SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Utah drivers soon could get where they’re going a little faster after officials announced Thursday that they want to create additional 80 mph speed-limit zones on rural freeways.
The state Department of Transportation plan also would give every interstate at least one stretch of road where drivers can legally hit 80 mph. Most other sections of Utah highway have speed limits of 70 or 75 mph.
UDOT outlined the plan to the Utah Transportation Commission on Thursday and is starting to present it to the Utah Highway Patrol and cities and counties that would be affected.
Jason Davis, UDOT’s operations director, said the faster speed limits could be posted in a few weeks if there’s no opposition, The Salt Lake Tribune reported (https://bit.ly/1ejZMPJ ).
Besides Utah, Texas, Wyoming, Idaho and South Dakota also have some stretches of road with speed limits of 80 mph or higher.
Utah began testing the zones in 2009 in rural areas. Lawmakers voted in 2013 to expand the program, saying the higher speeds lead to fewer car crashes because many drivers already are traveling that fast and they would be less likely to encounter slower drivers that can lead to last-minute braking and accidents.
In addition to adding more 80 mph zones this year, transportation officials also want to raise speeds from 70 mph to 75 mph in some areas.
Under the proposal, speed limits would go up on most of Interstate 70 between Colorado and Interstate 15; on Interstate 84 from Riverdale to Echo Junction; and on Interstate 80 from Echo Junction to Wyoming.
UDOT studies show that in many areas where officials want to raise speeds, 85 percent of drivers already are driving faster than the speed limit, Davis said.
He said agency research says that increasing posted speed limits only quickens traffic by an average of 1 to 2 mph because the limits already match driver habits.
“People tend to travel at the speed they are comfortable with and feel safe,” Davis said. “Posted speed limits actually are less of a factor.”
UDOT has reported that highway deaths jumped by about a third this year, but state transportation officials said most of those occurred on roads with low speed limits and involved distracted drivers or people not wearing seat belts.
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Information from: The Salt Lake Tribune, https://www.sltrib.com
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