Quinn Signs Bill Raising Speed Limit To 70 MPH On Rural Highways

By Chuck Sudo in News on Aug 19, 2013 8:25PM

Gov.Pat Quinn has been giving his pens a workout the past couple days. Among the many bills Quinn signed into law or rewrote with his amendatory veto powers was Senate Bill 2356 which raises the speed limit on rural highways in Illinois to 70 MPH.

Quinn in recent days hadn’t indicated he would sign or veto the bill, citing safety concerns. Ultimately, Quinn decided the Land of Lincoln would join 15 other states with similar speed limits.

"This limited five miles-per-hour increase will bring Illinois’ rural interstate speed limits in line with our neighbors and the majority of states across America, while preventing an increase in excessive speeding,” Quinn said in a statement. "I encourage all motorists to continue to respect our traffic laws, avoid distractions and exercise common sense behind the wheel to protect the safety of themselves and others."

The Illinois Department of Transportation, Illinois State Police and lobbyists for the insurance agency opposed the bill. Illinois Transportation Secretary Ann Schneider said high speeds increase the possibility of a crash while cutting the odds of surviving one. While Illinois has one of the lower fatality rates for automobile accidents in the country, the one exception is on rural interstates.

Republican State Sen. Jim Oberweis, one of the bill’s sponsors, said most motorists already drive more than 70 MPH so the bill allows for more even traffic flow. Jonathan Adkins, deputy executive director of the Governors Highway Safety Association, disagrees and said the public doesn’t see speeding as a safety issue on a par with drunk driving and wearing seat belts.

“The politics is that the public wants to go faster, they don’t see it as a safety issue. So it’s no surprise that legislatures have followed,” Adkins said. “What we find in states typically is that when speed limits go up it’s ... a double whammy because ... drivers typically feel that they can go 5 to 10 miles an hour above the speed limit.”