This Tuesday, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission successfully voted to increase the Turnpike’s speed limit from 65 miles per hours to 70 miles per hour.
According to PennLive.com, the speed limit increase for the 360-mile toll road will go into effect some time this spring, however an exact date has not been set yet.
The turnpike’s spokesman, Carl DeFabo, said they’ve been studying the effects of raising the speed limit for more than 18 months now. They tested the increased speed limit on a 100 mile stretch of the highway in 2015 and found that it did not increase the number of accidents.
DeFabo said that the increase will not change current behavior, as most drivers already travel at speeds greater than the posted limits. “What we’re doing is catching up with the way the traffic is moving today already” he said.
The exact date of the speed limit increase will be announced in the coming weeks.