S.1337, A BILL TO PROVIDE GREATER COMPLIANCE WITH THE NATIONAL MAXIMUM SPEED LIMIT. STATEMENT BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION, SENATE COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS, JUNE 3, 1980

Between 1974 and 1979, at least 18,000 lives were saved by the fifty-five mile per hour national speed limit. It is estimated that reversion to previous speed patterns would increase petroleum consumption by 125,000-273,000 barrels/day. The 55 mph statute, with 1978 amendments, has imposed new and greater speed enforcement responsibilities on the states. The states must meet specified compliance levels or risk losing highway funds. The state law enforcement agencies increased speeding arrests from 5.7 million in 1973 to more than 8 million in 1978. Federal funds have been available to the states since 1978 to support 55 mph activities. Most state police agencies are conducting greatly expanded and, in many cases, innovative speed enforcement programs. Nevertheless, despite the speed limit's proven fuel conservation and safety effectiveness, a majority of motorists fail to comply with it. Consequently, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has requested $50 million for fiscal year 1981 for state enforcement programs and $7 million for incentive grants to states exceeding required compliance for a given year. Current NHTSA 55 mph activities involve developing cost-effective ways to enforce the 55 mph law, identifying means to increase the public's expectation of detection and apprehension; evaluating countermeasures during trial runs in states; disseminating results of successful projects; exploring the feasibility of automatic speed enforcement systems; developing performance standards for radar devices and a model training course for police operators of radar devices; identifying the costs attributable to 55 mph enforcement; and arranging workshops/seminars for traffic enforcement agencies. Although the driving population appears willing to accept a somewhat stricter enforcement, a "tolerance factor" of 5 to 7 mph exists. NHTSA has been running an active public information and education program at the national, state, and local levels to convince the public that the 55 mph law is necessary and desirable and that enforcement is becoming stricter.

• Corporate Authors:

  National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Amato, G
• Publication Date: 1980

Media Info

• Pagination: 9 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Compliance; Cost effectiveness; Education; Fatalities; Federal aid; Fuel consumption; Information dissemination; Law enforcement; Laws; Police; Radar devices; Speed limits; States; Training
• Identifier Terms: National Maximum Speed Limit
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Education and Training; Energy; Law; Safety and Human Factors; Security and Emergencies;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00368406
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-810 373
• Files: HSL, USDOT
• Created Date: Nov 30 1982 12:00AM