NC House panel OKs possible 75 mph speed limits

RALEIGH, N.C. — Some North Carolina House members have decided to move Senate legislation ahead that would allow speed limits of up to 75 mph on some state highways.

A House committee voted Tuesday for the bill allowing the Department of Transportation to set speed limits higher than the current 70 mph cap for some interstates and other highways if traffic and engineering allow it. The bill doesn't identify which roads could change, but committee members discussed rural stretches of Interstate 40 in eastern North Carolina as a possibility.

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Jonathan Byrd said he spends about six hours a day in his pickup truck, criss-crossing North Carolina to deliver construction materials. He admits he often speeds, but says "that's just to keep up with the flow of traffic. Otherwise, you're getting run over, especially on 77 and 485."

So when Byrd found out that state lawmakers moved one step closer Tuesday to bumping up the speed ceiling from 70 to 75 on some highways, he was thrilled.

"Everybody's already going it anyway, why not have everyone going that fast and you won't have as many accidents?" Byrd said.

Lawmakers hope the change will help drivers stay in sync and reduce the number of crashes.

Many truck drivers -- including Steven Butler -- worry that more speed will lead to more problems.

"When they set the speed limit at 75, they going to do 80 or 85," Butler said.

North Carolina is set to become the 17th state to let drivers reach 75.

This would be the state's first bump in speed since 1996, when lawmakers changed the limit from 65 to 70.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation would allow the higher speed only on freeways it determines would be safe.

Still, Butler believes any increase in speed -- even just an extra five miles an hour -- is a bad idea.

"If they can't handle what's set right now, why give them more, just 'cause they want more? It needs to be controlled," Butler said.

Some House committee members had similar concerns, but were outvoted.

The bill already has passed the Senate. Its next stop is the House floor.

WSOC