WI's deadly road-tripping comes with deferred repairs, higher speed limits

When I read about traffic fatalities in Wisconsin, I think Walker and his negligent legislative allies bear a share of the responsibility.

Bad enough that Wisconsin's pothole-Scotthole rutted roads are part of a continuing official GOP policy disregard that costs Wisconsin motorists an annual vehicle repair hit of nearly $640.

But keep in mind that, as I have written since 2013 - - this summary post covers four years - - the same Wisconsin GOP leaders who dawdle fixing the road and bridge infrastructure, and who continue to pour new hundreds of millions into newer, wider Interstate lanes for Foxconn also raised speed limits on major state highways in the face of warnings from experts in 2015 that the increase would boost the severity of highway crashes.

MADISON, Wis. (AAA) -- AAA Wisconsin is urging the Wisconsin State Senate to stop proposed legislation that would raise the maximum speed limit on rural highways to 70 mph due to concerns that higher speeds make it more difficult for vehicles to slow or stop in order to avoid a collision, and can increase the severity of resultant crashes. AAA is particularly alarmed about the potential implications for trucks, as their weight makes those considerations even more pressing...

This is a concern for all drivers, as according to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), more than 8 in 10 truck crashes are multi-vehicle collisions, and over 70 percent of injuries and fatalities sustained in truck crashes are the occupants of the other vehicles.

The evidence from neighboring states provides a clear warning: higher speed limits lead to higher rates of truck involvement in fatal crashes.

Which is exactly what was enumerated in 2016, the AP reported.

Highway crashes spike after speed limits rise

In the year since the speed limit increase in June 2015, interstate fatalities rose 37 percent, injuries increased by 11 percent and the total number of accidents rose 12 percent.

On sections of the highway where speed limits remained at 65 mph, fatalities dropped by just under 2 percent and total accidents dipped 2 percent.

As the pace continued into 2017, state officials cited factors including distracted driving, but did not discuss the speed limit boost.