Idaho Lawmakers Propose Raising Speed Limits

A bid to increase speed limits on Idaho roads raced to a victory on the Senate floor, as lawmakers voted 30-4 to send it on to the House.

Legal speeds would jump from 75 to 80 mph on the interstate and from 65 to 70 mph on state highways – if Idaho Transportation Department signs off.

The department would first conduct safety studies to decide if faster commutes are a good idea.

Sen. Bart Davis, an Idaho Falls Republican and the bill’s sponsor, said the increase adds convenience for drivers.

He denied being motivated by a personal desire to step on the gas, telling senators he typically drives “like an old man.”

Utah voted to raise speed limits last year, and studies there haven’t found an increase in wrecks, Davis said.