Bill to raise speed limits?

Many motorists traveling in the Gainesville region will spend at least a portion of their drive on Interstate 75. The roadway experiences a significant amount of traffic each day, which has led to a number of motor vehicle accidents in the region. Officials have taken several steps to try to make highways throughout the state safer for all motorists, but a new bill has been proposed that could result in more car accidents within the state.

In Florida, the current maximum speed limit is set at 70 miles per hour (mph), which includes interstate highways. The new bill would allow the state’s Department of Transportation to raise speed limits to 75 miles per hour for interstates and restricted access highways in the state. The speed limits for rural, four-lane divided highways would be increased from 65 to 70 mph. Other roadways in the state could set limits at 65 mph.

The proposal has received strong support in both the House and Senate, and could receive a vote shortly. If it passes, traffic engineers would be allowed to analyze the conditions on these roadways, and raise the speed limits where they deem it appropriate.

Critics feel that raising the limit could have a negative impact upon motorist safety. The state already has a cushion in place that prohibits tickets for motorists traveling one to five mph faster than posted speed limits. Police officers are only allowed to issue these drivers warnings. If speed limits increase an additional five mph, this could mean that some drivers will be traveling ten mph faster than they are now in certain locations.

Vehicles traveling at higher rates of speed can cause much more damage if an accident occurs, due to the increased impact of the collision. Individuals occupying the vehicles involved in the crash could suffer much more serious injuries or even death because of the higher speed limits.

If you have been injured in car or truck accident in the state, you should speak to an experienced personal injury attorney to help you recover compensation. You may have several questions about the next steps that you need to take, and it can difficult to know what to do when you are trying to recover from your injuries.

Your attorney will be able to study the accident, and learn more about the parties involved. Once you know more about the options available, you can decide whether or not you wish to accept the settlement offers that you may be receiving from the insurance companies. While your injuries may be placing a strain on your finances, you need to be sure that you know the value of your claims before you accept any of these offers, as the terms will generally prevent additional payments should additional health problems arise.