Report: New Speed Limit Enforced On Highway U.S. 75 Central

Source: Kanok Sulaiman / Getty

The Dallas City Council decided on Wednesday to lower the speed limit on part of U.S. 75 Central Expressway following an investigation led by NBC 5 Investigates on high speeds and accidents on that highway.

Mockingbird Lane to Woodall Rodgers Freeway will now require a speed limit of 65 mph instead of 70 mph . After the council votes to make the 65 mph speed restriction enforceable, the Texas Department of Transportation told NBC 5 Investigates that they would put up new signage to reflect the new law.

Reportedly Councilmember Paul E. Ridley petitioned the state to start a speed study on Central Expressway after NBC 5 Investigates discovered cars were traveling at speeds exceeding 120 and even 130 mph on a Monday evening.

According to the NBC 5 Investigates series “Driven to Death”, at least 18 people died and 78 were critically injured in speed-related incidents on Dallas’ Central Expressway in less than five years.

In a interview, road safety experts told NBC5 that the 70MPH speed limit was “unusually high for any U.S. highway going into the heart of a major U.S. city.” The speed limit was decreased by TxDot nine years ago when they believed that the high speeds would decrease congestion.

According to road safety experts, speed limit restrictions may not be enough to change driving behavior. Highway design upgrades and improved police enforcement may be required to achieve this goal.

However, a reduced speed restriction allows police to issue more serious fines at a lower speed threshold. With a 65-mph speed restriction, drivers who exceed 95 mph may be arrested and their vehicles taken.

Source: NBC5

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