Speed limits on stretches of West Texas interstates have been increased to 80 mph.
"Texans brush aside such concerns as fuel efficiency or the cost of gasoline. Engineers calculate that drivers burn 7% more gas per mile for every 5-mph increase in speed above 60 mph. Texans calculate that their Hummers need bigger gas tanks...
...85% of drivers on the two segments of I-10 and I-20 were averaging 80 mph, 5 mph above the current 75-mph speed limit, so officials reasoned that raising the limit would simply be a bow to reality.
The assumption is that a majority of drivers, if left to their own speedometers, will collectively achieve a safe operating speed, and that speed should be the primary factor in setting the legal limit.
This is not, however, a particularly popular notion among traffic safety experts."
FULL STORY: Feeling the Need for Speed, Texas Raises Its Limit to 80
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