SETTING SPEED LIMITS

For 21 years speed limits on U.S. highways have been federally mandated. Now President Clinton has signed a highway funding bill that returns speed-limit decisions to the states -- where they belong.

After the federal speed limits were imposed in 1974, the Missouri Legislature adopted a plan that would restore the previous speed limits when the federal limits were removed. Of course, the reasoning for the federal limits was to conserve fuel in a time of presumed oil crisis. In fact there has never was a shortage of oil, only pricing pressures instigated by oil-producing countries. In the meantime, other justifications have been attached to the lower speed limits.

For example, safety reasons have come to play a large part in rationale for slower speeds. Although the statistics are a bit rubbery depending on which side of the debate is using them, it is clear that the number of highway fatalities dropped in the years following the speed-limit reduction. Whether or not all of the drop can be attributed to speed is still debatable, because other safety requirements such as seat belts, air bags and motorcycle helmet laws were being imposed at the same time. Moreover, highways were being improved across the country, both through interstate construction projects and improvements in dangerous sections of highway. And most longtime Southeast Missouri residents will agree that the trip north to St. Louis became immeasurably safer when I-55 was completed and motorists no longer had to drive dangerous stretches of U.S. 61 to get there.

Even though Missouri has in place provisions to revert to the pre-1974 speed limits now that the federal limits are about to be removed, there is still some question about how to proceed. Gov. Mel Carnahan is asking a task force for recommendations and would like to delay any changes until the Legislature convenes in January. At least one bill already is being introduced that would set the limits at 70 mph on interstates and 55 mph on other state highways. This would mean lower speed limits on some two-lane highways that had 65-mph limits before 1974.

There is a good case to be made for setting speed limits individually for each stretch of highway based on the condition of the roadway, visibility and other factors. This would be much like the power of cities to establish speed limits inside city limits that best reflect the traffic flow and use of particular streets.

While the simplest process would be simply to restore the old speed limits, taking the time to take a well-reasoned approach makes sense. It would allow, for example, the setting of speed limits based on local conditions rather than one statewide limit for every type of highway. And it would mean the Highway and Transportation Department would only have to change the signs once on some 1,200 miles of interstates and 32,000 miles of other state roads -- no small undertaking.