Systemwide implications of the repeal of the national maximum speed limit.

The adoption of higher rural interstate speed limits may shift behaviors in ways that broadly affect motor vehicle safety. In particular, these laws may attract drivers from less safe rural noninterstate roadways, implying that any negative implications of higher speed limits for rural interstate fatalities may be attenuated by fewer rural noninterstate fatalities. We test for the reallocation of vehicle miles traveled and fatalities using 1982-2002 U.S. data spanning the relaxation and repeal of the national maximum speed limit (NMSL) across all drivers and specifically those younger and older drivers associated with higher fatality risks. Overall, we find that the repeal of the NMSL resulted in a 36-37% increase in fatalities on rural interstate highways. However, we found very little support for any decrease in rural noninterstate driving or fatalities following the adoption of higher speed limits on rural interstates.

[1]  Z. Griliches,et al.  Econometric Models for Count Data with an Application to the Patents-R&D Relationship , 1984 .

[2]  C Lave,et al.  Did the 65 mph speed limit save lives? , 1994, Accident; analysis and prevention.

[3]  J K Ord,et al.  ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF SPEED-LIMIT INCREASES ON FATAL INTERSTATE CRASHES , 2001 .

[4]  Pravin K. Trivedi,et al.  Regression Analysis of Count Data , 1998 .

[5]  Michael S. Griffith,et al.  News, Queries & Comment , 1995 .

[6]  Beth T. Stalvey,et al.  Driving avoidance and functional impairment in older drivers. , 1998, Accident; analysis and prevention.

[7]  P. Allison,et al.  7. Fixed-Effects Negative Binomial Regression Models , 2002 .

[8]  Jonathan Gruber.  Risky Behavior among Youths , 2001 .

[9]  David C Grabowski,et al.  Graduated driver licensing and teen traffic fatalities. , 2005, Journal of health economics.

[10]  Lawrence J Cook,et al.  Effect of repeal of the national maximum speed limit law on occurrence of crashes, injury crashes, and fatal crashes on Utah highways. , 2004, Accident; analysis and prevention.

[11]  E. Duflo,et al.  How Much Should We Trust Differences-in-Differences Estimates? , 2001 .

[12]  C. Ruhm.  Alcohol Policies and Highway Vehicle Fatalities , 1995, Journal of health economics.

[13]  Richard Tay,et al.  Ageing drivers: storm in a teacup? , 2006, Accident; analysis and prevention.

[14]  J. Brabyn,et al.  Vision and Driving Self‐Restriction in Older Adults , 2003, Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

[15]  J Hedlund,et al.  Risky business: safety regulations, risk compensation, and individual behavior , 2000, Injury prevention : journal of the International Society for Child and Adolescent Injury Prevention.

[16]  Göran Nilsson,et al.  Traffic Safety Dimensions and the Power Model to Describe the Effect of Speed on Safety , 2004 .

[17]  D. Grabowski,et al.  Elderly licensure laws and motor vehicle fatalities. , 2004, JAMA.

[18]  S. Garber,et al.  The effects of the new 65 mile-per-hour speed limit on rural highway fatalities: a state-by-state analysis. , 1990, Accident; analysis and prevention.

[19]  C Lave,et al.  RESOURCE ALLOCATION IN PUBLIC POLICY: THE EFFECTS OF THE 65 MPH SPEED LIMIT. IN: RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN TRANSPORT ECONOMICS , 1997 .

[20]  David C Grabowski,et al.  The strength of graduated drivers license programs and fatalities among teen drivers and passengers. , 2006, Accident; analysis and prevention.

[21]  S. Peltzman.  The Effects of Automobile Safety Regulation , 1975, Journal of Political Economy.

[22]  Rebecca J. Sela,et al.  The fatality effects of highway speed limits by gender and age , 2003 .

[23]  W. Evans,et al.  Teens and Traffic Safety , 2001 .

[24]  R. Tay.  Prioritising road safety initiatives: fatality versus social cost. , 2002, Applied health economics and health policy.

[25]  Robert McNown,et al.  A Cost-Benefit Analysis of the 55 MPH Speed Limit , 1984 .

[26]  Michael Greenstone,et al.  A Reexamination of Resource Allocation Responses to the 65-MPH Speed Limit , 2002 .

[27]  D. Grabowski,et al.  The effect of state regulations on motor vehicle fatalities for younger and older drivers: a review and analysis. , 2001, The Milbank quarterly.

[28]  C. Lave.  Speeding, Coordination, and the 55 MPH Limit , 1985 .

[29]  A K Lund,et al.  Changes in motor vehicle occupant fatalities after repeal of the national maximum speed limit. , 1999, Accident; analysis and prevention.

[30]  Rune Elvik,et al.  The Handbook of Road Safety Measures , 2009 .