On Friday, November 16, Formula 1 will return to the US after a five-year hiatus. The venue that will host the penultimate race of the 2012 season will be the newly-constructed Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.

It is therefore fitting that from November 11, a few days before the Grand Prix, the Lone Star state will also be the one sporting the highest speed limit in the country as Texas Transportation officials approved an 85 mph (137km/h) limit along a 41-mile distance of State Highway 130 (SH130), which connects state capital Austin to San Antonio.

The parts of SH130 that have been approved for the raised speed limit feature two lanes in each direction and have been the subject of a study by the Texas Department of Transportation concerning safety features.

Each lane is 12 feet wide, exceeding the 10-foor minimum recommendation of the American Association of State Highway and Transport officials.

“Safety is our top priority”, said the five-member commission that unanimously approved the new speed limit on August 30, adding, “tests have shown the designated speed is a safe one.”

Some roads in rural Texas and Utah already have an 80 mph (129km/h) speed limit. Furthermore, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), traffic fatalities in Texas have been reduced by 3,351 in 2006 to 2,998 in 2011

As one would expect, the “speed kills” advocates have voiced their disagreement to the new speed limit.

“There are limits to the amount of crash energy that can be managed by vehicles”, said the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). It stressed that “the higher the speed, the higher the likelihood that these speeds will be exceeded in crashes.”

In 2009, the American Journal of Public Health conducted a study that showed roads with 65- and 75-mph (105-121km/h) limits had higher fatalities than those with 55- and 60-mph (89-97km/h) limits.

Chris Lippincott of the SH130 Concession Company that owns and will operate this segment of the road said their goal is to reduce traffic from the congested Interstate 35 that also connects the two cities.

“We look forward to opening this segment of SH 130, which will help reduce congestion for the Austin/San Antonio corridor by providing Texas drivers and others with an alternate route for traveling through our great state”, he said.

He also answered to the IIHS: “Ultimately, highway safety is up to the drivers”, he said. “They can understand road conditions and weather changes.”

Of course, the state had an extra motive in approving the higher speed limit. Tolls rates will cost at least US$5. The state contract with the consortium provides the state with a US$67 million up-front cash payment or a percentage of the toll profits in the future, if the speed limit is 80 mph (129km/h) or lower. At 85 mph (137km/h), the cash payment increases to either US$100 million or a higher percentage of toll income.

By Andrew Tsaousis

Story References: NBC News

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