Right now, Senator Dale Risinger of Peoria is sponsoring a bill (Senate Bill 3668) that will increased the speed limit in Illinois – for both cars and semis (commercial big rig trucks) to 70 MPH on rural interstate highways – in other words, on roadways outside of Chicago.
AAA has come out against this proposed law, citing to a 2009 study done by the American Journal of Public Health, where its research found that higher speed limits means more deaths from car crashes and truck accidents.
And all this, right on the heels of a new law that already moved up the Illinois speed limit from 55 mph to 65 mph.
Here’s something to ponder: Commercial vehicles that weigh around 80,000 lbs. when loaded with cargo, cruising along roadways beside family sedans that weigh around 3500 pounds.
Increase their speeds from 55 mph to 70 mph ….
Does anyone really think that this will make things SAFER out there?
