New Effort To Raise New Jersey Highway Speed Limits To 70 Or Higher

A new effort is underway to raise the speed limit on the New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway.

A New Jersey lawmaker is working on legislation that would increase the state's speed limit on the Garden State Parkway, the New Jersey Turnpike and other state highways to 70 or 75 mph.

Republican Assemblyman Declan O'Scanlon wants to raise the speed limit to a level where, he said, 85 percent of drivers travel.

To O'Scanlon, that means raising the speed limit on New Jersey highways to somewhere around 70 and 75 mph.

“You’re really just recognizing the speeds people are already traveling. You’re providing for more uniform traffic flow. You’re making people less paranoid when they’re on the highways by having realistic speed limits. It’s exactly the right thing to do,” he said on the N.J. Assembly Republicans' website.

He bit back at critics who say increased speed limits have led to an increased number of accidents.

"It's a matter of treating New Jersey drivers with the common sense and reasonableness they deserve," he said. "We are not talking about increasing speed."

Some state officials said they're not ready to back a speed limit hike.

"The Turnpike Authority believes the current speed limits on the New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway are appropriate for those roadways," Tom Feeney, a spokesman for the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, told nj.com. "There is no active consideration being given to raising them."

The decision to increase the 65 mph speed limit, however, would be left to the state Legislature, while the transportation commissioner would rule on state highways where the speed limit is lower.

O'Scanlon also cited a study from the National Motorists Association saying drivers maintained an average speed of 68 mph after the speed limit was raised in New York to 65 mph.

O’Scanlon said New Jersey highways are engineered in such a way to allow for speeds over 65 mph.

“When you set reasonable speed limits based on sound engineering criteria, you get the greatest amount of compliance. You get the greatest amount of safety, with the least amount of punishment. That should be our overwhelming goal,” O’Scanlon said.

O’Scanlon said a lower speed limit leads to people being ticketed for driving at speeds that are inherently safe and that drivers then get angry with police officers because “they know when they’re being victimized.”

“You also have some officials who believe that you should set laws in such a way that you can entrap people and steal their money. And they think that’s an acceptable activity of government. And they’re wrong. That is theft, and it’s complete misuse of government power,” O’Scanlon said.