I have a new state slogan idea for the South Dakota department of tourism:
“Great Faces, Great Races.”
That’s right folks, we admit there’s nothing in our state to see or savor between Sioux City and Fargo or Sioux Falls and Rapid City so we’ve jacked up the speed limit to 80 (which, as we all know, probably means 90 wink wink) allowing you to hammer down and put our boring state in your rear view mirror in record time. Why heck, if you have a huge enough gas tank and enormous size bladder..you could probably “wiz” across South Dakota without ever having to stop at all.
What amazes me is how this little bit of legislation, tagged on to a gas tax and license plate fee increase, flew through the state capitol and across the governor’s desk faster than a toupee in a tornado.
State highway people are out in force hoping to get the 250 or so speed limit signs changed from 75 to 80 within in the next couple weeks. Apparently the “minimum” limit will remain at 40 M.P.H. which means those who, for reasons of safety or economy, choose to plug along closer to the minimum than the maximum, will feel even more heat from annoyed drivers extending a one finger salute as they woosh by at 90. Oh, and those truck drivers who regularly hold up the show blocking both lanes in their feeble attempts to pass one another? Well, I expect they’ll infuriate newly empowered lead foots even more now.
A familiar sight along every interstate in the country.
By the way, I just learned that many..if not most..trucks have speed limiters..or governors..installed on their engines restricting how fast they can go. In fact, a measure mandating those speed limiters is awaiting final approval in Washington. I’m not sure what their maximum speed will be..or is; 68 is what I’m told. It’s also not clear if the new rule, to take place in June, will apply to all big rigs on the road or just the new models. What I do know is that we can expect no end to road blocks by 18 wheelers as they try in vane to get around another semi set at the same exact maximum speed. From what I’ve read, truck drivers detest speed limiters while fleet owners love ‘em citing publically that it’s all about safety while they pocket profits from lower diesel fuel consumption.
I know a lot of you couldn’t be happier about this newly granted freedom to pour on the cobs, but I’m wondering if this could be a different kind of speed trap. Suppose the highway patrol no longer looks the other way at drivers who fudge the current limit by six or seven miles an hour and start nailing you for ANY reading on their radar that’s over 80. That would put a lot of extra money from fines into the road and bridge kitty, I’ll bet.
“But officer, I was only doing 82.” “Sorry, sir, no excuses any more.” “So I was actually able to get places faster when it was 75?” “ That’s about it, sir. Here’s your ticket. Have a nice day.”
Oh, great, another excuse for road rage; ticked off truckers vs speeders who’ve just had their pockets picked.
Of course it’s all a moot point anyway. With all the new money for road and bridge construction, fired-up motorists who are seeing red..will likely be seeing more orange instead….as in barrels and cones where the speed limit is 45 and fines are doubled.
18 Responses
An increase in the speed and an increase in the gas tax means money in the state’s pocket.
It seems irresponsible to bump up the speed limit. How fast do people need to go ? They’ll be scraping more off the roads, and higher insurance premiums due to more wrecks. A true head shaker in my opinion.
Republicans raise taxes?
I THOUGHT THE FINES WENT TO THE SCHOOLS .
RDL
I have a 14 year old with a license to drive with me in the car. In 3 months she could legally be driving 80 mph on SD Interstates by herself. People in Pierre were not thinking when they allowed this. 14 and 15 year olds do not have the experience to react at this speed.
I see both sides of the median here.
First, I drove across Wyoming and Utah where at least parts of the state have an 80 mile speed limit. It’s great on the Bonneville Salt Flats.
On the other hand, each winter I drive south where there is much more semi traffic. Some states let cars go 70 or 75, but insist that trucks stay under 65. I don’t get it. You are always weaving among the trucks. It’s okay on the interstates with 3 lanes in each direction with trucks restricted to one or two lanes. But on two-lane roads it’s like doing the fighter plane weave all day.
I like 80, but am perfectly fine with 75. Just think, Brookings to Sioux Falls in half an hour.
Minnesota is also on the verge of raising its speed limits on state roads, from 55 to 60, I believe, with some 65s. This makes sense since these roads, until the Nixon 55, were 65 in the daytime, 55 at night. Both the suspension of the cars and the roads have improved vastly since that hiatus. Remember the curbs that could spin you right into a field? And you still have a town every 7 miles to slow you down.
I agree with FSL 100 percent. What are they thinking.
When last I was aware, the organs available for donation is at an all time low.
once again the Governor and Legislature has made a terrible decision.80mph is absolutely crazy. How many people will have to be killed on the interstates before this get reversed?
Montana has Interstate 90 speed limits of 75 for cars and 65 for trucks. I will notify you should I ever witness an 18-wheeler
going less than 75! I hope that SD’s new 80 mph speed limit is much better enforced than the 75 speed limit has been. An actual driving speed of 85, if allowed, will be way too fast for many drivers to handle well!
Great, now we can drive 85 (as Doug said many will go at least 5 over) at night while talking on our phones. EMS personnel no need to hurry to accident scenes on the interstate, just bring the scoop shovel. I would guess our legislators will now make highway 83, 80 mph as well that way they can get to their all important meetings. Wonder how much the lower price of gas had to do with this?
For the commenter that stated driving 80 mph would get you from Brooking to SF in half an hour. Mathematics concludes that to drive 50 miles in 1/2 hour, you would have to travel at a speed of 100 mph. I am not criticizing; I like all of the comments. Most of them are against the new speed limit.
Speaking for myself, I’m not comfortable nor feel like I’m in control of my vehicle if driving over 65.
As a truck driver who drives from Brookings to Sioux City roughly 4 to 5 times a week I have learned which trucking companies have set the govenors at 62. What we need to do is plant trees in the medians like in Wisconson and then the highway patrol can hide better then hand out more tickets
I drive I-29 every day. As for the extra 5 mph most people drive it anyway. But what gets me cars bunch up like a flock of sheep and drive just feet of each other. And nobody looks beyond the hood of their car. And the geniuses in Pierre think raising the speed limit is a good idea. If anything lower it down to match the truck traffic. Nothing like a 80 mph car tailgating you then cutting in front just to get ahead of you.
One of our favorite insider airline captain jokes is about the captain that was bored and made a PA stating: “Ladies and Gentleman if you look out the right side of the airplane you’ll see nothing. If you look out the left side of the airplane you’ll also see nothing. Some people call it Kansas.” He got a month off for it. He could have said South Dakota and got off with just getting his pepe whacked. Them was the days.
Okay, I’ve done some test runs and some math.
First, everybody seems to be adjusting to 80 MPH overnight, with good reason.
If my math is right, and I wouldn’t bet the space program on that, the trip from the White turnoff to Brookings saves only a fraction of a minute at 80.
My calculations show, that if everything goes right, you’ll save about 3 minutes between the White turnoff and Sioux Falls.
I’m not taking into account the construction season when you only can average about 50, maybe, on that same stretch.
Off he subject here. From my blogging days with KELO, I wrote a number of times about my adventures with Astoria/Hendricks Norwegian bachelor farmer Trygve Trooien; his bib over-all revues and our often-hilarious road trips with Grant Peterson of KBRK and Tryg’s brother Phil Trooien. Sad to report that Tryg died over the weekend at his beloved and ancestral Oak Lake Farm, I assume from the heart problems that have plagued him the last couple of years. He was 65, but “lived older”, as we used to kid him. He was a keeper of the flame about rural life as it used to be, times he was too young to remember. Just the other day, he was imparting spring planting advice to some of the younger farmers around Hendricks over lunch at Irene’s Café.
I often drove him to doctors’ appointments in Sioux Falls, after which we’d go to lunch, often one of the nicer places. Tryg would marvel at the menu and then, almost invariably, order a basic hamburger or a soup and salad. We’d often bump into well-known people; Jim Woster, U.S. Attorney Brendan Johnson or Larry Pressler. On our way to the car, Tryg would say “You know just about everybody around here, don’t you?”
I would answer: “Yeah, just like you in Astoria…or darned near anywhere else north of Egan.”