If you’ve driven anywhere in Nevada that isn’t around Las Vegas or Reno, you know first-hand just how desolate that state can truly be. There are some empty stretches of Interstate that can last for hours and hours, with little to break up the monotony except some wonderful desert scenery that stretches for as far as your eyes can see. As you motor along at legal speeds, you start to get a strange sense of not going anywhere…even though your machine is humming along. I speak from experience, Nevada can be beautiful, but at times all you want to do is to drop the hammer and eat up some miles without any issue from the local constabulary.
Nevada has recently joined several other states in pushing speed limits up to 80 MPH, with the first section with the raised limit being Interstate 80 between Winnemucca and Fernley. Nevada’s State Patrol has already been quick to point out that there will be no “five-over” grace to speeders, and that “the limit is the limit” when it comes to the 80 MPH mark. We are glad to see that the state, which joins Texas, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah and South Dakota, is taking progressive steps in regards to speed limits. May we suggest Highway 93 beween Majors Place and the Interstate 15 junction for the next raised limit?
The 130 toll road that runs north south east of San Antonio and goes into Georgetown which is north of Austin has a speed limit of 85, when driving the mustang on it I tend to do 95-100 and have even had a DPS officer pull up next to me once when I was going 100 and motion to me to slow down a little bit as he went on past me, gotta love Texas open roads outside the cities
That’s no big deal. Many parts of Idaho, Montana, Utah have 80 MPH posted speed limits. FYI: Montana does not have an “unlimited” speed limit as many have thought while getting ticketed. Its kind of an urban myth thing.
Back in the 90s? before I was even out of grade school MTs speed limit was “reasonable and prudent” during the day, and 65? at night. Dry summer day? Do 90, no big deal. Now it is 80 for the most part, like the other states surrounding it (other than the socialist ID panhandle).
I remember as a little kid before the 55 MPH speed limit Utah and Idaho (and probably the others) had speed limits of 75. Nevada had a sign just inside the border that said “RESUME” (or maybe RESUME SPEED, it’s all a bit foggy now). I remember Dad gladly putting the hammer down and calling all of the states around Nevada police states.
I’ve driven a lot of interstate miles in the intermountain west. There are literally hundreds of miles where the de facto limit is somewhere above 90. We’ve ran 85+ for hours, still being passed occasionally. Between Idaho Falls and Butte, you can pretty much run 95-100 with impunity on I-15, provided decent weather.
This move is just an honest reaction to the electorate voting with their right foot.
I drive that road A LOT. You run the risk of getting caught by an Idaho trooper south of Dubois, but after that it’s generally clear up to the 15/90 interchange at Butte.
I like Wyoming and the Dakotas while driving the big rigs. Cruising 80 in those is quite a treat.
Another road that’s near free to put the hammer down is between Jackpot, NV and Wells, NV. Used to drive that twice a week, frequently at 3AM when the only ones on the road for 70ish miles was me and the local cop. He flashed his lights at me a few times, but never pulled me over. Tested the top speed on my STI many times on the long straits.
Yeah, we actually do like to put a few miles between the back window and Idaho Falls before we really start legging it northbound. I really want the chance to run I-70 from Green River over to I-15 in something with a little more jam than our Nitro. It actually legs it pretty good, all things considered, but those big grades over the San Rafael Swell drag it down. Our PT Turbo had more jam in the 85-95 range, and tackled hills much better, but had a gas tank the size of a beer can. The Nitro also lets you set the cruise above 85. The highest I’ve set it at is 95. I just need an SRT8 and all will be good.