Deseret News | Speed limit of 80 mph now legal on parts of I-15

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Speed limit of 80 mph now legal on parts of I-15

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What a joke! | 2:05 p.m. Jan. 9, 2009

How typical of LDS drivers to think they can "set a good example" by restricting the rest of us when we want to go faster. Do us a favor and stay in the right lane!

That Guy | 2:22 p.m. Jan. 9, 2009

I drive 85 on every stretch of I-15. Traffic just makes it a challenge!

I need your money | 2:33 p.m. Jan. 9, 2009

The little towns are all for this, hoping that you will forget to slow down when you drive through their town so they can pick up a little christmass bonus for their policemen.

I need a cruise control with a gps connected to it so I can program it when to speed up and slow down.

Add in a radar detector too, so it will go 15mph over and then drop down to the speed limit when it smells a cop.

Also need a directional electron burst stun gun mounted in a hidden compartment under the hood to shoot at the slow pokes in front of me and fry their engine computer and electronics if they block traffic.

By the way, my car doesn't run on oil. Yours doesn't need to either.

Comments continue below

a chance | 2:47 p.m. Jan. 9, 2009

It is better to die on the road than in the womb, at least you get to experience the planet for a little while, and you never have to pay off that pesky credit card debt either, but you do get to spend the money and enjoy life for a while.

To save the most gas, you need to drive backwards, because the transmission stays in first gear when it is in reverse, and all that shifting of gears is the major cause of wasting fuel in this country. Think about it.

Plus driving backwards is so much safer, you can't fall asleep while driving in reverse because it is so uncomfortable to look back over your shoulder. How many people get in a wreck while driving backwards? hardly any!

And if a cop comes afer you, they will actually start out driving after you in the other direction, because they won't know that you are going in reverse. By the time they figure out they are getting farther away from you instead of closer, they will give up and go pick on someone else.

This is really the best way to go.

Airplanes should probably go backwards too.

Mike B. | 2:57 p.m. Jan. 9, 2009

Fred: Actually gas mileage is different for different engines. Some are specifically tuned to get the best gas mileage at 55 MPH, some at 60 MPH and so on. So an 80 MPH speed limit does NOT always equal better mileage.

BH | 3:33 p.m. Jan. 9, 2009

Follow the Prophet is being somewhat hypocritical.

First he chastises others for breaking the law. Then he openly admits that he intentionally breaks the law himself by driving in the left lane at 5 MPH under the speed limit, as some sort of self appointed traffic flow control.

Doesn't he know that Utah law states that slower traffic must stay to the right, and that it is against the law to impede traffic flow?

Perhaps if he wants to set such a good example, he needs to quit picking and choosing which laws he wants to be an example of, at the expense of others.

Mike B: Fuel consumption at higher speeds have less to do with design of the powertrain and more to do with drag. Those concerned with fuel economy have a valid point. But much more could be done that would save more fuel than slowing down. But that's another subject by itself.

Doug S | 3:40 p.m. Jan. 9, 2009

Over a distance of four hundred miles, I can save twenty minutes by driving 80 rather than 75. At that speed my Toyota Corolla might lose 3 miles per gallon over its optimal mileage of 35 mpg.

So, at 75 mph I use about 11.4 gallons of gas. At 80 mph I use 12.5 gallons of gas. At $1.60 a gallon, it has cost me $1.76 to shave twenty minutes off my travel time. In my opinion, that's well worth it.

85th percentile | 3:50 p.m. Jan. 9, 2009

I think 85th percentile speed means 15% of drivers are going faster than 80. Not 85%. It's like scoring the 85th percentile on a test. That means 15% were higher than you, 85% were lower.

To Follow the prophet | 4:20 p.m. Jan. 9, 2009

I believe they passed legislation against impeding traffic while in the left lane... making it against the law. According to your own justification, you are violating your own beliefs.

In addition, all mankind have been granted their own free agency. By blocking others from using the left lane as you see fit, you are in fact seeking to remove that free agency. Forgive me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure God didn't look too kindly on that sort of action the first time it happened with Satan, and since he never changes, probably doesn't have the highest opinion of your choice either.

Let all men and women make those choices for themselves, it's not your job to do it for them. You can be a fine example in the other lanes where you are not violating traffic laws, or purposely causing contention on the road. The beam before the mote my friend.

To "what a joke" | 4:25 p.m. Jan. 9, 2009

I don't agree with what "Follow the Prophet" said any more than you do, and I'm LDS. Why don't you quit generalizing. Your logic is flawed, much like the aforementioned poster. You could both stand to grow up a bit.

stupid!! | 10:38 p.m. Jan. 9, 2009

If they are going to moniter that section more closely and not let you go ten over eighty, why not just keep it at 75 and keep the enforcement a little lax??

No 65 is good | 10:54 p.m. Jan. 9, 2009

I think the speed should be 65 tops. speed kills. also, yes- they to go fast in european plases, but check out the death from it. It's up up up. is that what we want/??????????

Speed does not kill | 12:22 p.m. Jan. 10, 2009

Fatality Rate per 1 Billion KM on Motorways
USA: 5.2
Germany: 3.8

Fast and Safe | 3:14 p.m. Jan. 10, 2009

To "Follow the Prophet": if you really respect the law, do what you do but on the right lane. No one is asking others to break the law; everyone is discussing whether the new speed limit is reasonable.
Please do not connect fast driving to reckless driving. I think driving carefully over 80 mph is safer than being ignorant at 50 mph on the same highway. I've driven on the German autobahn as well as other european highways; at 180 kph (110 mph), I feel safer than 70 mph on our highways which I usually see people suddenly pull in front of me at 60 mph. Can anyone tell me on what safety measure our 65 limit is based? I hope it is not based on the accommodation for bad driving behaviors. We should focus on improving our road condition and driver education rather than keeping the low speed limit.

Brian02340@yahoo.com | 10:07 a.m. Jan. 16, 2009

80 is a very reasonable speed limit for a rural interstate. When speeds are reasonable (about the 85th percentile), people obey them and driving is safer. When they are ridiculously low (such as 55) people completely disregard them. It is the government's own fault of the ten over mentality. Had speed limits always been reasonable, then drivers would not have the ten over mentality. Thank you Representative Scott Jenkins for being the one that got this done! Drive safe, drive up to 80 and if elected officials lower or allow it to be lowered, then vote those who supported the decrease out of office!

John G | 1:17 p.m. Jan. 18, 2009

Actually the death rate has gone even lower as of 2006.
USA: 5.0 per Billion kvmt
Germany 3.0
-International Road and Traffic Accident Database

The Autobahn is always the white elephant in the room that nobody in the safety movement wants to talk about because it blows a hole right through their speed theories. It illustrates that lane discipline is far more important than speed.

Our death rate is about 65% higher. Kind of embarrassing considering our oppressive speed policies. Obviously our strategy is failing. We are driving slower, have less freedom, our auto industry is on life support, we are burning more fuel per mile driven even though we drive slower, and more people are dying. None of the promised benefits championed by the safety community have materialized. I think we should take Germany's approach, we could save a lot of lives and maybe even our auto industry.
Also, when did so many Americans become such scared little pathetic creatures. All government has to do now is even suggest something might be dangerous and everyone screams bloody murder. It's good people weren't this scared and weak during the revolution or we would not even have a country.

JG | 4:26 a.m. Feb. 19, 2009

I am from Germany and I only can say that the whole discussion here makes me smile. On half of the German highways we are "free to go" - Everyone can choose his own speed. That makes speedlimits more acceptable since they exist only where there is a reason (well ok, most of the time...).

I am happy about every step governments in the US do in the direction of higher or even no speed limits.
It's a pity that Montana had to fall back to 75 mph in 1999 - only because of the fact that the term "reasonable and prudent" was too vague for the law.

Reply to "follow the prophet" | 12:43 p.m. May 1, 2009

If your LDS you should have been taught to be humble, not to boast about your religion, lets keep that out of this. I have also driven in these stretches and there really isn't a lot of cars on these areas so there is no worry of it being crowded and an accident occurring.

Tom | 4:19 p.m. May 8, 2009

I've done today 350 miles in 3 hours 45 minutes.
60% of the roads I used have only two lanes each direction.
There is a 50mph speed limit for trucks.
There are much more trucks than on most interstates in the US.
My average speed was 93mph. My highest speed was 153mph. At this speed on a three lanes part I have to go change the middle lane to let a faster car pass.
My speed was than 100mph higher than the speed of the trucks on the rigth lane.
There was no problem: It was safe, it was convenient and it was legal.
My fuel consumption was about 13 gallons of diesel.

80mph? That's slow!

Sanosuke from Canada | 3:20 p.m. May 10, 2009

Most of the comments on this come from pacifists.. It just amazes me nobody wants to go fast enough to get to where they want to be.. *chuckle while shaking head*

DAN | 10:06 p.m. May 20, 2009

Keep in mind "Follow the prophet | 2:02 p.m. Jan. 9, 2009" that UT State Law Always says that is Impeding Traffic and is actually a Larger Fine than speeding 10 MPH over. Left Lane is for Passing only in UT and typically should be used as such. It is just a nice to be aware of others. If someone is going faster behind you and you notice please get aside. This allows both drivers to be more aware and in turn can help to cause less accidents.

JAMES P MADISON | 10:23 p.m. May 20, 2009

My Car Lol... Does not even change to its final gear tell about 116 MPH. Granted it is not all cars I just think its funny all the EPA stuff we have on our cars and speed restrictions. Which in turn cause the lower gas mileage. My same car in Germany get 15-20 Miles more per gallon than what it does in the USA. Explain that. And as previously stated Fatality Rates are lower in Germany, proving only that speed is not the factor but better engineering and education.

Amazed | 10:53 p.m. May 20, 2009

I am not sure what is harder to believe. The article or the comments. How did an article about speed limits turn into a for/against the LDS church?

Ohio | 4:23 p.m. June 25, 2009

Yeah the LDS debate is stupid. It's plain and simple, you go slow your going to get run over. I speed but I respect other drivers who go the speed limit. Drivers who go under the limit get under my skin. They impede traffic and this leads to more accidents. If you are going to go under the speed limit, then at least stay in the right lane. I have personally ran into a couple drivers who find it there place to limit other drivers speed and lets just say after about the third time of them doing this all they see is the slushie i was holding and camaro tailights speeding off. After that they tend to mind their own business and stay in the right lane. Now im not sayin to go do this but if you think its your place to limit others speed you might wanna think twice about it when driving through Ohio.

Germanguy | 9:21 a.m. Aug. 22, 2009

How typical, just got from the autobahn. Drove about 2 hours with a constant speed of 110 MPH. Not everybody does that or want to do that, but there is room to do so. Don't see the point of this discussion. Let people decide for themselves. Give Troopers the task of maintaining safety by fining for dangerous behavior like calling will driving, unessesry left driving and dangerous overtaking, instead of driving 3 mph over speed. That is a hilarious joke!

Matt | 5:56 a.m. Nov. 7, 2009

People in the U.S. need to learn how to drive but we can all blame the eduation system on that. Speed doesn't kill, stupid does.

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