Florida is considering raising the speed limit to 75 mph while other states are lowering it. That’s right, many states are tightening their laws against speeding, but Florida is going in the opposite direction. The Senate is considering raising the legal limit on highways to 75 miles per hour. The proposal is part of bill SB 462 and, if approved, Florida would be the 19th state to allow driving over 70 mph!
And of course, now it seems strange how a state can raise the speed limit when, literally, the whole country is lowering it to historic levels and adding much harsher fines (and even jail time for repeat offenders) for those who drive too fast on the roads. This is all happening because excessive speed continues to be one of the main causes of road deaths in our country, and many senators are tired of mourning losses.
Does it make sense to raise the limit when there are already thousands of people who break it? Or are we opening the door to more accidents?
Florida reviews its limits
The Senate is studying raising the speed limit on highways from 70 to 75 mph. It’s not a new idea: in 2015 something similar was proposed, but then-Governor Rick Scott vetoed it, arguing that the faster you drive, the more serious the accidents are.
But those who now support the proposal say something else, and that is, let’s be realistic, most drivers go over the limit, making it even more dangerous for those who do follow the rules. So, with this Bill 462, they believe that with fewer speed differences between cars, there will be fewer aggressive overtakes, and therefore, fewer fatal accidents.
Higher fines and jail time for repeat offenders
Florida is not only considering higher limits. It has also toughened penalties for those who press the accelerator too much.
The most serious cases could result in up to 30 days in jail and fines of several thousand dollars. And it’s not an exaggeration: according to the NHTSA, speed was responsible for a third of road deaths in 2023.
Meanwhile, other states are doing just the opposite
Florida is considering raising the limit, but there are other states that are going in the opposite direction.
In New York, for example, they already have permission to reduce the limit in urban areas from 25 to 20 mph. The plan is to apply that new standard throughout the city before the end of the year.
North Dakota has raised the limit on its interstate highways, but has added a system of scaled fines.
Washington is preparing a law to require drivers convicted of reckless driving to install speed limiters if they want to get their license back.
Is raising the limits a good idea?
The debate is old, but there’s still no clear answer. Those in favor say that today cars are safer, roads too, and that it makes sense to update the limits, especially for, as we said, those users who don’t take limits seriously and are even more dangerous.
People against it remind us that speed kills, and raising the limit will only increase the severity of accidents. And let’s remember that only in Florida, 28% of road deaths in 2023, more than 4,000 people lost their lives…
Now Florida raises a debate, penalties get tougher for those who go over the limit. But on the other hand, they want to loosen that same limit. A contradiction that leaves one question in the air: is the goal for traffic to flow better or to be safer? What do you think about?