WI is having a high-speed 'Duh' moment

There has been an increase in crashes and injuries after WI raised its speed limit to 70 m.p.h.

WisDOT photo

Who'd have thunk that?

Not our highway-happy special interest Legislative servants, though they were urged not to follow the bad example already set by neighboring states:

MADISON, Wis. (AAA) -- AAA Wisconsin is urging the Wisconsin State Senate to stop proposed legislation that would raise the maximum speed limit on rural highways to 70 mph due to concerns that higher speeds make it more difficult for vehicles to slow or stop in order to avoid a collision, and can increase the severity of resultant crashes…. 

The evidence from neighboring states provides a clear warning: higher speed limits lead to higher rates of truck involvement in fatal crashes. According to the most recent data available from NHTSA (2012), Wisconsin’s rate for large truck involvement in fatal crashes was 7.4 percent, while Minnesota and Iowa - which allow trucks to travel 70 mph on rural highways - were at 10 and 13.2 percent, respectively. 

Michigan, which has a differential speed limit that keeps trucks below 60 mph even in places where cars are allowed to travel 70 mph, was well below Wisconsin at 5.2 percent. Illinois, which still had a maximum speed limit of 65 mph in 2012, was slightly higher than Wisconsin but still significantly below Minnesota and Iowa.