Nevada Department of Transportation has decided to increase the speed limit on a 130 mile portion of Interstate 80.
The speed limit is being upped from 75 to 80, beginning 40 miles east of Reno and continuing through Winnemucca. The speed limit transition began on May 8th.
The new 80 mph limit is the highest speed limit ever posted in the state of Nevada.
According to Fox News, The elevated speed limit implementation was not extended past Winnemucca because of “potential traffic safety concerns” related to mountainous grades.
The increase makes Nevada 1 of 7 states to have a speed limit of 80 or higher. Texas hosts the highest speed limit, topping out at 85 m.p.h. on Highway 130.
“There’s this misconception that people think it’s OK to go 5 m.p.h. over the speed limit,” says Nevada state Trooper Dan Gordon.
Nevada chose to adopt a higher speed limit because drivers were already driving 78-80 m.p.h. on average throughout that stretch of I-80.
Now, Gordon and the rest of the Nevada state police warn motorists that “the speed limit is the speed limit – 80 is 80.”