I firmly believe the proposed freeway speed limit increase would be a mistake. I'm a strong believer that we achieve better gas mileage and cause less air pollution by traveling 65 mph, especially in urban areas. I travel on our freeways (within the proposed areas) at 65 mph. Most of the time if feels like a traffic hazard because almost all the traffic is passing me at about 10 mph faster.
It is faulty judgment to assume raising the speed limit will match the current traffic flow. There is no question that raising the speed limit to 70 mph would produce consistent speeds of around 80 mph. As a result, by obeying the speed limit I create a risk of causing crashes.
I just learned that UHP plans to beef up enforcement of the speed limits. This has been done at times in the past. It lasts for about a month or two then gets lax. Drivers then do what they want.
Bruce Sharp
North Salt Lake