speed Modification Act of 1985, in the United States Senate January 31, the legislation became the first realistic approach toward altering the 55 mph speed law and, to date, response has been very favorable. I emphasize that my bill does not repeal 55, for I believe, as the National Research Council indicates, that in certain in-stances, 55 mph is justified. But on the other hand, in rural areas and on highways original-ly constructed to be traveled at higher speeds, some alteration in the law should be made. These are significant changes to current law that S.329 makes: ? it allows each state to raise speed limits as high as 65 mph on roads outside urban areas, defined as communities of 50,000 people or more. ? it gives states the right to determine which roads, outside urban areas, are suitable for higher speeds. -- it holds speed limits within urban areas at the current 55 mph. Most significantly, this bill returns to the states most of the rights they had prior to 1974 with regard to speed limits and I look forward to the states having those rights once again. Response to this legislation from Senate colleagues has been encouraging and I am hopeful significant progress can be made this session of congress. My bill comes as the result of extensive travel throughout all of Nevada. During annual "Chat with Chic" tours, I've been constantly amazed by the unpopularity of the 55 mph law. Out of 400 letters sent out to gauge support for 55, clearly 98% of those responding favored some alteration of the law. Page 2, Chat with Chic And since that time, I've sought opinion of my advisory committees and various constituent groups; consulted with highway user organi-zations and the Nevada Department of Transportation. Additionally, I've worked with senate colleagues to develop balanced and workable legislation to change the current 55 mph mandate. While there is little doubt that 55 is unpopular, another reason for introducing legislation stems from the recent report of the National Research Council (NRC) which left open the question of whether or not the current law should be changed. The NRC report generally acknowledged benefits of the 55 mph law, citing fuel savings and lower highway fatality rates. But the NRC also recognized that 55 mph is in jeopardy, stating: "As with many other policies that attempt to modify public behavior, benefits of the 55 mph speed limit diminished along with public awareness and compliance with the law." The question of compliance is significant because estimates today show that over 75 percent of all drivers exceed the 55 mph limit. While there are other facts and statistics that support changing 55, one of importance concerns fatality rates and traffic speeds. Since enactment of 55, the national average speed traveled by motorists has risen steadily. In contrast, the national highway fatality rate continues to decline. This reduction in fatalities can directly be attributed to safety improvements made in our vehicles, the improved construction of highways which include more safety features and the advancement and improvement of emergency medical care and facilities.