75 mph in Florida? Proposal would bump state's max speed limit by 5 mph. What to know
A transportation bill working its way through the Florida Legislature to address the Department of Transportation's future plans for high-speed highways includes raising the state's maximum speed limit.
If an amendment added to SB 462 by Sen. Nick DiCeglie, R-Pinellas sticks, it would raise speed limits by 5 mph across the state, raising the max speed in Florida to 75 mph.
Raising the state speed limit is a common request during state legislative sessions, with at least seven states seeking to raise theirs last year. A bill raising Florida's speed limit passed the legislature in 2014 but then-Gov. Rick Scott vetoed it, citing concerns from law enforcement.
'I strongly respect the opinion of state and local law enforcement officers who have contacted me to warn about the possible serious negative consequences should this bill become law," Scott said in his veto message. "While the evidence suggests that increased driving speeds are not the sole cause of traffic accidents, they clearly contribute to the increased severity of vehicle crash outcomes in the form of needless injuries and deaths.'
The amendment does not appear on a companion bill (HB 567) in the House from Rep. Fiona McFarland, R-Sarasota.
DiCeglie's amendment, added this week, would:
Strike the current 40 mph minimum speed limit on all roads four lanes or larger and leave it to FDOT to determine on a case-by-case basis
Up the maximum allowable speed limit on limited access highways from 70 to 75 mph
Hike the maximum allowable speed limit on divided, four-or-more-lane highways from 65 to 70 mph
Allow FDOT to set maximum and minimum speeds on all other roads but with the max limit raised to 65 rather than the current 60 mph
Law enforcement and safety organizations have spoken against raising speed limits. Multiple studies, such as a 2021 from AAA, found that higher speeds increase the driver's risk of severe injury or death.
'Higher speed limits cancel out the benefits of vehicle safety improvements like airbags and improved structural designs,' said Dr. David Harkey, president of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. 'The faster a driver is going before a crash, the less likely it is that they'll be able to get down to a survivable speed even if they have a chance to brake before impact.'
A 2019 IIHS study found that rising speed limits have cost nearly 37,000 lives over 25 years.
Currently, 18 states have maximum speed limits of 75 mph or more in certain situations, often rural highways. The states with 75 mph speed limits are:
Arizona
Arkansas
Colorado
Kansas
Lousiana
Maine
Michigan
Nebraska
New Mexico
North Dakota
Seven states — Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah and Wyoming — have maximum speed limits of 80 mph.
By law, the Texas Transportation Commission may set a speed limit up to 85 mph if the roadway is designed to accommodate that speed safely, although that hasn't happened yet.
The bill itself is a sweeping one that seeks to clarify a lot of existing laws and add some big changes. Some of them include:
The Department of Revenue would be required to distribute 6 cents per kWh of sales tax from commercial electric vehicle (EV) charging to the State Transportation Trust Fund for five years, starting in October
FDOT would be able to use eminent domain in advance to acquire land for future proposed developments
Requirements for FDOT to award proposed construction and maintenance work to the lowest responsible bidder, when its estimate is $100 million or less and it meets other criteria relating to other bids
Requires contractors doing work that requires marine general liability insurance to carry marine general liability insurance
Allows FDOT to waive prequalification certification for contractors bidding on certain contracts of $1 million or less, raises the maximum contract amount for which FDOT can waive bond requirements from $150,000 to $250,000
Requires FDOT contractors working on the maintenance of safety elements such as guardrails, traffic signals and stripping to be qualified and experienced with the correct equipment and record
Authorizes the State Arbitration Board to arbitrate a claim of up to $2 million or more, instead of the current $1 million
Cuts the time period for written warranty or defect claims in half, from 820 days after final acceptance to 360 days after FDOT provides written notice of them
Requires underground utilities at a right-of-way to be electronically detectable and defines restrictions, liability, highway reimbursement for utility replacement, and the process utility owners must use
Requires FDOT to prioritize new highway and highway redevelopment plans to cover gaps in Florida's Strategic Intermodal System (SIS) of highways so they become contiguous
Requires FDOT to create a report on the effects, costs and schedule for widening Interstate 4 from west of U.S. 27 in Polk County to east of World Center Drive (S.R. 536) in Orange County
If the amendment stays in, the bill passes and Gov. Ron DeSantis signs it, it becomes law on July 1, 2025.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Florida speed limit 75 mph bill amendment. SB 462 details
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