(Des Moines) Beginning next month, drivers will see higher speed limits on two-lane state highways and rural roads. Governor Kim Reynolds recently signed a law raising the limit from 55 to 60 miles per hour.
Iowa State Patrol Trooper and District #4 Public Information Officer Shelby McCreedy said the will take effect on July 1. Trooper McCreedy says the Iowa State Patrol opposes this bill for various reasons, with safety as the top priority.
Trooper McCreedy says when you look at fatal and serious injury crashes, speed is a contributing factor in the majority of crashes in Iowa.
Trooper McCreedy says there will be many more tickets issued for speeds five miles over the limit.
Iowa Department of Transportation District Planner Scott Suhr states that a lot of the state’s two-lane highways are designed for 55 miles per hour. He says even though motorists can increase their speed, it does not mean they should go 60 miles per hour.
Suhr says a lot of these highways are narrow, and edge ruts are an issue. Motorists traveling 65 to 70 miles per hour who hit an edge rut could cause their vehicle to lose control. He admits that many of the state’s highways have improved safety features, such as rumble strips, larger, brighter signs, and wider pavement markings. Not to mention guard cables on the Interstate systems and guardrails around the bridges.
“We have all of these safety features in place, but at the end of the day, it all comes down to the person in the car, and the driver’s behavior.”
