Uncertainties Continue about Illinois New Speed Limit Laws

Illinois’ speed law is set to increase to 70 mph in just a couple of months, but uncertainties linger about the new speed limits. The new speed law was signed into law by Gov. Pat Quinn in August – against the recommendations of the Illinois Department of Transportation, Illinois State Police, and road safety organizations – but confusion exists about the scope of the law.
Even the bill’s primary sponsor, Sen. Jim Oberweis, agrees that the law needs clarification. "There is some confusion," he told the Chicago Tribune, "but I just want to make it clear our bill covers all interstates and all tollways throughout the state of Illinois, period. This idea that somehow there are urban areas that are not included is just totally wrong."

The new speed law, which is set to take effect on January 1, 2014, authorizes higher speed limits on rural interstates and allows the six counties in the Chicago area and two in the St. Louis area to set their own interstate speed limit.

Although the language in the law clearly states that “[t]he maximum speed limit out
side an urban district... is 70 miles per hour on any interstate highway” and that the state can set 65 mph speed limits on four-lane divided roads if the Department of Transportation determines that speed is appropriate, county officials in the Chicago area said they have not been authorized to change speed limits on interstates running through their counties and that they aren’t planning to do so now.

Currently, 37 states have speed limits of 70 mph or higher on some portions of roads in 37 states, and motorists are allowed to drive 80 mph in some areas of Utah and Texas. While Sen. Oberweis, the bill’s primary sponsor and business owner whose trucks traverse the highways subject to the new speed limit, calls the new law “business-friendly,” it clearly doesn’t have motorists best interests in mind. This recent trend toward higher speed limits has been widely criticized by road safety organizations. According to the insurance institute, there has been a 3 percent increase in traffic fatalities since states began increasing their speed limits in 1995. Moreover, nearly one-third of all motor vehicle fatalities in the country are caused by speed-related traffic accidents.

Driving at unsafe speeds can cause a number of dangerous conditions, including:

• Difficulty reacting to and maneuvering around obstacles in the roadway, including other vehicles and objects
• Reduced reaction time
• Loss of control of vehicle
• Inability to make a safe turns or lane changes
• Inability to stop quickly

If you have been injured in a car accident caused by a speeding driver, it is important to act quickly to protect your legal rights and remedies.