Some of the nation's fastest and slowest roads.
Americans like to talk a fast game, but while we may like to believe we’re always pushing the limits, a new study suggests most drivers stick closer to the speed laws than we might think.
While motorists do run up average speeds over the posted limits in a few states, most stay under the limit, according to data collected though the Speed Profiles database compiled by TeleAtlas, the mapping unit of portable navigation manufacturer TomTom. The report analyzed historical records gathered anonymously, over the last two years, from millions of GPS systems in use on U.S. roadways.
The tattletale systems reveal that the fastest stretch of highway in the U.S. is I-15, running through Utah and Nevada. The average speed is 77.67 mph, but in some unpopulated stretches, the speed limit actually is set at 80.
On a regional basis, the fastest part of the country isn’t out in the open West but, rather, in the American heartland. TomTom reveals that 7 of the fastest 15 states are Mississippi, Kansas, Iowa, Iaho, Alabama and Missouri, where speeds average just over 67 mph. The big surprise? The typical speed limit in those states is 70.
In fact, even in the fastest states, drivers are far more likely than not to obey the speed limits. While Mississippi has the fastest roads of any state, with average speeds of just over 70 mph, that’s not exactly Autobahn driving. Its posted Interstate limits run between 65 and 70. As for the rest of the Fast Five:
- Second-fastest New Mexico drivers average 70, as wel, but speed limits run 70 to 75;
- Idaho ranks third, again averating 70, with limits of 65 to 75;
- Despite that stretch of I-15, average speeds on #5 Utah’s Interstates run 70, though posted limits run 65 to 75;
- And rounding up the Top Five, Alabama also averages that magic 70 mph, while speed limits run a posted 60 to 70.
Speeds on individual Interstates can vary widely. Some of the lowest limits in the country – oustide of a specific urban center – are found in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, notably Virginia, New Jersey, New York and Connecticut. But I-95, where speed limits drop to 45 in some places, encourages drivers to stomp on the accelerator once they get down south. The fastest section is in 70 mph South Carolina.
As for the slowest states? In reverse order, the Sluggish Five are:
- Oregon, at 63 mph;
- Rhode Island, also 64;
- Delaware, at 61;
- Hawaii, at 53, (and yes, the state does have “Interstates,” though they’re all located on the island of Oahu).
And the slowest state in the nation is technically not a state. But whatever you prefer to call it, Washington, D.C. is not only the slowest state, with a measly 46 mph Interstate average, but also the most congested traffic spot, according to TeleAtlas data. That may explain the way work gets done down there.