Texas is generally happy to push things to extremes, so it's not surprising that the state House approved a measure to raise the speed limit to 85 miles per hour — the highest in the nation — on some stretches of highway. Currently, Texas and Utah are tied for the top speed (80 mph). The state Senate is expected to pass the measure soon, but is it a good idea to let people drive that fast?
Texas is being reckless: While other states are fretting over whether 65 mph is too fast, says Brian Straight at FleetOwner, Texas is rushing to endorse a "nearly breakneck" speed that would be the second-fastest limit in the world, just behind Poland's 86 mph. There's a reason most governments don't let people drive that fast: It's not safe. Worse, because some drivers will never push their vehicles that hard, you get a speed disparity between fast and slow drivers that "seems like a recipe for death."
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