JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KY3) -A new Missouri law going into effect later this month will allow the state to raise the maximum speed limit to 75 miles per hour on select highways.
The Missouri State Highway Commission will have the authority to raise the speed limit by 5 miles per hour on Interstates 35, 44, 55 and 70 starting August 28.
Urban areas with posted speed limits currently under 70 miles per hour will be permitted to keep those lower limits. This does not automatically raise speed limits; the Highway Commission has to enact the new limits where they see fit.
The current speed limit on most parts of the Missouri Interstate system is 70 miles per hour. Missouri State Highway Patrol Trooper Chase Fox said drivers most often exceed that limit by a modest margin.
“I think more frequently we see a range between 5 to 10 over the posted speed limit,” Fox said.
Fox noted that hundreds of active construction zones on the affected interstates are adding complexity to speed enforcement. Speed limits along much of Interstate 70 currently vary between 50 and 70 miles per hour due to construction activity. Fox encourages drivers to stay aware of posted limits.
“Fortunately, when they have the time and resources, we do high-visibility projects where an aircraft will come up and monitor speed for us to assist us in speed enforcement in construction zones,” Fox said.
Fox says increased speeds can lead to more unsafe situations.
“Increased speed does now also require greater braking distance and stuff like that, and when you’re talking about seconds to react out on a highway, I think those two factors correlate with one another,” Fox said. “So yeah, I think speed is a contributing factor to crashes.”
The Missouri Department of Transportation declined an on-camera interview but provided a written statement saying they’re evaluating the eligible locations.
“MoDOT has the responsibility to set speed limits that are reasonably safe considering the various factors of each roadway, such as traffic volume,” a department spokesperson said. “The passage of this bill allows the department to increase that limit in areas where it’s determined to be reasonably safe to do so.”
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