California Accidents Rise Along With Speed Limits

Deadly traffic accidents increased by more than 17 percent on California’s most traveled roads during the state’s first 11 weeks of higher speed limits, an Associated Press review found.

Fatal car accidents had been declining in California since 1987.

Opponents of the speed increase, initiated after the federal government dropped the 55 mph national speed limit, said they had expected more highway deaths. Supporters of the change said they don’t believe the increase in accidents has anything to do with the speed limit change.

Highway patrol and state transportation officials said it’s too early to blame the accident increase on the rise in speed limits.

Speed limits in Washington state increase a month ago, and it’s too soon to say whether highways have grown more dangerous.

In California, crashes overall during the latest period for which statistics are available - Dec. 17, 1995 to Feb. 29, 1996 - were up 8.6 percent compared to the same period 12 months earlier, Highway Patrol records show.