The Deadly Consequences of Higher Speed Limits: AAA Study Reveals
A study by AAA has found that raising speed limits offers little benefit in terms of travel time but significantly increases crash and fatality rates, particularly on busy urban roads. The research analyzed speed limit adjustments on 12 different types of roadways and found that raising limits led to more crashes on interstate highways, while lowering limits resulted in reduced crashes but higher rates of speeding. The study highlights the importance of considering safety implications when making changes to speed limits and emphasizes the need for prioritizing road safety over the culture of speed and independence in the U.S.