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Red light speed limit increase proposal

It didn’t take very long for the first dumb bill to be proposed in the North Dakota Legislature.

Let’s hope this one doesn’t get any more traction than it already has.

Lonnie Laffen, a Republican senator from Grand Forks, wants to raise interstate speed limits from 75 mph to 80 mph.

Good grief, it’s dangerous enough to drive I-29 and I-94 now. How could lawmakers in good conscience up the limit to 80? Are the people we elected that naive? They would have to know that the drivers who likely would be in favor of the increase are already doing 80 and would take passage of this bill as a green light to go 85 or 90.

According to a news story carried by The Associated Press, at least one driver who’s used to driving the interstates is not in favor of higher limits.

Truck driver Kelvin Kaizer was reported as saying that a truck that weighs 80,000 pounds headed down the interstate at 80 mph might be too much. Kaizer keeps his speed at 70 mph. He says some drivers think they’re “super truckers” even in inclement weather.

Big  trucks pulling heavy loads with “super truckers” behind the wheel is just one of the strikes against Laffen’s proposal.

Also consider:

Young people use the interstates, and they are drivers who lack the experience necessary to operate a piece of powerful machinery at such speeds. Or even to drive defensively around other drivers who go 80-plus.

Elderly drivers? Just sayin’.

The roads themselves. Is every mile in good enough shape to handle vehicles going so fast? Somedays, maybe. But 365 days a year – rain or shine, in holiday traffic? True, people should always adjust their speeds for conditions … should being the operative word.

Truth is, most of us are worse drivers than we think we are. Heck, out-of-staters tell us that all the time.

As for good reasons to increase the speed limit to 80 mph on I-29 and I-94? Well, there simply aren’t any.

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