New Speed Limit For Texas ?

It looks like the Texas legislature is once again going to prove they have completely lost their minds. They have pushed a Voter ID bill which they say will prevent voter fraud (even though there is no evidence of that voter fraud in the state). And they are trying to pass a budget bill that will be disastrous for most Texans (except for the rich and the corporations). Now they have decided to take this lunacy to the state's traffic laws.

The Texas House has passed a bill that would raise the speed limit on many of the state's highways to 85 miles-per-hour. The bill goes to the Senate now, and it looks like it may have a good chance of passing that body too. Rep. Lois Kolkhorst (R-Brenham), author of the bill, said, "They have high-speed roadways in Europe, and there could be some merit in having some of those highways in Texas."

That's sort of a surprise. When's the last time you heard a Republican say we should do something because it's done in Europe? Usually the Republicans are against anything the Europeans are doing.

Of course the insurance companies don't like the idea at all. They have visions of paying out a lot more money for the increased accidents that will happen. Jerry Johns, spokesman for Southwestern Insurance Information Systems, said, "Obviously, the two things that kill most people on our highways are speed and alcohol. Increasing it to 85, or even 75, will have a dramatic impact on the death and injury rate on those highways where it's implemented."

I believe Johns is right. I live in a part of Texas with long straight highways and a sparse population -- obviously just the kind of place pictured by the proponents of this bill. But I've also driven in Texas most of my life, and let me tell you, most Texans can't drive worth a darn. Our highways are already dangerous enough without raising the speed limit to 85.

Frankly, can you picture a scarier sight than a teenager barreling down the highway in daddy's SUV at 85 miles-per-hour while talking or texting on his/her cell phone. I shudder just thinking about it. And that's not to say the teenagers are any worse than most adults -- they aren't. This is just a bad idea and a bad bill.