DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — A bill being considered by the Ohio state legislature is raising concerns about road safety.
House Bill 23, the Transportation Budget, is currently in the Senate Transportation Committee. Lawmakers added a provision that would raise the speed limit from 55 mph to 60 mph on highways outside of municipal corporations.
Montgomery County Sheriff Rob Streck said his office is dealing with a crisis on the roads. He said it already a challenge getting people to obey traffic laws, and he believes raising the speed limit on any road will do more harm than good.
“You can see people running red lights, speeding, weaving in and out of traffic. That’s happening on all our state routes. So at this point, it’s hard trying to get people under control and driving the right way. And I don’t know if raising the speed limit is going to assist with that,” Sheriff Streck explained.
Speeding was a factor in 11% of crashes in Ohio last year according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol. While five miles per hour might not seem like a lot, Kara Hitchens with AAA said even small speed limit increases can make a huge difference in the outcomes of those crashes.
“Even with the with the advancements in technology on vehicles with airbags and better crumple zones in vehicles, we still believe that even five miles over any kind of increase in speed would probably negate those advances that have taken place over the years,” Hitchens explained.
The Senate still needs to vote on the bill. In the meantime, Sheriff Streck said his deputies will continue to combat the dangerous driving happening across the region.
“It’s got to be people out there understanding that one bad decision could cost people their lives,” Streck said.
