Michigan speed limit – 75 MPH?

State Senate Republican Rick Jones is teaming up with State Police in an effort to increase the speed limit on Michigan’s freeways to 75 miles per hour or more based on scientific evidence. Gongwer News service reports Jones, who is sponsoring legislation to up the speed limit, says “There’s a law in Michigan that roads should be set, legally, by doing a scientific speed study. And there’s no excuse for not doing it because the State Police will do it for free.” Jones says State Police can confirm that “artificially” setting a speed limit lower than what the speed should be based on this study… could actually increase accidents. Lietenent Gary Megge of the State Police Traffic Services Section says with such advances in the technology of cars and even roads, places in the state with the lower speed limits are actually minimizing traffic safety. He says increasing the speed limit could give police the ability to focus on other enforcement areas such as impaired, distracted or careless driving; restraint enforcement; and “the egregious speed violator’. Texas and Utah recently set their freeway speeds at 85 mph, and 14 states across the nation have set them at 75 mph.  (MRN)