Increased Speed Limit on Indiana’s I-465 Could Raise Crash Risk

Beginning on July 1st, the speed limit on I-465 in Indiana was raised from 55 mph to 65 mph, according to Indiana House Bill 1461.

Despite changes in speed, drivers should still watch out for fluctuations in the speed limit while driving on the interstate. The speed limit remains at 55 mph for certain areas of the interstate due to road design, and active construction zones on I-465 have a speed limit of 45 mph that is enforced using camera monitoring.

Although this change is meant to improve the flow of traffic on the highway, increased speeds often lead to more crashes.

While the Indiana State Police have created a new squad of four state troopers that will monitor the Indianapolis district and I-465 to enforce the new speed limit, drivers must remain vigilant and exercise caution.

Dangers of High-Speed Driving

Driving at high speeds can increase the risk of car accidents, regardless of the posted speed limit and type of roadway.

There are four basic ways that speed influences the risk of crash and crash injuries.

1. Higher speeds increase how far a vehicle travels between the time a driver detects an emergency and the time the driver reacts.
2. The distance needed to stop the vehicle once the driver starts braking increases.
3. High speeds increase the risk that an evasive steering maneuver to prevent a crash will result in loss of vehicle control.
4. Crash energy is disproportionately increased at high speeds. A vehicle moving at a high speed leads to more energy that the vehicle must manage. The additional energy is absorbed and then dissipated, which challenges the vehicle’s structure and increases the possibility of severe injuries.

When driving at high speeds that result in a crash, passenger vehicles are subjected to such severe forces that the structure cannot handle the stress. This leads to difficulties maintaining the space needed in the vehicle for survival, as well as the failure of restraint systems like airbags and seatbelts to prevent severe injury.

These limits exist for practical reasons, but the higher the speed, the more likely these limits will be exceeded in an accident.

When combined with the potential force from an impact with a speeding commercial motor vehicle, accidents can be fatal. Research from Texas A&M Transportation Institute found that of the nearly 2,800 CMV crashes in 20 counties across Texas, speeding or high-speed driving was one of the driving behaviors that most impacted crashes where the CMV driver was at fault. Crashes that included speed citations also carried a 170% greater risk of injury or fatality.

In large CMVs, the large size and weight of the truck requires the driver to leave more stopping room to avoid a wreck; they typically need over 500 feet to stop. High-speed driving makes it difficult to ensure that amount of space when quickly coming up to another vehicle. CMVs are also at a higher risk of rollovers, making turns and ramps dangerous when driving too fast.

Speeding is one of the critical factors in vehicle wrecks across the country. In fact, the NHTSA found that nearly 27% of crash fatalities in 2022 involved speeding. And though it may be logical to think raising the speed limit on the interstate would lead to a decrease in speeding, that is not necessarily the case.

Speed limits are typically based on the 85^th percentile speed for a certain stretch of road, or the speed that 85% of vehicles travel at or below during free-flowing traffic conditions. Unfortunately, this measurement is ever-changing. When speed limits are increased to meet the current 85^th percentile, it usually results in a higher 85^th percentile speed.

Higher speed limits are not always the best solution to speeding on the interstate.

Effects of Increased Speed Limits

Speed limits are often raised to improve the flow of traffic, especially on interstate roads.  And some believe that driving faster will reduce travel time, but the AAA Foundation found that changes in travel time were small in response to both raising and lowering speed limits. Increased speed limits often lead to more crashes, while lowering some can cause a decrease in crashes but a rise in the likelihood of speeding.

Many studies have been done showing the relationship between speed and safety on interstate and non-interstate roads with the same outcome: speeding increases crash severity.

When looking specifically at increased interstate speed limits, the Accident Analysis and Prevention journal cited that research done on rural freeways in the United States found that states with speed limits of 70-75 mph had more fatal crashes than those a speed limit of 60-65 mph by around 31-54%. Additionally, The Michigan Department of Transportation supports this finding with research done back in 1997, where they discovered a 10.5% increase in wrecks on freeways where the limit changed from 65 mph to 70 mph.

This correlation shows that the risk of high-speed driving can outweigh the benefits of increasing speed to improve traffic.

The AAA Foundation’s research suggests that the solution to speeding is not necessarily raising the speed limit, but instead more public awareness education on speeding and the risks involved. Transportation officials should also make efforts to prioritize safety over speed and capacity.

The Spillover Effect

Increased interstate speed limits not only lead to more accidents on the highways, but also on adjacent arterial roadways. These increases lead to a “spillover effect”, or the tendency for drivers to maintain relatively higher speeds after exiting an area with a high speed limit, such as the highway.

This spillover creates safety concerns in adjacent communities that may not have a say in the decision-making process for speed limits on nearby interstates. The AAA Foundation found that as the length of time spent on the highway driving at a high speed increased, the driver’s speed also increased on the neighboring roadways with a slower speed limit.

Furthermore, hot spot analyses conducted on roads that are within a one-mile radius of interstate roads showed many instances where the number of speed-related crashes rose on those roads following an interstate speed limit change.

Drivers often continue their faster driving tendencies even after exiting the highway, displaying that even those who choose to avoid the interstate because of high-speed driving are still subject to the consequences of freeway speed limit increases.

Final Thoughts

The NHTSA states that speeding is a major concern, contributing to around one-third of all fatalities on the road over the past 20 years.

Nationally recognized truck accident personal injury attorney David W. Craig has expressed concern with the change in speed limit on I-465.

“The higher you make the speed limit, the more you risk the safety of those on the interstate. My fear is that most people drive over the speed limit, and they will continue to do that, but unfortunately, they will now be doing 70 to 80 mph,” David said.

“Over the years, Craig, Kelley & Faultless has represented the victims of semi tractor trailer, dump trucks and other commercial motor vehicle accidents that were caused by speed,” David said. “A semi tractor trailer weighing 40 tons driving at higher speeds is a recipe for disaster. Rather than raising the speed limit, I would love to see the requirement for commercial motor vehicles to use speed limiters.”

While the speed limit may be going up on I-465, drivers should still exercise caution while driving on freeways and other high-speed roads. Be aware of the vehicles around you, obey the speed limit, provide yourself with ample stopping room and space to perform evasive maneuvers when necessary, and pay attention to changes in the speed limit on both the interstate and on adjacent roadways.

Driving the speed limit and driving with caution can save lives, including your own.

Wrecks Caused by Speeding

While it may feel necessary to speed to reduce the length of your drive, it risks the safety of yourself and everyone else on the roads.

If you or someone you know has been in an accident caused by speeding, reach out to Craig, Kelley & Faultless for a free consultation. Our 10 attorneys are experienced representing truck wreck victims in Indiana and across the United States.

We are committed to helping folks who have been injured on the road because of someone else’s negligence. We will fight for you.

Contact us today at (317) 434-3520 or through our website.

David W. Craig is a nationally recognized truck accident lawyer who sits on the Board of Regents of the Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys. He is board-certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy (NBTA), accredited by the American Bar Association in Truck Accident Law. He is the managing partner and one of the founding partners of Craig, Kelley & Faultless LLC. He is recognized as a Top 10 Trucking Trial Lawyer and Top 100 Trial Lawyer in Indiana by the National Trial Lawyers, as well as a Top 50 Indiana lawyer by Super Lawyers. He was the recipient of the National Thurgood Marshall “Fighting for Justice” Award for his work helping victims of truck wrecks. David is the author of Semitruck Wreck, A Guide for Victims and Their Families, written to help people navigate a terrible situation by answering questions that come after a tragic wreck. He also hosts the podcast After the Crash, where you can gain valuable information about the dangers involving semis and large trucks that do not follow Indiana law safety protocol regarding speed, weather conditions, maintenance upkeep, etc.