Speed limits frame expectations for drivers and other roadway users. Properly set speed limits provide a safe, consistent, and reasonable speed to protect drivers, pedestrians, and bicyclists along the roadway. At the same time, speed limits can be a source of frustration and confusion; for example, not all drivers like to travel at the same speed, and some people may not understand why the speed limit changes on a particular road. In addition, community residents often have concerns that traffic is moving too fast through their neighborhoods. Understanding the engineering principles and processes used to set speed limits and learning the terminology used to describe them are the first steps in reducing drivers' frustration or confusion and encouraging compliance.
Statutory speed limits are established by State legislatures for specific types of roads (e.g., Interstates, rural highways, urban streets) and can vary from State to State. They are enforceable by law and are applicable even if the speed limit sign is not posted. Examples of statutory speed limits include:
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Posted speed limits (sometimes called regulatory speed limits) are those that are sign-posted along the road and are enforceable by law. A posted speed limit could be the same as the statutory speed set by the State legislature, or it could be established by a city, county, or State transportation agency as an adjustment to the statutory speed limit. Some cities and counties will establish a blanket speed limit for roads in their jurisdictions. Those limits are generally posted at the city limits or county lines. The posted speed limit can differ from the statutory speed limit; in these cases, the posted speed limit is determined using an engineering speed study and takes priority over the established statutory speed limit.
School zone speed limits are used in specific locations during the hours when children are going to and from school. Most States use a school zone speed limit of 15 to 25 mph in urban and suburban areas.
Work zone speed limits are set as part of the work zone's traffic control plan, which is used to help facilitate safe and efficient movement of traffic through a work zone. Factors that influence work zone speed limits can include:
Variable speed limits are displayed on changeable message signs (CMS) at locations where roadway conditions regularly require speeds to reduce more than 10 mph below the posted speed limit. These instances typically occur due to weather conditions, congestion, traffic incidents, and/or work zones. Advisory speeds are a non-regulatory speed posted for a small portion or isolated section of a roadway (e.g., a sharp curve, an exit ramp) to inform a driver of a safe driving speed. They are set using an engineering speed study and in accordance with guidance in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD).
State and local transportation agencies recommend and set appropriate speed limits by completing engineering speed studies and following the guidance presented in the MUTCD. Practitioners may also use a supporting web-based tool called USLIMITS2, which provides an objective second opinion and helps support speed-limit-setting decisions. At times, agencies may need to implement speed management countermeasures to achieve the desired speed for a particular roadway (e.g., in areas with high pedestrian and bicyclist activity). Review FHWA's Speed Management Countermeasures: More than Just Speed Humps for more information on speed management countermeasures.
There were 43,000 traffic deaths across the country in 2021, a 16-year high, according to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Most American drivers spent less time in their vehicles during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. But those who did drive the emptier streets were more likely to engage in dangerous behaviors such as texting, speeding, running red lights and driving under the influence, according to a 2022 report from the American Automobile Association.
Even with an advanced car, said Chuck Farmer, vice president of research and statistical services at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, drivers who speed decrease the time available to correct their mistakes or react to the actions of other drivers.
While some drivers try to follow speed limits, they point out, many others ignore them if a higher speed seems safe and appropriate on a particular road. This can prompt the drivers who want to go faster to weave through traffic as they try to pass slower vehicles.
At least 15 states already have speed limits over 75 mph on rural interstates, and eight of those go up to 80 mph on certain segments, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The higher limits are particularly popular in Western states such as Nevada, South Dakota and Utah.
Some states, including Montana and Nevada, had no speed limits at all until 1974, when Congress and President Richard Nixon set a maximum of 55 mph on all interstate roads. A desire to save energy in the wake of the 1973 oil embargo, not safety, was the impetus for the 55-mph limit. But road fatalities dropped by 16.4% between 1973 and 1974.
The continued push for higher speed limits on rural highways comes at a time when more pedestrian and safety advocates are calling for lower speed limits on arterials and local roads, especially where pedestrians and cyclists are sharing the road with cars, Nelson said.
Environmentalists around the globe also are pushing for lower limits, even in places where speed is lauded as an integral part of the culture. In Germany, for example, where the Autobahn famously has no speed limit at all, environmentalists point to a recent government study showing that setting a limit of 120 kilometers per hour, or about 75 mph, would cut emissions by 6.7 million tons each year.
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A black and yellow speed sign is used with a hazard warning sign to advise motorists of a comfortable speed to navigate certain situations. For instance, when traveling on a winding road, the curve warning sign would be used with an advisory speed sign.
Ensuring the safety of children who cross public streets near schools is the responsibility of drivers, parents, school officials and road authorities. When combined with proven safety strategies, school zone speed limits can be effective.
The research, an update of a 2016 analysis, calls attention to the trade-off between a few minutes of saved travel time and the increased risk of fatalities. It comes as IIHS and the Governors Highway Safety Association prepare to host a forum on the speed problem.
The April 15-16 meeting to be held in Charlottesville, Virginia, and at the IIHS Vehicle Research Center nearby will bring together a diverse group of stakeholders to design a model speed management program. Highway safety advocates, researchers, and local, state and federal officials will speak about different approaches to the problem. The meeting will conclude with breakout sessions in which participants will brainstorm the building blocks of a speed management program and how it would be evaluated.
"About 10,000 people a year die in speed-related crashes," IIHS President David Harkey says. "We can reduce this toll through effective, high-visibility enforcement and traffic engineering measures. Reasonable speed limits also have a crucial role to play, as our new study demonstrates." 152ee80cbc
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