Illinois drivers will be able to legally drive a little faster next year, but they will still be moving at a crawl compared to the pace on one Texas highway.
Illinois Governor Pat Quinn signed Public Act 98-0511 into law today, raising the speed limit from 65 mph to 70 mph on some stretches of rural interstates. The law goes into effect on January 1, 2014.
The new speed limit seems downright wimpy when compared to the 85 mph allowed on Texas State Highway 130. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Texas’ 85 mph is the top allowed speed limit in the United States.
IIHS figures show there are currently 20 states with a speed limit of 70 mph, including every state surrounding Illinois except Wisconsin, which holds to the conservative 65 mph limit. Sixteen states have speed limits higher than 70 mph. Hawaii is the slowest state, with a maximum posted speed limit of 60 mph.