It was not accompanied by Champagne, noisemakers and midnight cheers, but Tuesday marked a milestone in its own right.
Jan. 2 was the 50th anniversary of President Richard Nixon signing into law a national maximum highway speed limit of 55 mph. The impetus at the time was an oil embargo by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, which led to a gas shortage and skyrocketing prices in the United States.
The goal of reducing gasoline consumption found moderate success, and speed limits on U.S. highways since then have become something of a political football. While states now are allowed to set their own limits, advocates for reduced speed say it improves safety on the roads.
In our current landscape of stark political divisions, it is nigh impossible to forge a national consensus on speed limits or any other measure designed to reduce highway fatalities. But evidence suggests that some new tactics are required at the state level. Traffic fatalities in Washington have nearly doubled over the past decade, and late-2023 data had the state on pace to surpass the 33-year high of 750 deaths recorded in 2022.
According to the state Traffic Safety Commission, 51 percent of traffic fatalities in recent years have involved an impaired driver; 32 percent have involved excessive speed; and 15 percent have been attributed, in part, to a distracted driver.
Those are factors that can be addressed by lawmakers and law enforcement. Most prominent is a need to crack down on impaired drivers, which has become more arduous since the state legalized recreational marijuana in 2012.
Cannabis impairment is more difficult to measure than alcohol, but avenues are available for reducing drunk driving. Among them is shortening the time for processing suspected DUI cases. According to The Seattle Times, it takes nearly one year on average for the results of a defendant’s blood sample to be processed, a delay that often leads to the dismissal of charges. A new Washington State Patrol lab in Federal Way should help speed prosecutions.
Meanwhile, a supplemental budget proposed by Gov. Jay Inslee calls for more funding for the State Patrol and for state toxicology labs. Legislators should embrace this proposal when they return to work next week.
Lawmakers in recent years have worked to reduce the number of distracted drivers by implementing tough laws against motorists caught using cellphones while behind the wheel. But the legislation, which was championed by Sen. Ann Rivers, R-La Center, is only as effective as the enforcement behind it.
The same can be said about speed limits. For too many drivers, posted signs are regarded merely as suggestions. As Steve Strachan, executive director of the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs, said, “There’s a sense of impunity among some drivers, who are treating Washington’s roads like they’re a raceway.” With law-enforcement agencies throughout the state being understaffed, the enforcement of speed limits often is of secondary concern.
Washington is not the only state facing concerns about traffic safety. Nationally, since the onset of the COVID pandemic, the rate of fatalities has increased approximately 25 percent.
While lawmakers can take sensible measures to reverse that trend, the bulk of the responsibility lies with drivers. When it comes to improving safety on our roads, government cannot be expected to provide all the answers.
