Lawmakers propose faster speeds on Texas interstates

Texas lawmakers are currently seeking to eliminate slower night time truck speed limits in an effort to save the state money, news station KHOU reports.

Currently, the speed limit on most rural highways is 70 miles per hour during day and 65 mph at night. Interstate-10 allows vehicles to reach 80, which is the highest in the country. However, truck drivers can legally only operate at 60 miles per hour.

Under the proposed legislation, speed limits would be increased to 75 mph during both day and night, and allow highly populated cities to set a lower limit on highways. However, officials from the Texas Motor Transportation Association that may not be efficient for vehicles and could become unsafe to public safety.


"You want that mile per gallon to last you as long as it can," John Esparza, president of the Texas Motor Transportation Association, told the news source "Once you start topping 65 mph, you are not getting the most efficient use of your fuel."

Safety directors can enroll their employees in online truck driver safety training courses to educate young drivers on the best practices of operating at safe speeds.

According to a 2010 study from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, nearly 93,000 injuries were reported from large truck accidents.

Lawmakers propose faster speeds on Texas interstates

Friday, February 18th, 2011