by Paul Cleaver

Created on: March 17, 2010   Last Updated: March 18, 2010

If the government attempts to set a federal speed limit as they did in 1973 it will result in no more then an increase in the number of citations issued by the various states police agencies. The government cannot control the actions of all its citizenry and this would be just another in a long line of futile attempts of more government on top of more government.

No matter where I have driven, no matter which state in the union, I found that all the drivers of the interstate highway system set their own speed limits. They choose to drive at whatever limit that they have found is safe for their region and for the existing weather conditions. But seldom was that speed near the established 65 or 75 mile an hour limit. And I have drive through construction zones that are located upon these interstate highway systems and in each there is a placard warning that “All fines are doubled in construction Zones” and the speed limit in these construction zones? Well it was 55 miles per hour! And as I tried to drive 55 miles per hour I was nearly run down by the other drivers that were used to driving through that zone on a daily basis. And nowhere did I see a motorist being pulled over and cited for driving in excess of the posted speed limit.

It is a concept that is proven again and again from state to state. The interstate highway system is used as an expressway by all the hundreds of thousands of drivers that drive it every day. In some states they jokingly refer to their interstate system as the “autobahn” a glib reference to Germany’s super highway system built by Nazi Germany during the Third Reich that has a lane which has no posted speed limit.  

Montana used to be famous for the highest non-posted speed limit in the nation. And drivers took advantage of that wide open speed on their interstate highways. I drove through Montana once and I was passed like I was standing still. I was driving at between 75 and 80 miles an hour. I was one of the slowest drivers on the highway. It was a shock to move from Montana to North Dakota and have to reduce my speed to the 55 mile an hour limit. Again it was very difficult to maintain the posted limit when all the other drivers where moving a minimum of 10 miles an hour faster.  So regardless of the posted speed limit drivers will determine how fast the traffic flow will move.  

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