Montana May Restore Speed Limits

Sat., Nov. 9, 1996

Associated Press

The Montana Justice Department probably will ask the 1997 Legislature to restore daytime speed limits on Montana highways, based on recommendations by a committee appointed by the governor and attorney general.

The committee made no recommendations at a meeting this week, but the limits discussed were 75 mph for interstate highways and 65 mph on two-lane highways.

“Those are just the numbers that are floating around right now,” said Col. Craig Reap, chief of the Highway Patrol.

The panel will not deal with the present nighttime speed limits or heavy truck speed limits, 65 mph on interstates and 55 mph on two-lanes.

“Our theme is just to replace the daytime speed limit for vehicles under 8,000 pounds,” Reap said.

Montana has had no specified daytime speed limit since December, when Congress abolished the federal speed limits. Montana now requires “reasonable and prudent” speeds.

The committee meets again in early December and will send its recommendations to Gov. Marc Racicot and Attorney General Joe Mazurek.

The Legislature may not be receptive to restoring speed limits. Polls have shown most Montanans generally oppose a numerical speed limit, and neither traffic deaths nor actual driving speeds have risen significantly since the old speed limit ended.

At least one group is already upset with the committee’s idea of 75 mph and 65 mph speed limits. The Montana Motor Carriers Association, which represents trucking interests, says such limits are unfair and possibly dangerous.

“A 10 mph differential does pose a greater chance for rear-end collisions than a uniform speed limit for all vehicles on those roads,” the association’s vice president, Ben Havdahl, said in a letter to Reap.

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