Pushing the speed limit

Bismarck, North Dakota – The North Dakota Highway Patrol warned that increasing the speed limit to 80 mph could cause problems for drivers who want to go faster.

The goal of House Bill 1475 is to raise the interstate speed limit in North Dakota from 75 to 80 miles per hour.

The previous increase in the posted speed limit occurred in 2003.

Drivers who may exceed the new speed limit raise more safety issues, according to North Dakota Highway Patrol Sergeant Wade Kadrmas than just excessive speed.

“It increases the distance you need to stop, and it takes away your reaction time as well, so if you’re not fully paying attention and you’re exceeding the speed limit, that’s only going to increase the distance you travel before you react to a hazard,” said Sgt. Wade Kadrmas, North Dakota Highway Patrol.

Although Kadrmas acknowledged that some stretches of the freeway may support the new speed, she believes that if it is increased, vehicles will continue to go over the speed limit.

When the speed limit in Montana was raised to 80 in 2015, more people were allegedly breaking the law.

“People were definitely seeing what the leniency was, how far they could push it and I think that was the initial reason for the large number of citations issued,” said Sgt. Jay Nelson, Montana Highway Patrol.

The fact that North Dakota, another large state, is considering hiking the speed limit, according to Nelson, doesn’t surprise him.

The hike would not alter how North Dakotan troopers check for speeding on the road, though.

“We already have a pretty, if you want to say, strict policy on the interstate is five miles per hour over, you’re going to get stopped and you could get cited by a trooper, so I don’t see that changing,” said Sgt. Kadrmas.

Nelson claimed that various speed modifications have occurred in Montana throughout the course of his career.

During the most recent surge in speed, they frequently record drivers doing 100 miles per hour or more.

The legislation will now go before the North Dakota Senate for approval before being sent to the governor’s desk.