April 8, 2019—The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety released a study last week that looks at the correlation between traffic fatalities and speed limit increases in the U.S., according to CNET. The study is an update of 2016 research.
The IIHS estimates that around 10,000 people die per year in speed-related traffic incidents and that better, more visible enforcement of speed laws could reduce that number. Currently, the highest posted speed limit in the country is 85 miles per hour, posted in Texas. Most American states--41 out of 50--have freeway speed limits of 70 miles per hour.
In total, the IIHS is laying the blame for the deaths of 37,000 people over the last 25 years at the feet of state regulators, owing to their increases in speed limits.
