80MPH on Highway 130 near Austin, TX (WIP)

9/23/13

http://www.reporternews.com/news/2013/mar/09/traffic-fatalities-on-the-rise-in-west-texas-of/

“…Interstate highways have some of the highest posted speed limits and have the most miles traveled of any roadways in the state, but account for the fewest number of fatal wrecks. Spokesman Senior Trooper Phillip “Sparky” Dean said interstates tend to be safer. “Interstates are for the most part pretty straight,” he said. “You’ve got two lanes going the same direction.”

State and U.S. highways were the leading locations of fatal wrecks in Taylor County from 2008-11, accounting for 24 of 68 fatal crashes. Dean said this could be explained by people getting complacent with driving on familiar highways. “People are crashing on a straight piece of roadway,” he said. “A lot of that is the attitude that it’ll never happen to me — This could happen to you. No one is exempt.”

Carol Rawson, TxDOT traffic operations director based in Austin, said interstates are the safest because they’re built the best. “Our interstate highways are built to our highest standards. We have nice lanes, big shoulders. The interstate is your best level of road,” Rawson said.

The speed limit on some interstate, state and U.S. highways was raised from 70 to 75 mph in 2012. U.S. 277 north of Abilene saw the posted speed increase in late 2012. National and state data hasn’t caught up to reflect this change, but Rawson said she doesn’t expect there to be a substantial uptick in fatality numbers because “most people were traveling at that speed anyway.”