Will Mary On Board keep Texans out of trouble?

Texas considers highest speed limit in nation

07:46 AM

By Chris Woodyard, USA TODAY

 

Rock star Sammy Hagar, lead singer of Van Halen, helps apply the 6 on top of a 5 as the maximum speed limit is raised from 55 to 65 mph on Highway 101 near Santa Rosa in Northern California on Sunday, Dec. 17, 1995.

CAPTION

By Robert Buhl, Associated Press

As lead singer of Van Halen, Sammy Hagar once crooned, "I can't drive 55." To show how far things have come, now some Texans aren't happy about only driving 80 miles per hour. The Legislature is considering raising the maximum speed limit to 85 mph, highest in the country.

The Texas House of Representatives has approved a bill that would raise the speed limit to 85 mph on some highways. The bill now goes to the state Senate, the Austin Statesman reports.
We suspect Sammy, shown in the photo at right back in 1995 when California raised its speed limit from 55 mph to 65 mph, (and previous Van Halen lead singer David Lee Roth) would be pleased.
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Texas currently has more than 520 miles of interstate highways where the speed limit is 80 mph, according to the Associated Press. The bill would allow the Texas Department of Transportation to raise the speed limit on certain roads or lanes after engineering and traffic studies are conducted. The 85-mph maximum would likely be permitted on rural roads with long sightlines.
Some car insurers, however, oppose the bill:
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, high speeds were a factor in about one-third of all fatal crashes in 2009. The faster you're traveling, the greater the distance needed to bring your vehicle to a complete stop and the longer it takes a driver to react to emergency situations, according to IIHS. If an accident does occur at a higher speed, there is a strong likelihood that the crash impact will exceed the protection available to vehicle occupants.
On top of safety concerns, speeding increases fuel consumption. Every 5 mph you drive over 60 mph is like paying an additional $0.24 per gallon for gas, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
In the mid-1990s, the federal government deregulated national highway speed-limit standards, allowing states to set their own speed limits. Before the reform, all states had adopted a 55-mph speed limit by 1974 to keep federal highway funding, with some rural areas able to travel up to 65 mph since 1987.
Since then, 33 states have raised speed limits to 70 mph or higher on some portions of their roads. Texas and Utah have the highest speed limits of 80 mph on specified segments of rural interstates, according to IIHS.

From Inside Tucson Business: Is your spouse a backseat driver?

You love your spouse, but when the two of you get into the car, can tension run so high that you wish you had taken separate vehicles? Did you notice these tensions before getting married, or have they developed over the years?

No matter if you're driving with your spouse to work every day, or embarking on a week-long road trip, here are some suggestions and safe driving tips for everyone in the car to keep in mind:

 

* Nobody likes to get lost, but even with maps and GPS, it can happen. You may need to sit down together and delegate direction responsibility. For example, maybe the driver has final say on which route to take. Also, when on the road, if you do determine you're lost, who will ask for directions - the driver or the passenger? This may be a case where the person looking at the map should get the information, since he or she will be more familiar with road names on the map.

* You most likely know your spouse's driving style, and have shared your regular concerns about behaviors like tailgating, not using a turn signal, over-using the horn, etc. But if your spouse's driving behaviors are unusual during a trip, it may be because something is upsetting him - and it's reflecting in his driving. Without mentioning the driving behavior, see if you can encourage your spouse to discuss what is bothering him. By getting the annoyance out into the open, it might help to bring the driver's attention back to driving safely.

* As a passenger, giving a warning gasp when you notice something potentially threatening on the road may be one of the behaviors that annoys your spouse. And yes, it's hard to control impulsive reactions. As the driver, a warning gasp might help alert you to something you can't see so you can make defensive moves to avoid it. But it can also cause a distraction, which may lead to an accident. As the passenger, if you notice you are a "warning gasper," see if you can't control your reactions (tone of voice, flailing arms, pumping the imaginary brake, etc.) and calm them down so you can help alert the driver to a potential issue. And if you do end up reacting with a little too much excitement, it may help the situation to immediately apologize to the driver because it shows you recognize that you may have caused another distraction.

* Being prepared for unexpected situations might help as well. For example, having good automobile insurance and signing up for a roadside assistance plan can help provide additional protection if you were to be involved in a crash or your car broke down while on a trip.

The goal is for you and your spouse to arrive safely at your destination, preferably in good humor as well. Practicing good safe driving tips can help, as well as keeping in mind your spouse's driving preferences.

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