Governor Asks U.S. to Allow States to Hike Speed Limit

Acknowledging that the public is increasingly ignoring the nationwide 55-m.p.h. speed limit, California Gov. George Deukmejian on Monday asked the federal government to allow states to raise the maximum speed along selected stretches of rural highways.

Deukmejian’s request was contained in a resolution presented to the governors of 12 western states in the hope of spurring a major lobbying effort of Congress and federal highway officials.

“I’m sure almost all of the governors observe exactly what we are observing in California,” Deukmejian told reporters. “The public is indeed exceeding that 55-m.p.h. speed limit in a greater proportion than when it was first put into effect. I think we have to be realistic and practical about it.”

Congress’ principal intention when it enacted the national maximum speed limit in 1974 was to conserve fuel. However, federal officials said the law also has dramatically reduced highway deaths and they have been reluctant to modify it, even though oil supplies are now abundant.

Automatic Cutoff

The 12-year-old law does not force states to abide by the limit. However, states that refuse face automatic cutoff of federal highway funds.

The California Highway Patrol and Caltrans already have endorsed modification of the speed limit, as did the Legislature, which approved a resolution calling on Congress to give states authority to set their own maximum speeds.

Western governors attending a two-day conference here are expected to strongly endorse Deukmejian’s request, because their states too are crisscrossed by hundreds of miles of wide-open rural highways, on which enforcement is difficult and motorists generally ignore the law.

Last week, Nevada became the first state to openly defy the federal government by briefly raising its speed limit to 70 m.p.h. on a lonely stretch of highway east of Reno. The action, which prompted a federal threat to immediately withhold highway dollars, was a prelude to challenging the lower speed limit in court.

Normal Process

Deukmejian, however, said he does not favor a confrontational approach for California and that it would “be wiser to do it through the normal legislative process.”

Recent polls show that while a majority of Californians still favor the 55-m.p.h. limit, the support has been eroding in recent years and 74% of motorists admit to exceeding the limit on occasion on uncrowded roads.

Deukmejian was prompted to take a stance by the fact that California is in danger of losing as much as $30 million under a federal formula that penalizes states where less than 50% of motorists are found to be complying with the national speed limit.

Last year, 49.7% of California drivers exceeded the limit, and the figure is expected to rise above the 50% mark this year.

That means California could lose up to 10% of its federal highway allotment--about $30 million--unless drivers begin complying or the formula for assessing penalties is changed.

Several states, including Arizona, have already been notified that they face sanctiones.

List Prepared

In the event attempts to persuade the federal government fail, CHP officials have drawn up a list of measures they believe could boost compliance with the 55-m.p.h. law. Among them are the use of unmarked patrol cars, use of radar on all state highways and even an automated enforcement system that would photograph speeders whose cars pass over sensors buried beneath the roadway.

Deukmejian said it is “premature” for him to say whether he favors the proposed measures. CHP Commissioner James Smith said, “In reality, I don’t think those things will happen in California.”

In a telephone interview from his Sacramento office, Smith said: “I’m convinced that motorists would rather forsake the (federal highway) money than see that kind of change.”

State highway officials also estimate that it would cost as much as $61 million in stepped-up enforcement to reduce by 1% the number of motorists exceeding the 55-m.p.h. limit.

Several Bills

Congress is considering several bills to modify the sanctions, but their chances of passage are uncertain. One reason for Congress’ hesitation is that statistics show that the lower speed limit is responsible for saving the lives of 2,000 to 4,000 people each year.

A 1984 report to Congress predicted that if the speed limit were increased to pre-1974 levels on all rural interstate routes, there would be 500 additional fatalities nationwide and 10 million additional barrels of gasoline consumed.

Deukmejian, however, said he believes more lives would be saved by raising the limit on certain rural highways, where it is safe to drive at a higher speed, while focusing enforcement on more dangerous roads.

Added Commissioner Smith: “What we will do is make law-abiding citizens out of a much larger segment of the motoring public.”