10/3/2004
New Jersey: 65MPH Limits Make SenseA three-year study of the 65 mile-per-hour speed limit resulting in the limit being raised on 124 miles of highway.
Speed doesn't always kill, according to this report from the New Jersey Department of Transportation. After examining the effects of the 65 speed limit in the state over a three year period, the state government determined that there was no noticeable increase in accidents.
3.7mb PDF File
Key Statistic:
Actual travel speeds increased on average only 1 mile-per-hour on the various sections in the 65 mph zones, with the exception of the New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway where travel speeds increased 3 to 4 miles-per-hour on average.
Article Excerpt:
"Throughout the entirety of the study period we looked at comparable data on the sections of road before and after they went to 65, and we have now looked at comparable data on roads that stayed at 55 mph," said Acting Gov. Donald T. DiFrancesco. "The findings indicate that travel was not adversely affected because of the increase in speed."Source:
Final 65 MPH Report (New Jersey Dept of Transportation, 8/17/2001)Permanent Link for this item
Return to Front Page
