AAA believes that raising the speed limit could lead to more accidents and deaths

A new analysis by AAA concludes that raising the speed limit causes more car accidents, while lowering the speed limit causes fewer accidents. This is the kind of conclusion that seems obvious on the surface but needs to be fleshed out nonetheless. how many states seem confident he’s pushing the speed limit can save drivers time, while it actually threatens the lives of pedestrians and cyclists.

The report is the latest in a growing body of evidence finding that changing the speed limit could have a big impact on road safety in the US. AAA analyzed a dozen different types of roadways in the US, half of which raised their speed limits, while half lowered the limits. The group then conducted a before-and-after assessment to see how the changed speed limits affected traffic safety as well as commute times.

Two of the three highways on which the speed limit was raised increased the number of accidents, injuries or deaths. Meanwhile, commute times remained “comparable” to before the limit was extended – dashing hopes that the speed increase would make trips quicker for drivers. In many other road types that raised speed limits, similar increases in accidents, injuries or deaths were not observed, leading AAA to conclude that more research is needed.

Lowering the speed limit also had a modest effect on commute time, which may help to refute arguments that limit changes are at the expense of travel time and driver convenience.

Speeding is a significant factor in traffic accidents in America. Speeding deaths recently hit a 14-year high, accounting for almost a third of all traffic deaths, According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, This comes amid an ongoing “crisis” of road deaths in the US, with traffic deaths expected to peak in 2021.

AAA recommends that states apply a “holistic approach” to the question of whether to raise or lower the speed limit, including road type, surrounding land use and historical accident data.

“At least eight states across the country are moving this year to raise the speed limit,” said Jennifer Ryan, AAA’s director of state relations. “But the benefits have been overstated, and the risks underestimated. Raising the speed limit does not always produce the positive results traffic planners envision.