Iowans could see higher speed limits on some highways under a bill (SF 378) advanced by the Iowa House Wednesday.
The bill would increase the default speed limit from 55 miles per hour to 60 on roads unless otherwise stated.
Rep. Austin Baeth, D-Des Moines, voted against the bill. He said raising the speed limit will lead to more traffic-related deaths.
“This is a kid who won’t make it to his graduation,” Baeth said. “This is a father who won’t make it home to dinner, a sister who had her whole life ahead of her.”
A study by the nonprofit Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found that raising the speed limit by five miles per hour led to 8.5% more fatalities on interstates and freeways. It also led to almost a 3% increase in fatalities on other roads.
The proposal passed 76 to 16. The House amended the bill, so it heads back to the Senate.