Changing State Speed Limits

I wholeheartedly agree with James J. Kilpatrick’s view (Editorial Pages, March 13) that the states should be allowed to set the speed limits for their own highways.

Speaking as a skier who drives annually to Salt Lake City via I-15, experience has shown me that the idea of being restricted to a speed of 55 m.p.h. through 600 miles of rural desert can only be considered a perverse bureaucratic joke. I-15 is a well-designed and sparsely traveled highway. Some portions of it stretch laser-straight to the horizon 12 miles away. I fail to see how a limit of 65 m.p.h. can be more dangerous than one of 55 under these conditions.

Utah has recently taken a sensible approach to the 55 issue. The Utah Legislature has passed a fuel conservation ticketing law that will go into effect this May if not vetoed by the state’s governor (a low probability). This new law would mean that drivers caught driving safely between 55 and 67 could only be ticketed for wasting gas. The fine would be a maximum of $25, and no “points” would be placed on the driver’s record. Furthermore, in recognition that driving faster than 55 can be safe, these tickets could not be reported to insurance companies.

I would like to see California pass a similar law for rural highways only. City highways are crazy enough at 55 m.p.h. and should be kept at that limit.

MARK BIXBY

Newport Beach

Kilpatrick is so right, but I don’t think he went far enough.

Those government experts that so profoundly proclaim that the drop in highway deaths is attributable to the 55-m.p.h. speed limit either have their heads in the sand or they don’t drive freeways.

I do my share of California freeway driving and, to be quite honest, my normal speed on open freeways is 65, and at this speed I find that I am one of the slower drivers. In excess of 60% of the other drivers are passing me.

Any law that the vast majority of law-abiding citizens violate is a bad law.

Why the highway fatality rate has dropped is a mystery to me, but it certainly isn’t because of the 55 limit.

JOHN B. MONAHAN

Port Hueneme