Do you want to share SH 130 with 40-ton trucks driving 85 mph?

Last year, our Texas truck accident injury attorneys had discussed the proposal to raise speed limits in areas of Texas up to 85 mph. In just a few weeks, a stretch of toll road forming a new 41-mile length of SH 130 from Austin to Seguin will open with the highest speed limit in the United States, 85 mph.

The goal is to divert traffic from other heavily congested stretches of central Texas highway like the I-35 corridor to alleviate the traffic burden and reduce travel times. In April, another stretch of SH 130 opened with a speed limit of 80 mph. TxDOT indicates that traffic along that stretch of road has increased, including commercial truck traffic, and the higher speed limit so far has been a success.

But some trucking associations apparently have argued against the higher speed limits, preferring to keep the maximum speed limit at 65 mph. The reason isn’t so much safety as you might expect, though that is a factor, but fuel economy. For instance, our Texas truck accident injury attorneys note that a semi truck traveling at 75 mph uses more than 25% more gas than one traveling at 65 mph.

In addition to increased fuel consumption, trucking companies whose drivers use the high-speed stretch of SH 130 could also face increased risks of serious or fatal high-speed truck accidents and the attendant costly liabilities.

Reportedly, some trucking companies already install devices on some vehicles to prevent the vehicles from traveling too fast. Whether the companies will install such technology on additional vehicles or forbid drivers from using the high-speed routes remains a question. The Texas truck accident injury attorneys at Denena & Points realize that truck drivers facing pressures to make deliveries in shorter periods of time and under federal regulations limiting driving hours could be sorely tempted to take the higher speed alternative routes.

It’s an issue to watch. As road speeds increase, the severity of crashes occurring on those roads also increases. And differences in mass between the opposing vehicles in a crash also enhance crash severity. A car impacted by a semi truck traveling at 85 mph will be demolished and its occupants most likely killed or severely maimed.

At higher speeds, your braking distance is also greater to come to a stop. And faced with an impending collision, you have a shorter space of time in which to react and avoid the collision. Learn about the steps you could take to help your chances of a recovery after a serious accident. Download our Texas truck accident injury attorneys’ free book from this web page.