Attorney Discusses Speed Limit Increase in Parts of Virginia (VA) | Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp

My colleague wrote about the recent decision to increase the speed limit to 70mph in some parts of Virginia (VA). Proponents of this decision state that people usually exceed the speed limit, so the limit should be raised to reflect actual driving speeds.

However, what they fail to realize is that people usually go above what is posted as the speed limit. For example, if the speed limit is 60mph, most people travel 65 to 70mph.

Therefore, if we increase the speed limit to 70mph, all it will accomplish is allowing people to go even faster on our highways (they’ll now think 80mph is okay since 70mph is the limit), which potentially increases the risk of getting into a major car wreck and suffering serious injury.