Lawmakers Try Once More To Raise Highway Speed Limits

Wisconsin lawmakers are trying to raise the speed limit so it matches surrounding states.

Republican state Rep. Paul Tittl has authored a bill which gives traffic safety experts at the Department of Transportation the ability to increase speed limits on interstate highways from 65 to 70 miles per hour.

“We’re hoping that we can this thing through both houses and on the governor’s desk by the end of March so that we can have this by tourism season, starting in May or June so some of roads could actually be changed,” said Tittl.

A similar bill last session was not taken up by the Senate, in part because of safety concerns.

Tittl and Senate co-author Devin LeMahieu said cars have protective devices like airbags, seatbelts and child car seats. The authors also point to studies indicating increased speed doesn’t necessarily affect fatalities or severe injuries.