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The best speed limit is the one that is the safest

Remember when 55 mph was pretty much the law of the land on our nation’s highways, except for the frontier-like interstates in the midwest, Rocky Mountain states and on the West Coast?

Well, that uniformity is gone and motorists have to pay close attention to the yo-yo speed limit regulations that allow varying speeds ranging from 55 to 85 mph on interstates and turnpikes.

Pennsylvania has been pretty steady, compared with most states.

The typical highway speed limits are 55 mph near metropolitan areas and 65 mph on most other parts of the major highway system.

But starting last week, the speed limit was raised to 70 mph on 97 miles of the Pennsylvania Turnpike in the central and southeastern part of the state.

As long as the speed limit is being raised in an area that can be safely traveled at 70 mph, we are OK with it.

Keeping the speed limit lower than that which can be safely handled just makes motorists edgy, trying to impatiently push the limits without being detected by state police. That can create unsafe highways.

We could see parts of Interstate 80, particularly in the more rural western half of the state, and parts of Route 15 north of Williamsport being reset to 70 mph speed limits in the name of safe, consistent travel by motorists. But lots of Pennsylvania requires stricter speed limits due to the winding and/or hilly nature of the roads and terrain.

It’s easy to forget that the original intent of the nation’s push to a 55 mph speed limit was gasoline savings at a time when fuel supplies were limited.

Safe, consistent travel speeds is ultimately the best way to conserve energy and avoid highway tragedies, in our view.

And if 70 is that number in portions of the state, so be it.

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