Florida highway speeds could increase to 75 mph

road highway — Tampa, Florida interstate highway by ablokhin via iStock for WMNF News.

Highway speeds could increase under a bill that has started moving forward in the state Senate.

The Republican-controlled Senate Transportation Committee on Wednesday approved a wide-ranging measure (SB 462), filed by Sen. Nick DiCeglie, R-Indian Rocks Beach, that includes boosting the maximum speed on interstates and Florida’s Turnpike from 70 mph to 75 mph.

The bill also would require the Department of Transportation to increase the maximum speed on four-lane divided highways in rural areas from 65 mph to 70 mph.

Other roads with 60 mph speed limits could be raised to 65 mph where deemed “safe and advisable.”

Then-Gov. Rick Scott in 2014 vetoed a similar proposal about speed limits, pointing to concerns raised by law-enforcement officers.

“Although the bill does not mandate higher speed limits, allowing for the possibility of faster driving on Florida’s roads and highways could ultimately and unacceptably increase the risk of serious accidents for Florida citizens and visitors,” Scott, now a U.S. senator, wrote in a veto message. “I strongly respect the opinion of state and local law enforcement officers who have contacted me to warn about the possible serious negative consequences should this bill become law. While the evidence suggests that increased driving speeds are not the sole cause of traffic accidents, they clearly contribute to the increased severity of vehicle crash outcomes in the form of needless injuries and deaths.”

DiCeglie’s bill would need to clear two more committees before it could go to the full Senate.